Seriously. This post will be about more than this picture (see, for example, the picture on Flickr of Collin and little Ava as well). But the incredibly clashing colors in here seemed to need a mention (or an apology!)
Last weekend, our very dear friends Katy and Dean Boshart brought their three kids (Jack, 10, Sam, 7, and Ava--6 months and gorgeous) to visit. It was the first time any of us had met Ava and Ryan and I plotted several plans to steal her, abandoning them only when we saw how tired Katy and Dean were and remembered that we didn't like being that tired.
Collin's response to the weekend: JACK AND SAM!!!!! SAM!!! BIg boys are cool, I'm a big boy, soon I'm going to be 10 years old and then I can jump off the sofa and throw the basketball and play cool games like Jack and Sam . . .
Lilah's response: Goo goo ga ga.
And also: "I need a diaper. And a high chair." In short, some serious attempts at regression to infancy. We don't know if it was the attention Ava got, how cute Ava was (not that Lilah's not cute, but still), or the extremely soft and bright pink fuzzy blanket that Ava brought with her, but Lilah had some sense that this litle girl was onto a good thing.
In other Lilah news, many of you have no doubt heard about her ascension to the throne as--self-titled, I assure you--The Mean Queen. This is an onerous and wearisome responsibility, as it involves generally being mean to and with small stuffed animals, bossing around Baby Troll (Collin) and Mommy Troll (guess who) and avoiding the surpassing authority of Daddy, who refuses to cooperate and remains, well, Daddy. An amusing recent conversation in this vein:
Mean Queen: Mommy. You and Collie need to do what I say because you my customers.
Mommy: No, honey, customers are people who buy things from you. We're your subjects.
Mean Queen: Subjects?
Mommy: That's right. That's what you call us.
Ryan (to me, upon walking in and overhearing the above): What is wrong with you? Are you crazy? Stop encouraging her.
Well, I don't want her to get made fun of at the World Convention of Evil But Cute Rulers for using the wrong word, do I?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Ohh, Casanova . . .
You look at this delightful picture of Collin in tights and your first thought might not be: "Well, I be this guy is good with the ladies."
But then you would be underestimating the subtleties of Collin's mind, as well as, frankly, the extent of his success wih the ladies. As evidence, I submit a conversation from the car just last week:
Collin: (coy) Mommy, I have two new girlfriends.
Me: Really, buddy? Who?
Collin: Naomi and Katya.
Me: (blankly) Oh. Wait--who was your old girlfriend?
Collin: (infinite ennui) Oh. Rachel.
And how does he get these girlfriends of his? Collin has figured out a tactic that his other male friends at school have not: tell the girls that you like princesses.
Next he is going to learn to love shoe shopping.
But then you would be underestimating the subtleties of Collin's mind, as well as, frankly, the extent of his success wih the ladies. As evidence, I submit a conversation from the car just last week:
Collin: (coy) Mommy, I have two new girlfriends.
Me: Really, buddy? Who?
Collin: Naomi and Katya.
Me: (blankly) Oh. Wait--who was your old girlfriend?
Collin: (infinite ennui) Oh. Rachel.
And how does he get these girlfriends of his? Collin has figured out a tactic that his other male friends at school have not: tell the girls that you like princesses.
Next he is going to learn to love shoe shopping.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Bat Family Photo
Yes, Collin is getting muscle-y, isn't he? :)
This is Halloween morning, before they headed off to school and the marathon of trick-or-treating (the teachers walk them to all the surrounding office buildings). Lilah reported being so tired by the end that she tried to lie down in the middle of the street but her teacher wouldn't let her. Meanie.
Lilah, by the way, is not Bat-girl. She is Bat-gayle. This is her pronunciation and she is sticking to it, no matter how often we correct her. So perhaps she is a version of the superhero sidekick who hails from Appalachia specifically? Tune in to future adventures to find out . . .
As for Batman here, he is constantly busy fending off the Joker, the Riddler, and other villains, though he did take a minute on Halloween night to consume a new and exotic super-hero food. It was round and fluted on the edges, just like a Bat-a-rang (Batman's signature weapon) but tasted of chocolate and peanut butter and was gone in one gulp. Vigilantes need to keep up their strength, after all.
This is Halloween morning, before they headed off to school and the marathon of trick-or-treating (the teachers walk them to all the surrounding office buildings). Lilah reported being so tired by the end that she tried to lie down in the middle of the street but her teacher wouldn't let her. Meanie.
Lilah, by the way, is not Bat-girl. She is Bat-gayle. This is her pronunciation and she is sticking to it, no matter how often we correct her. So perhaps she is a version of the superhero sidekick who hails from Appalachia specifically? Tune in to future adventures to find out . . .
As for Batman here, he is constantly busy fending off the Joker, the Riddler, and other villains, though he did take a minute on Halloween night to consume a new and exotic super-hero food. It was round and fluted on the edges, just like a Bat-a-rang (Batman's signature weapon) but tasted of chocolate and peanut butter and was gone in one gulp. Vigilantes need to keep up their strength, after all.
Now We Are Four
Here they are in their gorgeous birthday outfits from Mom-Mom and Pappy. The celebration of Collin and Lilah's fourth birthday lasted nearly a week (!!) beginning with their exchange of their gifts to each other (a Superman action figure and a Cinderella coloring book), then the arrival of a whole box full of hot wheels from Uncle Paul in California. Collin went to a Superhero themed party at the local library and had pancakes at a restaurant, while Lilah hosted several friends (and Mom-Mom) for a tea party at our house (check our new pictures on flickr to see pictures of that memorable event.) Then they went to church and put coins in the little collection box, one for each year . . . and every meal for four days running they each ate a petit four courtesy of Uncle Scott and Auntie Paula.
Spoiled? Who? The best news from a parent's standpoint is that when the twins opened their gifts from Gramps (my dad) and discovered that he had given them each a $10 bill, they immediately tried to use it to pay the bill at the restaurant where we were eating.
Don't worry, I didn't let them.
Spoiled? Who? The best news from a parent's standpoint is that when the twins opened their gifts from Gramps (my dad) and discovered that he had given them each a $10 bill, they immediately tried to use it to pay the bill at the restaurant where we were eating.
Don't worry, I didn't let them.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Exhibit A: the chin
This is a picture from our generally lovely day at the Pittsburgh zoo, so the fact that Lilah is not smiling here should not lead you to think that she wasn't having fun. What I would like you to take note of is the pointy, firm, and mobile chin, because we've been seeing a lot of it here lately.
We've entered a new realm here at the Claycomb household, one that we are saddened to have to label the Temper Tantrum Zone. And this girl is currently the reigning queen. A few prime moments:
--I lift her out of the car when she wanted to get out on her own. She hauls off and hits the car. Repeatedly.
--She kicks Ryan in the face (accidentally), but then refuses to apologize. Instead, she goes so ballistic that she has to be corralled in her room with all her toys removed for nearly 30 minutes.
--During a time-out with me in the room, she rushes me and beats me about the head and neck with both tiny hands, then literally growls at me, says, "I'm going to DO something," and begins to whip me with her beloved purple blanket.
We love her. Really we do. We tell her every day.
Anyone interested in babysitting??
We've entered a new realm here at the Claycomb household, one that we are saddened to have to label the Temper Tantrum Zone. And this girl is currently the reigning queen. A few prime moments:
--I lift her out of the car when she wanted to get out on her own. She hauls off and hits the car. Repeatedly.
--She kicks Ryan in the face (accidentally), but then refuses to apologize. Instead, she goes so ballistic that she has to be corralled in her room with all her toys removed for nearly 30 minutes.
--During a time-out with me in the room, she rushes me and beats me about the head and neck with both tiny hands, then literally growls at me, says, "I'm going to DO something," and begins to whip me with her beloved purple blanket.
We love her. Really we do. We tell her every day.
Anyone interested in babysitting??
Twins
This one's for Uncle Paul and Auntie Nette, because I think they were convinced that we would never let both kids wear the adorable Hawaiian duds the newlyweds sent them ON THE SAME DAY.
But let me tell you, for a trip to the zoo on one of the busiest days of the year, this look was genius. They were cool, comfy, sporty, and highly, highly visible. And according to many passers-by, adorable.
Well, yes. Check out the rest of our zoo pics at Flickr to see the wonderful animals we saw.
But let me tell you, for a trip to the zoo on one of the busiest days of the year, this look was genius. They were cool, comfy, sporty, and highly, highly visible. And according to many passers-by, adorable.
Well, yes. Check out the rest of our zoo pics at Flickr to see the wonderful animals we saw.
Batman!!
Your friendly neighborhood vigilante shows off his moves. And be prepared for many more pictures of Collin in superhero duds as the fall progresses. We've already purchased a three-costume set for Halloween, featuring a Batman costume that will hopefully fit (unlike the "Batman-does-Prufrock" effect we have here), a Robin costume, and a Flash costume.
Here's the deal. We resist branding in our house. We do not have Dora sheets, Blue's Clues placemats, or Sponge Bob anything. We have NO Disney princess-sorority-of-mindless-insipid-sweetness merchandise and never, never shall.
But then Collin asked about Batman.
As some of you know and many of you no doubt do not, I love Batman. And I'm not referring to the joke-y live-action series from the 60's. I mean the Frank Miller, Tim Burton, now Christian Bale-embodied, tortured, brooding, hero on a doomed mission to save a rotten city from itself. (See? I could write text for the back of the next graphic novel. Just you wait.) So when Collin inquired about Batman, I obliged with stories, pictures, t-shirts, more pictures, highly-inappropriate viewing of a few Batman cartoons (too scary and confusing, though I loved them), more stories, action figures, a hat, flip-flops, bath toys, and the inevitable costume.
It's a branded paradise in our house now. Sigh. The only consolation I have is moments like this wonderful picture, and the even better ones when Collin attempts to pass on superhero lore to others. Batman, as he will tell you, lives in Gottam (sic). Superman (whom he also loves now) comes from Crouton.
Who knew?
Here's the deal. We resist branding in our house. We do not have Dora sheets, Blue's Clues placemats, or Sponge Bob anything. We have NO Disney princess-sorority-of-mindless-insipid-sweetness merchandise and never, never shall.
But then Collin asked about Batman.
As some of you know and many of you no doubt do not, I love Batman. And I'm not referring to the joke-y live-action series from the 60's. I mean the Frank Miller, Tim Burton, now Christian Bale-embodied, tortured, brooding, hero on a doomed mission to save a rotten city from itself. (See? I could write text for the back of the next graphic novel. Just you wait.) So when Collin inquired about Batman, I obliged with stories, pictures, t-shirts, more pictures, highly-inappropriate viewing of a few Batman cartoons (too scary and confusing, though I loved them), more stories, action figures, a hat, flip-flops, bath toys, and the inevitable costume.
It's a branded paradise in our house now. Sigh. The only consolation I have is moments like this wonderful picture, and the even better ones when Collin attempts to pass on superhero lore to others. Batman, as he will tell you, lives in Gottam (sic). Superman (whom he also loves now) comes from Crouton.
Who knew?
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