We were talking about our plans for the day. Harper said she was excited for one particular activity, which was not yet a fixed part of the plan. Harper often does this as a way to ensure that decisions are made in her favor. Weston attempted to manage her expectations and said that the activity — I don’t remember what it was, or I would be able to use fewer pronouns to talk about it — was “wavey-wavey”. I asked Weston what he meant, and he said, “You know, wavey wavey,” rocking (or waving) his hand back and forth, the common gesture to imply uncertainty. Just in case it turns into a common phrase, I want to be sure Weston gets credit.
Bizarre Pinewood Derby Car
It was 7pm (2-3 hours to my bedtime), and the cars needed to be completed and weighed the next day. I was going to be busy at work the day of the deadline, so there was no way to further procrastinate. I had three hours.
A few weeks earlier, Weston and I had watched Rocky IV in a hotel during a mini family vacation. Weston’s description of what he wanted was basically a supine Rocky figurine with wheels. I decided that etching Weston’s photo, posing as his favorite pugilist, would be a quick and easy solution. Although he was constantly bouncing around the house as though he was in a championship fight for the title, I don’t think he practiced any of his faces in front of a mirror. He either looked too happy, too sad (like he was losing and wanted to cry), or just completely deranged. We took about 30 photos before getting one I thought would work…then decided to use a deranged photo instead — just because it was funnier.
After etching his photo onto the car, I realized the deranged photo didn’t show his arms. Thinking Weston would be disappointed with a boxing car that doesn’t have arms with which to box, we looked through all of the toys to find some arms that might work. We nailed some arms to the block, so we could still rotate them as though Weston was swinging. In a very strange way, the arms matched Weston’s expression and his face didn’t seem any more deranged than the expressions Rocky makes during the big fights.
Ghost Head and Floating Marshmallow
Harper drew this today and said it was a ghost head and a floating marshmallow. I think that would be a great name for a band…
The Birds
Weston drew some pretty rad birds.
Get it Together
Conrad came wandering into our room after everyone, including Conrad, had gone to bed. His eyes were half open, but he wasn’t responding to any of my questions. He just stood by me and looked around. I asked one last time, “What’s up, Conrad?” He looked off to the side while pounding his fists together like a baseball catcher, and said in a reassuring tone, “We’ve got it together.”
I laughed a little, then tried to clarify…”We? You and I have it together?” Conrad said yes, then climbed into our bed (not his own).
Hunting
Just a cool photo of my dad (right) and uncle getting ready to shoot something.
40 Pounds
When we go on hikes — which can often be five miles or longer — Harper needs us to carry her on our backs part of the way. I think Weston was a little tired himself and asked us how much Harper weighs. Claire answered, “About 40 pounds.” Harper chimes in and asks, “Is that how much I cost?”
Clearly, she takes after her Anglophile grandpa and thinks in pound sterling.
F-Words
Harper was telling me about her new friend and said, “I like her f-words.”
Apparently, her new friend has a speech impediment and can’t say her F’s — or her f-words, presumably.
Skull
Julia drew a skull. It looks stressed out.
Fire Breather
Conrad drew this awesome fire-breathing creature today. The thing coming out of the back of his head is not a knife; it is a price tag (40¢). Apparently, this little guy is on sale in a pet store.