Heptadecagon

About a week ago, Zoe told Chris that she wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love . We don't know where this idea came from. Chris was hesitant at first, but then decided that if she really wanted to do it, we'd let her. When Talia heard, she decided she wanted to do the same. As it turned out, they had appointments at the hair dresser scheduled for today. Chris took one last look at their hair: Here comes the cut: Zoe, after the chop: Zoe, all done, with Aaron, who's trying to look tough, and Talia, before her haircut: Talia's turn: Finishing touches: All finished, front and back: With their ponytails:

We had a bit of snow yesterday, thus the schools were closed. Retrospectively speaking, the kids could have gone to school; the roads were not really bad until evening time. However, last night, the big snow started. Schools called off classes last night, even before the accumulation started piling up. That at least allowed me to turn off my alarm. In the event that the Gods (Melina and Aaron) were still asleep at 6 am, I'd be able to go back to sleep, at least for a little while. So, I get out of bed at 7:17 am...the latest I've slept in probably 7 years, and check to see whether or not the base is closed. If the base is closed, Dad is home. Yippee! The local weather channel says the base is closed; the 2nd local weather channel says the base is closed; the website for the base says, " Base employees are excused from duty today, except those personnel who are designated base-essential." Tim isn't base-essential! He's a contractor. Looks to me like D

I have been to the doctor's office three times within the span of 8 days. That isn't as bad as it sounds, since one visit was for a well check, another for some shots, and the third, because Melina wasn't feeling well and needed to be seen. Well, on the shot visit, I had the forethought to call and see if Zoe could be seen by the doctor. Normally, a visit for shots is simply a nurse visit. The doctor had time, so we saw her. What were Zoe's symptoms? Pretty much nothing. She had complained about a headache (which was now gone). She had a sore throat for one day (and that wasn't the day she had it). The previous Friday, she just didn't feel well. The child is almost 7. Usually, I don't take her in unless it is clear something is amiss. But, we were headed in for the shot, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Good thing we did, as she was diagnosed with strep! Who knew? Mother of the year, I am not. Not more than 5 days later, and I am call

Melina had her 6 month well check today. She checked out well. Meanwhile, Aaron was sitting on the floor of the doctor's office playing with a bead-and-wire maze . He especially likes the red beads. Aaron: Mom, what are those red things in our body? Me: Red blood cells. [We had discussed RBCs late last week when he saw a picture of them in a book.] Aaron: Check out how these red blood cells move. And the green blood cells, too! Lest you think his science curriculum is limited to physiology, Tim recounted another story from the night before. They were reading the lovely book, What Does Violet See? Birds and Nests . We love that book. On one page, there is a picture of a stream in the distance that flows behind some rocks. Aaron: What is that? [He points to the thin blue line, indicating the stream.] Tim: That is the stream that runs next to the rocks. Aaron: Oh. I thought it was a sound wave. *** We've had much to say about Aaron on this blog lately. Part of that is b

As I write this, I'm also watching the Florida/Oklahoma football game. It's halftime, so I switched over to ESPN, where Lou Holtz is giving a break-down of Tebow's second interception. He's drawing on a chalk board. A CHALK BOARD! On election night 2008, CNN had a hologram . Meanwhile, ESPN is dragging out something that looks stolen from an elementary school. By the way, neither offense looks very good. The A.D.'s from Utah, Texas, and Southern Cal should be screaming for a playoff .

Zoe and Talia had been asking about going to the art museum, and so I promised to take them there over their winter break. Last Friday, Zoe, Talia, and Aaron hopped in the car, and away we went: up Main Street for a few miles, through downtown, turn left to go over the bridge, and there it is. For as close as the museum is (less than a 15 minute drive), and as inexpensive it is (free, admission, free parking), this was our first trip there. We parked right in front of this guy, whom I asked to watch our car. He looks pretty imposing, and I bet nobody would mess with his car. She is one of his friends. The kids, of course, pointed out that she's naked ! And then they tried to put their coats on her. This was another outside piece. The placard in front said something about flight, but the children preferred to think that it was an enormous sword or knife that was about to come crashing down and cut them and the museum in half. Such happy thoughts. The flight-thing was a shiny

Aaron really likes Superman. He received for Christmas, from Santa of course, a Superman action figure, as well as Superman underoos. We are not sure where Aaron's adoration of Superman originates, but in the present time, the man from the planet Krypton is Aaron's hero. In the foyer on Tuesday morning: Aaron: Mommy, do you know why I am tired in the morning? Me: No, why are you tired? Aaron: Because at night, I am Su-per-maaaaan! He keeps me laughing, this one!

About a month ago, Chris joined Facebook . My two sisters became friends of hers and soon thereafter, some of my high school friends began sending friend requests to her. I was hesitant to sign up because I'd heard of some privacy issues, but after a few weeks of fence-sitting, I joined -- privacy be damned. I have none at home, so why should I need any on-line, right? Friend requests were a trickle at first, but then my profile reached some critical mass and I was reacquainting myself with perhaps a dozen old-new friends daily. So now I am back in contact with a bunch of friends from high school, many of whom I hadn't seen in twenty years. It has been very nice to find out what kind of adults my childhood friends have become, but at the same time, it is a shock to my system. In the rational part of my mind, I know that they're 30-somethings and have had all manner of life experiences, but in my memories, we're all still kids. For example, I became friends with my

In Aaron's room, at bedtime: Aaron: Wait! I need a pair of socks . Me: Well then, go get a pair. Aaron exits. The socks all live in a drawer in the upstairs bathroom, which, because it was night time, was dark. I had doubts that he'd go into the bathroom without the light on. Aaron enters. Me: Did you get them? Aaron: Yes. Me: Was the light on in the bathroom? Aaron: No, but I can see through black air !

Dear Faithful Readers: It seems as though an apology is in order. From the looks of this post , my gratitude for the lovely kitchen island was not apparent to my husband. I remember saying thank you to him, and also saying I liked the island he so carefully chose and put together for me. I think he was looking for a bit more fanfare than that. So, instead of looking like an ungrateful person, I thought I'd give him a bigger thank you via this blog. I wanted to bring in the dog-and-pony show, but this being winter and all, it just couldn't happen. A great thank you to him would be a bunch of comments on that island post stating just how wonderful of a husband he is, how creative, how in tune he is to the wants of his wife. Help me out, readers (all 5 of you) and pat the man on his back, please! And I will write it here, just for the sake of posterity, that you, Timmy, are indeed a wonderful husband, and I really do appreciate the island. It has made feeding Melina, chop