DAD! I have an idea....

...and it involves your wallet....

Interior Decorating

After Zach starting filling the living room floor with piles of plastic food, rifles, and kitchen chairs, I suggested that the toys be used in the room that we call the PLAY room. Charlie and I spent the better part of a year winterizing that space so that the kids would have a place to play, and still I'm tripping over toys in the living room. Maybe we did too good a job on that playroom, though. After a spirited discussion, Zach came clean about why the living room is far preferable to the play room:

"It's just that the living room looks much more like a dugout."

Zach, sweetheart, if you want to impress a girl, don't ever tell her that her living room looks like a dugout.

Complexity

Zach's teacher told me about this exchange, which happened on the first day of first grade.

Zach: Is learning to read a very complex process?

Teacher: ...probably not for you...

Food Family

Zach: I feel like you and Daddy are supposed to be married.

Betsy: Me, too, but why do you think so?

Zach: It's kind of like you are the butter and Daddy is the bread.

(Pause.)

And let's say that bread and butter and salt and pepper all go together. It's like you're the butter, Daddy's the bread, I'm the salt, and Katie's the pepper.

Transitions, sort of

Zach: I'm a kid who was a Star Wars fan, and turned into a peace fan.

And by the way, I'm still a Star Wars fan.

Get Up and Run Around

Grandpa's not old, but he's past that getting up and running around thing. Every time we play Wii, I beat him. Even on the games I'm not good at.

Favorite Parts

Upon waking up this morning.

Zach: Mom, this is one of my favorite parts of my life. You know why? I love it when it's just my family at home and we're all doing something fun.