Friday, November 27, 2015

Wet leaves

Dada: The leaf pile looks pretty wet. Sofia: I wouldn't refuse to jump in it.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Lucia logic

It's scary out here. It is? Yeah because of my brain. Your brain? Because my brain is making invisible monsters out. I'm going to run ahead and you can scare them away.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Lucia joke

I asked Lucia to tell me a joke this morning. She said, "knock knock." Who's there? "Your ear." "My ear who?" "Your ear full of ice cream. "

Blake reconfigured

The other day we were walking to school and Lucia said, "When I say bye girl, bye girl, you say burning bread. Ready?"

That sounded familiar. Then I remembered about a year ago (she would've been 2) singing Blake's "Tyger Tyger burning bright" to her before bedtime. The form had stayed in her memory, but she made the content her own.

"Bye girl, bye girl."  "Burning bread."

Sunday, October 25, 2015

bedtime story

https://soundcloud.com/slo-children/mummy-lullaby
 
transcript:
 
 
Sofia: Can you answer it on your phone?

Dada: what?

S: ask Siri if mummies are real?
D: (singing) Are mummies real I want to know
I want to ask a mummy if she is real.
If I could find a mummy,
I would like to ask a mummy.
Maybe I could ask mommy
if she knows a mummy?
Do you think Mommy knows a mummy?
Maybe mommy knows a mummy.
Mommy knows a mummy. Maybe.
if she doesn't
I'll have to ask a...

S: a wasn't

D: a wasn't!
Only a wasn't would know
wouldn't he
or she
or nobody.
Is a mummy real?
How about you
Are you a mummy,
little bunny?
How about you
are you a mummy,
cute little bunny
wrapped up in your sheet
tight?
S: Are you talking to me?
D: Talking to you.
Lucia: No, I'm a bunny!
D: (singing) Are you a bunny too,
little mummy?
Are you a little mummy bunny
in your little bunny sack?
In your mummy sack?
All the mummies all the mummies
sing so funny
they sing inside their sheets
so sweetly
They sing so real
I think it's true,
they're real.
Don't you?
S: Only in Egypt, right?
D: Is that true,
little bunny mummy?
I think
Mummies are everywhere now.
Once upon a time they only lived there
in Egypt
under pyramids
in a pyramid scheme
to live forever
wrapped up for the afterlife
but now they're here in our culture, and the're alive!
They're everywhere, even in Hotel Transylvania
S: I think I know what mummies are.
I actually do!
D: What are they?
S: They are dead people who are wrapped in bandages. But as a costume you would wrap yourself in toilet paper and tape it onto you.
D: (singing) Wrap your self up in toiliet paper if you wanna be a mummy that's what you do
S: and you paint your face black
D: (singing) You paint your face black
S: Faybe i'll go trick or treaigng or maybe i won't. I'm thinking maybe if I don't go trick or treating I could become a mommy. And I'll have my face painted so I don't need the toilet paper around my eyes.
(oooh hooooh)
S: yeah, you know
D: (singing) Are you going to be a mummy for hallwoeen? that would be funny,
all wrapped up in toilet paper like a poo. Ooooh
A funny mummy
that would scare you-know-who...
Candace. She's deathly afraid of mummies.
S: There's actually a Phineas and Ferb
where Candace is a mummy,
and she's actually wrapped up in toilet paper.
Dada: Ooooh hooo. You're a funny, fumbly, foamy, gloamy, glummy, gummy gloomy mummy. Ooooh hooo. You're a whammy, bammy, slimy, boomy, balmy, mumbly, family mummy..
S: Would you please look up on your phone if mummies are real? I was really looking forward to it.
D: I know the answer to that question.
S: What?
D: They both are real and aren't real.
S: How do you know?

Monday, October 12, 2015

prescription

Today I'm a little under the weather (head cold) so I got a THOROUGH check up by 2 young doctors.
After the check up they give my prescription:


Okay, you can go outside once a day.

How many stickers can he have a day? 2. OK.

You have to eat medicine 5 times a day

You can have one tattoo a day. I'm going to draw a butterfly on him.

You have to look at your eyes 2 times a day.

You have to get 3 shots  a day.

And you have to blow your nose 6 times a day.

And you have to wash your hands 8 times a day.

And you have to do the thermometer 5 times a day.

And you eat 3 times a day.

And we have to look at his boo boo 8 times a day.

And we have to get your information 35 times a day.

And we have to play games 5 times a day. Card games right? Right. Paw Patrol.

And we're going to show you a picture of you getting married 85 times a day.

And you are having too many screens a day.

And we have to bandages on your boo boo 10 times a day.

And we have to write how you are feeling 9 times a day. Yeah, 9 times a day.

(How am I feeling now?) 

Well, you're feeling kind of sad now.

And you have to do reading 2 times a day.

And you have to visit people two times a day. And the days you have to do it are Sunday and Saturday.

I can have visitors on the weekend?

Or you can visit them if you want, but you have to go in our van.

And you can have tattoos 3 times a day.

 (Wait, we already talked about tattoo, sissy)

And you have to make belief friends 68 times a day.

I have to make belief friends?

Yes, to keep you company.

(And what about dessert? Can I have dessert?)

Dessert 0 times a day.

(I don't get any desserts?)

Only on special occasions. Like Mardi Gran, Or April Fools Day. Or Columbus day.

(Hey, today's Columbus day! so I get one today?)

Yes.

Sofia disappears and comes back with a bowl full of granola. 

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Love light

Me: We're hitting all the lights today

Sofia: that's because the lights are in love with us.

Friday, September 25, 2015

I heard some difficult news from my brother. Earlier this month he recommended a certain version of Peggy oh, by the Grateful Dead. I was just thinking today I should listen to it. Then our old basis Jax texted jeremy a question, we have a play that song together? Jeremy told him he had just recommended that song to me. Jackson said I must be on the slow children van with. So to deal with the emotion I went downstairs and danced to the music. It was cathartic and great in the best way.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

17 amazing things we found yesterday

Yesterday the girls had off school for Eid Al-fitr (Muslim holiday to celebrate end of Ramadan fasting.) You gotta love religious diversity if you grow up in New York schools. I only got Christian holidays growing up in Kansas. To celebrate in our own way we decided to make a list of all the amazing things we saw and did today. I told the girls to be on the look out. Here's what we found:

1. For breakfast we ate an unknown but delicious fruit/vegetable that we found in the secret garden yesterday. It was yellow and round in shape, like a small squash. But it didn't taste anything like a squash. It had a semi-hard skin on outside and inside the texture and crisp taste of cucumber,  but tangier, like a cucumber/tomato hybrid. Perfect with a little salt.

2. Sofia was coloring in an outline of Van Gogh's Starry Night when the same image came on as Mister Rogers "picture picture" (as Sofia calls it.) The first season of Mister Rogers is now playing on Netflix as of this month. I'm floored at how good it is, much better than I remember. Yesterday we noticed that the picture on his wall, the one that slides back to reveal the Neighborhood of Make-believe, is different every day. So it was amazing to Sofia to be working Starry Night and then see it appear on Mister Rogers wall.
3. Stars on a starling's wings. Walking to the 7 train we saw a Starling. I pointed out to the girls that you could tell it was a starling because there was a constellation of iridescent stars on its black wings.

4. On the way to the 7 train we opened up the Free Library (a re-purposed newspaper stand on Queens BLVD.) There was no book. But there was a torn off back cover of a book showing cow jumping over a new moon, amidst a sea of stars.

5. On the 7 train we sat next to a woman in her early 20s, wearing glasses, a black dress with a floral pattern on it and reading To Kill A Mockingbird. I asked her if it was the first time reading the novel. She said she was reading it again in preparation for reading the "new" Harper Lee novel, Go Set A Watchman.  She said it was so good reading it the second time. We talked about things we had enjoyed as children that held up and got better with age. Like Mister Rogers. She said Lemony Snicket held up for her. And the TV show Wishbone. She also recommended the children's theater Ta Da! Will check out.
6. At the Time's Square Metro station we saw a tile mural in which a gentleman was handing a woman a fruit that looked suspiciously like the mystery one we had eaten for breakfast. Sofia said the woman was looking at the man like, "Really? For me? I can't believe it!" (See picture in comments below.)

7. Once we got to the 1 train we saw another tile mural, by a different artist. This one was sea turtles swimming through a subway station. I told Sofia that's what it would be like if Manhattan was underwater. She asked what the art was trying to say. I told her I thought it might be saying that life goes on, even if everything is underwater.

8. Lucia said she noticed something amazing. I asked her what and she said, "the wind blowing her dress up."

9. I got into a conversation at CMA (Children's Museum of Arts, our destination) with one of the staff, Annie Moor, as the kids were making art. At one point, during a pause in the conversation, she started singing Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight." I got chills that went all the way down to my marrow. It was so beautiful, what I imagine the song would sound like if Billie Holiday sang it.

10. Annie Moor suggested a podcast to me that she was involved in called We Love Bedtime Stories, wherein actors play out stories told by actual parents to kids. Definitely going to check that out, sounds amazing. www.welovebedtimestories.com/the-story-people/

11. Another mother that was sitting next to us overheard the conversation, one thing lead to another and she was recommending the Smithsonian Folkways recording of Lord Invader, Calypso In New York. Lord Invader? Calypso music? Gotta be great. Will definitely check it out.  www.folkways.si.edu/lord-invader-calypsonian-great/caribbean-world/music/article/smithsonian

12. One of the great things about CMA is the room full of giant exercise balls, one of the girls' favorite places to play in the world. I asked the girls if they were ready to go up there and play and a boy, about 8 or 9, said that the balls were gone for this month and had been replaced by scary chairs. I asked them why they were scary and he said, "You'll see!" So we went up to see. The chairs were giant toys that you could sit in and spin around like a top. They toppled easily and a few kids did get hurt. But the danger was part of the fun and the laughter of girls playing on them for over an hour was, indeed, amazing.

13. Sofia wanted to make a painting, but couldn't find paper. A grandma overheard and said that they had brought their own paper and offered Sofia a piece. Sofia made a lovely splatter painting (see below) and then gave it to the woman as a gift for having given her the paper. Very sweet.

14. Lucia painted one of her little people. When we went back to pick it up one of the staff showed me that she had copied Lucia's drawing because she liked it so much. I liked her version, but she still had a way to go to reach Lucia's mastery. (See below.)

15. One of the things I love so much about CMA is that whoever does the curating of the gallery section does a stellar job. The last two themed shows I've seen there, "Far Away" and "Pixilated," were both outstanding, and this one, "If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home," which had the theme of mapping, was equally amazing. Hat's off.

16. We stopped to eat a snack at James J Walker Park, on the way back to the 1 train . There was a co-ed softball game happening. It seemed to pretty amazing to me to be watching a softball game in the middle of lower West Side on a Thursday afternoon.

17. As we were watching the game I asked Sofia if there was anything else today I should mention for our list, and she said the apple cinnamon rice cakes we were eating for a snack were pretty amazing.


17 amazing things we found yesterday

Yesterday the girls had off school for Eid Al-fitr (Muslim holiday to celebrate end of Ramadan fasting.) You gotta love religious diversity if you grow up in New York schools. I only got Christian holidays growing up in Kansas. To celebrate in our own way we decided to make a list of all the amazing things we saw and did today. I told the girls to be on the look out. Here's what we found:

1. For breakfast we ate an unknown but delicious fruit/vegetable that we found in the secret garden yesterday. It was yellow and round in shape, like a small squash. But it didn't taste anything like a squash. It had a semi-hard skin on outside and inside the texture and crisp taste of cucumber,  but tangier, like a cucumber/tomato hybrid. Perfect with a little salt.

2. Sofia was coloring in an outline of Van Gogh's Starry Night when the same image came on as Mister Rogers "picture picture" (as Sofia calls it.) The first season of Mister Rogers is now playing on Netflix as of this month. I'm floored at how good it is, much better than I remember. Yesterday we noticed that the picture on his wall, the one that slides back to reveal the Neighborhood of Make-believe, is different every day. So it was amazing to Sofia to be working Starry Night and then see it appear on Mister Rogers wall.
3. Stars on a starling's wings. Walking to the 7 train we saw a Starling. I pointed out to the girls that you could tell it was a starling because there was a constellation of iridescent stars on its black wings.

4. On the way to the 7 train we opened up the Free Library (a re-purposed newspaper stand on Queens BLVD.) There was no book. But there was a torn off back cover of a book showing cow jumping over a new moon, amidst a sea of stars.

5. On the 7 train we sat next to a woman in her early 20s, wearing glasses, a black dress with a floral pattern on it and reading To Kill A Mockingbird. I asked her if it was the first time reading the novel. She said she was reading it again in preparation for reading the "new" Harper Lee novel, Go Set A Watchman.  She said it was so good reading it the second time. We talked about things we had enjoyed as children that held up and got better with age. Like Mister Rogers. She said Lemony Snicket held up for her. And the TV show Wishbone. She also recommended the children's theater Ta Da! Will check out.
6. At the Time's Square Metro station we saw a tile mural in which a gentleman was handing a woman a fruit that looked suspiciously like the mystery one we had eaten for breakfast. Sofia said the woman was looking at the man like, "Really? For me? I can't believe it!" (See picture in comments below.)

7. Once we got to the 1 train we saw another tile mural, by a different artist. This one was sea turtles swimming through a subway station. I told Sofia that's what it would be like if Manhattan was underwater. She asked what the art was trying to say. I told her I thought it might be saying that life goes on, even if everything is underwater.

8. Lucia said she noticed something amazing. I asked her what and she said, "the wind blowing her dress up."

9. I got into a conversation at CMA (Children's Museum of Arts, our destination) with one of the staff, Annie Moor, as the kids were making art. At one point, during a pause in the conversation, she started singing Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight." I got chills that went all the way down to my marrow. It was so beautiful, what I imagine the song would sound like if Billie Holiday sang it.

10. Annie Moor suggested a podcast to me that she was involved in called We Love Bedtime Stories, wherein actors play out stories told by actual parents to kids. Definitely going to check that out, sounds amazing.

11. Another mother that was sitting next to us overheard the conversation, one thing lead to another and she was recommending the Smithsonian Folkways recording of Lord Invader, Calypso In New York. Lord Invader? Calypso music? Gotta be great. Will definitely check it out. 

12. One of the great things about CMA is the room full of giant exercise balls, one of the girls' favorite places to play in the world. I asked the girls if they were ready to go up there and play and a boy, about 8 or 9, said that the balls were gone for this month and had been replaced by scary chairs. I asked them why they were scary and he said, "You'll see!" So we went up to see. The chairs were giant toys that you could sit in and spin around like a top. They toppled easily and a few kids did get hurt. But the danger was part of the fun and the laughter of girls playing on them for over an hour was, indeed, amazing.

13. Sofia wanted to make a painting, but couldn't find paper. A grandma overheard and said that they had brought their own paper and offered Sofia a piece. Sofia made a lovely splatter painting (see below) and then gave it to the woman as a gift for having given her the paper. Very sweet.

14. Lucia painted one of her little people. When we went back to pick it up one of the staff showed me that she had copied Lucia's drawing because she liked it so much. I liked her version, but she still had a way to go to reach Lucia's mastery. (See below.)

15. One of the things I love so much about CMA is that whoever does the curating of the gallery section does a stellar job. The last two themed shows I've seen there, "Far Away" and "Pixilated," were both outstanding, and this one, "If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home," which had the theme of mapping, was equally amazing. Hat's off.

16. We stopped to eat a snack at James J Walker Park, on the way back to the 1 train . There was a co-ed softball game happening. It seemed to pretty amazing to me to be watching a softball game in the middle of lower West Side on a Thursday afternoon.

17. As we were watching the game I asked Sofia if there was anything else today I should mention for our list, and she said the apple cinnamon rice cakes we were eating for a snack were pretty amazing.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Dr Sofia

Sofia came into my room and said, "Adam DeGraff? "I looked up and she had a clipboard and said follow me. I followed her into her room and she laid me down on her bed and gave me a check up. After looking me over thoroughly she said you have, "bee-itus" and then asked me if I wanted strawberry or plum medicine. I said strawberry. She asked me where the bee stung me and I said on my nose, so she poured the strawberry medicine on my nose. Then she took my temperature and told me that it was, "the hottest." I guess I was really sick. she had Lucia, the nurse, go get me some water. Then she gave me a book and told me to rest told me that I would be sick for a long time. Such a beautiful caregiver. 

Ulster county magic





this morning got all tense, because it was taking us forever to get out the door and we had an appointment to see a house for sale in Rosendale New York, the house that I can't afford, but just wanted to dream about because it backs up to the river and has a cabana. On the way to the house we got a call from the realtor saying there had been an offer accepted for the house that morning.  Even though the house was just a fantasy at this point, I still felt this disappointment. She said she was sorry, BUT, she told us as long as we were already on the road, there was a big festival in High Falls next to Rosendale, for the opening of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. That it would be perfect for the kids. I thought again about the way a disappointment can so often open up into something so much better.   I STILL could not shake the stress that I felt earlier from being late, my nerves were raw and irritable, even though I knew better, something else seem to be going on inside of me. I tried slowing my breathing, but it was like I was stuck in a mode and couldn't get out of it. But the breath work paid off and I began to ease into the music we were listening too in the car, Caspar Babypants, "Sing Along!" Just about then, on the side of the road we passed a yard sale. I spied a big beautiful globe on the lawn and so I pulled over, because Sofia has been wanting a globe for a while, but I have been holding off because they are expensive. I decided that if it was less than $10 I would buy it. There was a sign that said everything five dollars. Suddenly I felt as if we had stepped into the world. It was a beautiful old globe, with the patina of age on it. Probably from the school room in the 50s. There was no room for it in the trunk so I put it on Sofia's lap while singing, "she's got the whole world in her hands." We drove a little further and saw a Walmart on the left. One of our weekend goals was to get school supplies for the girls' first day of school next week. Walmart is the cheapest and best place to do it. So we stopped there and I was thinking how perfect we got a globe and then school supplies, the package school deal. We have a huge specific list from the school, and found everything we needed plus A few variations of the school uniform of blue pants and white shirt, plus a six pack of blueberry ale. Somehow all for less than a C-note. There was a moment standing in Walmart where I went into a samadhi state, everything perfect and good, just a state, One which is surprisingly difficult to reach, especially in this world of busyness and horror at every corner. So simple when you are there. Now I am at the sanctuary and High Falls They take farm animals and let them live out their lives. The guy that helped us park told us the pigs, when they are allowed to live out their life, grow up to 1000 pounds. Wow. This was another stroke of serendipity because we are reading Charlotte's Web right now. Some pig! As I write this I am standing in line for food at a vegetarian food booth called Monk's Meats (seitan sandwiches. Monks for seitan!) There is a band playing behind me, an indie band called beaitiful small machines, and they are doing a bluegrassy cover of MiA's paper airplanes. It is hot, my skin is burning. trying to shave my legs in the shape of the person behind me.Everybody seems weird and fantastic here. Of which I would have known about the real estate agent had not given us the tip. Now I'm sitting along to you and Caroline know where.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Dr Sofia

Sofia came into my room and said, "Adam DeGraff? "I looked up and she had a clipboard and said follow me. I followed her into her room and she laid me down on her bed and gave me a check up. After looking me over thoroughly she said you have, "bee-itus" and then asked me if I wanted strawberry or plum medicine. I said strawberry. She asked me where the bee stung me and I said on my nose, so she poured the strawberry medicine on my nose. Then she took my temperature and told me that it was, "the hottest." I guess I was really sick. she had Lucia, the nurse, go get me some water. Then she gave me a book and told me to rest told me that I would be sick for a long time. Such a beautiful caregiver. 

Monday, August 24, 2015

Pirate joke

I wanted to cheer up Sofia this morning with a joke, but I couldn't remember any off the top, so I tried to make one up on the spot. It was surprising how easily one came to me: A pirate was walking along and stubbed his toe. He said, "Arrrr!" The parrot on the Pirate's shoulder said, "Arrrr!" The pirate looked at it and said, "What, are you a parrot?" The parrot said, "Are you a parrot?" The pirate said, "Certainly not." The parrot said, "Yes you arrr!"

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Breaking the waves

Sofia was standing waist deep in the ocean. The waves were starting to get a little too big, so she raised her palm toward the waves and commanded, "Calm!" 

Later I asked, "Did the ocean calm down?" And she said, "Not on my schedule."

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Lucia says we're made out of neat right? Sofia says, We're made out of Meat and germs and self. Teddy says, and chemicals. Sofia said I was going to say that but I wasn't sure. Lucia says and giants eat us right? Sofia says no such thing S Giants. I know but Giants eat people right.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Tiarable joke

Sofia asked me, "Do you know what's the worst thing a princess can wear?"

"No, what?"

"A tiarable"

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Cookbook for kids

Cook book for kids.

Rice castles

Rice trees with cones and green food dye

Sweet potato monsters 

Mouse egg

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

pee-wee'd

The girls want to watch Pee-wee's Playhouse while they eat lunch. I tell them we should watch something about nature (because by our calendar it is Nature Day) and Sofia says, "But, Daddy, Pee-Wee has lots of nature, like talking flowers and laughing fish. And a pterodactyl!

"Yeah...but those are all fakes," I say.

Lucia perks up, "But Dad, Pee-wee's not fake!"

Foiled again.

Pickles

Lucia, you are not supposed to take the pickles off the sandwich. Sofia says, Yes you are. That's why out why they're called pickles. You have to pick out the pickles.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Art

What kind of artist do you want to be, Sofia?

A food artist

A chef?

No someone who makes food prettier. I draw food.

Her own person

Sofia are you your own person?

Of course, otherwise why would I have my own purse?

Friday, June 5, 2015

Sofia puns of the day

Dad do you believe me when I tell you that I love leaves? Get it?

Do you know why Gabriella loves to yell?

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Cracked us up.

Sofia says, Mom has anyone ever cracked you up? And then you got fixed again?

Different every day, you know

I tell Sofia if she puts her clothes away I will give her some french fries. She says she doesn't want french fries. I say even with ketchup? She says, Dad, you know I'm different every day right?

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Prismer

Sofia says, Dad you're a prisomer

What am onion prisom for?

For being so funny 

Eye burbly

AnaLucia says, "Daddy, what does 'eye burbly' mean?"

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Early Lucia poem

Lucia says, "the chips scratched my lips. Get it?"

The chips
Scratched
My lips


Friday, May 8, 2015

Sofia zip zoom

I ask Sofia to get the step stool so she can help me make lunch. Sofia says, "I'll be right back zip zoom." She comes back a second later with the stool and says "It's like I never even left, right?"

Monday, May 4, 2015

Music food

S says, "music is the food of something."

"Oh yeah? Food for what?," I ask.

"For souls."

Eyes wide I ask, "Where did you get that idea?"

"From you."

Amazing what she picks up.


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Nuances

Sofia said, "No flaunting, sissy."

Lucia said, "I'm not flaunting, sissy, I'm taunting!"

Monday, April 27, 2015

Sofia says dad lucia's flaunting

Lucia no flaunting

Lucia says, I'm not flaunting! I'm taunting!

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Mysterious

Sofia says i'm learning to be mysterious. I asked her what she means. She says I'm learning to climb things and not cry when I fall and get hurt.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Heya silver!

Sofia was on the potty and said "heya silver" and I said "what?" She said "You know, like you always say." I think about it and oh yeah! for some strange reason I always groan "hi ho silver!" when I am getting up, like the grunt of an old man. But over time it has morphed into "Heya silver!" So when I was picking her up, those words were the signal back to me that she was done. "Heya Silver!"

Co

Week in CO

Highlights 

1. Sofia blowing out candle on her cake at her 5th birthday party and her wish being for my back to get better.  Hearing that heart-melter was even better than having a healthy back.

2. Helping to raise 5k to cover my good friend Phil Brownlow's medical bills at the fundraiser for him at the Oriental, seeing the joy on his face. Reading this from Phil afterward, "What awesome music friendship & community. It humbled me to my core. You guys inspire me to continue this journey in life."

3.  Being called onstage to perform at the end of the fundraiser, with a full band, plus slide guitar, violin, trumpet and back up singers.

4. My Dad being there for it.

5. Seeing so many friends from the D Note at the Fundraiser and hearing from them how much the place meant to them.
6. Sofia and Lucia holding a tarantula at the Butterfly Pavilion. At first they both declined.  Then 15 minutes later they decided to go back and hold it. So great to watch your children conquer their fears. The spider, Rosie, had a calming, sweet presence and Sofia went back to hold her again afterward.

7. Hiking up the foothills of the Flat-irons on a perfect day in Boulder with Genevieve.

8. Learning a gorgeous Ganesha Kirtan from Melissa Ivy. Not to mention the incredible breakfast she made for us.

9. My mom making all of my favorite desserts while I was back.

10. Playing a Slo Children set at the Highlands Cork with Jeremy and Jax Delaguerre and Pedro Castano.

 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Firsts

Sofia firsts today. First can pop top. First hamburger. Tomorrow: trampoline!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Saddle up

I am drawing a horse. Sofia tries to draw a saddle on it. I turn it into a spot. She says "it is supposed to be a saddle." I say "I don't want a saddle on my horse." "why?" "well, Would you want to carry a person on your back?" "Yes, if it was my owner." "Why?" "Because they would take care of me." "Hmm. Would you rather have to stay in the yard and have an owner, or go anywhere you want and not have an owner." No hesitation in her answer, "stay in the yard."

Something funny

I asked Lucia to tell me something funny. She said, "I love you...with cheese on top." 

That is funny.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Sofia says

Are you say I got to sit on some babies.babies Sophia said I have to sit on two babies. Because im a babysitter. Get it?

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

April fools

We call mama at work and Sofia says, "Mama, there's a giant talking pink pickle in our house!" 

"Really? What's it saying?"

"April fools!"

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Knock knock joke Lucia

Who's there?

Spider crow

Spider crow who?

Spider crow on your toothbrush

Monday, March 30, 2015

Inside joke

Lucia says, "You know what's funny? There's a funny joke inside of the joke."

Small great

Such a joy just to listen to the girl singing Beatles song while they do bead work.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Common mistake Amber ropes

Lucia: Dad, look at my amber ropes! 

Your amber ropes? 

No envelopes!

True that

Lucia says, smell smell go away, come back again some other day. Sofia says, why would you want that? It'll just be there on another day.

Meditation Sofia

I'm watching this whole thing. 

What whole thing, I ask.

You trying to tell a story. My sister whining. I'm just watching all of that happen.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Grateful dad

I like the sun I said. Sofia said you like the grateful son, get it? I had to think about that one.  I like the Grateful Dead, which sounds like grateful dad. If you like the grateful dad you must like the grateful son/sun. 

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Monday, March 16, 2015

Why fingernails and toenails

Sofia asks. Is it to help us dig? 

Wow, great question and answered it herself.

Frozen joker

The girls were watching the new Tinkerbell movie. There was a scene of Tink sleeping and I surreptitiously paused the movie. The girls just sat there for a minute or two waiting for Tink to wake up. I finally said, "This sure is a long sleeping scene!" Sofia said, "Hmm, maybe it's frozen." I said, "Come on, this isn't Frozen, it's Tinkerbell," but before I could even finish the sentence Sofia rolled her eyes and said, "I GET it!"

Friday, March 13, 2015

B's and honey

Lucia says I'm baby bear. I say you are baby bear and I call you boogie butter. Boogie butter the baby bear. There's a lot of B's in there I say, a whole hive of B's. Maybe we can get some honey from all those bees? Sofia says, hey, it's only pollen at this point. We have to wait for the bees to throw up before we can get the honey.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Just so you know

Sofia says, "I can see you with the eyes on the back of my head, sis, just so you know."

listening

Sofia woke up and came in our room near midnight. I took her back to bed and tucked her in again. "What woke you up?" I asked her.

"I coudn't remember the shape of a butterfly's wing," she said.

"That's what woke you up?"

"No."

"Do you remember what did?"

"I was just enjoying the sounds that life was giving me?"

"When you were sleeping?"

"No, when I was lying here listening."

Then she fell back asleep.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Two backs

Sofia tells me I have two backs. I think about it for a second and realize she is right. I have one in front and one in back.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Seekless

Sofia brought me a red bell on a tray and said, "I have a seekless treasure for you under this bell." 

"Seekless?"

"Yes, that means you will never stop seeking it."

I picked up the red bell and underneath it was a black sea shell.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Sofia sings

Christmas is true, if you believe in it. I'm going to marry Christmas, yes I am. Christmas is African, Christmas is from China. Christmas is true.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Not that!

Lucia likes to say, "not that! "Whenever something comes up she doesn't want.

She also wines "Okaaay." Specially when she gives in.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Grateful morning

This morning Sofia was grateful for electric things. All things electric. Lucia was grateful for pink and purple hearts.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Morning gratitude

Sofia says, this morning I am grateful for lily pads so frogs have something to hop around on.

Lucia says, I am grateful for Lily too.

Thank god

Sofia what do you think of life?

Thank you God.

What do you think God looks like?

His arms are open and he is giving sweet nectar.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Peace to all the trapped mermaids

When putting the girls to bed there's a Hindi prayer for peace I sometimes sing with them. I always ask them before hand if there is anyone special that they want to sing the song to. Tonight Lucia said, "Papa George and Grandma Betty Franks." Then Sofia added, "And all the trapped mermaids."

Monday, January 12, 2015

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

"Sofia, you're a natural."

"what does that mean?"

"It means you are part of nature."

"Miss Frizzle and The Magic School Bus must be nature then because they can go inside of your body."

"Actually Miss Frizzle and The Magic School Bus are fiction."

"What does that mean?"

"That means they are made up."

Sofia laughs. "Something has to be real for you to make it up. Either that or it has to be words that you string together."

Nature Wed

Dad, trees hibernate in the winter.

Really? don't think so.

Yes, they do!

Hmm I guess they do!

Winter is one big night for the tree and summer is one big day.

Oh, yeah!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

3rd person

Lucia has begun to refer to herself only in the third person. This seems to be an extension of blaming everything on her little finger, which she still sometimes does a year later. Sometimes I figure her out by saying, I know what Lucia wants to do, but what do you want to do? 

Lucia says

Dad, my hands were so small.

How come?

Because I'm gonna turn into a baby if I'm gonna.


Monday, January 5, 2015

Yummy clouds

Sofia asked me on the way to school today if you could eat clouds.

Day

Bouquet of spinner flowers 

"I'm sorry you aren't feeling well and my sister's a little wild." Says sweet Sofia

Revelation about shave and a haircut:

When I was trying to teach the girls the backbone rhythm of "Beautiful Creatures" from Rio 2 I realized that it was the same as "not fade away" and "I want candy" and 1 million other songs probably. Then it further occurred to me as I was breaking it down for them that the root of the rhythm is the old saw,  "shave and a haircut, five cents." That made it easy.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

New Year's Eve 2014

We did a fake ball drop countdown with the girls a couple hours early (using last year's on youtube,) then to bed and a long retelling of the Jack and the beanstalk story (this time Sofia thought Jack should have a "nose plunge" to guard against the smelly feet of the giant, a parachute in case he fell off the beanstalk and a mouse-suit so he could be in disguise.) The best thing about this story is that when Jack uses the magic harp to sing the giant to sleep I can usually get the girls to sleep too, singing "1,2,3 and A, B, C, go to sleep, giant, and dream you are free." Tonight it did the trick. Next year we'll wake up and do it again. Now it's time for peaceful drinking. Raise a glass to another revolution.