An Instant Classic

Me: Cody, how was your morning? Were you a great helper to Dad?

CJP: Well. Not really, actually. It's possible that I might have made his life a little bit harder.

Me: Oh dear. Do you think tomorrow you could try to make it easier?

CJP: Absolutely. I could do that. Well, probably.

"Thanks for wiping my butt, Mom"

Tonight at bathtime, as we talked about our plans for the week, I told Cody I'd see him when I got home from work tomorrow. Here's what followed.

CJP: I do not like it when you go to work. I do not want you to go to your office in Washington anymore. Okay?

Me: I know. I don't really like it when I go to work either. But it's one of my jobs. It helps me with my most important job: taking care of you and your sister.

CJP: Do you have other jobs?

Me: Lots of them. Can you guess what some of my jobs are?

CJP: Well, you make me dinner.

Me: Yes. And breakfast and lunch, too.

CJP: And dinner. And, you get the toilet paper when I pee! And, when I poop, you wipe my butt! Mom, that is really helpful to me because it's kind of hard for me to do that. Thank you so much for wiping my butt, Mom.

Me: You're most welcome. It's my pleasure.

CJP: Why is it your pleasure?

Me: Oh, it's just an expression.

CJP: Well, also, you clean the toilets.

Me: That's a true statement. That is also one of my jobs.

CJP: Well, you have to do that because you are an adult. But, when I get to be a big adult person like you, I will help you clean the potties! I will get my very own chemicals, and my own toilet brush. It will be blue. And, I will get my own special cleaner, and I will be your helper! We will clean the potties together! Like best friends!

Me: I can hardly wait. That sounds excellent.

CJP: Well, you also do so many other things that are sweet to me. But I really like watching when you clean the potties. Mom. Can you please lift me out of the bath? I really, really have to pee. Right now. And possibly poop.

Me: It would be my pleasure. Thank you for keeping me posted.

CJP: It was my pleasure.

Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Also, you wouldn't really want to.

Happy Birthday, Granny

Mary Catherine Byrnes--the original Granny--would have turned 100 years old today. Sometimes I miss her so much it takes my breath away. It gives me great comfort to know she's looking down at me and at her great-grandbabies--and call me crazy, but I think I see her in their eyes.

I see her most in Cody...

...but she's there in Cordelia's eyes and cheeks, too.

Happy Birthday, dear Granny. We love you.

Zoo Preview

More to come. Much, much more...from Cody's first trip to the zoo. Just have to find some time. In the meantime...behold.

The Ultra Fortress Arrives

Yesterday the rain held off and Mr. Patrick and Mr. D.J. came over to build the swingset for Cody (and Cordelia). How kind!

I spent a lot of time over the last several months thinking that I should assemble the playset myself. I'm glad I didn't. Patrick and D.J. do this for a living and build a couple of these a week. They've been assembling Ultra Fortresses for a couple years. They have all the necessary power tools and didn't even need to crack open the instructions.

And it still took them a full 8 hour day (16 man-hours) to build it. My best-case build time would probably have been somewhere north of 40 hours.

Behold the glory of the Ultra Fortress . . .

The Masher

Grand Slam

I'll add another tomorrow.

Cordelia's First Custard

She liked it. Cody was nonplussed by this "first."

Becoming Friends (some days, anyway)

Watching the Mr. Rogers action.

Cody teaches Cordelia the finer points of grinding coffee.

Her Hairness

It's been a tough few days for Cordelia. When I came home Thursday afternoon, she had a 102 fever that persisted. We thought it might be more teeth (she got one molar; another's on the way) but it was pretty high and she was unable to sleep. We suspected ear infection, and took her in first thing Saturday morning, after a long, restless, feverish night. Sure enough...double ear infection. She screamed like a banshee when the doctor tried to look at them; she must have really been in pain. She has been an absolute trooper though, despite her exhaustion and achiness. So keep her in your thoughts as you enjoy these pictures of her crazy hair and sweet face. : )

How cute is she, up on her tiptoes? : )

The Sweetest Little Lion Ever

You'll have to turn the volume up--way up--to appreciate the beauty.

Beating the Heat

Last week was pretty grim, even by D.C. standards. 103 degrees is NOT cool, people. Not cool. We were all wilting, so in desperation, on Friday afternoon Cody, Cordelia and I drove to Target. Not to buy anything, but because it was cool. And they have a little Starbucks cafe. Never too soon, right? So we brought snacks and sat and had a little Target picnic.

I love that; it's a little bit American Gothic.

They liked their milkshake so much, we went back the next day with Daddy.

Then we turned to the new baby pool, which features a blow-up orca (hee hee, JVL). Who is apparently named "Sammy."

And finally, to the awesomest thing ever invented--a Sit 'N Spin with a nozzle...it turns into a sprinkler!

Cordelia got several facefuls of water, trying to drink from the "fountain," before she wised up.



The heat finally broke Saturday evening. Cody raced inside to tell us: "Mom! What do you think of those storm clouds over there? I think they look ominous. I checked with the meteorologist and he said there is a high pressure system coming! The storm is blowing in!" And, being the kind orca that he is--a people orca, really--Sammy didn't mind that the kids thought he would be the perfect place to wait for the storm to blow over. Fully clothed.

Terrible Pitches

It's possible we need to introduce a sportsmanship lesson to Cody. Yesterday when we were practicing, I threw a totally terrible pitch and said so. Today during BP, he had one set where he hit 9 out of 13 pitches (as Mom is my witness). It is really kind of incredible. Then he missed one and said, "Mom, that was a terrible pitch." It wasn't. I let it go. He missed another and said sympathetically, "Oh, another bad pitch, Mom." I then informed him that just because he missed occasionally didn't mean it was the pitcher's fault. That's just how the game goes. He just shook his head patronizingly.

That's okay, though, because yesterday JVL was pitching and Cody turned and said, "Mom, can you pitch to me? You pitch better than Daddy. Dad, you can be the catcher."

Meanwhile, on the Cordy front, she is still unwilling to speak unless she's making animal sounds. The best is "What does the lion say?" She stares at you very intently, opens her mouth, and whispers, "Roar!" It's the softest roar you have ever heard, and utterly adorable.

New Swing

The ludicrously gigantic appropriately-sized swingset is due to be installed on June 24 but yesterday one of the add-ons was delivered--Cordelia's bucket swing. With no swing-set to hang it from and blast-furnace heat outside, we did some indoor swinging.

By the way, it's called the "Ultra Fortress" in the Costco catalogue. Once installed we're going to get a plaque for the gable of the main fort's roof with a proper name. I had thought "Cody & Cordy's Fort" or some such. SLL suggested, brilliantly, "The Last Resort."

"That one broke the door."

Cody has been taking an increasing interest in batting practice, to the point where he now wants to take BP for about an hour straight at least once a day. It's the only thing on God's earth which can hold his attention that long.

As a consequence, he's getting pretty good. A week or two ago he was hitting maybe .250. Now his average is probably closer to .450 and it's not uncommon for him to hit five or six balls consecutively. Also, he has some power: He's been putting balls into our neighbor's yard every so often. And bouncing them off the front of the house, too.

All of which is background to Sunday afternoon. In the course of BP, Cody went on a real tear, with several well-hit balls in a row. With each hit, he joyfully exclaimed, "That one broke the door!"

After the third or fourth time, I asked him what he meant by "That one broke the door."

He replied: "Dad, it's just an expression."

The Feminine Mystique

How the hell do you get the lid off this pot?

This is much more fun.

Cody in the Garden of Good and Evil

Cody's been a bit of a handful lately. The jealousy stuff hasn't really abated, and he finds new ways to take it out on her, and us. But in between fussfests, he has been a very happy camper out of doors.

Stopping to smell the roses.

Calling Granny to say hi.

The cilantro's as tall as Cody!