I know, I said it was my last post before the move, but ...

I had a couple of miscellaneous one-liners to share.

We went to a child's birthday party at the local roller rink a couple of weeks ago. The kids had a great time, but the music was REALLY loud.

A couple days later, we were listening to Adam's iPod while eating dinner and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" came on. A look of confusion crossed Xavier's face, and he said, "Dad, this is on your iPod?"

Adam said, "Yep."

Xavier said, "But they played this at the roller rink -- this is YOUNG music."


(This one is a little esoteric, so if you have not heard "Bad Romance," you may not get this.) My kids have not seen any Lady Gaga videos, but they have heard "Bad Romance" on Adam's iPod and the roller rink. The other day they came in and said, "Look, Mom, we're Baby Gaga!" They started dancing as they began chanting, "Gaga -Wa! Wa! Wa-ah! Gaga - Wa! Wa! Wa-ah!"


I picked Xavier up and gave him a hug a couple days ago, and said, "Sorry, son, but I have to enjoy this while I still can!"

"Yeah, because, before you know it, I will be a hulking teenager," he replied.


Last night, Xavier called me into the bathroom where he was having his bath. His head was covered with soap bubbles (bubble bath), and he had made a lego spider that he had perched on his nose. "Get it off! Get it off!" he begged while making a funny face.

"Oh, Xav," I replied, "You are a hoot. If you weren't in the tub, I would take your picture."

"Why don't you?"

"Because I still want you to be speaking to me when you are a hulking teenager."


OK, that's it! Signing off for a few days! Wish us luck (especially having our walk-through on Friday the 13th!)

Let's Drive Into the Brave New World

We'll be moving from the current "House of Wind and Sky" this Saturday. We don't know yet if the new house will also be a "House of Wind and Sky" -- we kind of liked the idea of coming up with a new name, but we have a sign, and we have been trying to sell the more sentimental among us (Gwen) on the idea that a house is just a house, and it is the family that makes it a home.

Convincing her is another story. Even though Gwen is an enthusiastic advocate for the move (she's packed more boxes than I have -- it'll be interesting to see what the mortality rate is in those boxes, since a lot of her packing has been done without supervision), she occasionally comes up with observations seemingly out of left field:

o "I can't pack that cabinet -- there are pictures of Grendel in there."

o "We may be together, but all my dead pets will be here."

o "What if I get tired of the woods behind the new house? Will we move to find new ones?"

o "I can't say I know this house like the back of my hand because I don't know the back of my hand very well. I'll have to know it like the front of my head."

Xavier, on the other hand is revelling in found treasures, like "The Tick Omnibus." All the same, he has his own ambivalance about the move.

Xavier: I'm going to Deniz's house on the day after tomorrow, right?

Me: Right. Going to Deniz's house while the truck is packed.

Xavier: That means it is Thursday, right?

Me: Right.

Xavier: Who is our babysitter today? And do we have a swimming lesson?

Me: No babysitter -- Daddy is staying home to pack. And the swimming teacher is on vacation, so no swimming lesson.

Xavier: (sighing) I want my life back.

As for Caliban (the Cat) he took to hiding right after his beloved papazon chair and green sofa went the way of the garage sale, so I was a little concerned about him. But last night he had emerged and was napping on a stack of yet-to-be-packed boxes, so I think he will be just fine.

I won't wax nostalgic about our "old" house -- we've had good times here, but we've had some bad times here, and if it were perfect (for us) we wouldn't be moving. But we'll be happy in the new place, as we were here, because we will all be together.

So long! Next time I log in, it will be from the new house!

Oh, and Gwen wanted me to post her new poem before I sign off. She wrote it during the thunderstorm last night:

Thunderstorm

Lightning creates a fireworks
display we won't wait for
every year,

Thunder rumbles and roars
as if a kind of cheer

I stare just out my window
wondering how and why,

People don't like thunderstorms
a wonder in the sky.


She's definitely a better poet than I was at her age.