California Dreaming

My Uncle Tom and Aunt Liesel came to visit yesterday from California. The kids fell in love with them almost immediately (of course, they did come bearing gifts.) They brought Gwen a psychedelic bear (which now shares a bed with her and her aptly named "pet", Dino), and they brought Xavier a small Curious George doll.

They stayed for dinner, and after the kids were ready for bed, they said their goodbyes. Xavier was very upset. "I don't want them to go -- I want them to stay! When are they coming back?"

"Well, probably not for awhile, Sweetie -- they live in California."

"Can we go see them there? Soon?"

Then, as I was putting him to bed, he held up the Curious George doll and asked, "Why did they leave their monkey here? Don't they like him anymore?"

"Why, Xavier," I replied, "they brought that monkey for you."

Xavier pondered that for a second, then pulled out another monkey my parents got him in Savannah that he sleeps with (along with his perennial favorites, "Pink Bear", "Bunny", and "Turtle") and said (referring to Curious George and Savannah monkey respectively), "This can be the baby monkey, then, and this can be the mommy."

Pink Bear's reign as favored toy may be in danger -- tonight when Xav woke up to go to the bathroom, he brought a book -- A Mother For Choco -- and Curious George with him. Curious George also accompanied him to school and sat and watched while Xavier had karate class.

Along those lines, it seems Gwen is beginning to show her true political colors. As I was loading them into the car today after karate, Xavier turned to me with a furrowed brow and said, "Mommy, make Miranda stop calling my monkey George W. !"

In other news ... Gwen's interest in karate has now been rekindled by her discovery of the Century catalog, which has all kinds of cool karate doohickies one might buy ... I don't think she knows what most of them are for, but she wants them all the same.

She also bought herself one of those Magic 8 Ball toys. If you aren't familiar with what those are, they are a giant 8 ball (as you might see from pool) with a window in it and a die inside that has different yes-no-maybe-so type answers; you ask the 8 ball yes-no type questions (like, "Will the Hokies ever win a bowl game?"), and check the answer in the window for your mystic answer ("Concentrate harder and try again.") Gwen was a little daunted when she realized that you have to know how to read to find out your answer, but she didn't let her slow her down -- she started sounding words out like a pro. I faced a more daunting task trying to persuade her that the Magic 8 ball had no psychic powers.

The best Magic 8 ball exchange occurred, however, when I asked the Magic 8 Ball, "Will Xavier's hair catch on fire?" (An inside joke that has no basis in reality.)

Magic 8 Ball responded, "Decidedly yes."

Xavier turned to me with a furrowed brow and moaned, "Oh, no -- not again!"

We had a fun time with Uncle Tom and Aunt Liesel, and we hope the rest of their East Coast vacation is lovely. Take care!