Ussins – Page 5 – Tia, Mago Elf Liam, Nem-nem Niamh, Lil' Bug, and I. (kid names are aliases)

GOLD! (Nasal Gold?)

Alex / December 8, 2012December 8, 2012 / Alex, Nem Nem Niamh, Tia

Nem shows me little stringy and lumpy bits of dried glue, which, except that they are white, look like grotesque boogers.

Nem: Daddy, look what I found under the glue!
Me: In your nose?
Nem: No, under the glue!
Tia: He’s making a joke, Nem.
Me: Because they look like dried boogers.
Nem: No, I found these under the glue!
Me: I know, I joked that you found them in your nose, because they look like dried boogers.
Nem: Oh.

She offers a little courtesy laugh.

Tia smiles at me.

I laugh.

Nem: Daddy, look what I found in my nose!

She holds up the glue-boogers. I laugh more.

Nem: Daddy, Daddy, look what I found in my nose! Daddy, Daddy!

She keeps repeating things like this. I laugh harder until I’m in hysterics and crying. She tries to tickle me.

Nem: Daddy, look what I found in my nose! . . .

Nem’s Endearments

Alex / October 20, 2012October 20, 2012 / Alex, Nem Nem Niamh, Songs, Tia

Every night, Nem-nem (now 5) wants a hug as she goes to bed, and she then methodically, meticulously gives me an Eskimo kiss, and kisses and butterfly kisses on my chin, cheeks, nose, and forehead.

She’ll then always insist that I sing a lullaby, which almost invariably is “[Nem-nem’s] Lullaby,” which is my adoption of Highland Cathedral, as described here (broken links/media at that page as I write this).

She’s taken to correcting Mother, that she should call me Alexander, not Alex, and she can spell that name out.

Speechless.

Twitter Weekly Digest for 2012-09-23

Alex / September 23, 2012 / Twitter Digests

Nem: Daddy, if you ever forget my teacher's name, just look right inside my school binder. #
Nem: "Today, we read the Gingerbread Girl, and she was *way* thinking more smarter than the gingerbread boy." I laugh. Well, of course. #

Great Elf William

Alex / September 10, 2012 / Alex, Mago Elf Liam

Me: “Great Elf William, will you forgive me if I eat downstairs? I want to do some writing.”

Mago looks confused. “Great Elf William?”

“I gave you that nick-name at my blog. I call you Mago Elf Liam.”

“Oh. . . . Elf?”

I laugh. “It’s kinda silly.”

“So does ‘Mago’ mean ‘Great?”

“Yes.”

Indeed.

(He’s halfway to eight, as I write this.)

My Teacher

Alex / September 9, 2012September 9, 2012 / Alex, Nem Nem Niamh

A conversation between Nem (now 5) and me, earlier this week:

Nem: “Do you remember your Teacher?”
Me: “No, I went to Kingdergarten for a few days, and decided not to go. And I had school at home.”
“Who was your Teacher?”
“My Mother.”
“Do you remember your Mother?”
“Yes.”
“Then you *do* remember your Teacher!”

Twitter Weekly Digest for 2012-09-02

Alex / September 2, 2012 / Twitter Digests

Nem, of any food she dislikes: " [tomatoes, etc.] are *not* on the list." #
A maple sapling, maybe 2 years old, was seeded from who knows where, under driveway bushes & a big rock. Wow! I transplanted it to the yard. #

Twitter Weekly Digest for 2012-08-26

Alex / August 26, 2012 / Twitter Digests

You know what's good about the toothfairy? All the money she gives you is really shiny! #

SeptiCanada

Alex / August 22, 2012 / Alex, Mago Elf Liam

[I have looked up the prefix “septi” since this exchange, and oops!–I was in error. “Septi” is a combining form that means seven, not five. “Penta” is a combining form for “five.”]

Mago, to Tia: You measured Canada?
Me: Yes. It was five.
Mago: Five?
Me: Yes.
Mago: Five what?
Me: Five septiCanadas.
Mago: What’s a septiCanada?
Me: If you take the area of Canada, and divide it by five, you have a septiCanada.
Mago: Wait, so when you were five, you took a map of Canada and measured it–
Me, laughing: No–
Mago: and you drew five lines through it–
Me, laughing: No–
Mago: and you called each one of them a septiCanada?
Me, laughing: No. I made that up just now.

Twitter Weekly Digest for 2012-08-19

Alex / August 19, 2012 / Twitter Digests

Saw 9 Persied meteorites with Tia betw. 11PM-1AM, Aug. 11th-12th, five of them spectacularly bright & fiery. The kids couldn't be awakened. #
The kids asleep on the hide-a-bed, Nem's arm around Mago. http://t.co/8HSOMW2i #

Twitter Weekly Digest for 2012-08-12

Alex / August 12, 2012 / Twitter Digests

Before I forget again–or did I?–if you shout "Twenty-five Autumn!" while cycling/running, you go faster. At least, it works for Nem. #
Also, the word is CONCERTRATE, not CONCENTRATE. According to Nem. Who is often interrupted while trying to CONCERTRATE. #
If you're up, step out in the dark and watch the meteor shower. #

Love, A Building on Fire

Alex / July 23, 2012 / Alex, Mago Elf Liam, Nem Nem Niamh, Songs

I don’t know how I missed this Talking Heads song. It’s hard to imagine I never heard it (even for my crowded, unorganized, largely unrecognized collection). One day it just lit me up–even while I’m not entirely certain I understand it.

When my love stands next to your love/I can’t define love/when it’s not love/which is my face/which is a building/which is on fire!

I played it and sang it to the kids and Tia. The kids especially cracked up.

(I later learned that Mago thought I wrote and recorded this song. I wish.)

Just now I had this conversation with Nem when I played the song:

Nem: Sing it!
Me: No, I want to eat.
Nem (cries and pouts) Nooo, *you* sing it!
Me: I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to break your heart!
Nem: Okay, I’ll get ready to laugh.