Taking Care of Her Friends

So for about a week now we've been talking to Kaylee about how she's going to start a new school soon. We've talked about what she's going to do there, and somehow she's decided that learning about dinosaurs means she'll be hunting for them as if they were alive. That puts this new school at the top of her cool-but-a-little-bit-scary list, which is an apt description of how I'm feeling about the whole situation.

Today Kaylee told me something that made me want to cry and smile at the same time (I opted for smiling a big grin). We're on our way home from daycare and she's telling me about her day. Some days she wants to talk, other days she doesn't. Today was somewhere in between. Sort of out of the blue she asks if she can visit her friend Cleia after she goes to her new school. (Cleia and she have become quite attached to each other.) Then she tells me that Cleia is going to miss her soo soo much when she goes to her new school. She tells me that she asked Dominic if he would be Cleia's friend while she was gone and he said "Yes!" Her eyes were a little sad (or maybe it was the allergies) but her smile was so big.

I told her I was so happy she was making sure her friend had someone to play with after she was at her new school. My baby's growing up... (I get the feeling I'm going to be saying that a lot.)

"Dad ..."

"... my poop is brown like my eyes and my hair."

You know what's awesome?

Fresh chocolate-covered stawberries.

Especially when you're allowed to double-dip.

This week (so far) in Kaylee-isms

"When I grow up, I'm going to be a soldier. And a ballerina."

"Momma, will you call my teachers at home and ask if it's OK if I bring my brain to school?"

"I'm sorry I dropped Cinderella in the toilet."

Upon picking her up from school: "Yay! Daddy! You didn't died!"

Homadadita

I have no idea what the hell she is singing about.

But it's cute, no?

Happy Mother's Day

Kaylee and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Racheal (Grammys, Grandma Cindys and GGs too) for everything she does. The big things, the little things and the things that are so small that no one even notices – but would miss if the were gone. The meals. The cleaning. The play time. The hugs. Especially the hugs.

Go hug your Mom guys. Seriously, she deserves it.

Super giant bouncy fun

My knee still hurts.

Let's go fly a kite ...

After subjecting my daughter to Free Comic Book Day – complete with Stormtroopers (and no, they weren't asking for papers, the law doesn't go into effect for a while still) – I suggested a trip to the park to help balance out her geek levels for the day.

Rae suggested and picked up a kite. Glad she did. We kept that thing in the air for a good 45 minutes.

Pictures below. No captions required.

A one sided conversation

Overheard (and paraphrased) while Kaylee was chatting on the phone with Rae (who is currently on a business trip):

Tomorrow I will go to school and take a nap.

And then my daddy will pick me up and we will eat dinner.

And then I will go to sleep and my daddy will take me to the airport in my slippers and we will pick you up because we love you and you love me and you love my daddy.

And we will live happily ever after.

OK. Love you. Bye.

Daddy, can I play the letters game on your phone now?

I still can't believe Rae let her do this

I don't know who was more terrified going into this, Kaylee or Racheal.

But after it was all over – one of them was ready to do it again.

While we were waiting

Kaylee taught me how to hopscotch.

PIMA COUNTY FAIR!!

It's the final weekend of the fair, so we had to head out to get our annual dose of dust, sun, fried foods and carnies. There were ponies to be ridden, baby goats to be mauled and Rae even let Kay go down the giant slide by herself. (Though she - she being Rae - panicked the entire time.)

I'll see if I can't get the video up later. It's a lot of fun to watch her bony butt go flying when she hits the bumps.

At only $1, making rope is easily the best buy at the fair.

Kaylee loves llamas.

REALLY loves llamas.

Kids go in tha cage. Cage goes tha watah. Shahks ah in tha watah.

From our other visitor

Apparently, whenever we have house guests we never take photos. Good thing for you, they do.

The following shots courtesy of the B.D.G.

Sun's bright light. Canyon's scenic views. Dad's big gut.

Look at that face. I look at this photo and can just imagine the crap I'm going to get from her in just a few years.

Kaylee and her prince

Photo by Erinnnnnnn

And this is where the infatuation with a man in uniform begins.

She walked up to me and she asked me if I wanted to dance

We've rearranged the house a bit in anticipation of additional moves, necessitated by tearing up our kitchen floor and replacing it with tile. Kaylee discovered that it created the perfect dance studio — complete with wood floor, mirror and radio within the reach of three-year-olds.

This is a big deal. She can now make music whenever she wants. And the girl loves her music.

Rae and I had already split up for our post-dinner duties. So while she headed off to scrub the bathtub, I proceeded to pick up the dinner dishes.

And the music came on.

And she started to twirl.

And I stopped to watch.

When ABBA came on I smiled a bit because she immediately fled the room. I was already forming stories about how I learned about her great taste in music at a young age. Stories that I would tell family and friends and would-be suitors should the need to brag about my little girl arise.

Then I heard the familiar CLAK CLAK CLAK CLAK of the high shoes as she ran back into the dining room — and I immediately gave up on my dreams of the perfect story and did what any dad would do. I grabbed the phone and started recording as she resumed her twirls and pirouettes.

And then she surprised me.

She asked me to dance.

Now if you're reading this, you probably know me pretty well, so it should come as no surprise to you that I don't dance. I just don't. Even in the privacy of my own home, when I'm all alone, I just don't.

But I've always said that if anything could get me to dance, it would be a request from my daughter. And up until now, she has had zero interest in dancing with dad. Even at weddings she'd dance with Mom and brides and grandpas and total strangers — but not Dad. It's always been a little relieving and a little heart-breaking at the same time.

But this time I got my invitation. And I jumped at the offer. It was just a couple of quick spins around the room, no more than a minute at most, but it's one of those moments that I'll always remember.

Even if she lost interest shortly after I turned off the camera.

Even if I got in trouble for not cleaning up the table.

Even if ABBA was the soundtrack.

I guess I got my perfect story after all.

Easter Egging

Easter brunch

Tucson Style.

Breakfast of champions

Thank you Easter Bunny! Bock,bock!

Interview with a new mother

I cringed a little bit when Kaylee announced that she had a baby in her tummmy. (Actually a doll stuffed up in her shirt.) But I have to admit, she makes a damn cute new mom.

Who knew I'd be a grandfather at 34?

Friday morning ...

Looking at my tshirt: Daddy? What's wrong with his feet?

What do you mean?

He has one cow foot and one chicken foot.

He does?

Yes. He needs his own feet.