Probably Not, Rubes.

So, a couple weeks ago Cici and Ruby and I were watching 60 Minutes, and there was a story on some bullfighters in Spain. Cici was full of questions about it, and I told her what little I know about the sport, trying hard not to be either too critical or too P.C. about it all. Cici absorbed it all in her usual thoughtful way, and I didn't give it another thought.

Until a couple days ago, when our daycare provider told Momlissa that all the kids had been on a walk in the neighborhood, and when they had passed by a baseball field, Ruby asked, "Oh, is that where they do the bullfights?"

Sass-a-frass

So, check out this piece of work...

Community Video.

This is a video Cici made for her school, for a project about her community.

Busy Busy Busy

[Note: The reason Ruby is crying in the picture is not because she's afraid of heights; it's because she wanted to climb the observation tower without holding anybody's hand. (It's me who's afraid of the heights, as you can tell from my expression. - Dadam)]

We haven't gotten much up in a while, mostly because we're all running around like chickens with their heads cut off! Last weekend we spent 4 days with Grandma and Grandpa K -- a nice, long visit during a gorgeous time of year in that part of the country. The girls went to their first fish boil (a Door County tradition), dug potatoes from the garden, visited some sand dunes near Lake Michigan, rode Grandpa's tractor over and over and over again, climbed the tower in the park, picked out our pumpkins, and got to see a few deer and turkeys run through the field. It was a great weekend and it was a bummer to come home.

The rest of this week has been spent preparing for a Halloween party for Cici's class at our house on Saturday. Her WHOLE class. Wish us luck. Oh, and here's the highlight of the fish boil:

The Studies That Are Social, Revisited.

Cici brought home an American history project today. Here are some of the questions, with her answers. Note what she put for #3!

How do we honor our country?
The Librty Bell

How have your feeling about America changed after participating in this unit?
I feel good abot both

What is special about the United States of America?
Obma is wining

How do we honor our country?
it is spesell Becase avrie won is a winer

Glad We Got That Sorted Out.

[The girls are in bed.]

Ruby [from upstairs]: Dad! Daaaaaaaaad!

[Dadam goes upstairs.]

Dadam: What is it, Ruby?

Ruby: Cici wasn't answering my question.

[Dadam checks Cici's bed.]

Dadam: Well, she's asleep, honey. She couldn't hear you. What was your question?

Ruby: I was asking if she was asleep!

What She Doesn't Like

This is what was just yelled to me from the bathroom:

"Mom! MOM! You know what I don't like? When you poop and it drops in the toilet and the water splashes up and touches your butt."

I guess we're a close family...

Race-A-Roni

On Saturday the girls participated in races (along with the rest of us) as part of the Twin Cities Marathon weekend. We started the day pretty early for the 5K (we had 8 runners from our family!), and then Cecilia ran the 1 mile race with her Uncle Alex who is visiting from Japan, her Auntie Sarah, and Dadam. She ran an impressive race -- no stopping to rest and really kicking it into high gear at the end. Here she is about to cross the finish line:



Then it was Ruby's turn and she ran in the "Toddler Trot" which was roughly a 50-yard dash. Unfortunately, Ruby wanted to do the real race and ended up mad when she realized just how short her little trot was. To make it up to her we let her run all the way to the "white castle" (the State Capitol, actually, not the restaurant). Next year I think we'll have to graduate her to the 1/2 mile. It was a great day of racing made even better by running alongside people we love!

Too Much Political Coverage, Again.

[Cici has been upstairs "cleaning" her room for about two hours.]

Dadam: Cici! What have you been doing up here? This looks worse than it did when you started!

Cici: Well, Ruby hasn't been helping at all!

Dadam: I don't care what Ruby's been doing - it was your job!

Cici: But Ruby never helps!

Dadam: That's not true, and anyway Ruby is a lot younger than you are - you know she can't help as well as you can.

Cici [crying]: Ruby never gets yelled at!

Dadam: Nonsense.

Cici [crying]: Everyone likes Ruby better than me!

Dadam: Oh, knock it off.

Cici [crying]: If Ruby and I were running for President, everyone would vote for her!

The Studies That Are Social.

For our wedding anniversary yesterday, Momlissa and I celebrated with a romantic dinner at the Rainforest Cafe (with children). On the way home, Cecilia informed us of the following things:

1) Symbols are things that stand for other things (her examples: a horseshoe or a clover stands for good luck, a pumpkin stands for Halloween);

2) Symbols for our country include the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the flag;

3) The American flag includes thirteen red stripes and thirteen white ones, and fifty stars to stand for the fifty states;

4) Our country once was controlled by England, but broke away so we could make our own rules;

5) "Liberty" means freedom, and "freedom" means getting to make your own rules for yourself. (No, we are not encouraging her to vote for Ron Paul.)

Okay, so she didn't actually quote the Declaration of Independence or sing "This Land is Your Land," but still - wow. Momlissa and I agreed that we don't think we covered that stuff in school until about fifth grade (and I don't know about you, but all I actually remember about that time, personally, is the words to "Sweet Betsy from Pike").

But Is There A Throg In It?

Ruby [at bedtime]: I need to go downstairs and get some water.

Dadam: No, honey, you can have water up here.

Ruby: No, I need to go downstairs!

Dadam: Why?

Ruby [disappearing down the steps]: Because I have a froat.