Long time no blog… which doesn’t mean there hasn’t been anything interesting to write about. No, 2008 has been altogether too “interesting” at times. First the lowlights: Camus died. I got my first ever speeding ticket (for going 44 in a 25-mile zone). Someone stole the catalytic converter from our car, while it was …

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Around 2AM, Sammy woke up crying last night: “I have to go to the potty!” AC managed to get her there in time, and she was cheerful and chatty, reminding us that she gets a “big sticker” for her toilet learning chart. Minutes later, she was back in her crib, sound asleep. I wish I could say the same for me and AC. …

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Today while we were out grocery shopping, Sam and I stopped into a local candy store to buy some fudge for her father to give to him on Thursday. I told her it was a surprise, and that we wouldn’t tell Daddy until Valentine’s Day. Since AC was working from home today, he joined us for lunch and the following …

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One of Sam’s great-aunts gave her this William Shakespeare doll, sold by the Unemployed Philosopher’s Guild. William (as he is known in these parts) is a favorite of Sam’s and was quickly integrated into her menagerie of plush friends. The other day, Sam and I were playing a game where she would hide under a blanket …

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Sam (drawing on paper with magic markers): I’m drawing a picture of Mommy. Me: Oh yeah? What am I doing in the picture? Sam: You’re in the crib. Me: Really? I don’t think I’ve ever been in your crib… although I’ve thought about it. Sam: I’ve thought about it too.

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Chiasmus is probably my favorite rhetorical device. JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” is a well-known one. I also like “Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you,” which is also the title of Mardy Grothe’s book on chiasmus. A chiasmus is “a reversal in the order …

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This is how Mommy sets the table for dinner: This is how Sammy sets the table for dinner: This is typical conversation over the dinner table:

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Sam is really big into making connections between her life and the books we read, as well as between books. It’s really exciting. For example, this morning, Grand-mère was reading Choo Choo (by Virginia Lee Burton) to Sam, and when they got to the part where the train escapes, Sam exclaimed: “Just like Camus does!” I …

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Sam: “The wheels on the bus go up and down, up and down, up and down…” Mom: [mock indignation] “Up and down?! No they don’t. They go round and round.” Sam: [hysterical laughter]. ***** Sam: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high. Like a diamond in the … ceiling!” ***** …

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It’s an amazing thing when your two-year old tells you, completely unprompted, that she loves you. Last Sunday, outside during a picnic lunch… Sam: “I love you, Daddy!” Dad and Mom: “Aw!” Dad: “I love you, Sammy.” Sam: “I love you, Mommy!” Mom tears up. Sam: “And somebody else.” Mom and Dad: “Who?!” Sam grins. Two …

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