tiny hammer, big hammer

your favorite place to shop

2007-02-12T19:24:00.000-08:00

December 2002, age 5

Mom: You know how old I am now?
Ice: Yeah, Thirty-seven.
Mom: What do you think you're going to be doing when you're thirty-seven?
Ice: Prob'ly working at the Dollar Store.

a song called "If You're Left Alone"

2007-02-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

When you're left alone
God is with you.
When you're just left all alone
God is with you.
When you're alone in the bathroom or any where
God is with you.

the song of legos

2007-02-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

Legos, legos
You can build anything with legos.
You can build a book or a lego tower
or a house if you know how.
Oh, yeah.
You can build anything with Legos.

The end.

you wrote a christmas song

2007-02-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas, you can get any toy,
but you don't know what it is.
Oh, yeah.
You could get a watch, a poster, box of ornaments.
You could get anything.
Oh, yeah.
Only poor people are supposed to get a lot of toys.
Not-poor people just get a few.
Maybe a book with a song in it.
Maybe a bottle for your baby if you have one.
Oh yeah.

The end.

you wrote a rock song

2007-02-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Rocks are sometimes blue-ish
They're sometimes red
They're sometimes gold

There is purple rocks, any kind of rocks.
There is square rocks if you can find one.
You can find probably other white rocks, too.
You might find a blue rock.

The end

clear adult knowledge-base limitations

2007-02-12T19:14:00.000-08:00

Ice: Dad, why do they call it "Tatooine"? (referring to the name of a planet in the "Star Wars" saga)
Dad: Um, that's just the name of the planet.
Ice: Yeah, but why is it Tatoo-WEEN? You know, like Tatoo-WEEN, like Hallo-WEEN, why is it WEEN?

lemonade is so last century

2007-02-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

August 2003, age 5

Today you went around the block and sold your rock collection at 50 cents a rock. You actually sold four rocks and came home with two dollars.

Mom: What do you plan to buy with all that money?
Ice: Some Pokemon cards if I get two more dollars.

(We also talked with you and told you that you couldn't do this any more.)

on the occasion of having green popsicles

2007-02-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

Today you told me that you figured that the reason The First's favorite color is green is because the Incredible Hulk is green, and if The First were the same as the Hulk he could sit in the grass and everyone who saw him would just think he was a big blade of grass.

Whew. You are so creative.

square the answer

2007-02-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

September 2003, age 6

Today you were going through a reading comprehension page in your workbook. The multiple-choice answers were long phrases and you were instructed to circle the correct one. After a moment of consideration you informed me that the answers were too long and you couldn't circle them. But you would "oval" them. Or maybe "rectangle" them.

sixth birthday party plans

2007-02-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

For your party you asked for a kitten cake. You want your cake decorated to look like Joshua, the bravest of the four feral kittens that live in the woods behind our new house. You also plan to go to FunWorks and play laser tag, ride the go-carts, and play mini-golf.

but when he does it, it's a cover

2007-02-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Gram: Who sings the "Na-Na" song?
Ice: "My little brother."

well she IS 62

2007-02-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

Written by your Gram:

Your mom and I were discussing allergies and sneezing while sitting out on the deck. I said that I sneeze many many times in the mornings and have no idea what causes it. You quickly said, "Because you're old?"

because if they don't, then...

2007-02-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Out of the blue you asked me:

"Do airplanes allow dessert?"

uhh, spinach?

2007-02-12T18:39:00.001-08:00

November 2003, age 6

"Hey Dad, what's in that Dunkin' Donuts box?"

toast, everyone?

2007-02-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

December 2003, age 6

About a week ago I showed you how to make toast in our new toaster oven. (The one your dad and I got for a wedding present 17 years ago finally died.) You felt very independant and for several days continually offered to make toast for anyone who wanted some. I honestly hadn't realized that you had never tried any very basic cooking tasks (though you love to watch me and your dad cook). That day you told people: "I had my first cooking lesson today!" I was just a touch embarrassed that I'd not shown you before! The following day I pretended to deliberate before requesting toast for breakfast -- it was perfect.

Today you are learning to make pancakes. You have come a long way in a week or so!

you lost your first tooth!

2007-02-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

It was so loose for so long. Today at church it seemed all the other kids your age had missing teeth to display, and after everyone had gone you asked your Dad to pull it out. He did! It bled some (very distressing for you) but then you had the tooth out of your mouth and dollar signs in your eyes.

The tooth fairy did not fail you; she brought you a dollar, a note, and a blue sparkle pen, which she left in the pocket of your special tooth fairy pillowcase that my mother made a few years ago for this very purpose. Strangely, the tooth fairy FORGOT to take your tooth! I told you she was like this -- she forgot to retrieve several of your big brother's teeth too.

of course you can

2007-01-20T07:38:00.001-08:00

January 2004, age 6

Last week you told me that you had a dream about flying. You said you were up in my office and you had on a cape. You climbed onto a chair and leapt off.

"I glided a little ways," you reported exultantly, face shining.

You can fly, Ice.
You can fly.

Hbd!

2007-01-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

September 6, 2004, age 7

Today, since it's Monday and my day off, we celebrated your seventh birthday. Your birthday breakfast was homemade biscuits and fried eggs. Your brother the First worked hard on a lovely envelope (addressed to you and written in "tooth fairy" writing, with "Hbd!" and a goofy face drawn on the front) in which he enclosed $1.00. It was very, very nice and you were utterly pleased.

Tonight we treated you all to Bullwinkle's. They have video games, a climbing wall, animatronics, and a light & water show. I gave each of you boys $3.oo, and you and the First took a little extra money of your own. You all won lots of tickets on skee-ball, ate pizza, climbed in the playplace, and generally had a fantastic time. You all traded in your tickets for an assortment of carefully chosen trinkets and candies. You were so excited the entire time that even as we were getting our last drink refills (in Bullwinkle cups that we brought home) your hands were shaking.

You were the first one to fall asleep tonight, after several proclamations about what a wonderful birthday you had.

Oh! And your "kitten" cake! Dad did a bang-up job on that one. A 3-d cat face with chocolate-dipped angel-hair pasta for whiskers. Another huge hit.

Happy Birthday, Ice. We love you.