seven quick takes

one

The baby is really walking. If she's holding a cookie she will walk the length of the living room. She is extremely pleased with herself. Marigold continues cloudy.

two

Elphine had to write a little paragraph about the meeting of Alexander the Great and Diogenes. I don't generally like to brag but I particularly thought her dialogue and various turns of phrase were riveting. Here is her little vignette (all lovely spelling has been corrected to perfection--boo--because that was part of the assignment). You're welcome to skip it unless you're a grand parent.

The Wise Man

by Elphine

There was once a very wise man named Diogenes. One day, while he was saying wise things to himself and lying in the sun, a great king came to see him just as everyone did. However, Diogenes did not care whether or not the King, Alexander, came to see him.
Alexander said, "I have heard a lot about you. I will do anything you like."
"I know what I would like," said Diogenes.
"You do?" said the king.
"Yes" replied Diogenes.
"What?" asked the king.
"I would like for you to move,"said Diogenes, "you are blocking the sun."
The king did move and said to his soldiers, "Do not hurt this man. If I was not the king, I would be this man."

three

I gave up NPR for Advent and have been So Blessed as a result. I turned it back on this morning to see if they were saying anything interesting and turned it back off a minute and a half later. My life is so calm and peaceful now and the children don't have to listen to me screaming at the radio or flinging myself across the room to shut it off because they're talking about graphic homosexuality at EIGHT TWENTY ON A FRIDAY MORNING! Honestly!!!!

four

Tim Keller's marriage book is so so so good. I appear to be much more happily and easily married than he is (unless he's being all hyperbolic for book sales--see smashing china section--which I perfectly understand because if you can't be hyperbolic for your reading public what can you be?) but am finding its theological depth so good. I can't recommend it enough, even and especially if you find yourself happily and euphorically married.

five

Matt bailed me out of the laundry this week. He blew through the whole mountain in two and a half days, vomit incident included. He carried it up for me to fold and then, brace yourself, the children put it away. 

six

I've come to the conclusion that Marigold looks like me. She has my shape of face and her eyes have a steeliness about them. And everything she does seems so insincere. I try to tell myself that its just the way she appears but sometimes I think I'm fooling myself. She just looks so sarcastically ironic. Like when she's playing she's both playing and mocking the idea of playing and mocking you thinking that she's playing.

seven

We went to the library this morning to pay our enormous fine and now we're going to do art for the rest of the day because we're so behind. That's right! No math or spelling for you! only drawing, painting (well, probably not painting) and looking and beautiful paintings.

Have a great  weekend and go check out Jen!