November peanuts

• Me: "Da-da!" Corinna: "Mama!" [Grins.] I think she's harassing me on purpose.
• Good news: I found my 2002-era usb wifi adapter. Bad news: it does not have drivers for Windows 8.
• Corinna learning how to turn the TV and PS3 off is funny. Learning to push the power button on my desktop is not.
• Cold outside this morning, for Texas (in the fifties). Isaac went outside and brought his plant in, the one he picked out at the nursery with Rachel a few days ago. "Plant cold! I want plant warm."
• Rachel: "But you just took those shoes off, Corinna! You want them back on already? You're such a girl!" Me: "Hey. How come when *I* say that it's sexist?"
• Arrived in Madrid, 3:30 AM Central Time. Taxi driver was able to establish in Spanish that (1) it was my first time here, (2) I was staying for two days, and (3) that traffic in Madrid is bad. Further attempts at communication were futile.
• Signs you've been traveling too much: your hotel key card doesn't work. "What the hell," you think, "I'm sure this is the right room." Then you take a second look and the card you pulled out of your pocket belongs to the previous trip's hotel.
• Corinna can climb out of her crib now. Which puts her maybe a little behind Melissa, but not much.
• Seen on Twitter: "Parenting is *exactly* like rocket science; The job is to contain an explosion & hope it's pointed in a useful direction."
• My bank account balance looks a lot more impressive in Yen.
• Even in Texas I am terrible at guessing kids' ages. I think it may be worse here. In the elevator there was a woman with two little girls, the taller of whom was Isaac's size. "Four?" I asked her. She looked at me like I was the world's dumbest American. "No," she said. "Six." (The kid didn't mind, though. Probably she didn't understand. When we got to her floor she looked back and waved. "Bye bye!" she said with a huge grin. A real live gaijin said she was kawai. Disneyland is awesome.)

October peanuts

Some entries from me and Rachel, since the kids entries are a bit thin with the travel I did that month:

• The lady working at was reasonably attractive but it was the TWO 30 inch monitors in front of her that made my head turn.
• Note to self: Del Taco is a terrible way to start the day.
• My brother Grant: "People are always coming up to me and saying that I look younger than 35." Me: "That's funny. Nobody ever says that to me." Grant: "That's because one, you have a beard, and two, you're going bald."
• Left my travel mouse where Corinna could reach it. I'll probably never see it again. (Six months later: I haven't.)
• Rachel, entering our office: "Wow, the walls are really bare." She's right. I've been going there over two years now and hadn't really noticed.
• Rachel: "I have 17 to spend, but only one buy." First world problems in Dominion.
• Seen on Twitter. "Big Data: here in Texas we just call it data."
• Rachel: "No, tonight's stroganoff does not have steak. But, it does have kale!"

From the kids:

• Me: "In the car, kids! We're going to build something at Home Depot!" Isaac: "Tree house?"
• I tasked Melissa with clearing off the table and she grumbles something about Isaac's bag. Isaac misheard her. "No! Isaac not bad. Isaac good! Right Daddy?" "Oui, Isaac est sage." "Daddy says Isaac good."
• "Is Corinna on the table? Corinna, get down. SHE'S EATING THE BUTTER!"
• Speaker: "Raise your hand if you've seen The Lion King." Most of the congregation raises their hand. Matthew does not. Me: "Matthew, you've seen The Lion King." Matthew: "That was in French. It doesn't count."
• At 17 months Corinna is turning two. Rachel took some mail away from her, and Corinna went into Nuclear Meltdown. Rachel left the room, Corinna stopped crying, tracked Rachel down, and resumed the tantrum.

Belated birthday post

I opened my birthday presents a day late. I think I was traveling on my birthday.

Matthew gave me a Butterfinger and a box full of origami. The box itself was a work of art. He spent days making it.

Melissa gave me two drawings. Then at the last minute she decided that was inadequate and wrapped some of her very precious sea shells in a paper towel for me.

Isaac gave me an Energizer Bunny sticker, then stood on the table and threw his arms wide. "Daddy pumpkin!"

Rachel: "Are you Daddy's pumpkin?"

Isaac: "Yes! Daddy pumpkin boy!"

I hugged my pumpkin boy.

Corinna goes commando

Going to keep posting poop story reminders until one of them gets written.