Fido Has a...

Spring has sprung! We've learned over the past couple of weeks that all of neighbors are still alive and well after the 6-month hibernation. The birds are singing, the days are getting longer, and we've fired up the grill. And finally we can play in our back yard once again. We stayed out until almost dark tonite and the sights and sounds made for some interesting conversation. The following, in particular, I think is worth sharing...

Me: Oh, there's Fido. Hello, Fido! (Yes, I often talk to dogs, even Fido, the old, overweight, annoying hound-type mix next door.)

Fido: (Nothing. Not even a glance in our direction. Maybe his hearing is going...)

Loic: Fido has a butt!

Me: Yes, he does. All dogs have butts, in fact.

Laurence: Yep, and all dogs have penises.

Me: No, not girl dogs.

Laurence (with a puzzled look of misunderstanding): What? Not bull dogs? Bull dogs don't have penises?

What seems like minute goes by, me laughing until my face hurt and unable to get the words out, until finally...

Me: I said, "Not GIRL dogs."

Laurence: Ohhhh! Right. Girl dogs have loo-la-las.

The rest of the conversation went in one ear and out the other. I could barely get past this. Who calls them that? Some girl in his class, apparently. The kid is in kindergarten. What's he going to come home with next?

I'll Have an Order of Chicken Lo Mein & a New Pair of Sneaks, Please

Loic is featured in this post. That kid has quite a natural sense of humor, and appears to be developing a memory to rival his older brother's. Backing up to about a year ago, the family was making our weekly visit to our favorite chinese restaurant, the Panda House. I can't say enough about the place -- amazing food, fast service, and the friendliest of owners. In fact, let me digress by saying that just a few weeks after Alastair was born, Bill came home with carry out and handed me a little red envelope, from the owners, he said. Inside was a crisp ten dollar bill! It's a gift for the baby, she'd told him, and on our next visit explained to me that you give money when a new baby is born to friends or family, to bring the child good luck. Honestly, I was blown away by the gesture. And this wasn't the first of it's kind...

Back to our visit a year ago...that evening the owner came to our table carrying a pair of sandals and asked if we thought they would fit Laurence. I said I thought so, and she explained that her father brought them from China for her son, but they were much too small, so she thought of us. Laurence was so proud and couldn't wait for warmer weather to wear his new treasures. Once summer came he would tell everyone he encountered that his sandals were from the Panda House. Eventually he wore the straps right off. But what a special gift -- sandals from China! Anyway, I said this was to be about Loic and it is...read on!

Sunday night we went to eat once again at the Panda House. Loic & I shared Chicken Lo Mein, which isn't at all relevant, but let me tell you, theirs is amazing! Afterwards we headed next door to Target to get a few things, including a new pair of sneakers for Loic. (He has a fine pair, but needed a 2nd since he seems to be able to find every mud puddle within a 200 yard radius of wherever we are, constantly leaving him with wet shoes. So the old pair will become his romping sneaks.) The next day we were getting ready to go to the grocery store and Loic asked if he could wear his new sneakers. Assuming we'd be puddle-free from here to there, I agreed. As I was tying them he said, "Are these my shoes from the Panda House?" I burst out laughing and looked up -- he was giving me that sly Loic look that he's perfected. Before I could answer he laughed and said, "No, they're from Target!" Oh, it felt good to laugh together like that, and I have his sense of humor and incredible memory to thank. Keep those moments coming, kid!

February 29

Laurence is really trying to understand time these days. From how long 3 hours is, to how many months until Christmas, etc. Yesterday he asked how many days until Loic's birthday, which is July 31st. I was explaining that we can estimate, because we know it's about 5 months away, and months have about 30 days...and there's where I got interrupted. I should have know that Laurence is NOT about estimating. "Well," he says, "some months DO have 30 days, but some have 31, and February has 28...except when it's a hopping year, because then it has 29."