Thursday, February 26, 2009


I tested my theory today about Miles having mild hearing dyslexia.
I pointed at the trolley museum as we drove by, and I asked, "Miles, what's that?"
"Train me-SEES-um!"
A month ago he called it the me-USE-um.
We are making progress.

Friday, February 13, 2009


"I'm tired of being a person," Miles said as we drove onto our driveway.

I switched my gaze from the road to my rear view mirror so that I could see his eyes.

"I'm tired of pretending," he sighed. "I want not be a person. I want to be a barn."

I repeated his words back to him as we neared a barn.

"Maybe be a pony," he said as we passed our neighbor's horse. "Maybe sun, maybe trees."

We were 20 feet from a decaying rowboat half-hidden in the woods by our house. "Maybe boat."

I cut the engine and unlocked our car doors. By the time I leaned in to unbuckle Miles from his car seat he was aglow again. Something had restored his faith in the human journey.

He cupped my face in his palms and sang, "You turn on TV for me? Curious George on!"

Four years old, almost. I had no idea how charming life at four could be.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

When I am on the phone, Miles will wreck his room.
He will empty every dresser drawer onto the floor.
Yesterday, after another messy room incident, I said in a loud voice, "I am not your cleaning person."
In an almost whisper my son asked, "Who is?"
As in, get me a name or number, quick! This is information I could have used yesterday.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

While in my arms, Baby Charlie reached for the heavy glass part of a drink mixer. It was drying in the dish drainer.
Charlie's little arm was no match for the weight of the glass chamber. The glass fell onto the adjacent metal loaf pain and made a big noise. Nothing broke except Miles concentration on his Legos.
In seconds my nearly four year old was at my side, asking about the commotion.
I explained that Curious Charlie had tried to pick up things that were too heavy for him.
Oh for goodness safes! Miles said.