Be Still My Heart

Logan just read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" as a bedtime story to Declan.

A Visit

Paul and Robin were here through the weekend, reinforcing their places in the boys' hearts and simultaneously charming Chris's family into developing crushes on them (Grandpa Tiny included). They got to spend some quality time with the kids at the Renaissance Fair, take in a soccer game of Logan's, catch a movie with Dex, and take Logan to the Royals-Red Sox game (I can't be sure, but I think the Red Sox lost that one).

The highlight of the visit (from my perspective) was when Paul and Robin brought Declan home after spending the day with him and Paul proceeded to show us what he taught Declan, which went a little like this:

Paul: "Declan, why are you so cute?"
At which point Declan's supposed to answer: "Because I look like my Grandpa!" And Paul beams at how clever and handsome he is.

What really happened was:

Paul: "Declan, why are you so cute?"
Declan: "Because I look like my mommy!"

HA! Take that, Gramps!

Chris and I play a game like this with the kids and call it "Mask." This is just Paul being a jerk.

I have a horrible confession to make. I think I ruined Logan for life because one morning a long time ago I was taking pictures of him and it was the time of year where the days are short, so when we were getting ready to leave the house it was still dark outside. Every time the flash went off, Logan blinked and the picture came out with his eyes closed. Every.freaking.time. And we tried probably 15-20 pictures and I kept getting frustrated and telling him to open his eyes. So finally we got a decent one (after a few attempts where he physically pried and held his eyes open with his fingers) but ever since that day he's been super conscious of blinking in pictures. This is one of those photos that show how I've ruined my kid, because he's smiling there with his eyes wide open like that runaway bride that looked like a deer in headlights in every photo the media showed of her.

Songwriting

The boys put on a performance last night. The type where they gather everyone together and sing songs they've made up. Good times, right?

Here is a sampling of lyrics that Declan came up with, after warning me that this was going to be a song that's about "something not very nice."

"Do you like being dead?
You're going to be dead forever!
You're going to be dead for the rest of your life!
Even when you're driving, you're going to be dead."

All the while Logan's standing to the side of the "stage" and saying, absolutely incensed, that someone who's alive can't be dead and how can someone who's dead be driving?!

Now, I know this song sounds like it's toeing the line of viciousness, but it had a nice little tempo and was rather upbeat. I'm just saying, given his love of "Dragula" and "Crazy Train" I think we've definitely got a metal future on the horizon.