Something to make me feel old:

A couple days ago, Logan asked if I was born in the one-thousands.

The Dragon

We have in our home a special sandwich, a culinary anomaly so fierce and bold only one person dares eat it, its very creator: Declan. This is a sandwich that is confident, impulsive, and doesn't listen to the advice of others.

When you ask Declan what he'd like for lunch, and he decides he wants this beast that is only spoken of in whispers by the rest of the household, time stops. He'll respond with a jaw set in stone, eyes ferocious, lip curled as his fist punches the air and his throat growls savagely, "A dragon sandwich, please." Hot wind swirls through the kitchen, rustling papers and curtains and hairstyles that haven't been moussed down or spiked up. Lightning strikes the counters and refrigerator, and you have only moments to gather the materials and put them together for the dragon child.

And then it's there, on the table, plated and sliced in rectangles or triangles as Declan wishes. A feast for the beast, my mind tells me. Two slices of bread work to sandwich together the unholy marriage of peanut butter and cheese. He is pleased. This will do.

Today as I walked away to tidy my hair and wipe down the scorches that had marred the kitchen where lightning struck, I heard an ominous warning from the boy at the table: "One day I'll ask for a Dragon 2." I turned to look at him, my eyes wide with fear. He licked peanut butter off the corner of his mouth as he finished his thought, "Cheese...and jelly."

Last night as a treat, Grandma Sue and Chris took the boys to get some ice cream. They went to the store and also let them pick out some magazines to look at since we've entered the reading-in-bed-before-they-fall-asleep stage of their lives that I hope will last forever. Declan chose a Disney magazine and Logan chose a comic book. Is he his father's son or what? It's a Muppets comic book (who knew they made those?!), but it surprised me that that of all things was his preference.

I remember Ed telling me a long time ago how he read comic books when he was about Logan's age. I found that to be quite strange since I have never in my life chosen to read a comic book. Comic strips, yes. But a whole book of them? No, thanks. (Incidentally, this reminds me of a time when Ed and I were in Barnes & Noble and he was browsing the Graphic Novels section. I'd never heard such a phrasing as a category of literature and my mind made graphic novels out to be something *entirely different* than they actually were. Therefore I was quite shocked when a) they actually had that section in Barnes & Noble and b) Ed was standing there browsing it for the whole world to see.)

In other news, Declan has taken up "Man!" as his choice phrase of emphasis. This morning alone I heard, "Man! I love this shirt!" and "Man! This granola bar is delicious!" and "Man! What a beautiful day!" I love it. This phase can stick around a while, along with the attempted wink + finger snap combo he throws at you when you say something he really likes or answer one of his questions correctly. Cuteness abounds.

"Declan, get dressed and go play outside."

Complete with his "lucky sock"...he only needs one.