Onions

Isaac: "Mom, are we in the North or the South?"

Me: "Well, I think we are technically in the North, but we are right on the border. During the Civil War many families fought against each other because some sided with the North and others from the South."

*Isaac shows me the cover of his book, Civil War on Sunday . . . one of the Magic Treehouse series.

Isaac: "Oh, so we were the "Onion" soldiers."

Me: "The Onion soldiers?"

Isaac: "Yeah." He points to the word, "Union." "Uhn-ion soldiers."

Me: "Actually, that is pronounced, 'Union,' but that would be awesome if that we were really called the Onions."

Isaac: "Yeah, it would be."

If you are in need of a good laugh . . .

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/play_full.php?play=439&act=2

Happy Father's Day

To this man . . . .

This amazingly hot man . . .

A superhero of sorts . . .

A liberated man . . .

Who through hard work . . .

And endurance . . .

Always keeping to the grindstone . . .

But still keeping things chill . . .

Has become the world's best dad . . .

And remains my favorite man.

Happy Father's Day Aukai!

Tangled

Many people have some physical feature that becomes iconic. For Frida Khalo it was her bushy eyebrows and braids. Harry Potter has his scar. For me, it has become my curly hair.

I used to straighten my hair everyday because, you see, at the turn of the century curly hair was a flash-back to the 80's. Definitely not cool. Then came the day that I threw convention aside, switched roles with my husband and flew my family to New York for medical school. I quickly realized that the humidity and my busy schedule made flat-ironing impractical. So I started letting my hair go curly, but it has meant more to me than that. In a funny way, I feel it now embodies my personality . . . the side I usually try to hide from people. Tousled, disorganized, anxious, free-spirited, and even a bit rebellious at times, I find myself secretly satisfied at the defiance of rocking curly hair next to all of my straight-haired counterparts.

With this in mind, however, it is no surprise that I straighten my hair at times when I'm feeling particularly insecure.

As I sat flat-iron in hand, I heard Ashton crawl out of bed. He lay down next to me and, with a bit of attitude, said, "What are you doing THAT for?"

"I'm using this to make my hair straight."

"The other way looks better," he retorted.

With a bit of annoyance in my own voice I answered, "You think so?"

"Why do you EVEN HAVE that thing?"

"Ashton, I've had it for years. I used to straighten my hair all the time."

There was a pause. "Why didn't you buy a PINK one?"

"Because this is the only color they had . . . "

With all of his sass, at least I know he loves the "real" me. :)

All-American Family

To appreciate this post, you must understand one thing. When most people hear Aukai's name for the first time, they think there is an "L" in it (Alkai).

With Osama Bin Laden's death came a lot of news about Al-Qaeda. Ashton listened to it intently, and then, in a worried voice, turned to Aukai and said, "Daddy, you're American aren't you?"

Don't worry Ashton. You're father is not being hunted by the American Government.

Of note, this almost topped the time my home teacher was worried that my "Visa" had gone bad. Apparently, he thought I was from Switzerland. Oh yes, I was just as confused as you are.

All I want for Christmas is . . .

Yup, Isaac is loosing teeth. Four since Christmas. The toothfairy has been generous. However, due to inclement weather, her last installment had to be by direct deposit.

We love you Isaac.

6 months already?

6 months ago you were only a dream . . .

and now I can't remember what life was like without you.

I love the way you cackle when we kiss your neck.

I love the way you look to see if we are watching when you try something new.

I love the way you focus on a toy right before placing it in your mouth.

I love the wild look you get when playing with us, the way your eyes twinkle and the way you already have some of your daddy's mischief.

I love how you light up when I come home . . . and how you tell me off if I don't immediately come to pick you up.

I love the way you smell, the softness of your hair and and the way you curl up into the perfect little ball when cuddling.

I love you Emery Rose.