We were driving home tonight after dark, enjoying all the houses decked out in lights, with inflatable snowmen and lighted reindeer.
“Wow!” I said. “Look at these houses.”
“It’s not how much you decorate,” Abby said sagely. “It’s whether you’ve been nice. It’s about what you do.”
Ramblin’ Prose
Abby-tudes —
Category Archives: Abby-tudes
Christmas wisdom
Tough topic for an 8-year-old
“Daddy, are black people and white people not going to be able to live together anymore?” — Abby
Try explaining to your 8-year-old about Brown v. Board of Education and the history of segregation in a couple of minutes after hearing about a Supreme Court case you both hear on NPR on a night when you [...]
Food for thought
Listening to Radio Disney after showers and during lotioning, we watched the girls dance in their own unique style.
To Abby, all hands and arms, I say: “You remind me of Meatloaf.”
To Camille, who has a modicum of rhythm, Abby says: “You remind me of ham.”
The past always comes back to haunt you
Abby cried the other night. Just out of the blue. She told Susan that in the movie at school, people came and took children away from their families, and sometimes the parents got taken away, too, and had to go and sweep floors.
Susan asked if some of these people were called Nazis. Abby said no. [...]
Nice in an age of not nice
Went to the ACC women’s semifinals on Sunday with Abby and friends. I don’t watch sports now like I used to when I was a sports reporter; it’s more of a social event for me. Plus, when you have a 5-year-old hanging all over you or you’re watching her holding a bag of peanuts over [...]
Secret weapon discovered
Abby has found our Achilles’ heel when it comes to us trying to tickle her: Pass gas.
She found this out by accident, but is now turning tail whenever she feels threatened. Of course, there’s lots of laughing involved.
Lunch and a funny story
My wife had lunch with our 5-year-old this morning, a true feat in and of itself. Remember, kindergarteners are having lunch at 10:30 in the morning, prime work time to be sure.
Anyway, the kid’s friends fight over who gets to sit next to my wife. Well, not really fight but D calls the seat and [...]
The good, the bad, the ugly
Abby: Daddy, I need to tell you something.
Good daddy: Yes, baby.
Abby: Daddy, if I don’t get some hot chocolate, I’m never going to come out of my room.
Bad Daddy: Uh, okay.
Words to live by
Here are a couple of offerings (courtesy of 5-year-old Abby) that Webster’s should consider for its next edition:
Stingish Of or relating to food considered too spicey for consumption. As in “Daddy, this shrimp stuff is too stingish.”
Slipperish The state of sidewalks after snow melts and refreezes. As in “It’s really slipperish out here. Whoa!”
The mouths of babes
5-year-old: “Daddy, is this lollipop gumish?”
Dad: “You mean does it have gum in it?”
5-year-old: “Yes?”
Nosing around
I’m writing Webster’s. I’ve got the perfect picture for lollygaging. It’s my older daughter. In the mornings, she dawdles before breakfast, after breakfast and as we’re walking out to the van. In the evenings, it’s sitting on the toilet for 20 minutes before she takes a bath. (I must admit, she does use the toilet. [...]
Muscle man
Kids are people too. And pretty funny at that.
My 5-year-old is now calling me Mr. Muscles. Why you ask? I’m asking myself the same question.Of course, it’s better than a lot of things she could call me. Luckily, being 5 means she doesn’t understand those words. That’ll change when she turns 13, I guess, and [...]
