Summer with G and E

The Little Girls

Gudrun is away in Philadelphia and I am taking care of Georgie and Elise. Man, they can be a lot of work. They know how to push me right to the edge, then do something so sweet that I forget what I was so frustrated about. Elise has today starting calling me 'Daddy' after months of 'Gaga'

That was months ago and now "Gaga" is gone for good

Spider update

The spider out front is really starting to give me the creeps. It has doubled its size in the last week and now has a creepy friend, a miniature version of itself. It looks sinister. I am feeling the urge to kill it. The American way is rubbing off on me. Anything foreign or strange must be assimilated or destroyed. This spider is never going to come around to my way of life so it has to go. I really have no choice. America is like the Borg. Resistance is futile

The spider disappeared one day, leaving his little friend alone. This both relieved and bothered me. Where did he go? He was there so long and put all that work into that crazy web. A few days later, he or one just like him appeared on our porch, with a new web in the making. He was getting closer! I didn't have to worry about him too long. The weather got cooler and they were both gone. We'll see if they come back this spring.

The Vagina Monologues

A while ago, in the summer, Georgie would often adopt funny poses, with her legs open. Standing, sitting, lying she would do it as though she was doing some kind of stretching routine. In her car seat, she often had one leg draped over the side. When I would check on her at night and she was often spread-eagled, covers off. One day in the car with the whole family, my mother included, she said, “Do you know why I open my legs like this?” We didn’t know and actually kinda wondered. She told us, “Because my vagina always gets stuck together!” I didn’t comment. This was clear mom territory. "Mommy, why does my vagina always get stuck together?!” She replied that it was due to a ‘design flaw’. Good one there Gudrun, but not good enough. “Mommy, what is a design flaw?”

Not many days later I picked the girls up from preschool and Georgie excitedly told me that that day she had learned to be respectful and keep her legs closed. I asked her if someone had told her to keep her legs closed. But she would admit to nothing.

While I was changing Elise’s diaper she started talking about her “naihna”. She usually points to herself and says, “ma naihna” then says, “Daddy’s naihna?” I replied that I don't actually have a "naihna" but did not seem convinced. Now, Elise is much more interested in bottoms, which she refers to as "butts" or "butt-butts".