Fiscal Funnies

Yesterday, Boookie announced, "I'm really into Power Man right now.  When I grow up, I'm going to have them make a movie about Power Man.  He's pretty much just like Iron Man, except I don't want to have to pay to use the name Iron Man."

This morning, Ela came sobbing in to see the Hobbit Wife, "I really need your help raising some money since I can't afford to buy all the things I want!"

While the Hobbit Wife is Away...

The residents of Michael Delving have taken to kicking the Hobbit Wife/Mommie out of the house on Saturday mornings to the strains of N'Sync's "Bye Bye Bye."  The Mayor and hobbitlings put that time to good use, such as making cardboard tanks...

 ...re-purposing out-of-use respirators to make fighter pilot masks...

 ...and the Mayor maaaaaayyyyyy have introduced a seven year old warrior trainee to shooting an air rifle in the backyard.

The Mayor has to add that he violated none of the cardinal gun safety rules as part of the training, and to top it off, the Mayor has substantial evidence from his teen years that while this .177 cal air rifle is capable of taking down a sparrow, it does no real harm to beer bottles or cats.

now we are six

once upon a time... like, a couple of weeks ago... a little princess turned four.

she was the fairest and most deliciously apple-cheeked sprite in all the land.

and then, something extraordinary befell the poor king and queen, her parents.  

they blinked, and suddenly...

their little princess was six years old.  and not quite so little as she once had been.

to ease their shock, the king and queen threw a birthday party for their six year-old princess.  they invited from neighboring kingdoms far and nigh all of her beautiful princess friends (whose parents were likewise reeling in amazement at how quickly little girls grow up.)

little princesses, may 2011

not-quite-so-little princesses, may 2013

 (photobomb courtesy of young prince seimi's underpants.) 

on the day of the party, a royal pavilion was staked.  sparkly streamers festooned the bowers.  shields of bold knights were hung in honor of the festivities. 

and to the ringing of an expertly-played celtic bodrhan, the party began!

 there was a great feast:  'bangers and mash' and veggie arrows with dip...

will-o'-the-wisp cookies...

bear paws...

and ever so many apples! 

feasting commenced within the pavilion! 

there was bead-working... 

with the crown jewels.

there was joyous picking of royal nostrils. 

there was recreation on the moor...

complete with expertly catered entremet.

there was reading of lovely, hand-decorated birthday cards.  and with a flurry of gossamer tissue paper, there was much unwrapping of  birthday presents from dearly loved friends and many squeals of delight from the blessed little princess.

finally there were cakes...

candles...

wishes...

...and royal sugar highs.

in the wake of the beautiful party...

a delightful wheel of friendship...

we love you, princess ela!

a warrior's prerogative

"i don't believe in bucklers.  rather, i believe in shields."

boookie, age 7 

upon being called in for supper

"i require an extreme abundance of beef!"
boookie, age 7 

a swift descent into profanity

it was a beautiful morning when boookie attempted to use correctly the word 'eclectic.'

it came out sounding a bit more like 'egg-collect-ticket,' but, hey!  i was impressed!  so i gave him a high-five and teasingly called him a smarty-pants.

this lead to ela's request that i call her a smarty-skirt.

which lead to bookie's request that i call him a smarty-sword.

which lead to boookie'samended request ("because i'm really into dwarves right now") than i call him a smarty-axe.

which lead to all three of my children marching around my living room loudly chanting, "SMART! AXE!  SMART! AXE!"

did i mention that it was a beautiful morning?  that all my living room windows were wide open?

to all my lovely neighbors, especially those walking their own school-aged children right past our seemingly salty and unseasonably loud "vocabulary lesson"...

i'm so sorry.

and i promise to wait a while before introducing my weapons-minded students to the word 'nunchuck.'

thank you.

overheard

upon asking permission to wash the quesadilla grease off his hands:
"one cannot be a warrior when one has slippery fingers."
boookie, age 7

upon hearing boookie'sproud proclamation that all the family's favorite parent/child traditions started with him:
"FALSE, brother!  everything started with GOD, OKAY?!"
ela, age second-born

upon seeing particles of dust falling through a sunbeam:
"oh my dear!!!  is a flock of bees in da house!!!"
seimi, age 2

upon being asked to walk with "quiet feet":
"if you wanted sneaky, you should have bought a commando droid.  these feet were made for stomping!"
boookie, age 7