Micronaxx

Our scissors-wielding lads have been cutting up a storm—and cutting, and cutting, and cutting; they’re now well acquainted with the terms “confetti” and “sweeping.” I always worry that they’ll blind or stab someone, so we try to enforce smart scissors-handling, requiring the guys to carry them blades-down (or by the blades). I guess that wasn’t quite enough for Finn, though: the other day he popped onto the back porch, gripping his scissors in Mom-O’s oven mitt, as you can see here. “Dad-O!” he proudly announced, “Now I can run around with scissors!!” Well, something like that, son. 🙂

Henry ambles past an unintended (?) dribble-painting in Oakland last Saturday:

As I left my cab & ascended the stairs at 9pm tonight, I was shocked to see a little face peering out at me:

To my surprise, Henry didn’t come out to see me. I entered his room & found him behind the blinds, coolly maintaining his vigil.

“Hi, buddy. Er, what are you doing?”
“I’m just looking out my window. I’m watching some cats.”
“Oh, okay…”
“And some bikes. One went by before you got home.”
“Gotcha, gotcha… So, are you going to get some sleep at some point?”
“No, I already got some.”

Henry Nack: Keepin’ His Own Counsel Since 2009 🙂

Never before has a kid been so excited about going to the dentist! For several days leading up to his appointment last week, Finny had been anxiously awaiting the trip to Dr. Vandi’s office. He loves seeing his buddy Charles, one of Dr. Vandi’s hygienists. And Charles loves visiting with Finny just as much!

Charles is originally from Ghana, and on Finny’s previous visit, he told Finny that lions (and other exotic animals) live in the wild there, just wandering around on the plains. Needless to say, Finny was beside himself. He told Charles all about his constant companion/blankie buddy Leo, and asked all kinds of questions about Ghana – which Charles was only too happy to answer. Charles was also very obliging and let Finny examine all the dental implements he’d be using that day – the little water jet, suction tube, and motorized tooth cleaner. He showed Finny how everything worked and let him press some of the buttons and pedals.

At the end of the last appointment, Charles promised he would either bring Ghanian currency or stamps to Finny’s next visit. And last Tuesday was the day! As promised, Charles was there bearing Ghanian stamps to show Finny, and once again let Finny examine the various tools around the dental chair. He even let Finny wear his special glasses with a little headlight! And Charles got to meet the infamous Leo. Here’s a little gallery of photos.

I see you, suckas. 🙂

“Tofu… the Proud… the Micronaxx!”

From the other room I heard a voice announce, “I have no head! It’s lost in a basket.” What with Finn’s recent interest in decapitation, I was a tad nervous. Upon investigating, this is what I found. 🙂

Man, were little Henry’s patience & self-control put to the test on Sunday. Birthday girl Charlotte’s parents had laid out a beautiful spread of cupcakes & other sweets just at eye level for wandering tots. Again & again Henry would walk past the table, cast a covetous eye, and ask, “Mom-O, Dad-O, is it time for cupcakes now??” To his credit, though, he restrained himself for several hours while other birthday activities unfolded.

Until, that is, he saw little Hazel Wiggin (aka the fierce Honey Badger) giving herself a mustache & wisdom spot with a cupcake. The Wiggins needed to head out early, so Hazel got to enjoy a cupcake early. I captured G-Man’s response to catching her red- (er, white-)handed. 🙂