
This is a ruse.
This cat wants to
eat play with the bird.
He wants it so bad he can
taste it.
Bad kitty. Bad.
And sitting on the table too. Double offense.

We wondered if he was ever going to sing, and now he has started singing and it's at the fun stage, when it's novel and charming. He
whirrs and
clicks and
chirps. When I visit him he turns his head attentively.
Steve? I dunno... I think he needs a pirate-y name or something celestial, like "Pluto." Geoff offered "Trogdor." Benjamin might suggest "Lunch."
Guess what?
My computer is my own again, almost. William still needs to do his English homework on the Mac, but Geoff is reveling in an early Christmas. A bright, shiny red laptop arrived yesterday and today he is loading it up with his
stuff...insert geek jargon here, if you know any. Can I just say that I am thrilled for him? Not just because I don't have to share any more, but because Geoff is the most worthy person I know. He deserves a shiny, brand new, super powerful computing machine. His laptop before was a second-hand, patched-up work horse with a tricky hinge. And, he drives a very old beater of a vehicle with many alarming features and a questionable safety record + a
smell. So, you see, I really do like it that he has a new laptop, and I would be even happier if Santa would see fit to getting him into a better ride too.

Now I have more computer time, assuming I continue to neglect housework, so I can share all the news. News like Maria knowing all of her colors. For a few months she enjoyed rattling-off the names of colors, a rather hit or miss process. Having three children before, I knew she would get it right sooner or later, so I never drill her on facts and figures. In the last 24 hours she hit the
Rainbow Connection and names all the colors with unfailing accuracy. Brown pajamas. Purple flower. Orange pumpkin. Pink polka dots. Red singing dress. White hat. Green frog. She even tells us our favorite colors. Cute-cute!

Did I mention our full and fun weekend? Uh-huh, we went to
Legoland! Or, The Mothership, as it is sometimes referred to around here. We know people in high places and fortunately they are kind and generous, so when family came to town we were able to make these extra special plans for all of us to play! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins... all of us together, enjoying quality time in the sun, spinning around, getting wet, having fun.

It is so much fun to be in a place like Legoland with people in the mood to play... and everyone was quite enthused about boat rides, however
slow, and roller coasters, and obstacle courses, robotic arm rides, apple fries, and water fun.

I can still hear my mom laughing,
laughing! when her two boys took her out for a spin in a BIONICLE Blaster.

Even wilder? Choose your wild level, ride intensity on this robotic arm ride. On a scale of 1 through 5, you can decide how much spinning, inverting and revolving you need.

I've been up to a 3, which was plenty disorientating for me, but these two went all the way!

And while you are onboard, trying to retain your composure, people on the sidelines can activate water bombs that detonate in your face. William took a few hits, but Geoff was the most soaked rider.

It was a beautiful day... a regular occurrence in So Cal, where it can be autumn one day and summer the next. Max took Hans and Gretchen through the Hideaways obstacle course. They are an athletic pair and I think Max was very happy to have such willing and capable companions.

Bright sun? No, that's Maria's
smile. Bill and Geoff took the two youngest explorers through the mazes, across rickety bridges and down slides.

After warming-up, and devouring some apple fries, we were ready to splash. This spot is fun to play in and fun to watch others playing in too. Water is wonderful.

I was hoping it would be warm enough for Maria and her cousin Dominic to enjoy the water, and it was. The added bonus was watching my brothers and Gretchen get in to the game. They stood beneath the ginormous bucket...

and they got soaked!

A bell rings before the bucket spills, but when you are standing beneath it, like Gretchen, Alex, Max and William were, it's very hard to hear the warning bell and before you know it...

you are part of the waterfall.

Of course once you are drenched, there's no point in trying to stay away from the water
slide!

More days like this would be most welcome. Not amusement parks (not
every day,) but time with my brothers and their wives, my nephew, my folks. Time to share new experiences and recall times past.