The Overwhelming Benevolence of Mark

It all started with a story around the dinner table.

I was recounting a trip down the cereal aisle at Superstore when all of a sudden Milo starts gesturing excitedly. I turn to where he was pointing and there it was. The pink, beautiful parrot in all it's sugary glory. Not just any parrot but the Fruit Loops Parrot. He had never seen it before, never tasted it before and yet he could not resist the alluring, multicolored, seducing box. I thought, "damn you, you evil marketers that manipulate and exploit children. Hope you enjoy hell. I will never succumb to your wiles".

Looks like I don't need to because Milo has uncles.

I shared this story at the family retreat, the weekend of Jun 16-19th and Mark, in his overwhelming benevolence, purchased a box and placed it on top of the refrigerator just waiting, biding his time to facilitate the box's entrance. Hunter and I warily ignored it but on the last day it was taken down, opened up and placed in full view.

Forget about croissant french toast, forget about fresh succulent fruit Milo saw it and it was as though they were the only two things in this world. "UHHH, UHHH" he yelled pointing to the creepy parrot and we knew we had lost the battle. We poured some out, hoping he'd find it repulsive and after the first bite he expelled: "ummm, ummm. Nummy". He couldn't forget about it all day. He had fruit loops for breakfast and lunch and a couple days later while going down that very same cereal aisle he stopped and pointed to his new found friend and said "mine, mine!!"

Desperately trying to avert a melt down I thought of many ways to distract him, but to no avail so finally I said "Sorry. You can only have it when Mark's in town. He has to buy it for you". And resigned, Milo turned away and I grinned, congratulating myself on my cleverness because I won the war.

ps- Hope you bring a box next time we see you Mark!

Gorgeous, Gorgeous!!!!

Several months ago we went swimming at the local Y we frequently haunt. I swam laps while Hunter and Milo splashed and zoomed down the slide. There were a group of women in the viewing area watching them and after a while they stopped Hunter and said "he's (referring to Milo, not Hunter. That'd be inappropriate) so cute! What nationality is he?" Hunter replied, "Italian and Chinese" at which point the ladies clapped their hands and exclaimed, "HANDSOME, HANDSOME! He's so HANDSOME!".

Well now, next time we go swimming we'll have another baby and if those ladies are there they'll exclaim "GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS!!" because this baby is a girl!!! Meet our little Mai Li.

If It's Worth Telling

My motto for this blog is that if it's a story worth telling it's a story worth writing. So where to start? Just the other night I was sitting in bed with Hunter almost falling asleep when I jumped awake and exclaimed "I forgot to tell you what Milo did today!".

Nonno and he were washing the BMW and while dad was leaning over to wipe Milo grabbs the nozzle, points the gun at Nonno and shoots. He sprays water all over him with a radiant grin. Nonno decided to finish washing while Milo napped.

I laughed and laughed marveling at his comic genius. How does a two year old know what's funny? How does he know how to tease? Sure, sure, he mimics and follows what we do but I've never sprayed him in the head with a hose. He did that all on his own. My little Seinfeld in the making.