Deep Thoughts.

Daddy and Ryan were playing, imagining they were Blue Angels pilots swooshing their shiny aircraft around his room. Ryan began asking questions: can the Blue Angels land on a ship? Yes, his dad said, they can. But only a special ship.

Ryan thought that through, then asked for details about what makes the Blue Angels ship special. His Dad explained that a superstrong rubber band caught the planes as they landed, keeping them from falling into the ocean. The same rubber band was used to launch the planes into takeoff.

Ryan then asked about the Blue Angels pilots: are they normal pilots, like the people on Delta jets, or are they special pilots? Dad replied that they are specially trained pilots, and very few are chosen to be Blue Angels pilots. After they retire from the Blues, many of them go on to become commercial airline pilots like the folks on Delta jets.

Back to the aircraft carriers: Ryan asked, are there people on deck when the planes land and take off? How do they keep from getting hurt or thrown into the ocean? Are they tied down? Are they ever scared when a plane lands on the deck in the middle of a storm? Dad patiently answered each question, impressed at his son's thought processes.

Then the zinger:

"OK Daddy, but what if Bigfoot were on the ship? Could the planes land then, and would the people be scared?"

We laughed for hours. What a great little boy!

Snake-bit.

A friend of mine from Atlanta refers to days like today as "snake-bit days." Her remedy? Jammies on in the early evening, a big blanket, the TV and a drink of choice.

A rundown:
- AK left not one, but BOTH of her winter coats at school. The temp will drop to 16 tonight.
- Ryan left his winter coat at school, too. And his sweater.
- We're headed out the door to basketball practice and Ryan announces he "forgot" to do his piano homework.
- After torpedoing a grammar test on Tuesday, AK reports she made an 87 on the retest today. After I spent an hour studying with her last night, at her request. And the teacher averaged the grades. How in the world did the spawn of Gertude, Leslie and Kim - three English majors in a row - make a C- on a grammar test?
- She also "forgot" to write some of her homework in her planner.
- We get to practice at school (15 minutes away) to discover it's been postponed by 30 minutes and our coach should have called. Errands for 20 minutes, then back to a middle school boys game in progress. No coaches, no teammates. We hang around and watch the end of the game (we won by 1 point) then head home. I've left a message for the "coach" asking for an explanation.

Mental image to complete the story: me, in my blue flannel jammies with lobsters on them, new plaid flannel slippers over cold toes, covered by a plaid Scottie dog blanket, sipping hot tea from Murchie's in British Columbia.

HNY!

So my goal of celebrating a quiet, family-centered Christmas might have worked too well. I've been chastised (again!) for neglecting the blogosphere. I shall do better this year, lest a Canadian compadre cross borders to smack me upside the head. :)

How was everyone else's holiday? We had a lovely time hanging around the house, watching movies, playing outside, making bazillions of gingerbread cookies and just ... being. Honestly, this was the most serene, peaceful Christmas we've had in years, and we all needed it. A short recap:

* The second school was out, we hightailed it south to hang with my brother and his daughter. Delightful, watching the three cousins play together.

* Two days later we were back and into full Christmas swing at our house. The weather was just bizarre: low 70s in the afternoon, so we wore shorts on Christmas. Not normal.

* Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were just wonderful. The children loved their gifts, especially the Wii. Within about an hour of opening it, we held the first-ever Drew Bowling Tournament, handily won by Ryan. He's a crazy bowler. AK and I like to play tennis together, and Rus and Ryan are into the expert golf courses. The children played outside and broke in Ryan's new tournament-sized soccer goal and we took several walks around the neighborhood.

* Rus and I saw "Four Christmases" - totally hilarious. We all saw "College Road Trip" - very cute and harmless. We watched Mom's "Celtic Thunder" CD about 25 times, with Ryan acting out his favorite songs.

* Rus' parents paid a short visit, and Pops created the coolest rope ladder ever known to boy-kind.

*Rus and Ryan visited his parents in LA (Lower Alabama) while AK and I hosted Sleepoverpalooza with three of her girlfriends.

* New Year's Eve we spent with our friends the Dudleys, eating great food, telling stories and watching the kids shoot off some serious fireworks.

And that's about it! A few images of the season, for your viewing pleasure: