Quote of the Day

"Four."

- Miss Manners answers the question, "How do I reply to people who ask me to guess how old they are?"

Mind-altering hormones kicking in

I usually like kids just fine. I make faces at infants, try to play with toddlers (when I can understand what they want to play), and have been camp counselor to school-aged kids. I babysat. Kids and I usually get along.

But there's that question: "Do you want to hold the baby?" Um... do you want me to? I don't object to holding the baby. If it'll make you happy, or if you just need a hand, I'll hold the baby. But actually no, I do not myself long to hold the baby.

Until last Friday, apparently. Strangest damn thing, like somebody flipped a switch. He's always been a cute li'l guy and a very sweet-tempered baby, but all of a sudden OMG teh most precious thing EVAR!! And the little observer voice in my head is all, "WTF? Yes, a baby, you've seen these before. Are... are you sure you should be letting him put his hand in your mouth so you can pretend to bite it? I mean, he looks a little drippy and might be sick." Ooooh, but look, he smiles so big when I make the growly noise at him!

Can I say again, strangest damn thing? I knew my body would be changing, but my brain, too?

In other "kicking in" news, the Dear Spouse got to feel Spud kicking for the first time this morning.

Because everything is better with ninjas

Tiny Ninja Theater: Hamlet and the Sonnets.

"Shakespeare's classic tale of revenge and loyalty is cast with inch-high ninja figurines found in vending machines." At - no joke - the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

I am forced to assume that the plastic ninjas are previously manipulated, filmed, and voiced-over, and the audience views the result. Because there's no way you could see what a one-inch plastic ninja is doing from the back of the hall.