Whatta month.

Wodensday 22.

3.18 am.

Lykke Li on headphones, just moved Little Man to Mum's bosom.

Fantastic day. The boy latched onto my hip, glug-drooling and clutching at anything in reach, including hair; the girl co-directing our pumpkin pie baking production and explaining important trivia to captive audience:

"Jo-Jo, do you know what this music is? It is M.I.A. Can you spell it? M - I - A.
And this is Arcade...do you know the rest? Arcade...Fire. Arcade Fire. And the best singer is Kimya Dawson. 

(pause)

Hey, can we listen to Kimya Dawson now?

Also, had a dizzyingly exciting game of hide-and-seek this evening. There was a total of one hiding spot, underneath a massive pile of unfolded (clean?) laundry. Becca and I took turns hiding with her while the other searched...

Also, did some sewing this morning. Mags wants to make bags for several people, including her friend Dylan, whom she sees infrequently. 

What would he put in the bag?
I asked.

Umm, probably sports stuff,
she shrugged.

Tuesday 21.

almost midnight.

At Urban Outfitters today, Magdelana discovered a colourful paper-collaged mirror and admired it...

Hey Dodes, that's a really cool mirror. We should try making it when we get home.

Oh how I love that girl.

She also shot almost 300 pictures in Portland on my camera, from the drive-by safety of Johanni's stroller.

Montag 20.

11.33 pm.

She has not been an easy child in the sense of being a girl who eagerly hugs new aquaintances and smiles at strangers. She is not someone who will perform on demand.

She is stubborn and loyal and has the willpower of an ostrich.

I would change it for nothing.

Nothing.

I cannot imagine a daughter more fun and entertaining and engaging to converse with.

She prayed for her imaginary food today.

Dear God,
Thank you for how Johannes gets more beautiful every day, and more kind every day, and thank you for all the smiles he gives me every day.
Amen.

Sunday 19.

9 pm-ish.

Our favourite Christmas tree winks across the room, dead branches sprouting from log-trunk like Tim Burton elfin arms.

We found it. Invented it. Made it.

He is snoggled up with his Mum, wrapped in favourite fuzzy pink blanket. He is in love with her, madly.

Ferocious and sweet girl finally nodded off.

What a wonderful sister she is to best friend little man. Big into:

wrestling,
purple & pink,
books,
Sesame Street,
drawing,
chasing,
baking,
and talking about her sister Tully and friend Dylan. 

The former is imaginary and the latter someone she rarely sees, but who has achieved near-mythical status.

Joshua and Sasha birthed their child Stella on Friday. Jamey and I drove over to see her yesterday. She is adorable. Nine pounds of chubby squawking macaw.

We have been listening to a great deal of hip hop lately.

Jamey and Chief helped put in a new front door this afternoon. What studs, though we did not have to replace any. 

Jamey is such a positive person. A terrific example to me. Even when life is low, he laughs. 

Depressed about Jeremy not being here next year. We are encouraging him to do his Bachelors and Masters at Clark Community. He and Lanessa are so much fun.

Also, Becca has been leaving snippets of inspirational advice on his Facebook wall. Generally it is drawn from hip hop classics, the most recent being Saul Williams' Act III scene 2 (Shakespeare), one of the most chilling, goosebump raising anthems you will ever hear. Play it very loud. And then go change the world.

‎"...I tried to hold my tongue, son, I tried to bite it, not trying to start a riot or incite it /
Cause Brutus is an honorable man..."

Go play like Nero. 

Leanna and Jonny return from Hawaii tonight. Leanna successfully completed her 26-mile competive jog. Jonny took gorgeous pictures. Go look at them.

Becca and I are Eminem fans.

I just have such a soft spot for him,
she says, as we watch him and Lil Wayne blast through a scintillating duet on Saturday Night Live. Which we are not watching live, nor is it Saturday night. It is becoming an enjoyable program again. Fred Armison is a comedic chameleon. Tina Fey reigns supreme though.

In end-of-year legislation: Don't Ask Don't Tell was repealed. About time.

The DREAM Act fell five votes short. It would have given certain deportable students who had entered illegally as minors the chance to earn permanent residency - provided they met certain criteria, such as two years of military service or two years at a four-year college...

2012 will be an interesting election. May karma rise in full force.