Today we have ice on top of the couple inches of snow that fell before the “warm” front moved through, so naturally school was closed. (Whatever.) That means the kids were home with me today, so we took advantage of this opportunity to get some holiday baking done: specifically, cookies for teacher gifts and classroom parties.
In two hours, we cranked out what my son very eloquently described as a “crapload” of cookies — 120-some, to be more exact. We only had to put four out of their misery: a reindeer with a broken leg, two maimed gingerbread men, and a decapitated angel. We will decorate them this evening, as they will be completely cooled by then.
Just as we finished baking, the doorbell rang and a several neighborhood kids invited them to play outside. After about an hour of chasing each other around, throwing ice at one another, and cleaning off my car (!), the boys flocked back inside to chase each other around imaginary worlds on the Ninetendo and throw virtual grenades at one another. (I detect a pattern here…) In addition to a symphony of surprisingly high-pitched shrieks, I just overheard the following dialogue:
M: I just have one question: why did we all die?
E: Because I blew us up.
M: Oh.
E: This time I promise to THROW the grenade.
[A moment later…]
Run away! Run away!
Ahhh…there’s nothing like a houseful of 12- and 13-year-old boys. Good thing I put the cookies away before they came inside.
The Daily Compost 