agent of change

Eric: "Evan, I saw James's mom at her restaurant, and she told me that since James has been playing with you he's gotten really interested in secret agents, and is asking for all sorts of costumes and gear."

Evan (chuckling): "Yeah, I can change people."

which would you prefer, Evan?

Evan: "So, for Halloween, are we just going to have lights and little wimpy decorations, or are we going to have mist machines and gravestones and skeletons and ha-ha-ha voices and big inflatable things?"

if you can't say something nice...

Evan: "Well, the Phelpses have nice handwriting, at least."

boo

Our new neighborhood, Potwin, is famous for the trick-or-treat traffic it gets on Halloween. We've been warned to expect between 1,200 and 1,500 kids. No joke. One neighbor told me he bought candy for 1,000 last year and ran out.

Evan: "Do stores give you a special discount on candy if you live in Potwin?"

Eric: "I don't think so. That would be a good idea, though."

Evan: "Ugh. It's not fair that we have to spend so much money. We shouldn't even have Halloween this year."

Eric: "I didn't realize you were opposed to your parents buying candy, Evan. That surprises me."

Evan: "I just don't like to see you wasting so much money on candy for other people."

gunpoint

Evan: "Everyone goes through a gun phase. Some people go through it when they're boys -- shooting dart guns and water pistols and stuff like that. And some people go through it when they're grownups, and they join the police force or the C.I.A. So if you don't let me play with guns as a boy [and here Evan raises both his voice and his finger, which he jabs in my direction], I'm going to go through my gun phase AS AN ADULT."

i'm the man

Daddy decides.
Daddy's the king.
Daddy's right
About everything.

— poem spontaneously composed by Evan when I suggested we order him a SWAT costume for Halloween and Sonja dissented

career change

So far this Labor Day, Sage has been a mole, a muskrat and a beaver, and Evan has been a mole/muskrat/beaver exterminator and, after our protests, a mole/muskrat/beaver relocator.

FYI

The pig is big:

The pig is in a wig (a disguise that may or may not help him elude the police helicopters):

The big pig hid (Evan: "He's hiding in London."):

The big pig hid (detail):

pay to play

In the car on the way to school:

Sonja: "Today Evan has his play-date with James after school."

Eric: "Evan, are you excited about going over to James's house?"

Evan: "Yeah. Gotta prepare for the day, first, though. Gotta get that out of the way."