different drummers

little star

Sage: "Was I there?"

Eric: "No, that happened when we lived in New Hampshire. You weren't born yet."

Sage: "I was just a twinkle in Mommy's tummy."

misfortune cookie

Evan trails little scraps of paper wherever he goes — notes, drawings, blueprints. Last night, cleaning the kitchen, I found one of them, folded into a neat square. I wasn't sure whether it was something I could throw away, so I unfolded it. Inside was an even smaller square, which said "To: XX, From: ??" in Evan's handwriting. Intrigued, as I'm sure Evan wanted me to be, I unfolded that square, and the note inside said, "You are doomed."

same lame name

Taylor (three-year-old at Sage's day care who asks me my name every time I drop Sage off): "What's your name?"

Eric: "Eric."

Taylor: "Again?!"

Saturday, in the park. I think it was the third of October.

(Sage was at her ballet lesson.)

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?"