Booty

Watching the Empire Strikes back.

Jason and Sheree discussing Hans and Leia's initial argument about Hans leaving, to run from Jaba's bounty hunters.
Jason: Leia is in the wrong here.
Sheree: Leia got to him though--saying she didn't care about him personally leaving.
Jason: Hans is a good guy. Going back to save his friend. It's not ALL about the booty.
Jackson: It's mostly about the booty!

Sheree and Jason: *puzzled, oh shit! Looks.*

Jackson: I mean, he does have to pay Jaba.
Sheree: You mean like "Pirate's Booty"?
Jackson: yeah.

Sheree and Jason: *sparkle pound*

A boy and his dog

Yesterday, Jonah was resting his head on Patches's head.
Jonah: Mom, me and Patchy are connected.
Me: At the head?
Jonah: Yep. I learned it on Minecraft.
Me: I think you're connected at the soul. You and Patchy share a heart.
Jonah, grinning wildly!

Tonight, Jonah didn't make it up for story time. I found him crashed out, with his soulmate.

A holiday that's no holiday

Today is Martin Luther King Day. My kids are young, 7 and under. So I was very tempted to leave them to their bliss, glossing over the significance of this day and the ugly history that it represents. But then I had to explain why there was no school, and how this day is a holiday [for them] but not a holiday [for their parents]. That we therefore wouldn't celebrate by feasting or giving presents, but that we could read a book or watch a video about Dr. King.
Jamie recommended "My Friend Martin", but since we don't have an hour after  a week night dinner and the arm twisting of completing the week's homework, we watched 2 shorter videos. A picture book biography and the I Have A Dream speech.
Jonah (after seeing old black and white footage) asked when he [MLK] would die. Jackson responded that he was already dead, that he was shot right in the middle of the speech. And Jonah, who is very matter of fact about matters of life and death, wanted to watch video of the assassination.
I asked Jackson how he felt about people being treated differently/poorly because of their skin. He told me that it was wrong and that he was glad that didn't happen anymore.
Instead of nodding, I explained that it was still happening. I told him about urban racial tension between police and black communities. I told him about gender pay inequality, and I told him about gay people not being allowed to marry or losing their jobs over who they love.
These are heavy ideas for 7 and 4 and 3 year olds. They are heavy ideas for 38 year olds too.
But I also told him that it's getting better. That I believe the world will be better when he grows up. That people his age will treat people who are different better than people my age, and that people my age treat people better than people my parents' age.

Our Friend, Martin: http://youtu.be/ROracLAcRSc

A Picture Book Of Martin Luther King Jr: http://youtu.be/gGKYSUigWDY

Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have A Dream Speech: http://youtu.be/3vDWWy4CMhE

Cedar spoons

We've been cutting trees to make a little more open space. It's necessary. The garden and orchard don't get enough light to set fruit, the trees are closing in around the chicken coop, and we can't see the sunset. Born and raised in the desert, we still feel bad cutting down any trees.
For Christmas, Jason gave me a very thoughtful gift. Hand carved, by him, from one of those recently felled trees. A cedar spoon.  It's lovely.

It's On, Internet

This morning, I came downstairs and found Jackson watching Pokémon on the iPad. Totally normal.

-Mom, Mom! I'm watching this online!

=You're always online. What app are you using?

-No, I'm online. I was playing the Pokémon game, and I clicked something. It brought me to the internet and asked me "3×14=?" Then it let me watch!

So, OK. The battle to keep my kids' Internet habits clean or safe is ON. Honestly, I'm annoyed that the age checker gave him a 2nd grade math problem instead of "How old are you?" Because I think that might've bought me a couple of extra years before he learned that the answer to all difficult questions in the Universe is 42.

I won't be downloading any parental locks. I think it's folly to fight curiosity, and I do oppose sensorship.  I guess we are due a lecture on appropriate Internet viewing. If you have tips, please share.

In the meantime, I'm going to go with 'if you see naked people, close your eyes and hit back-back back-back as fast as possible.'

But perhaps I should send Google a Thank You note for eliminating porn from its search results.