Halcyon Halls...

Whilst writing much ado about nothing lately (except the birthday one) i have come to realize...my children are growing without much posting.

Her Royal Highness The Drama Princess: Girl got some wicked skillz on her Ripstik now. She is seven years old and she passed me the other day on the street...and i couldn't catch her. Her cursive handwriting is better than a majority of public high schoolers, and she is showing more and more interest in the kitchen. Honey, that apron was a PERFECT birthday present, i think she's worn it every day while helping me. Most importantly, I see Light coming on in her, and its a very, very precious thing indeed.

The Prosecutor: Wow...where do you start with this girl? She is still true to her moniker, endless questioning, but now, with a purpose. She is processing the information and just crazy intelligent...no, i see true wisdom at work within her. Without, she bends like a contortionists pretzel...enrollment in gymnastics has sparked something. She doesn't really walk anywhere anymore, it's more of a couple steps and a cartwheel, or a round off, and more recently a handstand arching over into bridge that tightens into looking more like an inverted raindrop. I am wondering what we're going to do in a few more weeks when she starts wanting to practice more powerful tumbling i.e. handsprings, those no-handed cartwheels, and whatnot.

The Prince: Dude is just sheer joy. Something that is ever present with him is his generosity, his unselfishness. Sure...he's three...he has his moments, but they are most definitely JUST moments, and i do mean seconds. He shares everything, without being told to, he is patient to wait his turn. What is amazing to me is just watching him play by himself...at three years old, he is quietly content with a few army men, a 4X4 Matchbox truck, and a couple Lincoln logs...for hours. Sure he loves playing with his neighborhood friends, sure he loves playing with The X, but he's just as content by himself...he's not a complainer. We were eating dinner last night, he was thirsty and had run out of his cup of water. I asked him if he wanted a drink of mine...

"Is that wine?"

"Yes."

"I don' yike wine."

"Well, why don't you try just a little bit."

"Mmmm OK...I'll twyyyy it..." Tiny sip. "Hey! I DO YIKE DAT!" To the shocked gasps of his sisters...and the sainted grandmother when she reads this.

The X: Speaking of joys, the boy is one endless smile. Funny thing is, if he ain't smiling...he's probably into something, more than likely something he SHOULDN'T be. We've had three who have gone before that have steered clear, for the most part, of being...over-inquisitive. Not this one, he's like his daddy...whatever it is...he's into it up to his ears and all over the rest of him. Anyone else that happens to be in medium range proximity is collateral damage in the name of discovery. Seems like daily he's adding a new word to the vocabulary. He's been saying "Beauregard" for months now...of course, its more like "Go-gah" but even The General himself responds to it. At 21 months...he is COMMUNICATING...on many, many levels...with a few important sign language elements thrown in.

The Queen and i: Well...what i can say is that we are just about to sew up a season in our lives that we have been looking forward to doing for some time...and we are VERY excited about it. Definitive changes in our near future that will make these halcyon halls of The Castille yet even more quiescent, and God willing, the sooner, the better.

Well...i guess i better get cookin'... this IS the XT ya know...and tonight WE DINE on buttered chicken bathed in 40 cloves of garlic and whatever else i can muster to pair with that chunk of carnivorous succulence.

out.