Queen City Greeting

Aunt Lucy sent us some hand me downs from her two kids and some of them are WAAAAAY hand me downs from her childhood. Included were a shirt that features a sketch Aunt Lucy drew when she was about 3 and which was used as a logo for a school our mother helped to found, and a shirt from Queen City Park Day, a festival in the community where our father raised us in Vermont. So, with Cassius modeling one of the shirts, I thought it was appropriate to have him thank Aunt Lucy for sending it to us. He was, however, entranced by the sight of himself on the screen of the phone. As well, when he fist bumped the phone the first time, he paused the recording, unbeknownst to me. So, I had him do it again, which he good-naturedly did.

Christmas Jingles

Maceo goes to a Mandarin school, so they don't seem to have been learning any Christmas carols. He already knows a bunch, but the holiday spirit hasn't grabbed him enough to start singing them around the house. Plus, he's enraptured by the soundtrack of the movie Frozen and that's all we've been listening to in the car lately. Cassius, on the other hand, goes to a Catholic school, so he's fully indoctrinated. And he's taken by the spirit of the Little Lord Jesus, too. He's always singing and quite enthusiastically, too. We know it's a big build-up to the Pageant on Friday where he'll be struck dumb by shyness, but it's been a lot of fun. Here you'll see a number of his greatest hits, at times joined by other members of the family. At the beginning of the video, he's reluctant to sing without finishing his vocal exercises ("Musky Misky, Mickey Mouse!" for example). Then he sings accompanying himself on guitar. Perhaps you'll recognize the song, but you'll certainly recognize his Flamenco influences! This traditional song is followed by the evermore temperamental artiste Cassius as he attempts his signature song "Away in a Manger." This is quickly followed by some Simon and Garfunkel-type feuding between the two singers, Maceo and Cassius. Both then offer their unique interpretations of "Jingle Bells" a more secular song that really doesn't fit either of their oeuvres. Finally, a song all will know---"A, B, Cs" with Cash again on his beloved guitar, with audience participation.

Dinner Discussions

Tonight, as I was standing in the dining room, Maceo walked over and tapped me in the crotch. "What's your penis's name, Daddy?" he asked. "What?" I asked. "Does your penis have a name?" "Uh-hunh," he responded. "Leo." "What should mine's be?" I asked. "Magnus," he said decisively. "What's your penis's name, Mama?" he asked, turning to Kate. "You choose," she said. "Annie," he said with the same air of certainty. "What's Cassius's penis's name?" we asked him. He thought it over and then announced, "Judith!"