XXVI : Things Maggie Says

Greetings all, this will be a short update (listen....was that a collective sigh of relief?) but I wanted to say hi, and let you know we're all still here. We're gearing up for Spring Break here, which will involve a visit from Oma and Opa and (weather permitting) some trips which I will discuss at a later date.

In the meantime, it's time for another edition of "Things Maggie Says"....

This week, Maggie and I spent some quality father-daughter time together. In the past, this time was allocated to us because Maggie had been bad and needed to be away from her mother (technically, reverse that last phrase, but you get the picture). This time, it was because her mother was at the grocery store, Jimmy was at a friend's house, and Annie was asleep. So Maggie and I spent some time watching the Masters. Maggie attempted to employ her usual "Chinese water torture" techniques to persuade me to change the channel. And don't get me wrong, these tactics usually work. Despite fourteen consecutive utterings of "I want to watch Noggin [a PBS-type cartoon station, for those without a 3-year old of your own currently] Dad," she finally gave in watched some golf with me. And frankly, she enjoyed it, I think. Not as much as I did, maybe, but she said "Dad, when is he gonna hit it in the water" every time someone was putting and when Phil Mickelson was in the green side bunker on 10, she proclaimed "Dad, he's in the snow!"

The previous day we attempted to get a family picture taken, the first of its kind since Annie's inclusion in the group. Note the use of the word "attempted" -- we got several pictures of Regis and Jimmy, Jimmy and me, Maggie and me, Maggie and Regis, Jimmy and Maggie....hmmm. Someone is missing? Ah yes, Ann was wandering around the studio, presumably in search of food or just to torment her father. I'm sure some of you would have laughed as I tried numerous negotiation techniques to persuade young Ann to join us, all the while my blood pressure rising and veins popping out of my forehead as Ann laughs and says "No." We will be going back a few more times in order to finally accomplish the task of us all being in the same picture. Though the photographer doesn't seem to be taking our calls when we try to reschedule. Wish us well. Maggie did such a good job (and not just relative to Ann ....a wild dog loose in a bakery would have been good relative to Ann), that we rewarded her with a Barbie. Hurry up and fill out those "Parents of the Year" nomination forms. Maggie loves her Barbie (it's Barbie of Mermaidia ... Don't ask, I have no idea ... Yet. I'm sure I will soon be stuck watching the DVD. I will share my review of the screening at a later date). We asked Maggie what she was going to name her Barbie doll (which I realize is a dumb question, but you need to realize that a) I'm prone to ask dumb questions and b) Barbie goes by a lot of names in these movies they are churning out at $14.95 a pop). Maggie's reply was "I think I will name her ..... (long pause as she considers it, finger tapping chin) ... Barbie."

Jimmy is taking ice skating lessons, which initially strikes concern in the red-blooded American dad until one remembers that one must first learn to skate in order to play hockey. I think he is taking "checking into the boards" lessons in the fall and "pull the jersey over the head of your opponent and then punch" lessons next winter. Seriously though, he loves it and reports are that he can fly around the ice these days. Not sure if he can stop, but I'm sure they teach that sort of thing.

So much for brevity.

Hope you all are doing well.