daddy dogpile

1. What is something Daddy always says to you?

G:  Gwendolyn, obey your mother!

L:  “Hi, Bud.”

C:  “Obey me.”  “Obey the parents.”  “It’s OK”

2. What makes Daddy happy?

G: Seeing Grandma and Grandpa Sam.

L: When I clean up my room. When he comes home from work and I rush to give him a hug and kiss.

C: When the house is very clean.  When he gets to stay home from work.

3. What makes Daddy sad?

G: When he has to go to work for a long time and then come home and make dinner and then it’s something we don’t like and we say, “yuck!”

L: When I don’t clean up my room and when I don’t obey.

C: Hmmm.  When he has to go to work in the morning.

4. How does Daddy make you laugh?

G: Making funny jokes and turning on the TV to something funny.  Like Avatar.

L: Does funny things like plays with us and jumps us on the trampoline.

C: Uh, tickles me.

5. What was Daddy like when he was your age?

G: [I don’t know.  I didn’t live back then.]  He liked to read.

L: He liked Transformers, like me!

C: I can’t tell!  I wasn’t born!

6. How old is Daddy?

G: 39.

L: Ummmm, I don’t know!  37?

C: 70?

7. How tall is Daddy?

G: Six feet. And a quarter.

L: A couple inches taller than four feet.

C: 10 feet tall.

8. What is his favorite thing to watch on TV?

G: Simpsons or some other weird cartoon.

L: I don’t know.  Maybe watching me play my video game?

C: His exercise video.

9. What does Daddy do when you're not around?
G: Eats chocolate and watches movies with you and does printing and goes to work (but I don’t go to work).
L: Plays with the baby.
C: He plays video games.

10. If Daddy becomes famous, what will it be for?

G: Anise Press things.

L: His love of books.

C: Being a librarian.

11. What is Daddy really good at?

G: Printing.  And getting splinters out of my fingers.

L: Being a Daddy. And being good with books! Jumping on the . . . uh, playing with us.

C: He’s really good at being a librarian.

12. What is Daddy not so good at?

G: Dripping food on his shirt.

L: I can’t think of anything he’s not good at.

C: Playing Wild Kratts video games.  He’s never played them before, so that’s why he’s not very good at them.

13. What does Daddy do for his job?

G: Goes to work.  He’s a librarian of rare books.  And he works at Anise Press.

L: I know! Works at Cushing Library.

C: He’s a librarian.

  

14. What is Daddy’s favorite food?

G: Stir fry.  Like you.

L: Stir Fry. No, Chicken Chow Mein!

C: Stir fry.

15. What makes you proud of Daddy? 

G: That he can get splinters out of my fingers and that he’s nice and funny.  He knows a lot of stuff, like book stuff.

L: Daddy’s so good at so many things!

C: ‘Cause he’s a librarian.

16. If Daddy were a fictional character, who would he be? 

G: Q-bert.

L: Peabrain from Dark Cloud.

C: [I explain, “from a book or a movie or…” Casper finishes, “or an opera?”] A knight.

17. What do you and Daddy do together?

G: Talk. Mostly play video games because my brothers ask to play video games all the time.  We eat dinner together with the rest of the family.

L: We go to Hobby Town together.  We play together.

C: We play a video game.

18. How are you and Daddy the same? 

G: We both have brown hair.  Sort of.  We have the same nose, too.

L: We both like playing video games together.

C: We have close colored hair.

19. How are you and Daddy different? 

G: He’s a boy.  And he’s older than me.

L: I don’t work at a job like Daddy does.

C: We don’t have the same size shoes or pants.

20. How do you know Daddy loves you? 

G: ‘Cause he says it all the time and he wouldn’t play with he if he didn’t.

L: ‘Cause he says it all the time and I’ve asked him before.

C: ‘Cause he says so.

21. What does Daddy like most about Mama?  

G: That you eat chocolate together and that you’re fun, and that you’re nice and that you’re his wife.

L: That you were married in the temple. That we can live together forever.

C: That you’re the kids’ mama.

22. Where is Daddy’s favorite place to go? 

G: To take a nap.

L: Burger House!

C: Bowling.  These are just things we’re guessing, right Mama?  They aren’t actually places he likes to go, right?

23. What is Daddy’s favorite song?

G: I have no idea.  He likes a lot of songs, but I think he likes “Help,” probably.  Did Linus say Help?  I want to change mine. A really long song, probably. One of the ones they do in Howl’s Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke.

L: Help!

C: I think Daddy’s favorite song is, “Help!”

24. What is Daddy’s favorite book?

G: The book he’s reading right now, but I have no idea what that is.  Or maybe a book about poetry.

L: I have no idea. I know this much: he likes very old books.  But he likes all kinds of books, too.

C: Goosey-Gander?  It’s about a boy who turns into a Tomten & he rides on a goose’s back and there are foxes who try to catch them and eat them.  There’s also goats.  The Adventures of Nils! That’s what it’s called.

25. What is Daddy’s favorite show?

G: The Simpsons.

L: “How to be a great librarian”

C: Simpsons.

26. What would Daddy do with a million dollars?

G: Move to Utah or Idaho and start Anise Press bigger and teaching typing lessons and making paper and stuff.

L: Get things we need.  Buy a new press.

C: Buy a Subaru.


Mama here: These kids know their Daddy pretty well, but what may not come across in this interview is how in love with this man they are -- as they should be.  Todd is such an incredible dad.  Patient and gentle and engaged and eager.  He's always wrapped up in building projects or stories or elaborate, imaginative games with the kids.  He's the parent who goes out of his way to make sure the favorite birthday cake is baked  and the adventures are had and the bedtime story is never missed.  Watching the love of my life be a father just melts my heart and makes me even more wild in love with him.  And I didn't think that was possible.  You lucky kids, you have the world's best dad.

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dia de la madre

1. What is something Mama always says to you?

G: I love you.  And you’re my sweet angel girl.

L: Clean your room!

C: To do a job . . . unload the dishwasher.

2. What makes Mama happy?

G: A clean house, and sleeping.

L: When I do clean my room . . . or when I help her.

C: When the house is clean.  Oh!  Cuddles, when I cuddle her!

3. What makes Mama sad?

G: Fighting . . . and dirt.

L: When I don’t obey.

C: When the house is very dirty.

4. How does Mama make you laugh?

G: By telling jokes.  She plays pranks on us.

L: Tickling . . . or funny things.

C: I guess doing funny things like saying “boo!” and scaring me.

5. What was Mama like when she was your age?

G: She liked to read books.  She probably sometimes fought with her sisters.

L: Loved cats. Liked to play with her friends. Loved to play with her toys.

C: The things that girls sure like, like red – the color red.

6. How old is Mama?

G: 37.

L: I forget. 80 years.

C: Hmm.  Oh, can you give me a clue?  [Practically hyperventilating] 38 – is that right, Daddy?

7. How tall is Mama?

G: Five feet, thirty inches.

L: Almost as tall as you (Daddy).  Four feet.

C: A little bit shorter than you are.  How much is six feet?

8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV?

G: The news, or the weather.

L: What’s that called again?  You know the one about the house.  It was called after that house.  Downton Abbey!

C: Wild Kratts.

9. What does Mama do when you're not around?

G: Eats chocolate and candy and watches movies with you.  And does printing (and cleaning and folding laundry).

L: Does the laundry.

C: I DON’T KNOW, ‘CAUSE I’M NOT AROUND!

10. If Mama becomes famous, what will it be for?

G: Being a great counselor.

L: The best Mama ever!

C: It will be for money, I guess.  She’ll be famous, so she’ll get a lot of money.

11. What is Mama really good at?

G: She helps me feel better, and she takes care of me.

L: Being loving and helping us when we’re sad.

C: Hmm. Folding laundry.

12. What is Mama not so good at?

G: Being mean.

L: Fighting.

C: Going in the attic.

13. What does Mama do for her job?

G: Watches us while we’re at home and you’re at work. We do chores, and school.  I sometimes watch tv, like Wild Kratts, and run errands.

L: Be a mother.  Teach us.  And do jobs around the house.  And prints!

C: She works in the house, she cleans the house. She watches Greta. And cuddles me.

  

14. What is Mama’s favorite food?

G: Stir Fry!

L: Stir Fry!

C: Stir Fry! [ed: the kids all hate stir fry, and refuse to eat it.]

15. What makes you proud of Mama? 

G: Because she’s so nice.

L: That she’s such an awesome [sings it] Mo-ther!

C: That she’s so tall and skinny.

16. If Mama were a fictional character, who would she be? 

G: Queen Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia.

L: She’d be in a movie: “The Awesomest Printers in the World.” I’m not actually sure that there’s a movie like that . . . it’s like a slideshow and it shows the best printers, and it has a lot of Anise Press stuff.  

C: The girl that helped build the new plane in Porco Rosso.  They’re both pretty tall.  And skinny.

17. What do you and Mama do together?

G: Talk. And play games.  And go to Idaho.

L: School.  She teaches me how to read, and how to write.

C: Just me and Mama? We cuddle.

18. How are you and Mama the same? 

G: We both have blue eyes.

L: We both like red hair.

C: Does she have brown hair? We both kind of have the same, like, hair – the same looking-like hair.

19. How are you and Mama different? 

G: We have different noses.  She has glasses. 

L: She doesn’t have any red hair.

C: I have blond hair and she has brown hair.  [When asked about the discrepancy between this answer and its predecessor, Casper noted that “we don’t have the same hair, we have the same looking of hair.”]

20. How do you know Mama loves you? 

G: Cause she says it all the time.  And I can feel it.

L: Cause of what she does . . . and she says so.

C: Cause she says she loves me.

21. What does Mama like most about Daddy?  

G: You’re her husband, and you’re nice.  And funny.  And a good cook.

L: That you help her print. And she loves you.

C: That you’re her husband.

22. Where is Mama’s favorite place to go? 

G: To bed.

L: Out to eat at Burger House.

C: Costco.

23. What is Mama’s favorite song?

G: “Fur” by Wolf Whiskers [actually by Blitzen Trapper]

L: “Chinese Translation” [by M. Ward]

C: The little baby one.  “Baby” [by She and Him].  You mean the one that just came out last week, Casper?

24. What is Mama’s favorite book?

G: How to Start Your Small Business.

L: Are You My Mother?

C: A cookbook. The cookbook that tells you how to make stir fry.

25. What is Mama’s favorite show?

G: Parks and Recreations [sic].

L: Iron Giant.

C: I know what she would like, but I don’t know what the name is! I don’t know what it’s about! There’s a grasshopper in it. The grasshopper has an umbrella.  And there’s a whale in it. He tries to eat things – It’s Pinocchio!

26. What would Mama do with a million dollars?

G: Have us move to Boise and start a business, like a bigger business, and teach classes on printing, like she said she wanted to do.

L: Buy a bunch of printing equipment.

C: Probably buy food – like carrots and vegetables, and a little candy.

pure hedonism

What better way to celebrate New Year's Eve than with chocolate?

numismatics

antiquities

I had offered to send some early Roman coins to a New York dealer (not to get into details, but it was a work thing), and the children were interested in getting a closer look at these early artifacts.

Christmas day

We may have gotten a later start on our Christmas festivities today than any other year.  By the time we finished delivering muffins to several friends in town, it was well past noon.  The children were very patient and invested in our deliveries, but were certainly ready to move into the playroom to see what Santa had brought.  Say what you will about delaying gratification, I just think it's nice to take things slowly.

Eve

Our Christmas Eve ritual is pretty standard.  We read and then watch a short film about Jesus' birth; we tell some traditional stories; we make some plans for our baked good deliveries the following morning.  And then we open a gift before going to sleep.  This year, the children had matching presents which they decided,  mutually, to open.  A dear family friend had made each of them a pillowcase with their names embroidered along the opening and special fabric chosen for their personal interests.  It was sweet to see each of them run to their beds to replace their pillowcases for the night.

baby selfie

Well, not really, but it is kind of funny to imagine that Greta took this portrait of herself, especially given the position of her shoulder and arm -- it looks like she could very well be holding up a camera.

Christmas jacket

weasel toe, positioned

the uses of weasel toe

Near the entrance to church, there is a tree with a large spray of mistletoe.  After I pointed it out to the children, it became something of an icon.  It also became the source of a game, by which they would try to surreptitiously position other members of the family (usually Mama) underneath the limb as we'd enter the building.  Casper, who couldn't seem to remember the name of the plant, frequently commented on the "weasel toe."  Since we've been decorating for the holidays, we found another growth which was somewhat more accessible, and the children gathered a bunch for our house.  We've placed it at the entrance to the kitchen, which may be the most highly trafficked area in our home.  Even that may not be enough for Casper, as these photos indicate.

turtlenecks

seats

Though it's true that he's starting to look for a way off her lap, Pudge was happily sitting with Margaret for several minutes before this photo was taken.  Their friendship (or, at least, his patience with her) remains a real pleasure to watch.  There's scarcely anything Greta likes better.

two nativities

ornamental