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That title has nothing to do with post content, so don't even try.   Lately, Sydney has taken to gazing adoringly at me (who doesn't?) and asking wistfully to do something "special".

The past couple of Saturdays have been entire days of "special".

For example,  we went to the zoo.  It happened to be Packy's 50th birthday. Clara can't stop talking about the elephant that lumbered toward her.  She sounds like this when she's talking about it: "Armpit! Coming! Big!" 

We played on this sunny hillside whilst Briton ran the Wildwood.  The slope-age was perfect for rolling down the hill.  Then we went to Pizza Caboose. Clara sounds like this when she talks about Pizza Caboose, "Lemonade!"

 

The following Saturday, Briton participated in a "low-key" (he emphasizes) 4.2 race called Pat's Run.  When I asked him how he did he sort of paused and stumbled over his words, "Well, ... I ... won."   He says it's sort of fun to be the first to cross the finish line.  Especially when the time keeper is using his iPhone to time the race and isn't sure if he started it on time so uses Briton's watch for his "official" time.  They gave him a $20 gift certificate to Foot Traffic.   This could prove a profitable way to keep fit.

Then he took the kids to a free movie.  IIAGPTW sponsored the movie and loads of treats.  The kids were downing popcorn, M&Ms and Root Beer at 10:30 in the morning.  That's definitely special.

 There's been a smattering of warm, sunny days lately.  The kids have been soaking up the Vitamin D.  Today I was watching them playing in the cul-de-sac: Talmage riding his bike, Clara barreling down the driveway on the Big Wheel, chortling with joy; Sydney immersed in imaginationland, narrating stories with random objects from the garage ... and I wished I could freeze time.  It was a perfect, happy moment.  This childhood of theirs -- it's all special.

 (Take such sentimentality with a nod to some other "less ideal" aspects of childhood:  I should admit that this morning I withheld all nourishment until they finished cleaning their room).