It’s real tough going around here these days, let me tell you.

Ian and Benji wear hard hats while playing construction site, a game inspired by all our visits to…

…a real construction site. Benji was oddly thrilled when a bored excavator driver, waiting for dump trucks to come back, pulled out and ate a banana. We immediately had to eat a banana while wearing a hard hat when we got home.

This morning we went for a fairly easy trailer ride, and the conditions were exceptionally nice. Benji tolerated our time on the trail, but perked up when we got back on the road with all the cars and trucks. If we could, he’d probably have me ride on the freeway. In lieu of that, as a compromise, we ride busy roads that have bike lanes.

I have a cold, but honestly, I’ve got nothing to complain about. Life is good.

OH! I meant to add this: We must be a really weird family. This morning Benji asked (through pantomime and sign) about how the washer and dryer worked. So I drew him a picture on the chalk board:

As I drew I narrated the story (by the way, this is a summary. My story to Benji was way longer and more detailed): First you get your clothes all dirty; then you put them in the washer with soap, turn it on, and water comes in and swirls it around; when it’s clean, you put it in the dryer, where it’s spun with hot air blow drying it.

Fine… But then somehow I ended up explaining how soap works. I had Benji acting as dirt, while I was soap; I grabbed Benji and some water (in a sippy cup) and off we went to have adventures. I drew it in the diagram, too. And included a real water molecule with two hydrogens and one oxygen. Somehow I don’t think normal parents do this with their 2-year-olds.