Forgetting Something?

Um... not quite sure how to tell you this, but I think you're missing someones?

Sprocket was very anxious about the missing Ducklings on Saturday night.  He kept circling around, looking for them, and giving us deep, meaningful stares.  The Ducklings were keeping Nana and Opa up until 10pm for their first sleep over as a trio.  Keith and Evelyn have stayed a couple of nights already, but Colin wasn't willing to try it out until this past weekend.  They probably weren't healthy enough to go, in retrospect, but Nana and Opa handled the disruptions with grace and enthusiasm.  That being said, they must have appreciated their peace and quiet the following night!

However, Sprocket didn't know that.  As we bustled around giving Malcolm his bath, reading stories, our obliviousness towards our missing progeny confirmed his suspicions that he really is the only responsible person (furson?) in the house.

Overheard

This morning, as I was getting Colin up for school:

Me:  Colin, please get dressed.  I have to run into the shower in a minute.
Colin: (places a hand on my arm) Okay, Mummy, but please be careful.  The shower can be very slippery.

Yesterday, as I was explaining to Keith the increased police presence and traffic in our neighbourhood, due to a man who had barricaded himself inside an apartment:

Me:  Keith, there's a man who has locked himself in his house because he's upset
Keith:  Wow, is he in a very dark place?
Me:  Well, yes, I suppose you'd have to be in a pretty dark place to do something like that....
Keith:  .... dark like puppy's fur, maybe?
Me:  ..um...
Keith:  Oh, I know! (voice of awe)  Maybe he's being chased by slime!

I Want To Go To School, Too....

This was the sad, sad scene this morning as the Ducklings and Edward got ready for the walk to school.  Someone grabbed their hat (hah), coat (coke) and mitts (mihs) and tried to make a break out the front door in their bare feet.

Of course, it doesn't help that Malcolm has a fever and a cold, and really just wanted to snuggle with Daddy all day.

And if he looks slightly unhappy in this picture, it belies the absolute meltdown he was having 30 seconds before this was taken.  Here, he looks more resigned to his fate of being left behind with... gasp... Mummy.

I think Malcolm is old enough now to know that school is a riotously fun, mysterious and mystical place, that, as he has been pointedly told by some of the more...direct... members of the family is "NOT for babies".  For one thing, and this he is sure of, they have a hidden wealth of amazingly cool crafting supplies (not to be confused with the wealth of amazingly cool craft supplies in our basement).  They get to make fantastical creatures like these:

Snowy owls 

Also, they have tons of books, and, best of all (according to his siblings) they seem to have lunch and snacks all the time!  What could be better?!

Sigh... soon enough, love, too soon enough.

Edited to add:  It is finally warm enough for the kids to play outside in the snow... for the first time since December - so here is their snowman, taken this afternoon!