In Which I Indulge My Daughters By Watching Ice Dancing

I enjoy the winter Olympics. I like watching the bob-sled, the luge, the skiing, and especially the snowboarding half-pipe. I even like curling, of all things.  But I have never ever ever been able to get excited or enthusiastic about ice skating, in any of it's forms.  Sure, I can appreciate the sport, the athleticism and coordination that is required to perform complex movements to music on a slippery, hard surface.  After all, I can barely make it around the loop without falling on my butt.  However, watching skaters on t.v. in crazy costumes 'dance' to music isn't exactly my idea of a good time.

 The girls, however, love, love, love it.  For the last few nights, they've used their big, pleading, brown eyes to weaken my defenses. "We can snuggle on the couch, under a big fluffy blanket and watch Ice Dancing. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Ohhh! Please please please please please?" Ruthie and Hannah said, stumbling over each others' words.

 "Oh, ok. But we have to record it, because you won't be able to be up that late, and then we can finish watching it tomorrow."  Foolish foolish words.  For the last three days I've been watching Ice Dancing.  Tomorrow I will still be watching Ice Dancing.  And after that, it will be figure skating. Oh joy. Will wonders never cease.

Ruthie is the self-appointed fashion critic for Ice Dancing costuming. She also feels a need to determine whether a competitor is attractive or not. "Her outfit is pretty, and she's actually attractive."
"BUT HER UNDERWEAR IS SHOWING!" Hannah exclaimed loudly as the guy flipped the girl around his shoulders.
"That's not her underwear, it's her leotard," I said.
"Doesn't matter if you see her leotard or not. It's just a leotard," Ruth stated, as if she knew all there was to know about leotards and ice dancing.

We continued watching pair after pair when my bloodthirsty youngest said, "Aren't they going to show any stumbles?"
"No Hannah, this is live. If they were going to show stumbles, it would mean it just happened right now," Ruth explained.

The next few minutes passed silently with the occasional "Wow, they're good," or "Whoa" passing through their lips, until the Ice Dancing commentator became really quiet.  I suppose Ruthie felt the need to fill the air with words, as if the Dancers' music wasn't enough noise.
"Are they American?"
"Have you ever thought a guy might be singing this?"
"And you know, you have to be flexible to do some of this."
"I was wondering why he was all casual, and she's all fancy."
"Now those two are NOT attractive."
"They make it look SO easy."
"Your hair must look pretty wild after skating."
Hannah continued to murmur her agreement along with each and every one of Ruth's remarks, until I happened to look up again at the television to see the female Ice Dancer pick up her partner. "Whoa!" I said, "SHE PICKED HIM UP!"
"Yup. She must be pretty strong," Hannah said.

The girls became rather silent after that, engrossed in the brother-sister pair representing Great Britain, until one of the French competitors had their turn.
"I don't remember THEM being in the competition."
"Yes, Hannah, they were in the Original Dance, remember?" Ruth said exasperated. A thought occurred to her. "I wonder if they feel ridiculous."
"I think the brother and sister feel ridiculous because they are brother and sister," Hannah said, referring to the previous couple.
"Yeah, I'd feel ridiculous if it were me and Josh."

I found my attention drifting away when the bright colored costumes of the Russian skaters caught my eye.  As flamboyant as their costumes, the choice of music was heavy, boisterous, and loud.  I couldn't wait for their segment to end.

"The Russians think this is good music?" Ruth asked, incredulous. "Their outfits are CRAZY!"
"Especially that one," Hannah pointed to the female's bright red costume.
"The girl's outfit is weird. I suppose it's supposed to be fire," Ruth said.
"But what about the guy's?"
"I dunno. I guess it's smoke."
"OH! I get it!" Hannah said.
"Mama, is it supposed to be smoke?" Ruth asked me.
Hannah saved me from answering, "Yeah, I think he is supposed to be smoke."
I just shrugged and looked clueless. How much longer before bed time?
"The Russians have weird music." Ruthie said
"Is this supposed to be happy music?" Hannah asked. I just looked at her. This was in no way 'happy music' they were skating to.
"Well, at least they're very sparkly." Ruthie tried to find the positive.

Unfortunately, for me, we didn't get to finish watching Ice Dancing before they had to get to bed.  And since they hit the record button so that they could catch the woman's figure skating "Short Program" which airs tonight, I know there's much more ice skating in my near future.  So, my question is, do I get a medal for watching this stuff under duress?

Conversations with Hannah

"So, we're learning about cones and cubes and spheres and stuff at school.  The moon is a sphere. Is the earth a sphere?"
"Yes," I said absently as I put on my jacket and scarf.  We were heading out the door to school. "The earth is a sphere."
"So, basically we're the only ones on a planet. This is the only planet that has life...so that makes us aliens. Isn't that right, Mama? Yes. We're aliens."
I just looked at her. She continued her running monologue as we got into the car and buckled herself in.
"I have gym today," she said, abruptly changing topic.  I drove around the corner and pulled up to the curb of her school building.
"Oh? How about Fred. Do you have Fred tomorrow?"
"Oh I get it.  No. Tomorrow I have Mary, and after that, Olivia.  Next comes Max..." She trailed off as she slid out of the car.

I could still hear her rambling as she walked towards the doors.  Driving away, I smiled. 

Cabin Fever struck the Mel House

The snow has been blowing since last last night, adding to Saturday's accumulation of about a foot.  We cannot even see out our window. Sometime after lunch, the power went out, leaving us feeling mighty stranded.  This is the first home I've ever lived in, where there wasn't at least one gas-powered heat source, be it the stove, the hot water heater, or the furnace, or all three.

"We need a generator," I told Jeremy.
"Yup."
"What are we gonna do?"
"Huddle under a blanket. Pretend we're pioneers?" He said.
"How about we try and find all the lanterns, candles, and batteries in the meantime while there's some daylight?" Usually our outages last a long time when the weather is decent. Like the summer when we went without power for several days because of a transformer on the lines that went bad.  It was possible we could be with out power well into Friday.  I was not feeling too optimistic.
"We could probably make an oil lamp."
"Maybe"
The lights flickered hopefully a few times and then died again.
"If we get desperate, we're gonna try it."
"Ok."

About an hour later, power returned, and we quickly decided to get as much done as possible. We looked up how to make a home-made oil lamp (yay Google) gathered those supplies in the event we lose power again.  And we decided to wash the dishes from lunch that sat in the sink, since we had hot water again.  Rather, we informed the kids they needed to wash the dishes before we made dinner.

It was only a matter of moments before we heard the familiar arguments, feet stompings, and catty noises emanating from Ruth and Hannah.  Hannah, in typical fashion, was refusing to help. Ruth in her frustration decided to solve the problem in her own way.

She duct taped Hannah's mouth.

It might be important to mention at this point, Jeremy rarely raises his voice. I have seen him control the kids with a single look.  I believe it is the implied "I-brought-you-into-this-world-I-can-take-you-out" glint in his eyes that keeps them in check.  I can count on one hand the few times he's lost his temper, and yelled, usually at Joshua, and usually deserved.

The screeching sounds resulting from said duct taping brought the WRATH OF DAD pounding down the stairs like a thundercloud in all its mighty splendor, interrupting the beginnings of a true cat-fight.  It is perhaps the first, and hopefully the last, time the girls have ever incurred the WRATH OF DAD.  Ruth tried to tattle and get Jeremy in trouble with me. Big mistake.  All she succeded in gaining was another lecture, this time from me.

"You duct taped your sister's mouth. You never duct tape your sister's mouth. Anyone's mouth. Be glad it was him and not me. I have half a mind to tie you two together like a three-legged race until you get along with one another."

All I can say is, I'm glad he was home to be judge and jury for a change.  Here's hoping we survive the next 24 hours in close confinement with one another.