A few days ago, I had the opportunity to ask the twins what they did that day while they were isolated from each other.

Stella: “We played LEGO and built a lot of cool things.”

Sam: “We went to Costco and then came right back home.”

Mind you, they both had the exact same day and did the exact same things. If I had to guess at why they focused on the things they did, I’d say that Sam’s answer was based on the fact that he likes to go out, especially to the park. So he was upset they’d left the house and hadn’t done anything he found fun. I’m not sure why Stella only focused on the LEGOs, but she is still playing with them a few days later, so maybe she was really happy to have new things to play with.

Me: and that’s why earth worms are good. Scarlett: Yeah, and other planet worms are bad.

Some people still treat TV as if it’s the boob tube (that’s boob as in dummy, not breast). But Scarlett’s kid’s cartoons led her to learn some stuff that led to the following exchange:

Danielle (rhetorically): Why does this monkey have a frog on its head?

Eric: It’s Swedish. (The toy is from Ikea)

Danielle: What?

Scarlett: No, it’s symbiosis!

Eric: Symbiosis? (I wonder if she knows what it means) What does that mean?

I swear to God, I cannot play in my room by myself.

-Scarlett

It’s good to play with you, but now I have to go home!

-Scarlett to a playground full of kids

I’ve been meditating on a blog post about the riot in my figurative backyard. While I’m still unsure if whether I’ll end up writing anything about it, I came across some interesting MLK Jr quotes today.

A riot is the language of the unheard.

Martin Luther King Jr

and this one seems to apply not only to what I’ve heard about Baltimore, but also to what I’ve heard about Fergusson and New York City:

Daddy, I have The Information! I got the pamphlet!

-Scarlett after grabbing a pamphlet at the bank

Yesterday I went to the library to learn things so I can learn to work as a doctor

-Scarlett

Some folks (especially Americans) seem to think that their AR-15s are a guarantor that they can resist tyranny. But guns are an 18th century response to 18th century threats to democracy. Capital doesn’t need to point a gun at you to remove your democratic rights: it just needs more cameras, more cops, and a legal system that is fair and just and bankrupts you if you are ever charged with public disorder and don’t plead guilty.

A guy in a wheelchair with a hook for a hand is in a bad spot.

-D.D. from work (who is wheelchair bound, but does not have hooks for hands)