Jeremy stopped by with the kids yesterday. While he talked with Nick and Tony, I scamped around with Hank and Scout.

Remember the box of printer paper that had become a nest for ants? I'd left it on the back porch, and the wind had blown the accordion-fold sheets into a billowy mess. The kids and I grabbed great handfuls of the stuff and ran across the lawn with paper streaming behind, singing They Might Be Giants' "Robot Parade":

Robot Parade
by They Might Be Giants

In a future time, children will work together to build a giant cyborg
Robot parade, robot parade, wave the flags that the robots made
Robot parade, robot parade, robots obey what the children say!

There's electric cars, there's electric trains
Here comes a robot with electric brains!
Robot parade, robot parade, wave the flags that the robots made
Robot parade, robot parade, robots obey what the children say!

We picked little green apples from the tree and bowled them down the sidewalk. We threw them at the side of the shop. Harrison found a stick and swung it around like a sword. We gathered the piles of paper and carried them back to the burn pile. We ran to the shed and looked at what Emma called the "mowlawner".

When we needed a rest, we came into my office to listen to more They Might Be Giants:

Violin
by They Might Be Giants

Violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin
Ohhhhhhhh!
Violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin
Ahhhhh...

Hippo, hippo, hippo
Hippo, hippo, hippo
Hippo

Mop! Mop. Mop.
Mop, Mop!
Mop! Mop! Mop!
Mop! Mop! Mop!
MOOOOOOP!

Speck of dust-dust-dust
Speck of dust-dust-dust
Speck of dust-dust-dust
Huh

Speck of dust-dust-dust
Speck of dust-dust-dust
Speck of dust-dust-dust
Huh

One-quarter of George Washington's head
One-half of George Washington's head
Three-quarters of George Washington's head
All of George Washington's head
OHHHHHHH!

Violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin
Ohhhhhhhh!
Violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin, violin-lin-lin

"Is that the Imagination Movers?" Harrison asked. (Scott, you should be proud!)

"No," I said. "It's They Might Be Giants. This is Abba." And Emma danced around and around and around, spinning to "Dancing Queen".

"Play 'Mamma Mia'," she begged, so I did.

Later, we went outside and gathered up the last pieces of paper. "What's this?" I asked as I picked up one piece.

"I don't know," said Harrison.

"It's a letter to Santa Claus. Here, I'll read it to you: 'Dear Danta, My name is Emma Louise Gingerich. [note: Emma's real middle name is Elizabeth — her grandmother is named Louise] My brother is Harrison Fred Gingerich. [Harrison's real middle name is James.] I'm writing to tell you not to bring him any presents this year because he's really been a very naughty boy. I've been good, though. Your friend, Emma Louise Gingerich.'" Hank and Scout laughed and laughed and laughed.

We stopped beneath the apple tree to listen to the buzz of the bees.

"This is where I grew up," I told them, as I swept my arm before me, indicating the trailer house and the shop and the lawn and the lane. "This was my home. This is where I played."

We ran screaming across the lawn.

On this day at foldedspace.org

2005 — Scary Movie   I'm not one who is easily spooked. Sometimes it happens, though. The Exorcist is a scary movie.

2003 — The Year of Reading Proust   In which I sleep. In which I read a book that isn't about Proust but should be. In which I watch soccer.