she's more than four

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Last night we put a four-year-old Sarah to bed for the last time. Despite the excitement of the occasion (and the twice-a-week trauma of me having a night off from putting her down), she got to sleep in good time. I opened my eyes at midnight and silently wished her a happy birthday. I've been correcting her all week when she says her birthday is on Sunday. That's her party. Her birthday is today. She has that straight now. She was sad last night, partly because I wasn't in her room, and partly because she misplaced the little pink poodle on a key chain that I got for her at the airport down by Hartford. I'd go get her another, but I'd have to go through Security Theatre (and they probably wouldn't let me in anyway), and then there wouldn't be one. I'll just keep my eyes open and maybe I'll get lucky.

She came into our room this morning, as always. She was burbling with the excitement of it. "Yesterday I was four and I was little and I only came up to here, and today I'm five and I'm taller in my bed!" Later on the stairs, she illustrated with fingers, "Yesterday I was this many and today I'm five and I'm bigger!" Indeed, she's now 25% older than she was just last night, and full of excitement.

I slipped into the laundry room and brought out two of the smaller packages that came from her grandmother yesterday, and later on directed her attention to them. While I was unsealing the larger one, she went on about how she'll learn to use a knife now. When it came time to put her shoes on, she thought she might know how to tie the knots now, but it turns out that's still my job for a while yet.

I sliced up an apple and mixed some pink milk for her breakfast in the car on the way to her preschool. I gave her a back ride from the porch to the car, where she slid off and landed on her bottom. She was philosophical about it, possibly because of her advanced age. I buckled her in, kissed Cathy and Sarah bye, waved and made the "I Love You" sign, and they went out to the right today so they could swing by Dunkin Donuts and pick up 25 doughnut holes.

All in all, things went smoothly this morning. I hope it's a trend.
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um... mornington crescent?

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Good old bOINGbOING has found me another cool thing. This is a [simplified] map of the US Interstate Highway System, represented as a subway map would be. Not geographically correct, but a graphic guide to connections. I looked at it and I reached, and I heard the voice of a Sensei calling me "Grasshopper."

( kind of big )

gacked from asimovberlioz

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I have a visitor map. I think I saw it on other LJs as well, but I'm the kind of guy who waits until two or three of his friends jump off the cliff. Cautious, like.

( voila ze map )

confirming what I've believed for years

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Via filkerdave

And for comparison, I wrote this two Decembers ago in a comments thread at Making Light:

A smiling baby sun rises

Announcer: In a colorful village far away,
nameless numbers come to play.

A childlike creature in bright yellow fur runs by, giggling, followed by a large ball, as a red-furred creature pushing a penny-farthing bicycle watches happily. A newcomer with green fur enters and is greeted by a speaker rising out of the ground.

Speaker: You are twosey.
Green: No-o-o-o....
Speaker: You are twosey.
Green: Who onesey?
Speaker: You are twosey.

Newcomer and others roll to the ground, kicking their feet in the air with delight.

All: Again! Again!

( video behind cut )

the birthday girl

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Picture links to a flickr photoset of Sarah pix. I'll add more; just got some in there for starters. China pictures, and other 2003 stuff, then one from 2004, then some recent ones. More to come.
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