Mr. Piano Man

When we first began watching American Idol, Jack would go into the living room and plunk on the piano and sing like he had watched on television. One night while Cles visited us, Jack did the same thing, and Cles caught it on two separate video clips.

Clips like this make me wish that you could prevent children from growing up so quickly, yet each day brings things like this--from Jack, from Tommy, from Anna--that make me smile. On the way home to Minnesota, Tommy had noticed signs with deer that warn drivers of wild animals on the road. Near West Yellowstone, Montana, Tommy saw a sign with a horse and rider. "Look out for wild cowboys," Tommy said from the backseat. That is Grandma Annie's favorite recent Tommy story.

Last night Anna called grandma and Pop Pop to update us on her adventures in toilet training. "I peed in Taco Time!" Anna's voice was static with excitement at her newly-found skill.

I had to spoil the moment with a snappy comment. "Can Pop Pop pee at Taco Time when I come to visit?" There was that silence on the other end of the conversation like the moment they show on television: the one where there is total silence except for crickets singing. And then Anna continues, "Grandma, can You come to visit me?"