1.1: Sidewalk, streetcar, dance a goofy dance, originally uploaded by Scrivenings.

I took this shot of Youngest a couple of weeks ago at her birthday party, but just finally processed it today. I’m starting anew with project 365 for 2009. I’m going to go back to the less strict version, where I simply have to post a photo of something each day, not necessarily a self-portrait. Hopefully, there will be some selfies along the way, though I’m still a little burnt out on them, to be honest. I plan to try to keep myself posting daily, but to be very lax about any of the other rules in order to do so. We’ll see how it goes.

Who else is going to be doing the project this year? For the last couple of months, I’ve been pretty well out of the blogging loop, but hopefully I’ll catch up some soon.

(She later explained that she saw on the American Girl movie that you can get really sea sick on a ship and die.)

That old good-for-nothing bird, runaway Mayzie, originally uploaded by Scrivenings.

Eldest is finishing up a unit on Dr. Seuss in her class, so she’s taking part in a skit for us. Here she is wearing the costume we made for her: she’s Mayzie , from Horton Hatches the Egg.

Eldest: Why did you stop at that store?

Me: To get the new Buffy comic book.

E: Buffy?  Why’d you get a Buffy comic book?

Me: Because I’ve been reading the series and I like them.

E: You like Buffy?  Well, why don’t you marry her?

Me: Um … because she’s a fictional character in a comic book.  Besides, I said I like the comic book not that I love Buffy.

E: You like the comic book?

Me:  Yep.

E: But do you like-like the comic book or just like it?

Me: I think I pretty much just like the comic book.

E: Ooooooooo, daddy like-likes the Buffy comic boooook and he’s gonna marrrry it. [Followed by a fit of giggles.]

William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays; in a “3-4-5″ right triangle, the small angle is approximately 37 degrees; there were 37 extramarital affairs on Dallas during the 1980s; a world-record meatloaf contained 37 pounds of spices; “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss was sentenced to 37 months in prison; the 37th Greek word in Strong’s dictionary is “hagiazo”, which is translated as “hallow,” “be holy,” or “sanctify”; The Hindenburg took 37 seconds to burn (in 1937); Tyrannosaurus rex had 37 vertebrae in its tail; Hannibal brought 37 elephants with him on his conquest of Rome; 37 seconds elapsed between the sighting of the iceberg and its collision with the Titanic; Dennis the peasant in Monty Python and the Holy Grail is 37, and so am I. (All of these claims, except for the last one, are taken from 37 Heaven, a web site devoted to the number 37. I won’t start harassing the administrator of 37 Heaven for not including the fact that I am 37 years old until after a full 37 hours have passed since the start of my birthday.)

Eldest: No, I’m a dolphin.

Y: No, I’m a dolphin.

E: No, I’m a dolphin.

Y: Ok, I’m the dolphin queen.

E: No, I’m the dolphin queen and you’re the dolphin princess.

Y: Yeah, and pretend I’m about to get married.  Because I met the perfect guy.

E:  Yeah, and he’s knocking at the door right now.

Y: You may let him in, maid.

E: Oh, it’s not him.  It’s the dishwasher woman.

Y: Oh, good, the dishwasher woman.  My teapot needs to be cleaned. [They have a little plastic teapot that's a bath toy.]

E: Ok, now pretend the perfect guy is at the door, and he knocks but you say that you aren’t ready yet.

Y: Oh, no, the guy is at the door but I’m not ready yet.

E: Don’t worry.  I have a present for you. [Mime's handing a big box.]

Y: [mimes opening box] Oh, a dress! It’s beautiful.

E: Yeah.  And don’t forget this other present.  And then pretend I gave you a really huge present.

Y: Oh, my, that present is so huge! What is it?

E: It’s a crown. And the parts of your castle.

Y: A castle, for me?

E: Yes, it’s everything you need to make your very own castle.

Y: Can I build my castle right next door to you?

E: Of course.

Y: And then you can come and visit me.  And you’ll live with me.  And our friends will live there too.  It’ll be a special club for girls.

E: Yeah.  And then we can fight the dragon. [By now I am  combing the tangles out of her hair.]  This comb gives me powers!  So now we can go and fight the dragon.

Y: Yeah.  And this washcloth gives me powers too!

E: And the dragon can’t hurt us because he shoots fire but we’re in the water.

Y: Yeah! Let’s get him! … But pretend it’s a nice dragon and we make friends with him and then we get to ride on his back and go flying.

E:  Yeah! And then he can fly us back to our castle and dad can be there waiting for us.  And he tells us we have to take a bath.