Nate, "Extinct means all the dinosaurs died from a really bad stink."

Me, after seeing Nate's room, "Oh my, Nate. What happened here. This is a complete mess. This isn't good."

Me, after seeing Nate's room, "Oh my, Nate. What happened here. This is a complete mess. This isn't good."

Nate, unfazed,"Oma will clean it up."

"No, Nate. That's not right."

Nate, still unperturbed, "I'll clean it up with her."

On another note, Nate has a game that he has played, much to Sara's chagrin, for over two years now. It involves taking every object he can find an putting it in a giant pile. The name always changes. At first it was "playing dump truck", after that was banned it was "playing recycling truck", after that was banned it was "packing to go camping", then it was "building a nest", "building a meerkat den", "packing the moving truck", but the latest is pretending to be the Grinch and gathering all the "whos" belongings. Not sure why Sara, thought it was a good idea to bring that book into our house, but she did.

Nate, "Bad guys don't save the day. Good guys don't sleep in the day."

Nate, "Bad guys don't save the day. Good guys don't sleep in the day."

I assume there's an applied correlation. Perhaps he believes "saving the day" equals "not wasting your day".

Heard bells from inside our house. Turns out they were sleigh bells.

Heard bells from inside our house. Turns out they were sleigh bells.

Future Efficiency Expert

Future Efficiency Expert

In the washroom yesterday:
Nate extremely proud, "Dad, I wiped my penis off!"
Me, "Great, Nate! Good stuff!"
Equally proud, "...and I didn't put the paper in the toilet!"
Starting to worry, "No, Nate. That's not good. Where did you put it?"
(Begin looking around the washroom.)
Nate, still proud, "I didn't put it anywhere! I just left it on!"

I always enjoying walking in to a room and discovering the set ups the children have left behind.

I always enjoying walking in to a room and discovering the set ups the children have left behind. It's a little like walking into their imagination.

This one feels like it could use caption contest. Something about the baby toys being weeded out of the pack...

Just put the Christmas tree up! (Watch James in the background)

Just put the Christmas tree up! (Watch James in the background)

Picnic in the back of our new minivan!!! (While transfering carseats in the showroom)

Picnic in the back of our new minivan!!! (While transfering carseats in the showroom)

Whenever I guess any of the new words James has learned he laughs like a super villain.

It rained last night and froze, so it was very slippery out.

It rained last night and froze, so it was very slippery out. We were driving to swimming lessons, and Sara was testing the roads by braking hard a couple of times to see if it was slippery. When we got out of the car, Nate wiped out on the ice.

Me, "On no, Nate. Did you slip?"

Nate, "No, I was just checking to see if it was slippery."

Nate, "It looks like there's blood on the floor."

Nate, "It looks like there's blood on the floor."

"No, that just marker, it's red, so it kind of looks like blood."

"It wasn't me. It must have been James, he's the naughtiest boy.."

Goofing around at the mall.

Goofing around at the mall.

Nate this morning, "When I was just a little baby in Mommy's stomach, I always hoped I would have a big Dad .

Nate this morning, "When I was just a little baby in Mommy's stomach, I always hoped I would have a big Dad ... and you're the biggest Dad ever."

In a similiar vein, A couple weekends ago, Nate had woken up early and I was going downstairs with him, so we wouldn't wake up Sara and James, and he stops halfway down the stairs and goes, "You're the best Dad ever!"
"Thanks, Nate. That's very sweet. That makes Dad very happy."
"... but sometimes you're the baddest Dad ever."
"Oh."
"... and sometimes you're a good and bad Dad."

James is rapidly learning new words.

James is rapidly learning new words. For example, he said, "cat", quite clearly just the other day. But for whatever reason he still refers to milk as "bop!" and popcorn as "bap-boo!!!" (the exclamation marks are a key part of the pronunciation). They're actually quite catchy, and I found myself using them sometimes.

Awwwww, yeah!

Awwwww, yeah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iANRO3I30nM

Nate pretending to be a lion at the dinner table, "This is buffalo meat and we're drinking buffalo blood.

Nate pretending to be a lion at the dinner table, "This is buffalo meat and we're drinking buffalo blood." Referring to our curry and drinks. Later, while eating candy canes, "These are buffalo bones."

Nate, "Dad, let's play a game. You will be a knight, I'll be a dragon, and James will be the princess."

Nate, "Dad, did you just see smoke coming out of my head?"

Nate, "Dad, did you just see smoke coming out of my head?"

"No, why would there be smoke coming out of your head? "

" Cause I was just dreaming. "

" Oh, just like in story books, when someone is thinking of something you can see it in a cloud? "

" Yeah! "

The first big snow (halfway in).

The first big snow (halfway in).

Uncle Geoff comes to town.

Uncle Geoff comes to town.

James and the yogurt moustache.

James and the yogurt moustache.

Brothers being brothers

Brothers being brothers

Backwards day.

Backwards day.

Photos from last night.

Photos from last night. Their favourite part was handing out candy, but they didn't quite grasp the concept of even distribution, so they would just keep loading up the kind in front until I told them to give candy to the next kid.

For Sara Epp

For Sara Epp 
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/back-from-yet-another-globetrotting-adventure-indiana-jones-checks-his-mail-and-discovers-that-his-bid-for-tenure-has-been-denied

Saw this when the boys and I were looking for another pretend axe for our "boys night" (Nate's term) in the play...

Saw this when the boys and I were looking for another pretend axe for our "boys night" (Nate's term) in the play room. Nate built it all by himself. Apparently he's planning to build an entire zoo. I thought it looked neat.

Family story time by the fire with popcorn and milk.

Family story time by the fire with popcorn and milk. (The caught in the headlights look is because I had to use flash)

The weather got crazy yesterday, but the boys seemed to enjoy it.

The weather got crazy yesterday, but the boys seemed to enjoy it.

Nate joining me at work. He was super thrilled to come and "work" with me for the morning.

Nate joining me at work. He was super thrilled to come and "work" with me for the morning.

A "found view".

A "found view". Was wrestling with the boys on the front lawn and took a moment to rest on the ground and saw this view (although the picture really doesn't do it justice).

A nice Friday read on "micronations".

A nice Friday read on "micronations".
http://www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/26088-micronation-master-prince-leonard-of-hutt-river

Always sad when one of these giants get cut down.

Always sad when one of these giants get cut down. Unfortunately the one across the street has the orange mark of death on it as well.

The commentary is a bit spacey, but the tricks are out of this world. (drum roll)

The commentary is a bit spacey, but the tricks are out of this world. (drum roll)
http://kottke.org/12/09/zero-gravity-yo-yo-tricks

Title

Nate, "Did God make wasps?"

Nate, "Did God make wasps?"
"Yes, Nate, God made wasps."
"But the people down here want to kill the wasps."

Had a block yard sale today.

Had a block yard sale today. Our family was hanging out casually on the front lawn and a lady was striking up a casual conversation with us. Eventually she turned to the boys and began asking them questions,
"Hey there, it looks like you're having a lot of fun, did you have fun today?"
Nate, "We're making a pretend fire." Points to a pile of sticks he's been collecting.
"Oh, that sounds fun, are you going roast pretend marshmallows over the fire?"
"No, I'm going to burn James."
"...ummm, I'm not sure I understood that."

Saw Lego being sold out of the back of a truck in an abandoned parking lot yesterday.

An interesting article and glimpse into Sara's former life.

An interesting article and glimpse into Sara's former life.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/7/3287515/robocup-2012-robots-soccer-broken-necks-baby-steps

We were getting the boys ready for bed and Nate was dawdling at the bathroom sink, leaning completely over the edge,...

We were getting the boys ready for bed and Nate was dawdling at the bathroom sink, leaning completely over the edge, with his face deep in the sink.

I'm getting frustrated because he's continually stalling, "Nate, come on, wash your hands, let's go."

I hear him trying to tell me something, but it's muffled because his head's so far in the sink.

Time for the tactile approach, I put my hand on his shoulder and lean in closer, "Nate, wash your hands."

But he's still trying to tell me something, and he's getting frustrated that I can't hear him. Finally, I make it out, "Why does the water go down the sink, Daddy?"

(sigh)

"Because of gravity, Nate. It's what makes everything go down when you let go. Like, when you're jumping, gravity makes you go down to the ground instead of flying into the air?"

Sara jumps in, "It's what makes things fall down."

Nate immediately, "Like apples?"

Nate in the "driver's seat" of his "ship".

Nate in the "driver's seat" of his "ship". Note the piano bench at the end, which he placed there as his diving board.

Family fish and chips at the forks.

Family fish and chips at the forks.

The English Gardens with Oma Epp

The English Gardens with Oma Epp