Many Words

Imogen certainly doesn't mind a monologue, especially when it's coming out of her mouth. We've been playing alot of tetris on the DS lately and I guess it's been on her mind. As Jeremy was trying to fix something on my computer, I got bored watching him and picked it up and began to play. Imogen proceeded to tell me all about her own personal philosophies and strategies regarding tetris (she's never made it past level 5... I've beaten it at level 20). I let her rattle on, completely amused at just how boring it was to listen to her describe where she likes to put various pieces in various situations. I was wondering just how long she would go on when Jeremy finally snapped and said "I think mommy knows all about tetris!" I started laughing hysterically.

I'm often able to tune Imogen out. I know it sounds heartless, but she does feel the need to speak a lot and does not require the most devout listener. I feel it's kinder to let her talk to me than to tell her to be quiet. Often I will suddenly realize she has been talking to me for a while. I'm very willing to have a two way conversation with her, but she needs to get my attention first, which I think she realizes.

Genevieve on the other hand wants to know that you heard her and is perfectly willing to repeat herself as often as necessary to get a response.

"Do you think that if I don't say something, I didn't hear you?" I asked tonight after she repeated herself three times in rapid succession.

"I dunno," she said, completely unconcerned either way.

Oh and Imogen has a strange insect fascination. She recently bought a book at Barnes and Noble about insects. Last night she was flipping through it and came to a page with some kind of velvet ant or something.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" she said.

"Oh?" I said, "Are you going to be a bug-ologist?"

"What?" she said.

"A scientist who studies bugs," I said.

"Yes. Or an artist who paints bugs," she said.

I guess everyone has their thing.

Yum yum

My dogs and I have a disagreement. To them, if it's left unattended, then it's fair game. To me, the floor is theirs, the table is off limits. Zeus knows well enough to stay off the table unless it's really reeeeally unattended, because getting caught is unpleasant. Monster is more clueless, as always. We try not to leave food laying around but things get overlooked. In this case, what got overlooked was a tub of margarine Joseph had brought to the table and left there for Monster to find. Zeus can eat things carefully, but Monster, having a rather flat and furry face, must smoosh his face into whatever he is eating and consequently, you always know what he's been into. And you can't see it very well from the picture but his face was covered in margarine. I had just bathed him the day before, too. This dog has already had more baths since coming here than Zeus has had in the three years we've had him.