Eleanor doesn’t generally like men. She’s a real fan of her father but otherwise plays it very cool with the fully mature XYs (she has no problem with the baby boys; she loves the baby boys). People have reassured me this is normal. She used to scream whenever Dan H.and his beard entered the room and Blake (also bearded) more or less paralyzes her with fear. She glowers at strange men in public and only the kindliest and most gentle of men can coax a smile out of her.
Lately, however, she is warming up to the men.
For whatever reason, Jason’s soul patch (suprisingly) doesn’t trouble her too much and she has begun to make friendly overtures to him. Maybe Jason’s facial hair has served as a sort of gateway to an increased trust in men as her misandry has abated to the point where she gave even fully bearded Dan H. some friendly pats, smiles and even giggles last weekend. And then he went and ruined it all:
Ellie burst into tears the moment the chainsaw roared; Daniel and I, however, are thrilled that our side yard tree stump is gone.
PS: The family *roll is headed to Toronto this weekend for Alice and Amy’s wedding. Wish us luck on the flight (to MDW), flight (to BUF) and drive tomorrow. I’m not sure how we’re going to make it through the flights with a crawling, climbing Eleanor but I think prodigious amounts of string cheese Cheerios will be involved. Thankfully, her corrected birth certificate has arrived so we don’t have to explain her Chinese parentage to the border guards.
Here’s hoping a volcano erupts somewhere near the Buffalo airspace while you’re landed at MDW, and you’re stuck here for the weekend instead.
Also Ezra has asked that I find out where he can get some of these Cheerios made out of string cheese.
My tip: take a beach ball. You can deflate it to pack and blow it up in the airport terminal. Plus it’s like a baby magnet: you’ll draw them in from around 300 yards away.
No volcanos, thank you very much! We can’t wait to see you… And we can promise at least one man fewer than the usual number at the wedding, as well as a decided absence of chainsaws. Eleanor should be ok. Want us to make sure everyone is clean shaven? Love to all xxa&a