My favorite time of year, so far

The lovely thing about Southern California in September/October -- when we aren't on fire or dreading mudslides because fire burned up the vegetation that keeps the dirt on the hills -- is the weather. It's still warm (even HOT at times), sunny and divine.

We've been enjoying the pool after school on many days. Yes, we have 18 practices, homework, speeches, Cub Scout events and PTA meetings, but somehow we manage to slip in an hour or so floating in the pool. It's been lovely.

It's my favorite thing right now. Me and my boys just floating and chatting about the day. Rarely is anyone else at the pool. It's calm and cool. We drag out the noodles and cruise around. Neil does his impersonation of Michael Phelps. There's some playing with boats, especially in the jacuzzi.

The boys take turns telling me things: describing PS2 Madden Football plays in detail, reporting on who did what in class today. Sometimes they just swim up to me and I get a kiss or a hug for no reason other than it's a good day.

Who says we don't have seasons in Southern California? Sneaking in pool time before it's gone is the best time of year.

Check out the new lids

We had a big Sunday. In addition to the language lesson, we went shopping for Easter outfits. I'm old school when it comes to new clothes (Easter, Christmas and beginning of the school year are mandatory new outfit time). Though the matching years are going out of the window. Turns out, everyone has his own fashion personality and it is not Mom's.

Neil is the true fashionist in our family. You should see that 6-year-old in a dressing room mirror.

He checks his front. He checks his back (Don't want that kindergarten butt to look fat.).

He does a couple poses. He has an imaginary conversation with someone.

Only then does he decide if the outfit passes the test.

This year Neil decided that he needed a hat for his Easter outfit. We are not talking a baseball hat (which is Jack's only definition of a hat). And we are not talking the caps his Pa likes to wear.

We are talking a true, rat-pack kind of hat.

After a day of shopping, Neil has two hats. He even convinced Dean and Jack that they needed hats.

Now my boys look like they are starting a ska band...

This is Neil at Legoland. He's not taking the hat off. I'll download one of the three of them soon.

This one is for Emily

Emily is our cousin in Florida and we miss her.

Why boys like girls

We are in the car and Neil is talking away. Suddenly he asks, "Mom, do you remember the Pink Lady?"

"Pink Lady?" This is one of those mom moments when you are scanning your brain as fast as you can to figure out what he is talking about.

"The Pink Lady, Mom!" The emphasis is clearly to help my ignorant mind catch up. I fake it.

"Sure, the Pink Lady."

"The men get crashed and other stuff following her."

Now it is coming clear... He's talking about the ad with the woman with the unibrow who rubs Planters peanuts all over herself and the men are drawn to the peanut pheromone. (Watch the YouTube video here.)

"Yeah, I remember the Pink Lady."

"The boys all like her because she loves nuts."

Indeed.

One small step for mankind...

Look at me! Actually, look at my kids. They are cuter.

I can actually post a picture on my blog! Who knew I could come so far with technology? Ken B. is laughing at me right now. And he should. It's embarrassingly easy.

Covering his butt

The 8-year-old is Star of the Week in his class. It's a dubious honor, but he gets to bring family photos and special items to school to share. "Just don't make me take the Batman one, Mom." It's the cutest one! He's about 5 months old and in Batman pajamas his uncle bought him. When I figure out how to post photos, I'll post it.

Apparently, I've made him take it every year and I didn't realize it. But this isn't about Batman pjs, it's about...

Part of Star of the Week is filling out a survey about your likes and dislikes. The 8-year-old likes vanilla/chocolate swirl ice cream from Fosters and he likes basketball, etc. My favorite answer was to the question "I like to wear ..." I'm thinking he'll answer with one of his many sports jerseys. Nope.

"I like to wear .... PANTS."

Good to know. His wife will be so happy when he doesn't lie around the house in his underwear.

Be a man

My son Neil is training to be a man. It is serious business to this 5-year-old. I can see him practicing his manhood by making moves, imitating conversations, checking himself out in the mirror.

In his mind, he is one of the big guys when he slings his baseball bag (which is bigger than he is) over his shoulder and gives his t-ball coach a wink and a nod as he says "Good practice coach!" Then he saunters off as he imagines real baseball players do. I feel like I should take him out for a beer.

He has asked me to refer to him as Big Papi (yes, David Ortiz of the Red Sox player). That's the number he chose for his t-ball jersey too.

He talks about himself in the third person, "Neil Yerem hits a home run!" "Neil Yerem dives for the ball."

Manhood is apparently narrated.