Territory

Isn't it lovely? That's what the chaise I bought last November looks like. Those are little palm trees on the fabric. It's just in front of the fireplace in the living room.

Comfortable? To be honest, I've really no idea, as it was promptly claimed for sole use by the pup who fancies herself a princess. Every now and then she'll let one of us come sit with her, but only so long as one is petting her. When one stops, or she bores, she stretches out a long, dainty leg and shoves one off.

She's very pretty, but still.

arrogate
verb
To lay claim to for oneself or as one's right: appropriate, assume, commandeer, preempt, seize, take, usurp.
"arrogate." Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. Answers.com 30 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/arrogate

I got tumpin' to say

A few months ago, my husband stepped out of a room for ten seconds, leaving the youngest sitting happily on a ladderback chair, playing on Sesame Street's website. Those of you who are parents and read the words "stepped out of a room" will know roughly where this post is going.

As we figure it, in that short time, the youngest stood up on the ladderback chair and bounced his backside against the rungs on the back, something he was at the time often doing, and being admonished for, in the dining room.

Since the Laws of Physics apply to him, and Murphy's Law dictates that the Laws of Physics most apply when the parent has left the room, the chair tipped back, the legs sliding out from underneath on the hardwood floor, and he ended up smacking the base of the back of his head on the uppermost rung as the chair landed.

When I relayed the incident to my father, he said wee lad had "tumped the chair over".

tump
verb (Chiefly Southern U.S.)
1. To overturn. Often used with over: You're about to tump that thing over.
2. To fall over. Often used with over: Is that wheelbarrow going to tump over?
"tump." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 28 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/tump

I am happy to report he now believes us that it is not safe to stand up on chairs.

Brrr

It's quite chilly here at night now. We woke to frost this morning, and it was still only 38 degrees Fahrenheit when I drove the oldest to school. I put the flannel sheets on the beds yesterday. I love climbing into a flannel-sheeted bed on a cold night. It's even better when there's an affectionate wee one (or two) and a thick-coated dog (or two) in said bed.

nestle
verb
1. To settle snugly and comfortably..
2. To lie in a sheltered position.
3. To draw or press close, as in affection; snuggle.
4. Archaic. To nest.
"nestle." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 27 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/nestle

Actually, the face isn't that funny

cheeky
adjective
Rudely bold.

nosy
adjective
Rudely prying.

mouthy
adjective
Overly talkative.

Does this make me crass?

 
Any construction project around here turns to Acme Sons and Sanitation for their privy needs. I can't help but notice what this port-a-potty company's abbrevation would spell...

ac·ro·nym n.
A word formed from the initial letters of a name.

Wonder Twin powers! Activate!

My husband recently received a speeding ticket, his first infraction in Forsyth County. Yesterday he went to pay it. Where does one pay tickets in Forsyth County you may ask? Why, in no other place but the (begin dramatic voice now) Hall! Of! Justice!

No joke.

We kept the superhero voices up all afternoon.

Superhero Trivia Bit: The Wonder Twins were supposedly inspired by Donny and Marie Osmond.
"Super Friends." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2005. Answers.com 25 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/super-friends

First, Second, THRID?

A friend affected a twang today and told me I looked "right purty". Researching purty led to the discovery that once upon a time, a hros could irnan a race and come in thrid.

metathesis
noun
(Linguistics) Transposition within a word of letters, sounds, or syllables, as in the change from Old English brid to modern English bird or in the confusion of modren for modern.
[Late Latin, from Greek, from metatithenai, to transpose : meta-, meta- + tithenai, to place.]
"metathesis." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 25 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/metathesis

The process has shaped many English words historically. Bird in English was once bryd, run was once irnan, horse was hros, wasp is also recorded as wæps and hasp, hæps. The discrepancy between the spelling of iron and the usual pronunciation is the result of metathesis.
"metathesis." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2005. Answers.com 25 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/metathesis

For example, the word third used to be thrid, and bird, brid. By the same process, English pretty often came to be realized as purty in regional speech. Most such words stabilized because of the influence of printing and the resultant standardized spelling, but purty for pretty has survived in regional American dialects.
"purty." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 25 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/purty

I love you. You love me. We're an illin' family.

The oldest went to a rollerskating party last Saturday.

On Tuesday, the mother of one of the other boys who attended asked if my son had been sick after. Noooo, why? Well, her son came home and was sick a few hours later. And then her husband got sick.

Those of you with children know exactly where this is headed.

Wednesday-Thursday night, at 4 am, I woke up to the silhouette of a smallish child framed by the hall light. Said child was letting me know he was going to throw up RIGHT NOW. Which he did. More than once.

Friday-Saturday night, at 5 am, an even smaller child made a similar pronouncement. And did. More than once.

Last evening, I was at the cinema with the oldest, now recovered, watching Wallace and Gromit, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, when I began to feel vaguely ill. I made it through the film, made it home, and made no pronouncement. But did anyway. More than once.

It hit my husband sometime during the night. More than once.

familial
adjective
1. Of or relating to a family.
2. Occurring or tending to occur among members of a family, usually by heredity: familial traits; familial disease.
"familial." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 24 Oct. 2005. http://www.answers.com/topic/familial