Wordaholism Debut

When Esbee offered me a membership to Wordaholism, one of my favorite blogs, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. Mostly, I felt tickled at the idea that I am worthy of this honor.
tickled

idiom:
tickled pink Informal.
Very pleased; delighted: I was tickled pink by the compliment.
[Middle English tikelen, perhaps frequentative of ticken, to touch lightly.]

Dictionary definition of tickle
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. More from Dictionary

5:08 pm on a Thursday

The oldest has come to a standstill. Presented with the question, "Do you want to come with me while I run a quick errand?", he is stymied. He'd like to come with me, but what if he misses something while he's gone? If he doesn't come with me, what if I decide to go somewhere else as well, and he misses out on that? What if, what if, what if?

He's getting nervous now because he can't decide, and his nervousness makes him even less capable of deciding. I smile at him, trying to calm him. "Sweetheart, it's fine either way." It's not enough. He begins to bite at his lip.

I shouldn't have asked. It's what I call The Witching Hour, that time of day when children are tired and emotional and getting hungry. In the youngest, this manifests as temper. In the oldest, it manifests as indecision and occasional tears.

"Come with me." Three words. No question, only a request. He smiles, freed from the moment, and walks to the car.

shilly-shally
verb
1. To procrastinate.
2. To be unable to come to a decision; vacillate.
3. To spend time on insignificant things; dawdle.
[Reduplication of the question shall I? .]
"shilly-shally." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 31 Mar. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/shilly-shally

Snuggling with my whelp

After a long day today, the youngest snuggled up next to me on the couch and asked to watch PBS. Sesame Street was on, and the number of the day was 7, which means we got to see one of my favorite number vignettes, the lyrics of which include this gem:

The seventh son of the Alligator King
Was a thoughtful little whelp.
He said, "Daddy, appears to me
That you could use a little help."
Music and Lyrics by Donald Hadley/William Luckey (c)1971 Sesame Street, Inc. (ASCAP)

whelp
noun
1. A young offspring of a mammal, such as a dog or wolf.
2. A child; a youth.
3. An impudent young fellow.
4. A tooth of a sprocket wheel.
5. Nautical. Any of the ridges on the barrel of a windlass or capstan.
"whelp." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 29 Mar. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/whelp

Angry-stomp-disconsolate

The oldest is in dire need of sleep. He stayed up reading in bed entirely too late last night. His eyes are filling with tears at the slightest provocation, and he's as grumpy as a hungry bear.

I'm used to the youngest feeling things more strongly, due partially to his personality, partially to his age, and partially to being sick. But the oldest is normally

happy-go-lucky
adjective
Taking things easily; carefree.
"happy-go-lucky." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 29 Mar. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/happy-go-lucky

I'm going to go pour him into bed now, I think. I bet he can't read for five minutes without falling asleep, especially if I warm his pajamas.

What a Girl Wants

If you asked me, my dream house would be full of window seats and built-in bookcases. There would be nooks and hidey holes. A glass-fronted butler's pantry. A tin ceiling in the kitchen and a tin roof on the house. A faded, painted wood floor on the screened porch. A deep, sonorous windchime hung somewhere in the yard. And all within walking distance of a rather deserted, untidy beach with lots of tidal pools.

That's the house in which I'd live if I

had my druthers
idiom
Have one's choice. The noun druthers is a contraction of “would rather.” [Slang; late 1800s]
"have one's druthers." The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. Answers.com 26 Mar. 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/have-one-s-druthers