My town is considered an ideal breeding ground for children but I'm beginning to wonder. It's probably true that the school system is first rate. It's the culture that I worry about.
We have the ethnic diversity of an Icelandic church social. White is everywhere. A few oriental faces, maybe one or two Indian kids in the school, but otherwise a linen landscape.

There are advantages. My son has very dark skin, his biological father probably coming from southern Russia. I can pick him out of busy play ground at a hundred yards. Finding my blonde, blue-eyed daughter, however, is like finding a contact lense in a bowl of water.

I grew up in a town like this. Even worse actually - I never met a Jew or Asian until I went to college. The upbringing is safe, like a double-walled container. But I think there is a price to pay for not knowing the world as it is.

But it isn't just the ethnicity that bothers me. We see a lot of kids at the pool, the playground, and around town. Is it me or are they tightly controlled, building solitary worlds from Play-Dough, quiet and thoughtful, annoyed by loud noises like laughter? These are the budding bulemics, racing through flash cards while scratching hands underneath the table.

Just another day
We didn't hear the classic Jack vault from bed (with one-and-a-half gainer) until about 7:30 this morning. He came in for a parental sandwich for awhile then we were off to the races. For some reason, Jack wanted to paint his body different colors. Terry takes these things in stride now so a few minutes later our son is enjoying the gooey goodness of squeezing red and blue cake frosting from tubes all over his little brown body.

Aly has been wearing her CD walkman all week even tough it has no batteries. We're starting to figure out that fashion will play a role in her life and that this will torture us for years to come. I found some batteries and she took herself for a walk down the street. When she came back she needed to show me something. Someone had written a year (1982, I think) in the asphalt in front of our house. I tried to explain what this was but it's not easy because Aly doesn't know what year this is or what year she was born.

Aly wanted to listen to a different CD, preferably Britney Spears. We went to the usually-forbidden basement where, to my amazement, I produced a Madonna CD. A few minutes later I was watching Aly swinging her ponytail to the music while she read a magazine. It's starting to get scary....

Three years ago today Terry's cousin Christopher was killed in the first 9/11 plane crash. Auntie Rina was scheduled to deliver an inspirational message at a memorial mass. While Terry is scrambling to get out of the house I am drying Jack's whole body with a hair drier so he doesn't wander around the house adding red and blue to everything. 20 minutes later I'm making pancakes but of course there are fights about who gets to stir the batter, pour it, flip the pancakes....

Terry came in. She had only left for mass 40 minutes ago. I asked what happened.

"I got pissed off and left. I made a scene."

"Oh." We've been together 13 years now. I've heard it all but this is a good one. In the sermon for this alleged 9/11 memorial, the priest starts up about which local politicians are Catholic and who voted for and against abortion rights. Terry goes off, makes a noisy exit and yells from the aisle "I'm not here to hear about politicians and abortion. I'm here to remember my cousin Christopher who died."
The priest responds, "Maybe we can talk about it."
Terry says "We won't be talking about anything," and makes her exit.

What is it about Catholic hierarchy? They consistency demonstrate their cluelessness yet manage to take on an air of omnipotence at the same time. Yet people flock to the services in droves and get very upset if their local church is closed.

Anyway, after breakfast the kids watched a little TV. Terry called her mom, her cousin, and Auntie Rina. I took a picture I've been meaning to take all week and played a little piano. Then Terry took the kids to the library while I went for my standard 1 hour bike ride. Just got back. They're still gone.

And it's only 12:30. No wonder I'm tired.