How (not) to pick up chicks
At the gym Friday morning, I had an interesting encounter with one of the personal trainers.  I was riding the bike, happily listening to my ipod when we ambled over.  He's not the most... svelt... personal trainer, so he's a little hard to miss.  He is also one that I have never met or worked with, so I was a little surprised when he stopped to talk to me.  "I'm S**** (name removed to protect the guilty)" he said.  They call me "BS" for Big S****."  Well duh, I think.  "Can I give you a compliment?" he asks.  I am not sure what my options are here- can you really respond no to that?  "Um, OK." "You have great arms," he says. "I've been admiring them."  "Thank you." I respond.  "Its from carrying around my two children."  He looks a little less excited at this, but continues to talk for a bit while I nod and look longingly at my ipod.  As he winds up, he gives me a fairly creepy once over sort of look and smiles.  "Remember, my name is BS.  If you need me, you just ask for me."  "Sure," I reply, thinking that he is very full of BS and wondering why, precisely, I might need him.  He starts to walk away.  "What's my name?" he asks.   "BS," I say obligingly.    "Its good to be remembered," he grins.  "Yes," I respond.  "For whatever reason that may be."  He seems to think that this is a good anwer and smiles again.

*******

This morning we met Emily and the boys at the Botanical Gardens.  After a long morning of adventures, we split up right before heading out.  Mariel and Noella and I got on the elevator and headed down to the exit.  The doors opened, and a family with two boys waited while we got off.  The older boy, maybe about 5 or 6, stood, staring at Mariel.  She paused, not sure what to do with the attention. Looking right in her eyes he said in a loud voice: "Wow, she is really cute!" and then took his mother's hand to walk on to the elevator.   His parents and I laughed and the mother sighed.  "I guess it starts now," she said.

What to do when your kid can s-p-e-l-l?
It had to happen eventually.  I mean, our family has had smart dogs that can recall the sounds that make up basic, necessary for daily life and happiness words such a t-r-e-a-t and w-a-l-k.   So why should I be surprised that Mariel has started to figure a few things out, too?  Only kid essentials, like z-o-o and i-c-e (and really, does she need to know how to spell the second part of the word?  If we are spelling "ice" it is most likely leading to ice cream, because if we were just talking about regular old ice we would not need to spell, would we?)
This may really put a damper on adult conversations and planning.  I am not sure how Patrick and I will communicate anymore, as many of our conversations regarding the kids now involve spelling key words.  Maybe we need to learn sign language?