Close your eyes

Robert and Colleen were cracking Easter eggs after lunch. Not eating; just cracking, peeling, then smushing. Well, I thought I'd save a few for Elizabeth, who actually eats hard boiled eggs, so I put them back in the refrigerator.

Colleen really wants to play with them again. She opened the refrigerator and I said "No more eggs, Colleen." She closed the door but said, with her hand still on the handle, "Um, okay. Close your eyes, Mom."

This reminded me of Robert at that age. He'd come into the kitchen and say "Mom, don't go into the bathroom/bedroom/living room, etc." At least they give warnings! Elizabeth used to booby trap the whole house, including the stairs, with no warning. They're cute but they're sneaky.

As a side note: Every time we pass a lake (which is more often than you'd think even if we're not in Minnesota) Robert reminds me that he wants to go fishing. At summer camp I used to dangle bread on a hook but never caught anything. Anyone with more experience willing to take on my kid with a bucket of worms?

Why it's on TV

I'm sitting here watching Davidson/Kansas (Davidson 51-47 with 7:35 left, for those scoring at home) and Elizabeth looks up at the television.

Remember, Elizabeth came with me to the regionals at Gettysburg earlier this month and got a real up-close look at what Division III is like as well as what I do to run D3hoops.com.

Elizabeth: "What's that? It's basketball, but what division?"
Me: "It's Division I"
Elizabeth: "Oh. That explains why it's on TV."
(Smart girl! And she just closed my parentheses for me. After a pause ...)
Elizabeth: "So what's Division II?"
Me: "Good question"

Then I explained to her that Division II has some scholarships, etc., etc., and she said, "Oh. So it's second-best."

I didn't ask her which was best. Hopefully she knows. :)

Backseat Driver

Almost 3 years old and already a backseat driver. While Elizabeth used to freak out when I made a right turn on red - "No! Don't do it!" and Robert liked to announce "Red means stop and green means go" at every traffic light, Colleen has taken it to new levels.

On a 30 minute drive into Tysons Corner this morning I fielded shouts from the backseat like "Don't turn that way; go that way" (vigorous pointing, [probably] coincidentally toward a McDonald's) and "Oh no! A car!" (opposing traffic turning in front of us) and my personal favorite "Watch out! A hill!" What she thought could happen on a hill I don't know but she closed her eyes just in case.

I'm really not that bad of a driver. Honestly.

The driver gets a moment's peace in January, with Colleen asleep at the backseat wheel.

Elizabeth can see

It's a very busy time in the Coleman household, but it's necessary to report that Elizabeth can see again.

Recently, I got new glasses for the first time in nearly two years. (I still had Gannett glasses, which I bought on my last day of work for USA Today. Never bought GE glasses, though I really considered it. Shockingly, our eye care insurance is pretty good right now.)

When I was looking at frames, Elizabeth came out with some pairs of frames as well. I quizzed her a little and she said she'd been having trouble reading the blackboard at school.

This was a shock, since last I knew she was sitting in the front row. But no longer. Elizabeth was fairly irate, since she said she'd told Cate she needed glasses already. So we resolved to get her an appointment in the near future.

But last weekend, when Elizabeth and I were in Gettysburg, the point was driven home to me very forcefully. I pointed out an historical marker across the street from us downtown and started to read it off, and she said, "You can read that?"

Immediately on the phone to Cate. She had her appointment on Saturday. And here we are.

Taking odds on how long it takes to lose them, or for Colleen to steal them.

March Madness

There's something to be said about the best-laid plans. They almost never involve forgetting your wallet.

That was the realization I came too earlier this evening, when I was already about 70 miles from home. I was taking Elizabeth with me to basketball games this weekend, her first road trip with me to a Division III game, other than downtown to Catholic U. So here we are in Gettysburg.

Cate had to come bring me my wallet. Otherwise ... well, I had 75 cents in my pocket, no ID, no credit card and no likely way to get into the hotel tonight. The surprise when Robert walked up to me in the press box while I was broadcasting was priceless.

Elizabeth finally went to sleep about 12:30 a.m. Everyone stayed up pretty late tonight. She's been a trooper -- this was the boring part for her. We had two basketball games to call tonight. Thankfully she hasn't finished all the books Cate sent us with.

No idea what we're doing tomorrow, but I expect a battlefield is on the agenda. And that other basketball game. :)