Little Brother has spent way too much time watching Big Brother and his Freakishly Tall Friend (who describes himself in those terms) playing “Guitar Hero.”

That would explain why he just came in here and asked me if I know how to do the Power Slide.

Then he ably demonstrated this dangerous move with his Air Guitar. It involves running, then dropping to both knees while you continue to play your guitar.

Hmmm.

My guitar comes out of its case once a week–for Mass. I don’t think it would be appropriate to attempt a Power Slide during the “Holy Holy”–while wearing a skirt. Plus, I’d probably hurt myself, or someone else, or at the very least break my guitar.

Little Brother is very disappointed right now in my lack of cool moves. Sorry, buddy.

Off to school on Little Brother’s very first day!

And now it’s time for the Little Brother Weather Report, brought to you by a little channel surfer who just saw the local forecast:

“65 on the moon tonight, Mom!”

Little Brother is sitting here playing Candyland all by himself. Of course, I’m getting a play-by-play.

“Mom, guess what! I’m red. I’m yellow. And I’m losing.”

For the ninety-gazillionth time this summer I had to remind Little Brother not to stand around with the door wide open: “Close the door, please! You’re letting out all the cold!”

“But the fan will keep going around and around and making more cold!”

“Yes it will, but we shouldn’t waste the cold by putting it outside.”

“But if we did, then it would SNOW!”

As I walked through the family room carrying a laundry basket, I saw Little Brother lying facedown on the floor, silently kicking his feet.

No, he was not having a temper tantrum (this time).

Adventure Boy was setting up a train track next to Little Brother. He looked up at me and declared, “Little Brother is a fish.”

“Little Brother’s a fish? Then why are you building a train track?”

The logical answer, of course: “Because it’s his birthday!”

It’s not Little Brother’s birthday, of course. But nothing else about this conversation made sense either.

Little Brother just came sleepily down the stairs and got in my lap.

“Did you hear a funny noise just before, Mom?”

“What kind of noise?”

“A weird kind of noise.”

“You mean when Daddy dropped a bunch of stuff in the bathroom?”

“No, not THAT noise. A noise that sounded like this: ssshhhhhhhh.”

I thought about it for a minute, then remembered:

“OH! That was the street-sweeper machine going by! That must have been what you heard!”

I thought he’d be happy to know I figured it out. But he just looked at me seriously and said, “I thought it was an alien ship.”

Oh well. Maybe next time!

I didn’t just turn 42 for nothing.

Tonight when Little Brother wanted a piece of my Deep Chocolate, Chocolate Iced, Caramel Drizzled, Walnut Sprinkled birthday cake (made by Middle Sister, and can she bake cake!), I found a plastic fork, a Zoopals plate, and sent him outside to enjoy his dessert “al fresco.”

Or more stuff I never thought I’d have to say:

“Little Brother, don’t walk on chairs that have place mats on them!”

When Little Brother came downstairs this morning, he found me eating toast with jelly (leftover Portuguese bread from last night’s dinner makes fabulous toast, especially topped with blackberry jelly.)

Little Brother wanted some toast too. So I put a couple of slices of “reg-lee-ar” bread in the toaster for him. He thinks that Portuguese bread will not be good when it’s hot. Silly boy–but more for me….

After I started the toaster, he gave me my Good-Morning Hug. Then he told me that after TheDad has his shower, they’re going to make pancakes together.

“Pancakes?! Then why did I just make you some toast?”

“For a little snack!”