Black and White

We took the kids to their first football game this weekend.  They have watched football on TV, but only a little bit.

EXT. VANDERBILT STADIUM - MIDDAY

We arrive at the game and are settling into our seats.

ME

Sasha, now the team we are rooting for is the black and white team, that’s Vanderbilt.

Sasha makes herself comfortable taking in the scene, observing the game for a bit.

SASHA

Why are all of the referees on our team?

Go Vandy!

Tooth Fairy

INT. KITCHEN - AFTER DINNER

Sark and Sasha perch at the table savoring dessert.  I wash dishes at the sink.

SASHA

How much do you think I will get for my tooth?

SARK

I got four dollars for my first one.

ME

Do you think it will be the same tooth fairy for Sasha as it was for you?

SARK

I don’t know…

Sasha grins ear to ear dreaming of the candy she will buy with her Tooth Fairy money.

SASHA

I hope I get twenty dollars.

ME

Twenty dollars??  That seems like an awful lot of money for a tooth.

SARK

How clean is your tooth?  Is it in good shape?

SASHA

I think it’s pretty clean.

SARK

You should clean it.  You’ll get more that way.

INT. BATHROOM - LATER

Sark and Sasha struggle to hold the tooth and try to brush it with the electric toothbrush.

SASHA

This thing is going to be really clean.  I bet I’ll get more than four dollars.

SARK

I think you’ll have a different fairy than me.

SASHA

Yeah.  Mine will be a girl.  I bet yours is a boy.

INT. SASHA’S PINK OASIS, HER BEDROOM - LATER

I tuck Sasha into her pink bed.

SASHA

I’m going to sleep like this.

She pretends to sleep and holds her mouth open, bottom jaw jutting forward.

ME

Why are you going to sleep like that?

SASHA

So the Tooth Fairy can see that I lost a tooth.

ME

Well... that makes sense.

Sasha tucks the case with her tooth under her pillow.

ME (CONT’D)

Do you think maybe you should put the tooth out near the edge of your bed?

SASHA

Why would I do that?

ME

You know... so it’s easier for the Tooth Fairy to find.

SASHA

The Tooth Fairy is magical, Mommy.  She can shrink down and go under my pillow.

Sasha stops to ponder a thought.

SASHA (CONT’D)

I wonder if she’ll throw the tooth container on the floor like Sark’s Tooth Fairy.  That was so strange...

ME

I bet he was in a rush to get out before Sark saw him.

SASHA

That is so strange because if Sark woke up, why wouldn’t he just shrink himself down and hide under the bed?

ME

Maybe Sark woke up, so he shrank down, and then the tooth container was too heavy, so he had to drop it.

Sasha nods.

SASHA

Yeah… probably.

It's going around...

EXT.  WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL - AFTERNOON

ME

How was your day?  How are you feeling Sark?

SARK

Good.

ME

Henry is sick today too.  Both your buds out sick today, Henry and Lilli.

SARK

Yeah.

SASHA

Yeah... it’s going around.  But I already had it.

I look at Sasha in surprise.

ME

You already had it?

SASHA

(matter of fact)

Yeah.  I already had it.

ME

In August?

SASHA

Yeah.  You know, five people in my class were out sick with it today.

She holds up her mini hand with five fingers outstretched.

ME

But you already had it.  Three months ago?

SASHA

Yeah.  I think I’m safe, but Sark better watch out.  It’s going through the whole school.

The Bradys Live On

I try to instill in the kids an appreciation for the finer things in life…

I bought the DVD collection of Season 1 - The Brady Bunch for the kids to consume during our yearly trek touring the homeland, the Northeast.

If you recall, Mike Brady was an architect.

INT. RESTROOM OFF OF HIGHWAY 81

Sark and Sasha are both in the bathroom stalls side by side.  I'm waiting, holding Sark's broken stall door closed.

SARK

Mom, what do you think of Mike Brady’s designs?

ME

Well... 

I roll my eyes and motion with my finger to move this along.

SARK

Sasha.  What do you think?

SASHA

I love the stairs!  I bet they would be fun to jump off.

SARK

Mom, what do you think, really?

FLUSH.  Sark tugs on the door and I release my hold.  He walks to the sink.  Sark pauses before washing his hands and turns to me, very serious...

SARK (CONT’D)

I mean, I really don’t think they are very good.

#GrandpaWouldBeProud

I’m a little concerned that Sasha’s favorite character is Marsha... Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.

Goggles

INT. MINIVAN - AFTERNOON

Sasha forages beneath the discarded sock, sweater, and headband.  She emerges grasping her swim goggles.  As she settles back into her booster seat, she pulls on the goggles.

SASHA

My goggles are tighter than yesterday.  How fast does your head grow?

I observe in the rearview mirror...

SARK

Well... let’s see.  Did you learn anything new today?

Sasha pauses, thinking... hard.

SASHA

Nope.

Sark pauses, thinking... hard.

SARK

Did you see anything new today?  Or... did you listen to anything new?

Sasha smiles... ding, ding, ding.

SASHA

I found my doggy purse...

Sark shakes his head and finally settles into his booster seat.

SARK

That must be it.  Your head grows when you learn new things.

Sasha shakes her head in agreement.  They each buckle up and put on the DVD headphones.  Sark launches the DVD with the remote.

I glance over my shoulder and back down the driveway.

In Honor of Sark's 9th Birthday - Observation on Dads

Sark went to the school office first thing this morning to collect his birthday pencil.

I brought Ghiardelli, "the Eagle brand" according to Sark, brownies to school today to celebrate Sark's birthday.

At lunch Sark tells me, "All of the kids coming late with the tardies are the dads bringing them."

#JustSaying

I never fail to be amazed by Sark's insightful observations:)

Flush Already!

I think sometimes we take going green a bit too seriously.  I appreciate the fact that my kiddos like to conserve water, but...really?

It's bad enough when you come upon an unflushed toilet, but it's even more disturbing when you find random plops with no Charmin.

What am I going to find in the laundry?

Could this be the answer to the mystery of the itching of the bum?  Or the grimace with the whisper of, "fire in the hole"?

Just plain scary:(