Let me Entertain You

So you know how we're going to Canada for Thanksgiving right?(in eleven days. But who's counting). Anyway, on the flight back, Lisa, Scott and the Kids are on the same flight we are. And I just know one(or both) of them are going to insist on sitting with "Aunt Shell" for at least some of the time. (With no prompting at all from their Mother. Really). So I went out and bought all of this stuff to keep them entertained on the three and half hour flight. Does this look like enough activities to entertain a four year old and a six year old for three hours? No? Yeah, I didn't think so. Back to Barnes and Noble I go in the morning.

Funny Things Heard While Watching my Niece and Nephew

The scene: We are in the car. Joe is sitting in the passenger seat(Scott was driving). Gracie has a magic wand and is waving it around, making things appear and disappear. She waves it over the back of Uncle Joe's head and says "Alacazam, alacazoo, I will grow some hair for you."
There was no coaching from me at all. I swear.


The scene:
We had just purchased Cameron a Magic Trick set from Barnes and Noble. We had opened it and I was showing him how to do some of the tricks.
After showing him how to do some coin tricks, he turns to me and says(very seriously) "Now show me how to make something disappear."
I reply "I did. We just made that coin disappear."
He says "No. Make something really disappear. Not just a trick."
I try to explain that's what magic is. Magicians do tricks, and make it look real."
He says "So I can't make something really disappear?"
"No." I say.
"Oh." he says, and looks terribly disappointed. I can't help feeling like I have somehow taken some of the wonder out of his childhood. That is until Lisa told me later how she told him there's no Santa Clause. Now I don't feel so bad.

And my absolute favorite:
We are sitting in a diner eating lunch. Gracie had ordered a hot dog. It was the biggest hot dog I have ever seen. She was clutching it in her fist, holding it vertically(I don't know why). Suddenly, out of nowhere, she holds it up in the air and says(loudly) "Hey! This is bigger than Uncle Joe!" Heh.

Things are going along swimmingly here in S.F. at the Smith household. After a fun morning spent at a Halloween Fair, Lisa and Scott took off in his new convertible to Napa. Joe and I took the kids out to our favorite pancake house and to have lunch. Well, I had lunch, but everyone else chose breakfast foods for lunch. Then it was home for a nap(Joe and Gracie), and a movie(me and Cameron). Not sure what's on the agenda for tonight. Probably Pizza for dinner, then maybe a trip to the old fashioned ice cream stand for some yummy ice cream. Then showers and bed.(for the klids). Although honestly, I'll probably be close behind. I am tired.