Well, that turned out to be a lot more complicated than expected. Why was it the modem and not something I'm trying to get rid of anyway, like our ancient and probably leaky microwave? With Brainiac's attachment to that thing a lightening strike is my only hope of ridding us of it once and for all. Ten minutes to steam green beans, indeed.

Since the modem fried much has happened and nothing has happened. Brainiac, lovely and wonderful though he is, forgot Mother's Day. I wasn't upset, really, since the whole day is nice when it comes off but nothing to get really bothered over, you know?. And I had the best giggle when driving to church and the guy on the radio said something about it and, out of the corner of my eye saw my beloved swallow hard and make a sound that seemed as though it might have been "earghfphma".

Even better was the laugh I had a few days later when, with an utterly straight face, he began a sentence with the words, "If you've been thinking about Father's Day I have an idea for you."

"An idea," I responded, "Does it look anything like the Vera Bradley bag I'm looking to buy myself for Mother's Day?"

It was not.

In other news, the Boy Wonder has four loose teeth. His special treasure box is all set on his nightstand, ready for offerings to and receipts from the Tooth Fairy, although he has also left her special instructions that under no circumstance is she to wake him up. "Fairies are cool," he said, "But I don't ever wanna meet one."

The Boy also fell into a pond on Friday. It was very hard to keep my mothering cool with that one but all is well. He was merely very wet, somewhat cold and only a little algaeish, and dried off to find himself in possession of a renewed commitment to swimming lessons. As a bonus, we taught him the meaning of "commando" when our friend whose house we were visiting was able to produce fresh socks, pants, shirt and shoes in his size, but no underwear. On balance, I'd say he regards the entire event positively.

And Entropy Girl. My sweet, beloved "primpress" (uh, that's "princess") of the sapphire eyes. Yes, her. E.G.'s speaking more in the last week or so. More in the sense of quantity of words said, although she's actually repeating the same words over and over (and over and over). "No way. I not." Based on today's conversational output, that means she's not going to 1) eat breakfast, 2) take a nap, 3) keep her shoes on her feet, 4) refrain from hitting her brother with a piece of laminate flooring or 5) stop saying "No way. I not."

I tell you, sometimes it's a very good thing she's cute.