So last Sunday Isaac and I ran to Lowes to get some parts to finish up Pistachio's closet.  On the way we had the following conversation:

ISAAC: Daddy, I love you.

ME: Oh, I love you too buddy.

ISAAC: I love you more.

ME: No way, I love you much more.

ISAAC: Nope, I love you much, much, much, much more.

ME: Isaac, I have been both a kid and a parent and I know how much I love Nanna and P-Pa. Trust me, you love your kids more than they love you.

ISAAC [after a long pause]: Well, I love you more than you love Nanna/P-Pa.

What do you say after that?

Like Adam and Eve, tomorrow marks the day that I too am cast out of paradise.  Few things are better than spending two weeks with Bianca and Isaac, but doing that over Christmas can't be topped.  As of tomorrow, Isaac is going to St. Bernard, a school right down the street.  Technically it is not kindergarten, but it might as well be.  He'll have a backpack and he and Bianca will walk to school.  His daily commute goes from 1 hour in the car to 5 minutes walking.   He'll have no more than 1/3 the kids he did in his class at Goddard.  All in all it will be better for him.   His last memories of this break will be of Great Wolf Lodge (post coming soon), which was an unprecedented vacation from vacation. 

And Bianca, well, things worked perfectly as she will have the entire semester off.  Undoubtedly she'll futz, because that is what she does.  She can't relax, but futzing is about as close as she can get.  And it is a huge relief off my shoulders as I don't have to worry about her driving in the snow or walking up and down the slippery hills of Worcester 8 and 9 months pregnant.

Then there is me.  I go back to work.  Plain and simple.  I like my job, but no job can hold a candle to Isaac Anthony and Bianca Rose.  First day back is, of course, a madhouse because there is no default other than that at the Public Defender.  I don't have to worry about being bored though.  Before I catch my breath it will be time to come home.

And looming over all of this is a simple fact--in two months our lives are going to change forever.  In two months Pistachio will be here and everything that we have come to know and count on will be up ended.  We'll be tired and delirious, but happy. 

So as I am cast out of paradise, I look back with a tremendous smile at a Christmas break that was the perfect respite to the daily grind and the perfect lead up to huge changes for the Sculimbrene household.  My only regret is that Nanna and P-Pa weren't here to share the time with us.  But as compensation we got the wonderful, beautiful Madeline Helen Kreiling.

Welcome back to the grind everyone. 

How much do you like Star Wars?  Probably not as much as Isaac.  Let's recount some anecdotes:

1.  Last night he woke up and shouted for his Mom.  She dutifully went in and found her 4 year old son perfectly awake at 3 in the morning.  Over the monitor I heard him recount his dream, not with terror in his voice, but disappointment that it was not real.  He had a "lightsaber dream".  He and his friend Eli from school both had lightsabers and were tear assing around Goddard with them. 

2.  He has recently gotten on this tear about what is the most powerful thing.  Lightning, fire, ice, you know pretty much anything a dragon could spit out or nature could conjure, he has put on the list.  He has asked me these questions a few dozen times over break, but recently he asked Bianca what the most powerful thing was and she said "Love."  He said: "Nope Mommy, the Force." 

3.  He asked me why they don't learn about Star Wars in school.  I told him that there are certain things you need to know, like how to read, math, history, that kind of stuff.  He then asked me if there were lightsabers in any of those things.  Alas, to both our chagrins, the answer is no. 

4.  Last night at our favorite pizza place besides P-Pa's backyard, a little boy sat next to Isaac while they watched the brick oven fire with glee.  They struck up a conversation that went, no bullshit, just like this:

Isaac: Hi, my name is Isaac.

Boy: How old are you?

Isaac: Four.  How old are you?

Boy: Four.

Isaac: I have seen Star Wars.  Have you seen Star Wars? 

Boy: Yes.  I love Star Wars, especially Dart Bader.

Isaac: Me too.

Later in the evening, as we were leaving, they spotted each other and gave a knowing grin to each other.  They both were thinking the same thing--Star Wars is awesome.  I know that grin.  I am wearing one as I write this. 

5.  On Christmas Eve, just before all the boys got their second winds, we were watching some TV and Star Wars Rebels, a new TV show, happened to be on.  Anthony Nap and I both were good with that being on and so was Isaac (obviously).  Colby and Myles have yet to feel the call of the Force, but were interested.  At one particularly tense moment, Isaac leaned over to Myles and told him: "Don't worry, they are Jedi."  He then went on a dissertation-like speech about the color of lightsaber blades and how they align with good and bad guys. 

So, how much do you like Star Wars?  Probably not as much as Isaac.  Yes, that includes you George Lucas.