Out of nowhere the other day, Caitlyn announced, "I don't like the dark." She paused, then confirmed, "I like the light."

Having just watched NightWatch, a Russian vampire movie, this was an especially reassuring statement.

Caitlyn: "Why do we have a cat?"
Me: "Mama doesn't like dogs."
"I like dogs."
"Well, when you are all grown up and live in your own house and are responsible, then you can have a dog."

A pause.

"I don't want to be responsible. I'll have a cat."

Ian just headed out to the party for this:

Microsoft Photosynth makes star turn on CSI: NY tonight

Not sure if I like the idea of it being a "Microsoft world", but I do have quite a bit to be grateful to them for...

Caitlyn seems to be experiencing synesthesia, or at least she's getting her sensing verbs all mixed up. While waiting for the light to change this afternoon, the other crosswalk light was chirping. She says to me, "I see it beeping, Mama." When warned of impending loud noises, she'll often cover her eyes. We'll talk about spring and new leaves and she's tell me how she hears all the green.

My favorite, though, was Monday night on the walk to Maki & Yaki for dinner:

"Papa, I can smell my reflection in the window cars."

Things on the internet last forever: Here's more proof.

Ian tells me the article is rather dull, about some one in Poland who has resigned from a post. The individual had gathered some prior media attention for being somehow involved in or an instigator of an investigation into the Teletubbies and if watching the show encouraged homosexuality in infant viewers. But of all the pictures out there of the Teletubbies, this particular blogger has made a fascinating choice.

This is an excellent distraction: Free Rice! Quiz your vocabulary, learn new words, play with a rather addicting website, and donate rice via the UN to end world hunger. Ah, an Internet toy with a positive benefit for everyone!

"Don't, Mama. I'm dreaming." So says Caitlyn to me apropos of nothing while we were at the Seattle Aquarium.

"You're what?"

"I'm DREE-ming."

"Ah," I say. "What are you dreaming about?"

A small pause, and then she answers, almost wistfully.

"Soup."

Caitlyn and I had our lunch outside in the garden today, all informal and picnicky, perched on the stepping stones eating our sandwiches while Wasabi took in the sun. She wanted to know if it was popsicle time yet.

We've planted the peas. Caitlyn has her own "garden", a large planter where she's put in peas and hopes for corn. She helped plant the first of the lettuce seeds, carefully sprinkling then covering and watering. I have to keep her from over-watering the beds or from digging where we've planted. Til the seeds come up, it's just so hard to remember where they are!

The narcissus are up, and I've spotted the swellings that will be flowers in another week or so, especially if this warm weather keeps up (54 and sunny today). There's a crocus blooming in the front yard, and the hellebores are in fine form. I fear I've lost the fuchsia to the several freezes we had over the winter, but I am wantonly hoping that it will leaf back out as it continues to warm up. Same case for the hyssop in the backyard. But there are buds swelling on the blueberries, new growth coming up on the chives and some of the strawberries I thought hadn't survived last summer, and an abundance of leaf buds on all three fruit trees.

Hooray for spring!