When the big hand goes to the twelve, then...

the little hand will be on the seven. And then, it's time for nainai.

Binbin has now fully embraced the logic and truth of the clock. It now dictates when to have two sippy cups of warm milk (yes...he's four and still loves his warm milk), when to turn the TV off, when to have bath and put on pajamas. And, blessed be the dictatorship of the clock, it gets us out the door on time in the mornings!

Predictability and routine have us all a little calmer...or am I speaking for myself? At any rate, Binbin does sit down to have dinner with us, and can be persuaded to wait before transforming his lego racecar in a lego chopper. He's amazingly skilled at following the diagrams and getting that little plastic piece into just the right spot. Of course, it still takes Baba to keep the little guy on task. Then, after the collaboration, you can count on Binbin to say, "But Baba, I don't like the chopper. Can we make the motorcycle now?"

Other recent activities, given the excess of snow, include making homemade snow cones. Take 4 cupfuls of fresh, clean snow. Scoop into pot. Fashion a paper cone, tape, and place into a cup. Spoon snow into paper cone. Add potent mixture of lemon and sugar. Enjoy!

Binbin's other favorite recent activity is playing "Go Fish!" and "Memory." He is the hands-down favorite to win in "Memory", but for some reason, he still can't keep himself from flipping three or four or more cards when he knows better.

We've had a steady diet of non-fiction books: "Percussion" and "Brass" and now "Strings." And though Jack and I weary of reading about finger cymbals and digeridoos, Binbin's enthusiasm for musical instruments only grows with each passing day. Thankfully, he's recently embraced a new book: "Lobster's Secret."