watch out for the bruise monkey

I spent last night making Annika and Frankie some car mix CD's, and today has been designated "kite day," so I'll save a longer update for tonight. But here are some quick Annika-isms while the girls are downstairs eating breakfast: Bad weather swept through the midwest over the weekend. Annika was very excited because we all went in the basement together when the Potato Sirens went off. Yes, that's right. We live in Potato Alley, and every Spring we brace for the onslaught of potatoes suddenly dropping from the sky, leaving unbelievable destruction behind. You know, they made a movie with Helen Hunt about it. (By the way, that movie was perhaps the worst thing that ever happened to our cat, Hepburn, who has the misfortune of bearing markings incredibly similar to the famous flying cow. For months afterward, Jörg would pick her up and twirl around. "We've got debris!") Annika fell out of her bunk bed last week. I guess it had to happen sometime, and the floor is nicely padded with carpet, but of course it still stopped my heart just a bit. She was fully awake (trying to exit down the ladder face forward), and caught herself with her arms and legs, so no head or abdominal injury. The next morning Jörg noticed that her legs were pretty bruised up and asked her what happened. She glanced down nonchalantly, shrugged her shoulders and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "Bruise Monkey." And that was all she had to say on the matter. Of course that got a good laugh and Jörg asked her, "Are you a little comedian?" Annika, still in her perfect deadpan, corrected him, "No. You mean, 'Am I a chameleon?' " And then she finally broke down and laughed.