Why I became a parent

Our strawberry-picking plans with Winnie & family have fallen through, what with the torrential downpour soaking Ottawa right now. The kids are upset, but not too much in Justin's case; he loves playing in rainstorms.

Me: ::holding backpack we were going to take to pick strawberries:: Go on out, have fun.

Justin: YAAAAAYYY!!

Daniel: Um... OK...

::goes out for a few moments, comes back in::

Daniel: Nah, it's too wet.

Justin: ::disappointed:: Come on, Daniel, come play with me! It's a rainstorm!

Daniel: No, I'm going inside.

Me: You chicken.

Daniel: No, I don't want to get wet.

Me: Here, hold this. ::hands Daniel the backpack, goes into the rain::

Justin: !!!!

Chris quotes

Me: Yeah, and thanks for listening. And for giving me advice the way you did, and not pushing it at me.
Chris: Yeah, I've got to figure out how to do that more often with you.
Me: Not push advice at me?
Chris: Yeah. Because I keep thinking, I'm so much smarter than you, so how could you not want to know what I want you to do?
Me: (laughing) "Oh, oops, did I just say that out loud?"
Chris: I meant because I'm so narcissistic, how could I not think you want my advice? Yeah, that's what I meant.
Me: (laughing some more)
Chris: Five years I've been lying on a couch. Just to be able to say that. I'm narcissistic.