Jonas was channeling the exorcist this afternoon as we ran some errands, and when we arrived home, he was immediately sent to bed where he slept for about four hours. Then he woke up and spent two hours being ugly. My eyebrows were so furrowed I thought they were going to permanently attach to my nose.

And then he found the park ranger uniform he got for Christmas last year and has never worn. He put it on. He then spent an hour proudly cleaning his room and doing good deeds around the house. He is loving. He is wise. He is acting like an eight year old. And. . .he is calling himself “The Stranger” and is freaking hilarious.

“The Stranger” has an egg timer (mine). “The Stranger” needs to ask highly scientific questions about river otters. “The Stranger” kisses his mother. “The Stranger” begs to vacuum his suddenly immaculate room at 11pm. “The Stranger” has moved half of his sister’s errant toys out of their room and into mine because: “Park Ranger Strangers From Space don’t need toys.” I informed him that Little Sisters do.

Every time I am ready to throw in the towel with Jonas something new and odd happens to gain full control of my curiosity and force me to forgive the really horrific moments. I like “The Stranger”. I hope he sticks around for a few days.