Steps and Sincerity

My girl.  She’s so sweet.  Today she told me that she wouldn’t be happy if I died.  I touched her face and told her I’d do my best not to for a very long time.  She looked up with a serious face and said “Well, you’d better stay away from dinosaurs then.”

“And lions.”

Thanks for the advice, baby girl, I don’t know if I would have thought of that myself.

~~~~~

And Elias is taking more steps daily.  He’s such a funny boy.  I’d predicted that he’d be my earliest walker as he was showing signs that that would be the case since he was about 6 months old are so.  I was wrong.  Here is at 15 months and I still don’t consider him a walker.  But he’s a wicked fast crawler.  Shoo boy!  When I stand him up that boy gets that mischievous grin of his on and falls to his knees and takes off like a shot.  Who needs to totter along when you can rocket even if it is low to the ground?

Still, I catch him practicing when no one is looking.  Lately he’s learned that he can walk with Zion’s baby doll stroller.  He wouldn’t do it if I asked him to but as he’s discovered it himself and he doesn’t notice me watching I’ve been catching him at it more and more.  And I couldn’t be happier that he’s getting so close.  Not because I’m anxious about whether or not he’s walking but my back needs a break!  That kid is getting HEAVY!

Sweet Innocence

Last week we took the kids to the local Fair.  It was a blast (though the time we had was too short) and I’ll post pictures soon.  But apart from the usual eating of Fair food and riding of rides a funny thing happened.  We went to look at the cows.  That in itself is not the funny part (aren’t you relieved).  We were walking through the cow barn and Zion asked someone if she could pet a cow and they said yes.  While she was fawning all over a very pretty brown and white cow Gabe asked the farmer how to tell which ones are the boy cows.  *gulp*  Poor farmer.  He made a valiant attempt.  He pointed to a small solid brown steer that was tied off to the side and asked Gabe if he noticed the difference between that one and all the other female cows standing around with udders bulging. 

Gabe said “Oh, I see.”  Our collective minds went “Phew, we don’t have to take it any further.”  But Gabe continued “That cow is all brown.”  I laughed the hardest, poor farmer stuttered and didn’t know what to say I believe.  I finally told Gabe that it’s the same way with people, they have different parts.  I *think* he understood when we left.

But I could be wrong.

My Storyteller

Zion has the biggest imagination.  Really truly.  And she tells stories with such conviction that many people believe them.  One of her MOPS class teachers got a little miffed with me for not telling her that we’d changed Zion’s name to Claire.  We hadn’t.  Zion is just that convincing.  And even when it is obvious she’s telling a tall tale she’s just so entertaining.  I keep promising myself I’ll get her on video.  For now, here’s a transcript of a story that she told in school the other day, her teacher wrote it down as she was telling it.

Once upon a time there was an apple tree in the park and it fell down and hit my head and I didn’t know it fell down on the gate.  And I was so trapped.  And I had to go in the tree trunk and I didn’t know there was a door there and it slammed it and locked it and I was so trapped.  There was no way out!  My mom and dad didn’t know and I didn’t eat any food and I fell asleep in the tree trunk and my mom and dad found me.  And then I woke up and it was just a dream.  The end.

And I can hear her telling it as I read it and see her gestures and her laugh.  And this isn’t even one of her best stories.

Today she told me she needed help writing a list.  I figured it would be a wish list but it was a chore list.  She had me write things like “wash windows” and “clean the table” and when I was done writing her list she proceeded to do the chores.  Love it!

Good For A Laugh

Today Rob and I taught in Children’s Church.  For our church that is for the 3-5 year old group and it takes place during the main service.  Nearing the end of the service one of the ushers cracked the door and brought in the elements for Communion.  Rob and I picked a cup of juice and a piece of cracker and turned to each other to take a moment when we heard Zion from all the way across the room.

She urgently blurts in a hushed and very serious tone “Don’t drink the juice.  It’s blood!”

Characters

My kids are such characters.  They just crack me up all day long.  Gideon for instance, seemed to believe that one must first crack a plastic Easter egg before it would open so you can get the goodies out.

Gideon “cracking” eggs

And this is how Zion asks if she can have a cookie.

Zion asks for a cookie.

Elias won’t be left out either.  He got a kick out of his first ride in a Home Depot racecar cart the other day.

Sorry if the sound isn’t great, these were taken on my iPhone.  Still, you get the point.  Such characters!

Growing Up

Gabe’s class earned an in classroom sleepover with their good behavior throughout the year.  *gulp*  I’m about to send my baby boy off to a sleepover.  He’s done sleepovers before but this is different.  I’m trying to stay calm about it.  Breathing in and out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Today I had another realization that my boy is growing up.  Backstory, for days now I’ve been blaming the cat for a noxious smell in my house.  It had gotten so bad that I was actually mentally preparing for how to tell Zion we would have to get rid of Eva because we absolutely cannot have a cat who pees in the house.  (Naturally this would be a ways down the road after vet checks and every attempt to clean the house and retrain her to use the box.)  I’d clean the box and put in all new litter, I’d empty every garbage and spray everything with Lysol in case it was a diaper that someone had tossed in the trash instead of putting in the garage.  I’d think I’d get rid of it and then it would come back.   

I’m going around my house with my nose to everything to find the culprit.  This morning I thought it was cat pee in Gabe’s room because it smelled HORRID when I got the boys up this morning.  I cleaned ALL day today and even washed the rug by the back door and all the dog beds and animal blankets.  When I put Gideon down for nap their room didn’t smell anymore and I thought “Woohoo!  Smell is GONE!”  Then just now I finally paused to take a break and discovered it was back.  Arg!  And then I realized Gabe had come home from school.  And he brought his stinky, smelly, nasty, noxious socks and shoes (and likely his feet) with him. 

Ugh.  My boy has taken one more step to manhood (pun intended). His feet stink.  Lord help us.

Alrighty Then

A few weeks ago when the kids had a snow day and I made them that muffin tin lunch they had asked me what was for lunch and I told them they were “making their own darn lunch”.  I was joking around of course, little did I know how much it stuck with Zion.

They’ve all got the sniffles again.  (You would need to beep out some of the words in my thoughts about that, I’m so sick of the sickness.)  Low fevers and snotty noses (and those cute adorable stuffed up voices that come with a child’s cold).  Gideon wanted waffles for lunch and Gabe concurred.  Zion said she wanted “snack lunch” (what I call it when I just throw a bunch of tidbits on a plate and serve it as a meal).  So after I served the boys and called her to the kitchen she came and saw a plate on the kitchen cart and was clearly expecting to see the muffin tin.  Made obvious when she suddenly, sadly blurted “I thought I got to make my own darn lunch”.  She was clearly not trying to be sassy.  She was merely repeating what I had said before.  It was pretty funny.  I’m still laughing, she was so sincere in her plea to make her own darn lunch.

For the record, I filled some muffin tin cups and let her make her own darn lunch (which was my plan all along).

Earlier today I made her some darn leggings.  I bought some women’s socks on sale at Target weeks ago fully knowing I was still suffering from sewing machine anxiety but telling myself I could do it.  I don’t know why but I’m afraid of my sewing machine.  I know if I use it frequently enough I’ll get over it but I wasn’t.  I hadn’t used it in ages.  Well, perhaps not quite that long since I only bought it 5 years ago but I’ve used it a precious few times since then.  Today I finally did it.  I set the machine up, made a bobbin (while consulting the manual), threaded it and made the leggings (super easy just cut off the feet in a line parallel with the top hem and then make a bottom hem).  I do believe these leggings are darn cute.

And she must like them too because she wore them to bed.

p.s. someone has pulled up to standing twice, the first time on Saturday and the second today.  Both times I missed a photo by this ---><--- much.  Darn again.

Overheard

The scene: Zion and Gideon sitting on the couch watching The Last Mimzy.  Gideon is in one of his rampages where everything that is on something (the couch especially) must be thrown to the floor.  He throws a pillow to the floor (I don’t think this is why they are called throw pillows, however) but wants it back.

Gideon, gesturing wildly at the pillow, to Zion: Go get that!

Zion: silence, continues to watch the movie

Gideon, gesturing wildly at the pillow, to Zion: Go get that!

Zion: silence, continues to watch the movie

Gideon, gesturing wildly at the pillow, to Zion: Go get that!

Zion: silence, continues to watch the movie

Gideon: OK.  I go get that.

Gabeism

(Man, am I on fire today or what? Three posts in one day! Just like old times.)

Today I was searching for a snack for the kids which is entirely unrelated to the story but anyway, searching for a snack, head in the pantry and I hear Gabe say "I want phantom armor* for Christmas."

I said "Oh, does it really exist?"

He replies "I don't think so, so I'd like the Armor of God instead."

:)!

*phantom armor is from the video game The Legend of Zelda and the Spirit Tracks.

A Link

hyperbole and a half Hilarious blog.

The only reason why I wrote an entire post about this is because I just found this blog today so the page was up on my computer.

I have to shut my computer down before I go to bed.

Therefore I have to close the page.

I didn't want to forget to go back and read more.

Where, oh where, can I put the link so I don't forget to A) go back and read more and B) what the blog address is?

This seemed like it would be a logical place to keep it.

Thanks for your help.

Overheard

From the bathroom when Gabe and Zion were supposed to be washing for dinner. Apparently Zion who is potty training decided to do her business before washing. All I heard was Gabe say "You can't do it like I do because you don't have a p*nis" (and I asterisk that because I don't want anybody randomly Googling that word to find my blog that way).

As I'm chuckling to myself I hear Rob, who is also in the kitchen with me, say "I fixed a p*nis today." More laughter on my part as he explains that at his job they have a machine (apparently girl ones and boy ones) that tests diapers. Said unit had a leaky ...uh ... unit. *smirk*