Stolen Identity

As I approached a STOP sign this morning while taking my kids to school, this was the conversation that took place:

Sweet Potato:  So and So are behind us.
Honey Bunches:  No, that's not them.
Sweet Potato:  Yes it is.
Honey Bunches:  It can't be.  That doesn't look like their Mom or their Grandma driving.
Sweet Potato:  That's because it's their Dad!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

My kids like to make me laugh.  Some days they try to be sillier than the last.  In their attempts at comedy, they usually ask the question, "Is that funny Mom?"  And I usually answer, "It was a little funny."  Last night, Sweet Pea was dancing around crazily and asked, "Am I funny Mom?"  As usual my reply was, "You're a little funny."  To which she asked, "What do I have to do to make it a lot funny?"  Well talking like that is one way!

Playing "wedding" is still a big hit in our household.  This past weekend, Peanut Butter stayed with us and Cucumber claimed that she was going to marry him.  She dragged encouraged him to go outside with her to re-enact a wedding.  As I was checking up on them Cucumber said, "I'm charging people at my wedding, so if you want to watch you have to pay."

The kids and I were cleaning out our DVDs and we found The Berenstain Bears - one we haven't watched in a very long time.  So this morning, the girls asked if they could watch it.  After awhile I asked, "How do you like this show?"  Sweet Pea responded, "I'm getting a kick out of it!"

Near Heartattack

We keep the garbage can under our kitchen sink.  Today, as I was changing out the bag, I noticed some scraps had spilled over.  So I cleared some things out from under the sink and began to clean up the mess.  Then I touched something that forced me to look twice.  It was a small, grey mouse lying with its feet up.  I jumped back and began to scream, except that I lost my voice last night and so no sound was coming out of my mouth.  I was jumping up and down hysterically, trying to scream when Sweet Pea walked into the kitchen.  She thought I was trying to be funny and began laughing and saying, "mom, you're so silly!"  I rushed to the sink and began to wash my hands profusely.  Then I brought my vacuum in and sucked everything up, including the mouse.  At this point, my heart was racing, my face felt hot, and my hands were trembling.  I am a complete wimp when it comes to rodents.  Our vacuum has a clear canister, so I investigated what I cleaned up.  I definitely had a mouse in there, but I discovered that it wasn't real, it was a rubber toy.  I am still recovering at this time.

School Girl Crush

As I was checking my son's homework a few days ago, I found a note wadded up in his backpack.  It was from a girl in his class, declaring her crush on my son.  My gut reaction was, "who is this hussy girl?"  I was pleasantly surprised that Sweet Potato was willing to talk about it. "She's just this girl who likes to be by me and tries to hug me at recess," he so innocently explained.  I had to ask, "Do you like her?"  "Well yeah, because she's my friend."  Whew.  I'm not ready for "relationships" yet!

Since finding the note, I have, of course, tried to catch glimpses of this girl while picking my kids up from school.  Actually, I didn't have to be very sneaky about it, as the child approached me yesterday and asked, "Can you tell Sweet Potato to wave at me when you drive by?"   Brazen little bugger, isn't she.  I complied and told Sweet Potato that "girl" wants him to wave at her.  "Give me a break" he replied.  I reminded him to be nice.  "Well I'm mad because she got in my way when I was trying to play football at recess.  I'm not waving at her!"  Well prioritized my son.  Well prioritized.

Enunciation Please!

Poor little Sweet Pea is battling a cold.  She has lost her precious and innocent little voice to one that makes her sound like a lounge singer holding a cigarette in one hand and a martini in the other.  This morning as we were playing, she approached me with a notebook and a pencil.  "Mom, can you draw Clifford umming?"
Me:  What do you want me to draw?
Sweet Pea:  Clifford umming.
Me:  I am so sorry sweetie, but I don't understand what you're saying.
Sweet Pea:  Mommy pleeeeeeease draw Clifford umming.
Me:  O.K.  I understand you want me to draw Clifford. (This would be Clifford the Big Red Dog).

After a few minutes of this conversation, Sweet Pea began to run around the kitchen.

Sweet Pea:  Now do you understand what Clifford is doing?  He's umming!
Me:  Yes Sweet Pea.  I understand that Clifford is running.  I'll draw him for you.

I drew her a picture of  Clifford running and she said, quite disgustedly, "you drew Emily Elizabeth."
I give up!

The Good Ol' Days

Recently, Monkey toes and I tackled the job of cleaning out our storage shed.  Our goal is to park our vehicles (well at least mine) in our garage.  A novel idea, I know!  We began by making piles.  One was a "keep" pile, one a "trash" pile, one a "donate" pile and one a "family members" pile.  In the very back of the shed were three boxes with my name marked on them.  What I unveiled took me on a walk down memory lane.  These boxes were originally stored at my parent's home, and once we bought our own house, my parents gave them back.  I haven't seen many of these items since High School. 

Box number one contained my Letter Jacket and my first Bible - it was given to me at my First Communion.  Box number two was filled with items from my dorm room in college - one of which was a Lego set that Monkey Toes gave to me.  It was a gift that he mailed to me at college my freshman year.  I had shared with him a long time before then, that one toy I had always wanted as a kid but never received was Legos.  To this day, it is still one of the most thoughtful presents I have ever received.  The third box really brought me back to my childhood.  It contained notes from my elementary crush, Homecoming buttons, letters from Monkey Toes, birthday cards from my parents and grandparents, and a note that my friend Rhea gave me in 7th grade.  I spent HOURS scouring through these boxes.  I brought them all into our living room, poured myself a glass of wine, and started reminiscing.  I also brought along a garbage bag, thinking that I would condense these items into one box.  What I discovered, is that it was more difficult to throw items out than I had imagined.  Why is it so important for me to hold on to a Homecoming button from my youth?  Why am I holding on to an old prom corsage?  I'm not sure where my internal struggle stems from, but I wound up keeping the 3 boxes and placing them back into storage.  Maybe they will be a project for another day.

As I was looking through the boxes, I had a smile on my face from the many wonderful experiences I've had in my life.  Although some of those keepsakes are over 30 years old, the memory seems like just yesterday.  What I've learned is how short life is, how fast time passes, and the impact simple gestures and acts of kindness imprint upon my life.  Maybe that's why letting go of the past seems so difficult.  It is a reminder of how blessed I truly am, with my faith, family and friends.

Halloweenie

I know this post is well past October 31st, but better late than never.  We began the tradition last year of meeting up with Silly and her family on Halloween.  They live in a development and it makes Trick or Treating very easy!  We start with supper, then get into costume, and then hit the streets.  Halloween isn't exactly my favorite holiday, but having a plan and getting together with family makes it much more fun for the kids and bearable for the adults.

This is Sweet Potato who fell asleep on the way to Silly's house.  

                                   

                                 

Peanut Butter

The Loot

The title of this entry is credited to Sweet Pea.  Halloweenie is how she pronounced the Feast of All Hallows Eve.  It put a smile on my face each time she said it.  My favorite moments of the evening were watching Pumpkin gallop to and fro at each home.  I thought it funny that both my boys were ready to leave after visiting just 4 homes.  Cucumber insisted on wearing these hard, plastic shoes that came with her Belle costume.  I packed tennis shoes for her, but she declared that she loved her sparkly shoes and was not going to spoil her outfit with sensible shoes (well she didn't actually use the word sensible, but that's the gist of the situation).  I found it endearing that the head to Sweet Pea's Tigger costume continued to fall lopsided.  And Gummi had an unceasingly amount of energy.  She probably would have continued long into the night had we allowed her.

The candy is quickly dwindling, the costumes are packed away in the closet, and once again we have sweet memories of a fun filled night.