The Art of Repitition

Ally didn't have school on Thursday or Friday this week due to the state teacher convention. We planned a day out yesterday and took the kids to the Aquatic Center (indoor pool with slide and fountains and small lazy river), then dinner and ice cream. Aside from the challenge of getting 5 people dried, dressed, and layered up for the increasingly fall-ish temperatures, and the simple fact that poor Christopher was shivering almost the whole time, a good time was had by all.

On the way to our last stop (ice cream), Natalie kept repeating the question for which she had already heard the answer: "We goin' get I - Sone?" (Have I mentioned that I-Sone is how she says ice cream? You ought to hear it; it's kinda cute. Unless you've heard her ask the same question 128 times, give or take a few. At that point it loses some of the cute factor.) She does this often, repeating questions so many times that we start hollering the answer. I do realize this is probably not the best method of ending the questions, but it tends to work.

Until she realizes that she has a different question.

We were patiently trying to answer the all-important ice cream question, again and again, but patience was waning.

Ally finally declared, "I wish she'd just have the confidence to stay quiet!"

Hmmm. I think that might have some philosophical meaning deep in there, but seeing as it came from a 6-year-old's mouth, I think it was a fancy way to say, "I wish she'd just shut it!"

The Same Thing?

My mom was in town this weekend, loving on us and enjoying some quality time. On Friday night we opted to eat out and ended up pulling into our local favorite Mexican restaurant.

Allyson enthusiastically declared, "Yes, I LOVE Chinese food!"

We all giggled and I said, "This is a Mexican restaurant, honey."

Her response: "Whatever, it means the same thing."

Then, while enjoying our dinner, Ally asked for the lemon in her daddy's water.

After tasting it, she said, "Yuck, it's too spicy!"

We said, "Spicy? I think you mean sour."

Her response: "Spicy. Sour. It means the same thing."

It's possible that I may need to supplement her public education with a bit of home school vocabulary instruction.

Like Father, Like Son

Is it possible that a preference for sparkly red toenails is in the DNA?

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Thinking Outside Inside the Box.

Yes Man

In the last week or two, Christopher has begun to nod his head in response to questions. In the video below, we were able to briefly capture his unique head nod on camera. Unfortunately, our beloved Allyson also has to make sure to shine in the video also! (Seriously, we have not been able to record a video without her interrupting it since Natalie was born!)

It is refreshing that Christopher chose to learn to say, "Yes" before he learned to say, "No". Now if only Natalie could begin to favor "Yes" over "No"!!!!!

You're Making a What?

Allyson is quite the creative little thing. She's constantly pulling things out of the garbage that she wants to make into a craft. Most of the time, these "crafts" are little more than decorated garbage, but don't tell her I said that.

Anyway, Natalie is accustomed to her sister's work ethic and sees her working at her desk often.

This morning, Nat was in Ally's chair at the desk, collecting bits of paper and stickers. I asked her what she was doing and she quickly responded,

"I makin' a crap."

Okay.

Really, what can you say to that?

Wanted: Personal Shopper

In an effort to be authentic, I'm going to take a moment and admit a clear (but newly discovered) fault. David is probably as much to blame here as I am, but since I'm typing, I'll take the blame.

I do most of the shopping for the household. I know how much things should cost, where I can get a decent deal, and what is needed. The exceptions to this rule are the major purchases.

Like appliances.

So let's just cut to the chase, shall we?

Apparently we really stink at purchasing appliances.

Do you remember the dryer story from just a few months ago? If you're really bored and there's nothing on TV and nothing to eat, no one to chat with or no mall to shop at, go ahead and waste a bit of time reading it here and here. Oh, and here too. And, uh, here.

Well, our dishwasher began giving us trouble a few months back and we tried ignoring it. But recently it has become loud enough that you can hear it throughout the house. The racks are rusty and falling apart. One part broke off during the wash cycle and wedged between the rack and the bottom, making it (almost) impossible to open the rack at all!

So, last Saturday we made the decision and wandered into the SAME appliance store that sold us our dryer. That might have been our first mistake.

With three kiddos in tow, two of which were not feeling the whole shopping-for-dishwashers vibe, we selected a model that was located in the "scratch and dent" section. Shopping in this area allowed us to purchase more bells & whistles for about the same price as a new-in-the-box lesser model.

Here's how the rest of the story goes:

• David spent about 2 hours removing the old dishwasher on Sunday night.
  
• David breaks and replaces the water shut-off valve. Oops. (Did you know he was a plumber, too?)
  
• New dishwasher is delivered on Monday afternoon.
• David and I begin the process of installing the dishwasher. (Really who can justify paying someone $130 to install the thing for you?)
• After nearly 3 hours, yes THREE hours, we decide that the "scratch & dent" dishwasher is, uh, more than "scratched & dented." The frame is bent, making the entire thing un-level-able. (Yep, I'm quite aware that isn't a word, but it works here.)
  
• We go to bed tired and frustrated after David re-reads the receipt that says "All Sales Are Final."
• David plans the call and politely, but firmly, calls the appliance store on Tuesday and explains the situation.
• David comes home from work early, loads the dumpy dishwasher into the van and returns it to the store.
  
• David returns home with a new dishwasher (in the box!). Same price as the previous, just fewer bells and whistles, and a never-been-touched frame. SO WORTH IT.
  
• David and I spend nearly three hours (uh-huh) installing the dishwasher on Tuesday night.
• When we retire for the night, it's leaking, but we're too tired to deal with it.
• After four attempts, the leak is finally stopped and our dishwasher is fully functional on Wednesday night.

I think I may have a problem with over-explaining, but the real moral to the story is, we need someone else to do our appliance shopping for us. Clearly we don't have the knack.

Oh, and next time, I'll pay for the installer.

I take that back, we're pros now. We'll install yours for you...for a price.

Just Call Me a Thief.

I'm just going to come right out and say it...I'm stealing this post from a friend of mine who I think will forgive me. Probably.

Our friend Beth is a big fan of Sara Groves, and I have always enjoyed her music, too, although it seems like the last six years have been dominated by the tunes of the Wiggles, Laurie Berkner, and many versions of kids' Bible songs. Soooo, I can't say that I have sat down to listen to much of the sweet girl's music. Sorry. I'm realizing that I have clearly missed the boat and I need to get right on that.

Somebody else tell my kids that I'm confiscating Laurie.

Anyway, I came across Beth's post today and had to listen to the song.

What I heard made me melt. I. Loved. It. And I SO want to memorize every word and sing it to my kids. Just like Sara did.

But maybe without the avocado part because my picky eaters wouldn't even know what I was talking about. Maybe I'll replace it with mac n' cheese or overly processed fried chicken in various shapes. Alas, I don't think that would fit into the melody.

So maybe I'll just sing it straight. Cuz' it's fabulous, I tell ya.

Go read and listen.

Mind your P's and F's.

As anyone with a young child knows, clear speech takes awhile to master. And until then, you enjoy all the funny things that exit their mouths.

Take, for instance, our Natalie. At 2 1/2, most F sounds are replaced with P. It makes a lot of things sound a little "punny." And as most toddlers do, she will also leave off ending sounds like d, r, and t. So the word "for" will be pronounced "poe."

Our favorite example of her sweet speech happens almost nightly when she insists on praying over our dinner. Sometimes her prayers are just one-liners and others they go on and on while the rest of us stifle our giggles. But this line is almost always recited.

"Dee Jesuh, Tank you poe all ow poo."

That would be, "Thank you for all our food," in case you didn't get it. Or in case, like us, you got another image altogether.

I suppose we should probably be thankful for poo, too.

I think it might have been a compliment...

Last week was "Spirit Week" at Allyson's elementary school. Monday was Backwards Day, Tuesday was Mismatched Day, Wednesday was Hat Day, Thursday was Hero Day, and Friday was School Colors Day.

Ally isn't thrilled to participate in these kinds of things, especially when it hinders her style.

On Wednesday we were talking about Hero Day and the various people that might be considered heroes. She wasn't vested in the conversation really, she must have been doing something really important, like writing her next novel.

After I stopped talking, she replied, "I don't have any heroes except for you, Mom..."

Before you all jump in with a collective, "AAAAH, how precious!", keep reading, because she didn't stop there. (Picture a slight look of disdain on her face...)

"...and I'm NOT gonna dress like YOU!"

That would be called a backhanded compliment, for those who were wondering.

Fall Beauty...or not.

Am I alone when I say I love the fall? It's not my favorite season; that would be spring. But fall is such an interesting season to me. School, and many other things, get re-started after the summer hiatus, weather cools just enough to be enjoyable, colors change and abound, new television shows start...I could go on, but I'm thinkin you get my drift.

Although it is by no means our habit, the little ones and I sometimes play outside for a bit after taking Ally to school. The mornings are cool, but not cold, and the sun is bright. On this particular day, I was enjoying the autumn leaves that are beginning to fall. The red ones are my favorite.

I really love that God created a season that kind of revolves around death (or at least hibernation), but infuses it with splashes of color and warmth. Take, for instance, this plant I thought was dead. (I'm sure my tendency to forget to water our flowers has nothing to do with its demise. I'm thinking it was bugs...or...uh...lack of rain...or any attention at all...or something.) But, out of nowhere the sweet thing goes and blooms again! See?


I was picking up my favorite leaves and showing them to the little ones. Chris examined the leaf treasures and promptly tossed them aside.


Natalie snatched one up and smooshed it into her purse as if it were the last apple cider doughnut.


Then she took her baby on a ride.

Yes, she is wearing her pajamas. (No judgement, okay? Sometimes 8:00 AM arrives a little too quickly to actually dress everyone. Ahem. At least Ally was dressed. And Christopher. And I'm pretty sure I changed into actual clothes, too.)

Before long, Natalie caught my fever and began picking up leaves of her own. This is the one she carefully presented to me as if it were a homemade pumpkin pie.



She quickly provided the words that must have been on the tip of my tongue:

"Aaaaah, look at duh cute little leaf!"

More proof that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.