Overheard at Church

I overheard the following dialogue between the two kids yesterday morning before church started. G: Oh no, there's another baptism next week! K: "Good, that just means there's more childs of God!"

Pious Little One

K was very to get pjs on last night and it was time for bed. Daddy told her she had to get her pjs on "right now". K looked at him super sweetly and said, "But Daddy, the most important thing for me to do is to pray to God." - like that was going to get her out of it, or excuse her slowness. You know, being a Pastor's kid - the God card might always work! Daddy replied with, "Yes, K, praying is very important, but God also wan't you to honor and obey your parents. Right now you're not doing that." She changed her tune, and got her little rear moving a bit.

New Vocabulary

We went camping as a family for the first time this weekend. The weather was beautiful, the kids were well-behaved, and overall it was a lovely time! On one of our many walks through the preserve we happened to be following a couple we'd spotted hugging/kissing earlier. We got closer after they turned along the path and I said to hubby, "Let go the other way, there's some canoodling going on." He seemed to understand what I'd meant (inappropriate public display of affection) so we turned. G heard me say it and said, "What's canoodling?" I asked him to tell me what he thought it was. "Eating spaghetti in a canoe?"....after we laughed we explained.

Scientifically speaking...

I went on a field trip with G yesterday to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a beautiful day, the kids were all pretty welly behaved and we saw a lot of animals! In one exhibit, there was a large tank of water with many, many fish. Down at the bottom of the tank was a crocodile/alligator looking thing, but it was so still for such a long time, the adults weren't certain it was real. We knelt down to look at it, studied it, questioned it and finally decided it may NOT be real. G then knelt down, looked at it and said, "It's real...I can tell by its teeth." I said something like, "Is that so?" He said, "Yes mommy, have to observate things!"

It does make cents!

While babysitting today, A (4 years old) asked at lunch about some pictures on our refrigerator - who the people were, how we know them, etc. I was trying to explain a rather unique situation - a couple we knew well a few years ago, now with 5 adopted children. We haven't met the kids and don't even know all of their names, but I tried to explain nonetheless. After my somewhat inadequate explanation I said to A, "Does that make sense?" He thought for a second, nodded his head and said, "For that, it makes 24 cents!"

I think you must have misunderstood!

Last night while heading to Bible Study at church, movie in hand for the kids, I decided to grab them a snack. I pulled 2 Boysenberry fruit leathers out of the cabinet from our new favorite store - Trader Joe's - and told the kids I wanted them to try this new "boysenberry" flavor. K said, "Is it really ok?" I said, "Ok to have a snack? Sure, I just handed it to you." She said, "No....is it O...K...?" I said, "Of course it is!" "But it's poison-berry - it's not going to poison us?" I clarified for her and they both liked the fruit leather.....a lot :)

I don't believe that's what you meant....

K & G were upstairs playing and I heard them in put-on voices going on and on about "Isn't the beach lovely today? I think we should take a swim in the ocean." They came racing down the stairs, and K took a giant leap from the wood floor in the dining room over the carpet threshold of the living room and yelled (at the top of her lungs!) "Cottonball!" G was right behind her, leaping, yelling, and repeating "cottonball!". I looked at their happy faces and said with all seriousness, "Did you mean 'cannonball'?" K's face immediately changed, she looked at G and said, "Oops!" They tore back up the stairs, repeated the same conversation...."isn't the beach lovely today? I think we should take a swim in the ocean." Then they proceeded to race back down the stairs, again make giant leaps and this time, yell "CANNONBALL!"

A sweet gift

Just before Christmas, K told me she wanted to do some extra chores around the house for money. She wanted to make money to take me out to lunch at the chinese buffet (my favorite place!). Then she decided that was too much work, so she planned to ask Santa for a gift certificate instead!

The Governor of What?

I learned at the recent Children's Christmas Program at church that "Cornelius was the governor of cereal".....nope, it wasn't my kid that said it! :)

Will you grant me three wishes?

Today I was talking to the family's hairstylist and commented about a friend I've had since high school and how she is K's godmother. (I normally would use the term baptismal sponsor, but understand that godmother is more universally understood.) Later, on the way to dance class, K said,"So Krista is my fairy godmother?" "And Mike is my fairy godfather?"...so I explained what it was I had meant. I had to break the news to her that she doesn't HAVE a fairy godmother :)

Tongue Twisted

When encouraged to finish her dinner ('cause she's ALWAYS SO SLOW!), K said, "I'm chewing slowly so my taste tongues........taste buns........taste bugs can taste it!"

You Know What I Meant

Several weeks ago, I taught K a new word which means EXTREMELY dry and thirsty. She's tried using it on her own a couple of times, usually getting it close, but not quite right. The other day we were out running errands and K said, "Mommy, I'm starched." What? "It means I'm really thirsty? (with a tone like, of course you dummy!)" I get it! "You mean PARCHED!"....."Yeah, that's what I meant."

A Case of Confused Identities

We took a trip to the seminary in Ft. Wayne to drop off some donated items from our congregation. As you enter the main drive, there is a rather large statue on the left. Daddy said, "Hey guys, look, there's a statue of Martin Luther coming up here on the left." From the back seat, G pipes up with, "Who's that? The guy who drove the Santa Maria?"

Career Aspirations

K is so excited to be starting her first dance class this week. However, last week she told me that when she grows up she wants to go to the moon. I said, "So you want to be an astronaut?" She replied, "yes". So I told her about how you have to be good at science and have special training to be an astronaut and that it would be very exciting. Then I said, "But I thought you wanted to be a dancer when you grow up." Her response? "I do, I want to dance on the moon.....has anybody ever done that before?"

Duh, mom!

K had a playdate with her friend G today. They ran up and down the stairs; dressing up, playing Barbies, playing house, you name it. At one point G came downstairs wearing K's black church shoes and I said, "Oh, K's shoes fit you?". G simply responded, "yes". K said (with sarcasm in her voice), "Of course, 'cause we're friends." I tried to explain that doesn't mean you necessarily wear the same size shoe, or that it should be some sort of prerequisite for becoming friends. I'm pretty sure my point was lost in her excitement to continue playing.

Interesting Idea

K has two stuffed pink dogs; one she's had since birth that G gave her and another for at least 2 years. She's never really been one to name things. An infant is "Baby", a small primate is "Monkey". She will sometimes name things after people she knows. Yesterday, she proudly announced that she'd come up with names for her two pink dogs....Vanilla and Steve. What?!?!

Lacking Entertainment

I told G this morning at breakfast that the TV is broken (went on the fritz last night). He asked if we will have to buy a new TV. I told him that's what the warranty is for, a repairman will come and try to fix it and if it can't be fixed, they are supposed to give us a different TV. He said, "I hope they give us a TV like N & P's (his grandparents)".....I said, "What?" - Their TV is an LCD flat screen, just like ours, except I believe ours is bigger, so I couldn't figure out WHY he wanted a TV like theirs. G said, "I want a TV like N & P's 'cause I just love SpongeBob and ...." I explained to him that the TV has nothing to do with it, N & P have cable, whereas we're on antennae. So unless the TV guy brings us a cable line way out here to the country or a dish for FREE, we ain't gonna have a "TV like N & Ps"! G was really disappointed.

He's Not Contagious!

We have a short-term foster child, respite for a week. K couldn't remember his name, but got it close, "Germ" day one. Day 2 she said his name was "Jer-mo-mee". Day 3 she finally got it right!

It's Not Always Pronounced How It's Spelled

The adults just returned from a trip to the Southwest. The kids stayed with their Grandparents and had a great time. A gift we brought for K was a small bear from my brother (a police officer). On the drive home from the grandparents, K was holding her bear and studying it intently. "I know what my new bear's name should be," she said. I asked her what. "Pawlicka," was her reply. I saw she was pointing to the vest the bear was wearing. There I clearly saw the letters P-O-L-I-C-E. I'm really proud of her reading skills, as she is just 4, but I had to try my best not to laugh as I told her how the word is really pronounced.

Choices, choices

G and daddy went to take the dog to get her nails clipped. We've found a VERY reasonable groomer who only charges $5 for the event. They returned home and I asked G how it had gone. He said, "It cost 5 whole dollars. I could have gotten a footlong, I was starving." I can't blame him, I love Subway too :)