We had a bouncing good time in Texas

Thanks for having us Nana and Poppy!

One of Life's Great Mysteries

Yesterday while driving in the car Jack (a picky picky picky eater) asked me "Mommy, WHY does all of the healthy food taste bad and all of the unhealthy food taste good?"

I said "Buddy, you have really stumbled upon one of life's great mysteries there. Life sucks. Get used to it."

Okay, maybe that isn't exactly what I said, but it was the gist.

Road Trippin'

I took my boys on a Road Trip to Texas. It's ONLY halfway across the country, right? I kept telling myself the whole time, thank goodness my parents live in Marshall. If they lived in El Paso, this would truly be terrible!

On the way we did the fourth of July in Atlanta. Here are some of the highlights:

Sam: "Mama, are we going to stay at the Show-and-Tell tonight or at Nana's house?"
Me: "The Hotel, Sam."
Sam: "OK Mama, the Hotel."

Five seconds later
Sam: "Mama, are we at the Show-and-Tell yet?"

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We are at the Fourth of July party at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. It is extremely crowded. They have these cool Olympic Rings that shoot water out of the ground and the kids can play in. The boys have been looking forward to it. We show up and it is an absolute madhouse. I immediately start making categories of worries in my mind about how I'll possibly keep up with them in the crowds if they are running around in this.

Me: "Jack you have to hold Sam's hand at all times."
Jack: "Awwww........"
Me: "Look. Here is the red stroller. I'm parking it here. You should be able to see it. If you can't find me, come here, and I'll meet you here. Do you remember my phone number? It's 999-999-9999. Okay buddy? I'm going to try to watch you the whole time."

We find an area that is not too crazy and Sam of course busts into the water through the people. Jack is hanging back near my legs. He looks really concerned. He is the thoughtful child.

Finally I say, "What's wrong?"
He says, "Mama, what did you tell me your phone number for?"
Me: "In case you got lost, you could call me."
He looks at me like I am an idiot: "FROM WHERE???????"
I laugh. "Good point, buddy. Just go play. I'll find you."

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After the sprinklers, we are at the main area of the park. It is like a huge festival and there are lines of food carts. I start reading of all of the choices for them about what they could have for dinner. Jack chooses something quickly. Sam is sitting in the back of the stroller. After reading about 50 choices to him, he looks at me with big eyes and says "Mama, can you choose for me?"

My children are opposites.

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We are about to get into the car to drive ten hours, at the end of which are Nana and Poppy. The boys are very excited to see them, but they don't realize, of course, the fact that we have to spend the entire day in the car first. As we are leaving our hotel room Jack is staring in the mirror. "Can you fix my hair? It needs to be flatter." I brush it. "Right before we get there, can you look at it again and see how it looks. If it looks messy, can you fix it again?" He asks these things so earnestly, it sort of breaks my heart.

Don't you wish...

we all still loved balloons enough to sleep holding them? :-)

The Truth Hurts, Sometimes

I'm back at home with my boys now, as it should be. Scotland was lots of fun but 9 days is too long for me not to see my guys.

Jack, like any six-year-old, will tell you exactly what he thinks. He doesn't exactly sugarcoat things so that your feelings are not hurt when he tells you something. It is an endearing quality, but can sometimes lead to you really shaking your head.

The other day, he was talking about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He was talking about being 22, and suddenly he goes "Wait, will you guys even be ALIVE then?" He is really big on us dying, and I guess he is assuming it will be in the next 16 years.

Last night, I was reading him a story before bed. He said to me, "Mommy, I have to tell you something. Your breath smells..."

Dramatic pause. I'm bracing for something really rude.

"TERRIFIC! Wow! It smells just like peaches!"

I must admit, it made me feel good. Expecting the worst can help sometimes.

Graduate

My little buddy is a Kindergarten graduate. Hard to believe next year he will be in FIRST GRADE! I am not ready for them to grow up. He did great at his graduation and his celebration luau tonight. We had a GREAT year and we don't want it to be over. Time flies when you are having fun!

Funky

Most of the time when my kids say stuff, it is easy to see where they got the words from (often from yours truly). Yesterday, I tried to get Sam to lay down on his Elmo couch (it is like a little fold out bed thing that they sleep on all the time) and go to sleep. Jack and I were lounging around reading, and I wanted him to go to sleep. He told me "Mama, this Elmo couch is TOO FUNKY!" I laughed. I have never said Funky to him that I can recall. So, I told him to go sleep somewhere else if he wanted to. I said "Go to your bed or the couch then". He said "Nope. All the sleepin' places here are TOO FUNKY. I guess I just gotta' stay 'wake!"

He's a mess, that child.