Never question a two-year-old. They're pretty much always right.

Right before Micah was born we traded in the (extremely disappointing) Explorer we bought right after Judah was born and leased a 2008 Honda Pilot instead. It's generic, it looks exactly like what everyone else is driving, but we love it. Mostly we love that it's reliable and that we don't own it and can trade it in in three years for something else.

A few days ago I took Judah and Micah to Borders to finish up some Christmas shopping. Usually this is fine because Micah is quiet and Judah is a good shopper and loves the kids' section. But this day....Micah was screaming and wouldn't be comforted, and then Judah joined in. So I had to put back all the things I'd picked out because the line was too long to wait in with two screaming children. Angry, I wheeled the stroller out to the parking lot, steering it with one hand, holding Judah on my other hip, and trying to work the auto unlock on my keys with that hand as well. I walked up to the car, clicking the unlock button.

Judah: That's not our car.
Me: Yes, Judah, this is our car.
Judah: No, this is NOT our car.
Me: (Wondering why the unlock isn't working) YES, Judah, this IS our car.
Me: (Pulling on the handle, which won't open, then glancing in the back seat and noting that I don't think I had all those cardboard boxes in there when I went INTO the store, and how did they get there?) Uh.....maybe this isn't our car.

I glanced around, saw our car a few spaces down, and then looked over my shoulder frantically, hoping this car's owner wasn't watching me and thinking I was trying to break into their car. Then I put my head down, walked quickly to our car, and apologized profusely to Judah. He's so detail-oriented, why do I ever doubt what he says?

It's been awhile...

The babies are getting so much more interactive. Awhile back, they both started saying "Mama" and "Dada." Neither baby says it too often, but they are adding to their communication repertoire. Josiah kisses and fish faces on command. We listen to a Dan Zanes song, that has a "tra la la la la" in it, and he says, "la la la" with it, and also if I say it. He waves, not just to us, but to Sophia, too! He searches for his froggie if you ask him where it is. I'm working on teaching him some mealtime signs, because he whines a lot at mealtime. He does hi-five and five really well, and loves it, laughing and smiling when he does it. Sophia, just few days ago, Sophie pointed to our bed. I said, "bed." She smiled and said "Beh" I took her over and put her on it, and she got the biggest case of the giggles. She seemed so happy to have had a meaningful conversation. Then she pointed at the fan, and I told her "fan" and she clapped. She has named my dad, "BaPa" and points to him when she says it. She also points to things and says, "that?" She also gives hi-five and five.
The babies are so sweet and so fun. I love watching them grow!

Some therapist is going to be very wealthy...

Sometimes kids say funny things because they imitate us. Other times, we strike fear in their hearts because they don't understand us.

Tonight, Eszter and I were looking through a catalog, and she saw a book with cartoon fireflies on the cover.
Eszter: "Are those bees nice bees?
Mommie: "They're not bees, honey, they're fireflies. They light up in the dark. They're really fun, nice buggies. If kids live nearby, they can catch them and put them in jars and watch them."
Eszter: (eyes as big as saucers)
Mommie: (thinking Eszter is going to want to track down fireflies to catch them)
Eszter: "I'm sad, Mommie."
Mommie: "Why, honey?"
Eszter: (now sobbing almost hysterically) Because of the kids in the jars!

Then, we call Grammie and Grampie later.
Eszter: "I'm really excited that you sent me ballerina stickers. It reminds me that I want to be a ballerina girl when I'm a grown up. I will have to find a new ballerina teacher, though. My old teacher tells us we have to jump over crocodiles and they scare me. So I won't do it, I just watch."

Rabbits

Eszter grabbed a Little Einstein book to read for 'family story' tonight and we were saying the animals and the sounds they make or the things they do...you know, to teach the babies the important skill and life necessity of animology (animals and their nature). Duck: quack, quack...dog: bark, bark...mouse: squeak, squeak...rabbits: hop, hop. Ashlee and I originally taught Eszter it was a wriggly wrinkled nose, so Ashlee and I were trying to get Eszter to do it (it had been 2 1/2 years). "Eszter" she asked, "what else do rabbits do?" Very quick answer "Have babies!!"

Who's been teaching our 3 1/2 year old about the birds and the bees??? Dean would have an idea, but Eszter's never walked in on us...

Thanks for the sympathy, buddy!

I started having contractions early this morning. Thinking this was it, we rushed out to do some last minute errands, like, oh, buying a dresser for the baby's room. As we drove, Nathan looked over at me and must have noticed I was pale.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Are you scared?" he asked.
"Yeah," I answered.
"I'm scared, too!" Judah commented from the back seat. "I'm scared, too, Kristy!"

On the grosser side

When Judah started talking, I found myself examining my own speech patterns a lot, and realizing that there are things I say constantly, verbal tics I don't even know I have until I hear Judah copying them. Apparently I say "Hmmm, let's see" quite a bit. I recognize my own words in a lot of what he says, but then once in a while he comes up with something and I can't figure out where he got it at all.

Like the other day. We've been having naptime battles that involve everything from bribery to spanking to get him to stay in bed. He's developed one good trick, and that is that he knows if he can produce a poopy diaper he has total immunity from any and all harsh words or punishment for that round. So he routinely "saves up" for naps and bedtime.

So a couple days ago he opens his door with cries of "Poopy! Poopy!" I of course go to rescue him from the mire in his diaper, and as I'm lifting him onto the changing pad he says, with great pleasure, "Smells like a big one!"

Please tell me that phrase has never come out of my mouth.

I forgot

So, Eszter has been going stir-crazy. We broke a heat record here in Arizona, and she has pretty much only left the house for church and a few brief trips to the store. As a result, she has been misbehaving in ways we never thought possible. Those of you who know Eszter, probably think we are crazy. She is usually really well-behaved. So, tonight, I was getting her ready for bed and I asked, "Eszter, how come you've been so naughty today?" Eszter thinks hard for a moment and looks at me wide-eyed, "Mommy, I forgot not to be naughty. I talked to God about it. I didn't mean to be."

How can you stay mad at that????

Zachariah

Eszter (out of nowhere, during dinner): I was reminded, the angels in my good dreams told me I am going to be a pastor.
Then we asked if she was going to be a kids pastor, or a music pastor, or a main pastor. She said she was going to be a main pastor. Then she just started saying, "Zachariah" a bunch of times. What is she a prophet??? Zachariah prophesied of the coming Messiah and that there would be difficult times before He comes. We have no idea who told her about Zachariah.

Then, the next night at bedtime, I was reading her her stories and then praying with her. She stopped me in the middle of the prayer when I prayed we would know Jesus more. She said, "I know Jesus." I asked her who Jesus was. "Jesus is God's Son. He's God." I asked what did He do? "He was born to Mary and Joseph. He was a baby." Then what happened? "Soldiers killed Him on the cross and He died." Why did He die? "So we could know Him forever." Then what happened? "The tomb was empty. He wasn't dead anymore." Eszter, Jesus died so that we could know Him and grow to be like Him and love each other and take care of each other. Do you want to grow up to be more like Jesus? "Yeah." Do you want to pray to God about it? "You can do it." Eszter, that's only a prayer that you can do for yourself. I can't do it for you. "I'm not ready yet." "Mommie, can you tell me more about the empty tomb?"

allergies

So, every time they mow the hay/alfalfa/insert animal feed here, I get sniffly. Honest to goodness hayfever I guess... So today, we are over at our friends' house and Brian and Eszter were going to go swimming. I got Eszter into her suit and she wanted to bring a tissue. Serious as can be, she said, I might need it because I have an allergy to the hay that is mowed. Apparently I need to shut up and take my allergy meds instead of complaining.

Maybe his middle name should have been "the Donald" and not just Donald

A couple weeks ago Judah and I were hanging out at Atwood sales, buying a bag of cement (and oh my gosh, Ladies, if you want to see good customer service, go to Atwood sales without a man: the workers will FLOCK to help you). Anyway. We went inside to pay, and the cashier held out my change to me: a couple of quarters and a penny. Judah intercepted it with an exuberent cry:
"I LOVE monies!"
The cashier laughed and said, "Yeah, me too, Buddy."

An Allican

So i'm giving our 3-year-old a tub tonight, with a ton of bubbles. She pulls about 5 pounds of toys out of the basket splashing into the tub. Suddenly she starts throwing the toys to the opposite end of the tub and says 'Oh no!' I curously ask 'What!?' 'The toys have to get away from the Allican!!' like i'm supposed to know what in the world that is. 'An Allican?! What's an Allican?!' 'It's the diving tube!' (an 8" pool diving toy). 'Really...is it a cousin of the alligator?' 'No,' she protests, again like i'm supposed to know all this, 'it's a cousin to toys!'

Will you marry me?

We were visiting a friend who has a 4 year old daughter named Abby. Abby and my 4 year old son, Andrew, love to play house together. So as we are walking in the door Abby says to Andrew "come on husband lets go play" Andrew replys "I am not your husband" so Abby turns to him and says "fine then I will marry myself!"

A little to much education!

Tonight at dinner we where discussing adoption with our children. We were talking about a women that we know that is going to put her unborn twins up for adoption. She would like them to go to a family that is not able to have children. I said to my husband that we should let some friends of ours, we will call them Mr. & Mrs. Smith to protect their identity, know about her since they are unable to have children of their own. Our 10 year old son says straight faced "why can't Mr. Smith get the sperm up in Mrs. Smith". Times like these it is so hard not to bust out laughing.

Overheard at dinner tonight

Tonight a bunch of us got together, as we usually do, for Sunday night dinner at my parents' house. We were all eating, and my mom and my niece, Lindsay, were having a battle over what Lindsay should use to wipe the food off her face. My mom (that crazy lady!) thought it should be a napkin, and Lindsay insisted that it should be the back of her hand or her arm. They kept going back and forth. Finally, Lindsay's sister, Morgan, had the last word. Very seriously and angrily she turned to Lindsay and said:

"Lindsay, you have to learn not to do that by the time you get to be a lady!"

Allergies

True story...I heard it yesterday.

A young family with their first child discovers in fear what most parents dread: a life threatening allergy...upon his first sip of cow milk, his throat closed and the emergency room was visited. After months of trying different foods and loosing lots of weight, they discovered he was allergic to many fundamental foods.

With serious modification the the family's eating habits and such, the boy improved and is doing very well. This was so strange to them as no one in the immediate family line has any food allergies.

At about four and a half years old, the boy decided he wanted a cat. He had never been so excited about anything in his life. He would ask every day, several times a day and thought it would be the best thing in the world.

About a week into this his mom sits him down and tries to explain that she is allergic to cats and the will not be able to get one.

He looks up at her in confusion and says "But we're not going to _eat_ the cat!"

What do you do when a monster comes into your room?

Note: Unless you want your kids to repeat this answer, I strongly suggest they are not around when you watch it!

There's a trash can in my tummy

and the monsters take the trash out and eat it

Welcome!

Welcome to the 'Chip off the ol' blog' site!

We are excited to share stories that shape our lives as parents...yes, the times when we laugh, cry, cringe, or even desire to crawl into that proverbial hole when our precious children share with the world what they know or can do.

Enjoy!