"My strongest power is my true potential ability."

It's no secret that Lem talks a lot. Tonight at dinner, he got on a roll and just would. not. shut. up. Gwyn and I were both finished eating, and he was still talking and talking. And it was all non-related facts. Such as, "Did you know that the continents were all connected?" to, "You know that myth that if you eat a watermelon seed it will grow in your stomach? Well, that's not true, because plants need light to grow." And on, and on, and on.

I finally said to him, "Hey Lem, why are you spouting all these random facts?"

And he said, "I don't know. I have to spout them to somebody, or my head will explode."

Well, alright, kid. We can't have that. But what about my head, that's going to explode from the nonstop talking?

Today at lunch ...

"Lem, are you finished eating?"

"No. I'm having a staring contest with a beheaded sardine."

Last week I posted a "perfect" picture: delicious hot chocolate and a peaceful boy quietly reading his book while he slurped hot chocolate.

Well, here's the real story.

I told the kids we could have hot chocolate ... after a walk outside. Gwyn was game, but for Lem, it wasn't so easy. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth as he tried to make the "hardest decision ever." He didn't want to go for a walk, but he knew if he didn't, he wouldn't get hot chocolate. He finally made his decision, and stomped unhappily outside. He started complaining almost immediately, and finally wailed out, "I could have been inside practicing my hand-eye coordination!"

As unpleasant as the walk was, it made the hot chocolate all that much sweeter. The poor kid's hand-eye coordination may have suffered, but at least he got some fresh air and exercise.

Yesterday ...

Lem was in the bathroom, peeing, and he yelled: "Did you know that pee is 95 percent water and 5 percent uraine?"

Me: "Uraine? Don't you mean urine?"

Lem: "Well, I read it uraine. Maybe that's the way the French say it."

"Mom. If you want to win, listen to me."

Conversation with Bean Dip

At lunch yesterday, Bean Dip brought up the ending of "Horton Hears a Who," which his class watched in school on Friday as part of their Dr. Seuss celebration. He told me that at the end, the Jungle of Nool was shown as a tiny speck of dust floating in space. I said, "So it's perspective, right? The Whos of Whoville didn't know they were a speck of dust either ... until Horton heard them. What if our universe is really a encased in a drop of dew on a leaf somewhere in a whole giant new world? Blows your mind, doesn't it?"

Bean Dip said, "I don't think that's true. I think there's an end of the universe somewhere, and when you get to the end you just drop off."

I said, "Lem, did you know that that is exactly what people thought back before North America was discovered? Before anyone sailed west away from Europe, everyone thought that the world was flat and if you sailed too far you would fall off the edge."

 Then I said, "When you grow up, you can sail to the end of the universe and see what is at the end. Maybe you'll see the edge of an even bigger world. "

Bean Dip thought for a bit and then said, "What if I sail to the end and all that's there is a gas station? Wouldn't that be funny?"

And I said, "Yes. That would be the most epic joke of the Cosmos."

The Things They Say ...

Last week, I told Bean Dip it was time to take our Christmas decorations down. He said, "Christmas isn't over yet! I still have jolly in me!"

Baby G noticed a little boy at the pool was covered in temporary tattoos. She went over to him and told him, "I like your tattoos." And then they sat and compared tattoos.

The Things They Say ...

On Thursday, Baby G came home from school and told us this little story:

G: At school today, Ari said I was a funny girl.

Win: Well, what did you say to him?

G: I said, I'm not a funny girl. Why don't you come to my house and see how not funny I am?

We are reading Charlotte's Web now. The other night, Baby G asked me why the spider was writing in her web (G doesn't always pay attention to the chapter books we read.) So I explained it to her, and while she was digesting it, Bean Dip piped up:

"Well, I don't care if they kill Wilbur. I like bacon."

The Things They Say, Winter Version

1/14/13

At Karate yesterday the sensei was explaining the strategy of yelling when you hit, and Bean Dip raised his hand and shared a long comment about how in chess you have to have a plan to get the king. The sensei said, "You know how to play chess? And Bean Dip said, "Oh yeah, I'm really good."

One of the moms said to me, "He plays chess? I've never even played."

1/31/13 Gwyn: "I want a pink sparkly shooter with pink sparkly bullets. And went I grow up, I want to be a girl shooter!"

(She meant she wants to be a hunter.)

2/2/13 Gwyn: "When I grow up, I want to be a ballerina. Or a truck driver. Or a car driver and drive a pink race car."

2/3/13
Today at the park G came over to me and said, "Those people are speaking Spanish!"

And she was right.

Then I heard Bean Dip say, "How do you say this word: p-o-t-t-y?"

There was a pause, and then G said, "Potty."

It's even more impressive because I never use that word.

2/19/13 Bean Dip to me: "When you were born, were cars pulled by horses?"

We have had a long quiet week with lots of germs ... Baby G came down with something over the weekend so we have been hibernating. Funny how a short week can last so long. I'm glad it's Friday, and I'll end with the quote of the week:

Bean Dip to me: "When you were born, were cars pulled by horses?"

Baby G just came zooming in and said, "I'm Supergirl, and Bunny is a super hero, too. His name is Tornado."

Then she went zooming away.

Making Healthy Choices

We just dropped Baby G off at school, and Lem is up watching a few minutes of TV before he gets on the bus. (He had a delayed start this morning.) He just called me upstairs to tell me about a PBS parent tip he saw. He explained that parents can help their kids make healthy eating choices by letting them chop vegetables, smell herbs, and put them in the pan. Then he said, "But you don't let us put the vegetables in the pan, so we are not making healthy choices." 

So I told him, "I let you do everything else, but I cannot let you put stuff into a hot pan." 

He agreed that I was right, then said, "But you aren't letting us smell herbs." 

I said, "Lem! We are growing our own herbs outside that you eat all the time!" 

And he grudgingly said, "Oh yeah." 

And then he said, "I guess the kid in the commercial was older, like 8, and he was putting the vegetables in the pan."

I told him we do make healthy choices, and he'll get to put stuff in the pan when he's old enough. So ridiculous.

The Things Bean Dip Says, Christmas Version

12/12 Bean Dip: "I just love Christmas. Not just the presents. I love the lights, the tree, all the decorations."

12/23/12 Bean Dip: "I think I'm going to get half coal and half presents. But even if I get all coal, that's fine because we can use it to grill!"

and ... "I'm going to hold the door for everyone, even strangers, and be really good, because tomorrow is Christmas Eve."

Later, I asked him about the coal and said, "Maybe you'll get coal, and a big raw steak to grill," and Bean Dip said, "Maybe Santa knows I'm a dragon."

12/25/12 Bean Dip: "I'm so glad I didn't get coal for Christmas."

"Who knew that a five year old named Lem who was into dragons could cut cardboard?" -- Lem on Sunday

I still don't know exactly what he is creating, so I'm glad he is doing it all by himself.

"I just love Christmas. Not just the presents. I love the lights, the tree, all the decorations." -- Lem

The Things They Say

10/12 Gwyn: "Amials" for "animals."
10/12 Gwyn: "I don't want to go places." or "I'm tired for going to places."

10/29/12 Lem, when I woke him up in the morning: "Is it Halloween?"
               Me: "No, you have two more days."
               Lem: "Then why do I have to get up?"

11/12  Lem, on being sick: "I'm worried my blood cells are dying."
           Me: "What made you worry about that?"
           Lem: "The Magic School Bus."

11/12 Gwyn: "Mama, I have a lot of love for you."

11/12 Lem: "Gwyn, you aren't a grown up until you can use a chainsaw. I think I could use one if I wanted
          to, but I'm not ready yet."

11/12 Gwyn: "I'm sick. I have a throat."  (What she meant is "sore throat.")

11/12 Me: "Hey Gwyn, what do you have in your purse?"
          Gwyn: "Baby bottles, appetizers and candy. Everything I need!"

11/12 Gwyn's latest compliment: "You're a genius!"

11/12 Gwyn likes to pretend she's a rock star. But when she's done she says, "I'm too tired for rocking."

Halloween

We had a really good Halloween this year. It was great, because the kids were so excited about it. The waiting was a little tough -- every day G would ask, "Is it Halloween?" And on Monday, two days before the holiday, when I woke Bean Dip up in the morning, he said, "Is it Halloween?" When I told him no, he said, "Then why do I have to get up?"

We carved our giant pumpkin on Saturday. Well, I carved it. G supervised and BD was the videographer. We got out our "spooky" decorations, and BD declared our house the scariest one of all. And we scared at least one little kid with our fake skull.

There were not celebrations at school, and we skipped all the weekend events around town. I thought the one night would be plenty. We had macaroni and cheese for dinner, and were just starting to get ready, when we got a Skype phone call from Win. So it was great, we got to talk with him, and he got to watch the kids get dressed up. They were so, so excited.

It was dark when we headed out. We went longer than last year. I think the kids liked seeing all the other costumes and decorations just as much as getting candy. G gave up on the "trick-or-treat" and started announcing what she was instead: "Monkey!" BD got lots of compliments on his costume, and lots of older kids asked him if he was Harry Potter. One woman told him that he was very famous (which BD did not know), and then one woman said to him, "Mr. Potter. I've been expecting you." He got a kick out of that. He did look good, and his robe looked cool billowing out from him.

There was one scary house that got us all. The people had made a little haunted house on their porch, and we had to walk through to get to the candy. Strobe lights, loud noises, creepy clowns and ghosts, and no warning that perhaps it wasn't for little kids. But we made it through, the kids got their candy, and although G whimpered a bit, she didn't cry and cheered up right after. Bean Dip just talked and talked and talked about his self defense plans.

We headed home to hand out candy. But we were the only ones with a light on, on our street, so we didn't get too many trick-or-treaters. But we got enough that the kids got to hand out some candy. Towards the end, a group came, and this cute little Batman (he was probably two) freaked out at our skull. He was just screaming and screaming. So I gave him a whole bunch of candy. And explained to BD and G how different things frighten different people. The last doorbell ring was two teenage girls, and I pretty much dumped the whole bowl of candy into their bags, They were really happy (and really polite).

I let the kids eat what candy they wanted. BD ate just a few pieces, then wanted Oreos. G opened a lot of candy but only ate some. Her favorites were the five suckers she opened and held in her hand like a bouquet, licking each one in turn. We finished the night with Dora and Harry Potter, and milk and cookies.

Oh, and a good teeth brushing with new toothbrushes.

The quote of the night was from BD. Tired of all my picture taking he asked, "Is this Halloween or picture-ween?"

Drama Queen

A few of Baby's G's recent favorite sayings:

"Everyone ruin my life."

Her go-to excuses for not doing what I ask:

"I'm too tired."

"I can't walk."

Just picture her saying those with the most pitiful whine/cry/pout you can imagine. You'd think she has it so rough.