I mean, LITERALLY...

Our sweet 3 year old girl is in a very literal stage of communication. I didn't really realize the extent of it until this morning, when I left to take her to school on a day Caleb was out.

Mama, I don't want to leave Cayub. I'll miss him.

I know, sweet girl. He'll be there to pick you up with me today when school is over.

But he's [I'm] too big.

Too big? Oh you mean to pick you up. No, I mean that he'll be there when we get you from school.

But he can't drive.

You're right, Anna. Mama will drive. Caleb will ride with me when we come get you.

Right here?

Yes

But he's too little to ride with you.

Oh, (seeing her point) yes, he's not old enough to ride in the front seat with me. He'll be in his seat. You'll be able to see him in his seat when you come to the car after school. It'll be so fun.

But I'll miss him...

Heard at the McDonaldSpot

I just read a funny post that reminded me of some things we've been hearing around the McDonaldSpot lately.

Daddy, let's play chest!
Sweet girl, it's not "chest", it's CHESS.
OK. Let's play chest together.
Can you say Chesssss?
Chesssst.
Not chest. Chessssssssssssss
Chesssssssssssssssss....t


Atchally, Mama, these are my wittle animals.

Mama, when (if) you were a wittle goor (girl), I could pat you and make you burp.

lots of "I knew that." in response to explanations to a certain 6 year old's questions, ranging from topics on magnetism, the way land-line phones work, NBA basketball, and more. We think he's just testing our own knowledge...

Mama, you know the other side of the Aggie stadium? I'm going to be over there some day.

Daddy, wook! These are the slobbering clothes baby Jesus was wrapped in!

Monsters

We received daily reports from Mimi and the kids each day that we were gone on our DC trip. They were having all sorts of fun while we were gone!

One night was an exception though. Anna was having quite a bit of trouble sleeping. The kids were on air mattresses in Mimi's room, since Pawpaw was out of town.

Anna would wake up every hour or hour and a half, crying.

It went something like this: (story used with Mimi's permission)

Mimi: Anna, are you ok?
Anna: (mumbles, cries) points at light on porch outside curtained windows

back to sleep

Anna: (cries)
Mimi: What's wrong sweet girl?
Anna: (points to shadow)
Mimi: (reassures her)

back to sleep
Anna: (crying) There's a monster.
Mimi: There's no monster in here, sweet girl.
Anna: (insistant) Yes, it keeps saying MOOO! to me
Mimi: (thinking something may be up) It's ok, there isn't a monster. (uh-oh... a realization creeps in) Where did you hear that sound?

Anna: (points to Mimi's side of the bed)
Mimi: (yep, suspicion was right) Oh. That must be... my snoring.

back to sleep

The next day...

Mimi: Anna did you sleep ok?
Anna: Yes! ... Except for the mooing.

Talking to Anna that day...
Mama: Did you sleep ok?
Anna: Yes, but Mimi smells and says moo. (makes "sniffing/smelling sound" for the beginning part of the snore and says MOOO!)

Seen and Heard at the McDonaldspot, toddler edition

You know I have to blog about what's going on.

...and what's going on right now is potty training.

Yes, potty training.

Don't look at me in that tone of voice...

So, we hear lots of adamant things being said:

"I don't WANT to go poo-poo."

"It's GOOD to push out poo-poo."

"(Insert name of family or friend here) goes poo-poo every day. Everyone needs to push out poo-poo." Yes, you may have been used in one of our examples. Sorry.

Screams and moans as the inevitable begins to happen and the urgency becomes scary. (so far, this is every time. We just look at each other in helplessness and frustration and wonder if she'll ever get used to this.)

Mid-progress: "I. want. ICE CREAM. now."

prior to any progress being made: "I need some shows." We're not the only ones who put the training potty in front of the tv, right?

And the best, or at least we hope that it's a good motivator:

"if I push out poo-poo, I can have (insert name of patiently waiting Schleich animal who has been camped out on the mantel for days on end), right?"

Perspectives of a Kindergartener

With First grade approaching quickly, I'd like to submit into evidence some examples of what goes on in the mind of Kindergarteners.

People's Exhibit #1:
This is a homework document in which our esteemed student was to illustrate words that contain the sound of the letter X.


Granted, it's possible they talked about these examples in class that day, but I guess it's a sign of the times... I never would have expected Caleb to automatically think of texting! I also love the pictures! See the finger, hand, and wrist bones? Scott is so proud of the Smartphone. :)


People's Exhibit #2:
(Translation included at the right) Background: This is a journal piece written back in November or late October, presumably during a government unit preceding the recent Presidential elections. Note the clear presence of opinion, and make sure you don't miss the bit of political activism at the bottom...

I like George W Bush.
(I can handle that.)
He gets taxes.
(Not sure if he meant that W gets the tax money or
if he "gets" --understands-- taxes.)

If I was the
President, I would
Let everyone

Scribble-scrabble.
(There must have been some reprimand that day for Caleb's lack of quality work at that point in the school year... Which really cracks me up!)

Product Testing, aka How to Remove Sharpie from Solid Surfaces

So after this morning's Artwalk, as it were, I immediately began to try to remove the marks. Being a teacher, I had learned that Nail Polish Remover works surprisingly well to get permanent marker off of plastics and lamination. I picked the most decorated piano key (not ivory, thank goodness) and tried it. It succeeded in smudging the marks well, but I was concerned that the surface of the key was affected. Then, I googled "how to remove Sharpie." Surprisingly (or maybe not so) there were quite a few suggestions on the internet.

Some suggested toothpaste or Soft Scrub. (abrasive, maybe?)
Others suggested WD 40 or a pink eraser (pencil or gum variety).

Most swore by Hand Sanitizer! (All I can figure is that its high isopropyl alcohol content, like polish remover and hairspray, has an effect.)

I had goo gone already (no help) and had some hand sanitizer (didn't wait long enough, evidently). Funny, but I didn't think to try plain shaving cream, which is a WONDERFUL carpet cleaner and is great for kids to play with and clean table tops at the same time. I'll try that if Anna ever has a relapse. ;)

Worried, I tried my last resort:
I hesitated to try because I have witnessed firsthand how it had removed flat paint from the walls of our home in Missouri with only light pressure. I was afraid it would do worse damage than the polish remover or other abrasives might have done. But, I couldn't imagine leaving all of those marks, so I pulled out the Magic Eraser, took a deep breath, and got to work.


Here is the before of the piano keys:

Here is the AFTER once I used the Magic Eraser. Seriously.

So, I ventured over to the blinds and the bookshelf and the half-moon table. Success! No scratches or compromised surfaces were observed. The only things that didn't respond absolutely well were plastics like the Lego storage. I haven't tried my trusty nail polish remover on them yet.

As you saw in the picture of her hands, the polish remover had smudged her henna Sharpie body art, but no removal was happening. Guess what erased it completely?

No, not Magic Eraser. (Ha) ;)
A baby wipe. Yessiree Bob. ONE baby wipe cleaned it all.


Crisis averted. We didn't even have to do much disciplining, as she was so visibly upset by my reaction and concern from the beginning, that it was obvious she was punishing herself. She would even go point to the spots and say "Here. I sowwy."

Sweet girl!

The McDonaldSpot Art Gallery

Milk and Cookies available during normal artwork viewing hours...

We know that Anna loves crayons and pens. She has been honing her fine motor skills lately at home and at school! She has always been hesitant about paint (mess!) and smocks (made her claustrophobic?) until recently. We were so proud to get her snowman sponge painting from Mother's Day Out recently, when she volunteered to wear a smock for the first time! Perhaps she'll love art after all!

This morning I awoke early to her calls to change her diaper, and afterward I had her play in her room while I caught a few more winks of a power nap. I woke up about 20 min later and walked into our piano/formal dining room where Caleb has been working on a science fair project with Legos.

Our artist met me at the doorway with her latest pièce de résistance. Medium? Broad tip Sharpie.

This was taken later after a cleanup attempt with fingernail polish remover.

Then I saw my camera, which had the screen colored on. Great. Fortunately it wiped right off using the hem of my t-shirt.

Then I saw this work of art.



Naturally, I had interest in her work...and perspective...so I began to seek out more by considering the whole span of the gallery (with perspective in mind, if you know what I mean). There was Caleb's science fair project:


And her mixed media musical offering....

This is just the upper range. The last 5 keys on the opposite end were quite a sight to behold, and I don't know how I didn't get a photo of them.

And the blinds...




The bookshelf was an interesting study in both horizontal plane and vertical plane art. Amazingly, no books were harmed in the production of this art.

looking down on the horizontal piece

Her best work yet... Actually, we've been working on drawing faces....
Do I smile proudly or cry?

Then there was the storage tub and Caleb's Lego storage (for his project)...

And what was probably the scariest, er, I mean most moving work of all was the one that bridged the gap from that room into the living room: the demilune table. I was certain that finding this one meant the borders of the McDonaldspot gallery had expanded...

Whew. It hadn't. This was the final piece.

Thankfully, the light colored couch, chair, and carpet were spared. So were the leather couch and the walls. Does that make her a discriminating artist?
Tune in for the next post... Now what?

Winter Break Capers, part τρία

(OK, that's supposed to be Greek for 3, according to Google Translate-- It's definitely Greek to me...)

A few more shots of the family fun...

Mandi is one of the holders (is that the right term?) for her cheer leading competition squad. We got to see a video of one of her competitions... They're good!


New Year's Eve

Trust me, there's a safe distance between Scott and the sparkler Caleb is holding.

HOWEVER, I must say that danger did strike...
The guys thought they'd buy a rolling firework novelty... a Hummer that was billed as driving and then shooting out fireworks. (That's all that the description said.)
We assumed (logically) that for it to drive, the fireworks must be pointed out the back end (propulsion) and if anything shot out, it must be like sparklers out of the headlights, right? So, they guys set it up and lit the fuse... mind you, it was facing us at a distance. Thanks, guys.

Next thing we knew, it wasn't just rolling; it was rocketing toward us with the distance closing fast and the imminent threat of fireworks (what if they were mini roman candles???). I scooped Anna up from my lap and ran to the left, and Nanny pulled Ashley (or was it Mandi? My pregnancy brain fails me) off to the right-- all of us screaming.

Scott swoops in to rescue us by charging it and kicking it over onto its side so that when the fireworks did start shooting out, we'd be safe. All this in the span of about 3.5 seconds, start to finish...


Crisis averted. Whew. Drama ended... and so did the fireworks for the night...with a bang!

Heard and Seen at the Holiday McDonaldspot

Jingle bells, jingle bells
.....All the way
Wuh puh pun is soo wide
Wun suh soapin say



Sing it with me now...

______________________________


After the generous gift of a DS by Aunt Licia and Uncle Travis, Caleb swiftly became acquainted with the apparatus and was amazed that his new Lego Indiana Jones game included the chance to blow out torches (literally) by blowing on the DS's microphone.

While visiting Nanny and Dandy after Christmas, Caleb became frustrated with a particular level of the game. He was trying desperately to pass it, and was playing intently after asking Daddy for help. Daddy asked him to blow on it, which didn't work, much to Caleb's chagrin and frustration. After receiving a growly answer, Daddy facetiously suggested that he head-butt the DS.

I thought the mark would stay on Caleb's forehead for a couple of days!

Anna's Unabridged Dictionary

Hangaber: n. (HANG-ga-bur) A yummy bread-and-meat treat from a place like Wendy's or Whataburger.

Bumpybee: n. insect that makes honey and buzzes while flying.

Baniwa: adj. (buh-NIH-wah) Descriptive of a certain flavor of soft-serve confection that must be consumed slowly by licking, with certain protest if Mama asks to lick off the drips to avert an ice cream catastrophe. also: Vanillllllla, Maniwa, Manilla, Banilllllllla; pronounced most effectively by overemphasizing the /ell/s; Usage must be inconsistent and rotate between the versions with great excitement.

foand: n. ringing gadget that must be answered, or at least brought to the attention of the parent who is not moving fast enough to get it.

Ooo: pronoun (ooo) any person whom Anna addresses directly.

Ah maynemer moch inna hammer: rhythmic phrase; To be repeated consistently over and over. Only understandable when followed by "I'm inna Lord's ahmee...Yes sir!"
(This took me all day to figure out. I'm just glad I knew the song to begin with.)

"I ate it." : response immediately following hiding something under her shirt and exclaiming "Where is it?"

Somebody's gotta be the comedian... (Heard at the McDonaldSpot)

We're never short on wit, jocular and jocose phrases, and humor around here. I'm usually responsible for the puns, and Scott handles the outright humor, but we have another player on the scene who is competing for the top spot!

Heard at the McDonaldSpot:

C: Mama, can I play the computer game again tonight?
Me: No, you can play it again tomorrow.
C: You mean today-tomorrow?
Me: No, I mean tomorrow.
C: You mean tonight-tomorrow?
Me: No, I mean tomorrow.
C: (without pause) Well, today is the tomorrow we were waiting for yesterday.


C, A, Mama and Daddy are enjoying some rarely occuring donuts for breakfast.

Me: (to C) Don't wipe your hands on your clothes (today, Spiderman costume).
Me: Your clothes aren't napkins.
C: What if I was Napkin Man?

Heard at the McDonaldspot

Lest you think our kids are perfect, let me fill you in on what we heard at the grandparent's spot tonight:

(setting: dinner with a family friend is over, and we're sitting at the table talking. The kids are playing in the toy room, but they're getting restless. Caleb wants to build a marble run, but it's not safe to do so around Anna. We've told him "no" twice.)

Caleb from the living room: You know what would make me happy? Getting to play with the marble tower right now. I really want someone to make me happy right now.


We tried really hard not to laugh. Of course, the situation was dealt with, but have you ever been there? I don't mean with kids... have you ever been there?

Both the tune from this Chase Credit commercial and the theme of this settlement commercial sum it up pretty well, but haven't we all had a (several) bout(s) with that yucky part of our sin natures called selfishness?

...Not to mention the instant gratification that we crave from technology, fast food, and just about everything else in life.

I searched for some applicable verses when I decided to post this funny comment by our sweet boy. Here's what I found that encouraged and challenged me:

2 Corinthians 5:14
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Philippians 2:3,4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
both NIV translation

It's definitely a daily battle, but with the Holy Spirit's help and strength, I'm up to the challenge. Are you?

Heard at the McDonaldspot...Mobile Edition

We were in the car headed home from Mom and Dad's, when Anna started saying "Mama!" (She only knows how to do this in a demanding way; we've practiced a nice way, but it won't stick)
We explained that we were picking up pizza for supper. For the remaining 15 minutes of the drive, it was "Cheetah, Cheetah, Cheetah!" followed by a pause, then "Mama! Mama!! Eat." More explanation followed, then more "Cheetah".

When Scott went in to get it, we worked on pronunciation:

Anna: Where Cheetah?

Mama: Daddy's getting the pizza.

Anna: Cheetah! Cheetah!

Mama: Yes! Puh-puh-PEE-tza

Anna: Chuh-chuh-CHEE-tah (repeat exchange twice)

Mama:(laughing) Anna, you're funny!

Anna: Anna punny!

Mama: punny! puh-puh-punny.

Anna: puh-puh-punny

Mama: puh-puh-Pizza

Anna: puh-puh-CHEETAH!!!

We're really not that violent...

I found some awesome swords made of swimming-pool-noodle foam and gave them to Caleb for Christmas. They were a big hit, (pun intended) , with Caleb and Scott, as we witness regular fencing matches in our house now. Caleb is actually really good with his sword. Anna was content to watch for a while.

Then, one day when Caleb and I were out and about, Anna snuck up on Scott as he was using his laptop and stabbed him in the shoulder with a loud "Tee Yah!" We can only assume that she was mimicking the "hi-yahs" we usually hear from Caleb.

I hope you enjoy these clips! The first is an attempt to recreate what happens with the swords. The second was unplanned!

Friday Caleb Funnies

One afternoon recently, Caleb and Scott were shooting baskets in the driveway. We have the goal set at 8 ft. for Caleb, and he prefers to use his mini Aggie basketball for now. Scott got the ball and attempted to shoot it instead of the NCAA size one we have. As it left his hands on a mistaken trajectory toward the side of the backboard, Scott said, "Oh, that's bad." Here's the dialogue that immediately followed:

Caleb: Yeah, Dad, you were bad at that.

Me: Caleb! You should be encouraging to others even when they say something negative about themselves.

Caleb: (Immediately) Well, Daddy, you were only a little good at that.

Heard near the McDonaldspot: Demanding Wildlife

We've developed a game to keep Caleb involved during meal time. It's similar to 20 questions, and the guessers try to figure out what animal someone is thinking of.

Here is an excerpt from tonight's game.

Pawpaw: Yes, my animal lives in the ocean.

(more questions)
Pawpaw: No, it's not a shark or a whale.

(more questions)
Pawpaw: No, it's not a crab or a starfish.

Caleb: Can it disappear?
Pawpaw: Yes, sometimes.

Caleb: Is it a sea urgent?

Blechhhhh!

(sounds like "bleck-hhhhh")
I seem to remember that is the sound Oscar the grouch would make when he was disgusted with something.

Well, I'm not a grouch, per se, but I AM disgusted.

I thought I'd do something good for myself. I know I've been sleeping less and staying busy more as of late. I glanced at the bottle of children's chewable vitamins I have for Caleb. These aren't Flintstones, mind you, but they're close. I noticed that the adult dose is the same as the child's dose. I decided to take one and figured my body would thank me.

In my haste to finish other tasks, I chewed it up quickly and moved on. BIG mistake. Have you ever swallowed a big vitamin that just tasted horrible? My prenatal vitamins for Caleb and Anna were that way. Surely the fruit flavors in these kiddo versions would be fine.

Vitamins themselves NEVER taste fine. In fact, because I didn't chase it with water, I'm suffering through the aftertaste, which is strangely similar to the way a wet dog smells.

Blechhh and double blechhhh.

Sure Thing

Caleb has a definite affinity for music and sound. He loves to learn things through song (bible verses, anyone?), and can recognize familiar tunes quickly. Here's an example:

Last night, Caleb was (supposed to be) getting dressed for bed in his room. The tv in the living room was on, and it was on commercial. I noticed, as we were trying to motivate Caleb to hurry, that a common infomercial about a really sticky putty had just come on. Before I could complete a sentence tell Scott to change it, a sweet little face was peering around the corner. He was fixed on the tv with a trance-like gaze, and he immediately said in a trance-like voice, "I LOVE Mighty Putty."

Anna's Unabridged Dictionary, entry 2

1. wehwee - one of the vegetable variety often seen on video or saturday t.v. acting out stories with a moral message. A cohort of Bob the tomato and Junior Asparagus. Especially used when hugging the plush likeness of that cucumber character.

2. vetaws (veh' tows) - the name of the vegetable series in which wehwee (Larry) and the others sing and act out stories.

3. Veeyo (vee' yoh) - command, meaning "Please turn on this DVD player with something interesting to watch inside. Don't you know that I want to watch now?" Command is often repeated, especially in the car on trips longer than 15 minutes.

Anna's Unabridged Dictionary

Faff: n. (faf) That long-necked yellow creature with brown spots, four legs, and two weird fur-covered horn-things.

Wa: v. (Wah, rhymes with bah as in humbug) "Let me down, I don't want to be held, and I want to get around on my own", also "walk"

Boop: n. (buup, rhymes with look, took, etc.) any variety of printed, bound material, meant to be read at the instance of the spoken word, unless the back-up-and-sit-down has not yet occurred.