Kids Say the Darndest Things...

Jammies

Tom wore a nice pair of plaid dress shorts and a polo shirt to church. While the choir was singing, Will tugged on my arm and motioned for me to lean down so he could ask me something.
Will: (in a whisper) Mama, why did you let Daddy wear his jammies to church?
Erin: Those aren’t his jammies, Will. Those are his shorts.
Will: Hmm. They look like jammies to me.


Spelling Bee

These days Hallie is very interested in writing her name. I’ve been holding her hand and helping her “write” H-A-L-L-I-E, and as we write we say the names of the letters out loud. She likes to practice on her own as well…
Hallie: I white (write) Haa-yee!
Erin: Wonderful! Show me!
Hallie: H… A… (Just scribbles, but still impressive that she knows the letters, right?)
Hallie: 12… 14… 16… 18… 19… 20… X. Haa-yee!


Driving License

Will: Mama, when will I get a driving license?
Erin: When you’re 16.
Will: (defiantly) Ha! I’m going to get a driving license when I’m 15!
Erin: Actually you can get a learner’s permit when you’re 15. You can’t get an actual driver’s license until you’re 16.
Will: How do you get a driving license?
Erin: You have to take two tests – first a written test, and then a driving test with an instructor.
Will: What’s a constructor?
Erin: An instructor is a teacher.
Will: Will you come with me with the constructor?
Erin: No, you have to take the test with just the instructor.
Will: (with tears beginning to well in his eyes) I don’t want to go with the constructor by myself!
Erin: Then you don’t have to. We won’t make you take the test to get a driver’s license. But you can’t get a driver’s license without taking the test. It's the law.
Will: (with tears streaming down his face) But I want a driving license!
Erin: Will, this isn’t something you need to worry about right now.
Tom: Will, how old are you?
Will: (bawling, holds up four fingers)
Tom: So you don’t have to worry about getting your driver’s license for at least 11 years.
Will: (still bawling) Mama, how do you get your kid back after the test?
Erin: Well, I’ll take you to the DMV –
Will: (through sobs) What’s the DMV?
Erin: The Department of Motor Vehicles. (At this point I couldn’t hold it in any longer and I started laughing because the conversation was just so ridiculous, and I had to take a moment to compose myself.) I’ll take you to the DMV, you’ll take your tests, and then we’ll leave together.
Will: Did you have to take the tests?
Erin: Yes. Grandma Brenda took me to the DMV and waited while I took my tests; then we drove home together.
Will: How do you find your kid after the tests?
Erin: Moms wait in the lobby for their kids.
Will: What’s a lobby?
Erin: A room where people wait for other people or to be called for appointments.
Will: Are there chairs?
Erin: Yes, there are chairs.
Will: (having calmed down and gotten undressed for his bath) Look Mama! I’m buck naked!

Wordless Wednesday

Four Generations

Last week Grandma Brenda (my mom) and Grandma Geri (my mom’s mom, my grandma) came to visit. I hadn’t seen Grandma Geri since my sister’s wedding in June 2006, and Will and Hallie had never met her. That didn’t matter to either of them though – five minutes after the introductions they were showing her Buzz Lightyear and Minnie Mouse and trying to talk her into playing MLB Memory and reading Blueberries for Sal.



I'm posting this picture because the story behind it is kind of funny... Will asked Grandma if she wanted to play basketball with him, and she answered, "of course, but how about in five minutes when I've finished my drink". Will replied, "alright - can I see your watch?", and then stood right next to her and watched the seconds tick away for five straight minutes.


The Grandmas’ visit was short, especially considering that Grandma Brenda drove all the way from Wisconsin and picked up Grandma Geri in Arkansas along the way, but was also one I’ll always remember. These two days were the first time that all four generations – daughter, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother – were together.



Will didn’t understand why he couldn’t be in the girls’ picture, so we took one of two generations of boys as well.

The Reading Secret is Out!

The fact that Will can read is out - though I wasn't the one to share the news - among the parents of the kids in Will's preschool class. We were at a birthday party yesterday and two different moms came up to me and asked, in amazed whispers, "Can Will...READ?!"

Proud doesn't even scratch the surface.

One of These Things is...Exactly Like the Other

If you’ve been reading this blog on a regular basis you already know that Hallie is little. Not height-wise (she’s in the 50th percentile for height), but weight-wise – she finally passed the 20 lb. mark last month, which keeps her firmly in the less-than-1st percentile for weight. And as it turns out, when you’re growing taller and not wider you can keep wearing the same clothes season after season, year after year.

Example #1

Rockin’ this adorable dress on Easter in April 2010… (Sorry these two pictures aren't the greatest - apparently we didn't take very many good pictures on Easter last year.)





…and again on Easter in April 2011. (So that Hallie wouldn’t feel left out I also wore the same thing on Easter this year as I wore on Easter last year. It still fit – whew.)

Example #2

Trying on her first bikini in February 2010…



…and actually wearing her first bikini at the swimming pool in July 2010...



…and washing the car in the same bikini in April 2011.



Looks like I can check “shopping for clothes for Hallie” off my to-do list!

They Say it's Your Birthday...

(Apparently Blogger has been experiencing technical difficulties since yesterday and during that window of time lost more than 30 hours of posts. I'm reposting Wednesday's and Thursday's blogs today.)

Happy birthday Aunt Sara!




I won't tell you how old she is, but I will say that she's younger than me and celebrating a milestone birthday this year!