Monday, May 4, 2009

Kids Say The Darndest Things...

You know how teenagers many times are embarrassed by their parents, no matter if they do/say something or not? From the parents perspective, it's totally unintentional (well for the most part anyway). I have decided it's payback for all of the times their darling children unintentionally say embarrassing things as preschoolers.

My 3 year old daughter has been on this "kick" lately about wanting a baby sister (or brother or both depending on the day). Well, my husband and I have about decided that our family is complete. I say "about" because we have tossed around the idea of adopting, more so before I was pregnant with her, and I will never say never to the possibility of adopting. Anyway, we're at the indoor pool a few weeks ago when my daughter joyfully announces (quite loudly) that she's going to have a baby sister and even pats my "perma-pooch." Thankfully, no well-intentioned strangers congratulated me.

On one of the 90 degree days at the end of April I pulled out the Elmo sprinkler for the kids one afternoon. They had the best time running around and jumping over Elmo. It brought back memories of my now 8 year old son when he was just shy of 2 years old. One hot summer day, I had gotten him in his bathing suit (no shirt), pulled out the sprinkler and sat in a lawn chair fully clothed, enjoying the day and watching him gleefully running around, getting wet. My son, not one to leave anyone out, says to me "Mama, take your shirt off and run through the sprinkler with me!"

My 5 year old is my dramatic one. Everything is a crisis for him. He gets so passionate about even the simplest things. He'll give me this face that only he can do (and words do no justice for). He somehow ruffles his brows so his forehead is all wrinkly. He bulges out one eye while squinting the other one, his mouth in a half-smile/half frown all the while saying as though he were giving a moving rendition of Hamlet: "MOM! I NEED some juice!"

My 8 year old is quite smart. He loves to read and learns much of what he knows by reading through Science encyclopedias. Well, his third grade teacher tells us this week that recently she was having the class vote on a leader-response phrase to say when she needs to get the class's attention. For example, when the class gets a little loud, the teacher will say "Peanut Butter" (or some other previously discussed word) and the class (those who are listening) will respond with "Jelly" (or previously discussed response that relates to the teacher's word so as to be easily remembered). The idea is the class knows this is the signal to be quiet so more and more will stop talking and instead say the response when they hear more and more of the class responding with "jelly." Well, the teacher was taking suggestions for their class's attention-grabbing phrase for the class to vote on. One suggestion was "Oreo - Cookies." My son confidently raised his hand to offer his suggestion and said "Hydrogen - Molecule." He said it actually came in second!

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