Some Cute Quotes and Anecdotes...

I've been scribbling down some funny, sweet and shocking things the kids have come out with the past few weeks. Hope they put a smile on your face.

The other day, I got Baby Boy up from his nap. He stared at me with the most adoring expression, wrapped his arms around around my neck and said, "I loves you, Mommy!" That was the first time he told me that without any prompting.

Our mail lady is very particular about our shoveling habits. Many times she has withheld our mail when we haven't met her specific criteria. At first Sis was defensive of her and reminded us that she could hardly be expected to deliver our mail when she doesn't wear snowpants. Well, when Sis' birthday packages weren't delivered on time, she began to lose patience. The other day she went out to inspect our mailbox area and came back with the confident report that it looked just fine. She added, "Mommy, if the mail lady doesn't deliver today, then she is just making a point!"

We were visiting Grandma in the hospital a few weeks ago. I was telling her how great she looked. Buddy inspected her with concern and commented, "Actually, Grandma, I think you still look pretty terrible."

The kids have shown an unusual amount of interest in the upcoming Presidential election. They were especially curious to know who was their Daddy's first choice for a candidate. Upon hearing that he was a fan of Fred Thomson, Sis asked WHY Daddy didn't vote for him in our state's primary. Without pausing, she answered her own question... Oh, yeah; I know. Because, if you HAD voted for him, you would have been the only one!"

Sis and her cousin Mo were riding home from gymnastics. Mo said, "I sure can't wait to get home because I'm going to have a nice, hot shower." Sis answered, "Yeah, when I get home, I'm going to have a COLD bath." (Suffice it to say that our plumbing is still broken; even the kids are getting sick of baths!)...

We have started a sweet family tradition where we cozy up with an episode of "Little House on the Prairie" in the evenings. I like to lie on the couch with my head in Stephen's lap while the kids cuddle up around us. Even Baby Boy watches in rapt attention and babbles his own commentary now and then. Well, one night Stephen was working late, so Baby Boy took it upon himself to take his daddy's place. He sat in Stephen's spot, got a pillow, planted a kiss on my cheek and said, "Put you head in my lap, Mommy."

Buddy made up a silly rhyme about his dinner. Sis, without missing a beat, said, "Well, hello, Dr. Seuss! I don't believe we've met
before."

Baby Boy is amazed by my growing belly. He refers to my tummy with the name we've chosen for our baby if it's a boy. Every now and then he'll ask me to "open it up" (meaning lift my shirt) and show him how big my tummy is getting. After a fit of giggles, he says, "Put it away, Mommy!"

Buddy was commenting on how he would treat the woman he'd marry some day. He referred to this mystery girl as "the one who would be a lover to me..." Where on earth did that come from?!?!

Stephen and Baby Boy have a special tradition where Daddy gives him bear hugs and Baby Boy laughs. When Stephen was in California, I tried my best to provide these hugs in his absence. Every time I squeezed him, Baby Boy would look at me and say, "It no works, Mama." As soon as Daddy returned, he greeted Baby Boy with a bear hug. Baby Boy grinned and said, "It worked!!"

Baby Boy tries to join in on our all of our "grown up" activities. First thing each morning, he puts on his sneakers and grabs his 1-pound dumbbells to "exseesize with Mommy!" It melts my heart to see how hard he tries to keep up with the various movements, swinging his little arms and saying, "forward and back, forward and back..." It reminds me of his Big Sis when she was that age. When she was barely 2, she'd do my Cindy Crawford workout video with me each day and, when we completed it, would comment, "No guilt today, Mommy!"

Baby Boy also likes to answer some of our Children's shorter catechisms during Bible time. He only knows 2 or 3 so far but enjoys the encouragement/praise that Buddy and Big Sis lavish upon him.

When we say our Pledge of Allegiance, Baby Boy runs for his little American flag and waves it for us. The other day, he shocked us by rattling off the beginning of the pledge with us. We had no idea that he had been listening that carefully! Now, if he can just learn his multiplication tables through observation, that would be great!

Baby Boy came downstairs and told me that the kids were doing their "Iddypendent work."

Baby Boy: "Mama! The snow plow makes me hyper!" (He meant scared)

Poor Baby Boy has had a viscious diaper rash. He keeps begging me to put "ice cream" on his bum. He means Desitin.

The other day, the kids were hunting for leaves in the snow. Baby Boy handed me this wispy, green thing and announced, "Izz a MONOCOT again!!" Those moments make homeschooling worth the tears and sweat!