TMNT

Xander is *very* into teenage mutant ninja turtles at the moment. Today he told me that they have only two foot-fingers ("toes?" I asked. "Oh yeah!" he said.) Earlier, when he was describing them, he told me what weapons they fought with..."One fights with a stick, and one with Clifford-sized forks!" (this would be Clifford-the-Big-Red-Dog, meaning giant forks--pretty accurate, really)

Latest Malapropisms

"Veggie Booty" (a spinach/kale coated puffed grain snack...looks like green popcorn) is a popular treat at our house. We haven't eaten it for a while, and Xander asked for some the other day.

"Can I have some Vootie Beggie? I mean some Booty Veggie?"

Sounds dicey either way. ;)

Astronomers?

We showed the kids a planet through the telescope (we were looking for a comet, but we were looking in the wrong direction...). If I read the star charts correctly, we were looking at Saturn, though it looked more like Jupiter to me (couldn't see rings, but we could clearly see vertical stripes--maybe they were rings in front of the planet). The kids were fascinated, and have been gravitating back to the telescope over the following week.

Electric Lights

Our friend Tommy (5) has a nasty stomach virus. His mom bought him one of the electrolyte-filled fluids to help put something back into his system. All day, he was talking about drinking "electric lights".

Correction, Daddy

When we go skiing at Loon Mountain in NH, one of the highlights for Xander is riding "Henry", the train that transports skiers between the East and West sides of the mountain.

When we were last there, I imitated "Henry" in response to something Xander said. "Woooo-woooooo!"
"No, Daddy, he goes, 'Hoooo-hooooo, hoohoo!' "
And, actually, when next I heard Henry, he was right. Guess I better get used to it...

Working The System

Our friend Jo got called by her son Tommy (age 5). "Mommy, is your boss there?"
"No."
"Where is she?"
"In a meeting."
"With who?"
"With her bosses."
"Oh." (thinks a minute) "So can you leave early?"

...which is interesting, because he doesn't see anything but serious responsibility displayed by all of his family members (I don't see any of them skipping out early when the boss isn't around!)

Perspective

I took off President's Day to spend with the family because it was the first day of Alana's winter school vacation. When I told her I was going to spend the day, she asked, "Is this your winter work vacation?"

"Hmm. Well, I guess it is, but only for 1 day."

You're Going DOWN!

So Alana is quite a good Wii bowler, and did well boxing, even against some grownups. Her 'Uncle' Steve taught her that an important part of the game is trash-talking with your opponent.

I discovered this once I heard her in the other room, saying "You're going DOWN!" to a grownup easily 4X (and maybe 5X) her weight--and then she proceeded to take him out.

I'm actually a little bit relieved. At least when the principal's office calls AC to come in to discuss what Alana has done in gym class to some other poor student, I've got some plausible deniability!

The Physics of Drinking

AC spoke to Xander, who (once again) spilled Ovaltine on his (white) shirt. “You really need to pay attention, honey. Should I stop making chocolate milk for you?”

X: “No Mommy…I like chocolate milk.”

He stopped to think about the problem. “I’ll stop sticking my tongue out while I drink.”

AC: “Huh??!? Uh, yes please…”

Attention Span

X brings a Magic Treehouse book (chapter book, I’d estimate for ages 6-12) to AC and asks her to read it.

He manages to make it through 1 chapter before telling her “You’re reading the wrong words, Mommy.”

After assuring him she’s reading what’s there, he says “When will it be done?”

She suggested that he might wish to get a shorter book.

Vocabulary

The kids were talking to each other while I was home alone caring for the kids.

X: There are 3 of us--you, me, and Daddy...so we're a trio."

A: And if Mommy were here, we'd be a quartet!"

Inherited Traits

Kids' minds work differently.

X, holding a paper airplane and a fairy doll (less her wings), said: "I'm her mother" (speaking as if he were the plane, referring to the fairy).

Without hesitation, Alana, said, "Oh yes, you both fly beautifully!"

Even at this age, their minds are cranking away, looking for patterns and commonality to explain the world.

Inherited Traits

Kids' minds work differently.

X, holding a paper plane and a fairy (less her wings), says, "I'm her mother" (speaking as if he's the airplane).

Alana, looking at them, said without a second's hesitation, "Oh yes, you both fly beautifully!"

Even at this age, their little minds are racing, looking for patterns and commonality to explain the world.

When Alana Began Using Chopsticks

We went out for Japanese food tonight, because Alana was begging for sashimi (that's my daughter for you!). While there, I learned how she started using chopsticks...somehow I had never heard the story.

At this same restaurant, several years ago (when she was 3, I believe), AC had gone to the same restaurant with her mother and grandmother and Alana, and had ordered a chicken nugget-y children's meal. Alana was hungry, so she picked up her chopsticks and started to eat.

A-ma (AC's grandmother) asked when AC had taught her, and AC said she hadn't...and they all stared while Alana enjoyed her food!

Good Advice

X looks at me very seriously today, and says "Don't look at the sun. You can burn your eyes out." Um, yes. Sounds like good advice...

My Buddy is a Space Shuttle Pilot!

I learned today that Guido (the fraternity nickname for Dominic Anthony Antonelli) is piloting the Space Shuttle in February! He and I used to ride unicycles up and down Comm Ave and terrorize BU students.

Alana Swimming Update

She's really swimming today! Big week...swimming by herself and skiing beginner/intermediate trails.

Alana Swimming Update

Alana threw herself into practicing swimming today. She has lost her fear of putting her face in the water. She jumped into the deep end of the kids' pool (5') to me a bunch of times, surfacing by herself, and she swam around a bit.

Xander Ski Update

I took Xander down from the top of the gondola between my legs, then once from the Seven Brothers chairlift (at Loon Mountain). He was thrilled!

The skiing was OK, but riding the gondola and the chairlift on the same day as the blue schoolbus (shuttle to the mountain) and Henry (the steam train that shuttles between East and West mountain at Loon) was almost too much excitement for him...

Snowflake Connosieur

While riding up the chairlift, Alana told me "the snowflakes at the top of the mountain taste better than the snowflakes at the bottom...fresher", as she caught them on her tongue.

Alana Ski & Swim Update

Alana started skiing off-leash today. Awesome! Turning, stopping, skating a bit at the bottom. She gets it.

We put Xander on the magic carpet at the kiddie slope today, too. He was scared yesterday, but is starting to lose his fear.

Alana also swam with no floaties BY HERSELF!

New Skills

X and I were tickling each other after he woke up. He started making 'pff. pff.' sounds (recently, he's been exploring vocal sounds--talking while chewing his tongue, etc.)

I asked, "What are you doing, pooting?"

And he proudly said, "No. I'm spitting!"

How Do I Put This So They'll Understand?

X was playing with some stickers and a sticker book. After AC showed him how to put the sticker into the sticker book (a book of pictures that you can lay stickers into to complete the scene) he decided to put it back into the book of stickers it had come from.

AC: "I don't think that will go into the book, honey."

X: (slowly, explaining) "It's got sticky on the back, Mama." (as in, "Hellooo, silly. It's a STICKER. Of course it will go into the book!")