Top Ten--August 2008

Any of you who know me well, know that I over-explain everything when I write. (Amy, I'm sure my teachers would have used the word "verbose" had the term been used--ever-- at my high school . . . ). So expect this to be a little long. I just feel the need to share. Perhaps I should start having someone edit my top tens. Anyone up for the job? No? No takers? Really? Then it's your own fault this is so long. (Anything to exonerate myself . . . )

Top ten things said, done, or noticed at the B’s this month.

10—In honor of our ridiculously obsessive viewing of the Olympics, Lucy and her cousins performed a rock concert in "China" (a neighbor’s lawn) for the Unicorn Olympics. I gave it 2 thumbs up—Lucy’s a natural at chopsticks on a Lincoln log bucket.

9—Cardboard boxes provide unlimited amusement. Aside from the shanty towns constructed in the basement day after day from the endless supply of boxes on hand, the kids have also invented a time machine and a duplicator (influenced by “Calvin and Hobbes” of course). The duplicator was a disaster, duplicating neither Lucy’s water bottle, nor Lucy herself, much to their disappointment. The time machine had a little more success, transporting the kids all the way back to SD this past summer. Lucy exclaimed, “Look, we’re heading back to Gma and Gpa’s house.” Kye’s immediately responded, “Don’t forget the Wii!”

8—
A: Polly pockets and accessories, beads, grapes, trash, leaves, polly pocket arm, chips, toilet paper, money, ginormous bug found on our hotel room floor (ewww!), grass, dirt, and bark chips.

Q: What did we fish out of Adam’s mouth this month?

A: Green Beans.

Q: The only thing Adam has ever spit out of his mouth VOLUNTARILY.

7—Isaac (attempting to dress himself): Mom, I can do the undies, and pants and the shirt. GO AWAY!!!!
M: Isaac, that’s not how you talk to mom.
I: Ohhhhhhhh. Okay. PWEASE go away!!!!

6—Lucy’s obsession with the IPOD, now that we have speakers so everyone can hear it. After listening to “Tainted Love” for the 4th time, she asked me very seriously, “Mom, do you think a boy will sing this to me when I’m in high school?” He’d better not, and what the heck was I doing allowing my 7 year old to listen to “Tainted Love?” Fortunately she didn’t understand most of the lyrics.

5—Kye still surprises me with the intensity of his reactions sometimes. He can go from pleasant to psycho-tantrumer in under 3 seconds. He came in from the backyard one night demanding, “What’s for dinnerherherherherher?!?!?” (foot stamping accompanying each syllable). I said, “Grilled chicken,” and Isaac whined, “I don’t want girl chicken. I WANT BOY CHICKEN!” I just can't win.

4—Adam’s new hobby. See here.

3—The race to the front door. Every time the doorbell rings at our house, there is a stampede to see who gets to answer it. I’m somehow always last. I heard the doorbell early one morning and raced out to find Kye answering the door . . . in his underwear . . . for the electric meter guy. New rule: mom ALWAYS answers the door first.

2—While congratulating Zach’s coworker at his wedding reception, I asked when their flight left the next day for their honeymoon. He said, “9 a.m. . . . not too early.” My eloquent (read “I-can’t-believe-I-actually-said-this-to-someone-I-barely-know”) response? “That’s still sounds pretty early—especially because the wedding night is soooooooo exhausting!” For the record, I meant to say wedding . . . w-e-d-d-i-n-g, NOT wedding night. Good grief! Zach’s still laughing about that one.

1—The fun new game Z and I discovered on our way to a Brian Regan comedy show: the “answer-the-question-as-fast-as-you-can” game.
S: How many years have we been married?
Z: 14! 10?—no 11!!
S: Ummmm, no. What YEAR were we married?
Z: 2000 . . . no 1997. Yes, 1997. It was 1997.
S: Seriously? Ummmmmm, still no. It was 1996, sweetie.
Z: Let’s play something else.