what is sounds like

While we were in the car a few weeks ago picking Jacob up from school, the kiddos were talking in the back seat and I was casually listening to their conversation.  It seemed harmless for awhile, but then as boys do they started to use words that rhyme or went from one word to the next - with each word getting sillier and more along the lines of "potty" language (words that creep to the dirty diaper stage...why boys think those words are so funny to say I have no idea!  Maybe once we have dirty diapers to change in the house, they'll want to talk about flowering violets.  One can wish!).

Suddenly, Jacob is talking and all I hear is "....and DIARRHEA" 

"Jacob!  We do not say that word in a joking way.  That is not a word you want to use that way." 

"But Mom...." 

"No, there are exceptions.  It's not a word to use when you are kidding around." 

Suddenly Jacob was in tears and through his crying he said, "It's just a book in our class - the Diarrhea of a Spider." 

My heart sunk as I realized MY mistake.  

"Oh honey, you are talking about the book the DIARY of a Spider!  The way you said it sounded like a different word.  You want to say it DIARY - without the extra A at the end of the word." 

"Okay Mom - the Diary-a of a Spider - is that right?" 

We practiced saying the word a few more times, and finally he got it.  

I'm still learning the fine line of listening to what the kiddos are saying - and KNOWING what they are saying!

*******

Another time I was driving Jacob up to the school, he leaned forward and whispered, "Mom, Bryson said the S word yesterday!"

I froze a little bit as I thought this is it - the time when I have to explain what a swear word actually is.

I tried to keep my voice calm as I asked, "Oh yeah, and what was that S word?"

Bracing myself for the worst, Jacob again whispered to me....

"He said stupid!"

Phew - crisis averted.  I affirmed to Jacob that that is not a word we use in our family & home, and thanked him for knowing that it was not a nice word.  And then I chuckled inside at how naive our little world is right now.  I hope that we can stay this way for quite some time to come! 

Deep Thoughts by Jacob

It usually takes Jacob the longest to fall asleep of any of the kiddos. He has to be completely worn out, to fall asleep quickly. Tonight, we tucked him in and he is trying to fall asleep as he says - but every so often he calls out from his room to ask a question. Here are my favorites :)

"Mom, if I don't go to bed will I shrink?"

"Do you remember that I don't have school on Thursday?"

- Me: "Yes"

"Why don't I have school again?"

-Me: "They have a big event at school that day & the moms and dads can't drive up there"

"Oh yeah, some guy is going to be singing really loud and it will hurt our ears!"

{I'll have to ask his teacher how he got that answer...kids walk away hearing the craziest things at times!}

"If I close my eyes, the sun will still come up...right Mom?"

"How does my body when it's asleep, know that it's time to get up?"

I love that boy - he is the cutest, craziest, goofiest and greatest 5 year old around!

J man

We met a friend and her girls at Wheeler Farm today & Jacob did not want stop playing with his Legos to get ready....this is nothing new! I finally convinced him to put on a shirt & jeans - then told him he looked like a cowboy....he loved that :). After getting on his boots & his cowboy jacket I asked him to come in the bathroom so I could do his hair.

As I was wetting down his hair to put in the gel, he asked me, "Mom, do cowboys have handsome hair?"

*************
I was getting something out of the oven for dinner & was in a rush so I quickly grabbed the food and ended up burning my finger. I pulled back and said "Oh fetch!". Jacob piped up from his chair asking what is a fetch? I told him it was a word used when upset & he replied with, "But I don't know what it means! You can't use a word I don't know!" He was very upset about it & repeated a few times that he needed to know the word, and I shouldn't use a word that he doesn't know and can't use.  I apologized & he finally calmed down and we moved towards dinner.

That incident helped me remember that as his mother (a parent & adult), I need to always watch my words & actions - because I am being watched.  My children watch what I say & do all the time, and my example is one of the foundations that is helping set their life.  It was a perfect way to remember to watch my words and only say things that are nice and that I am happy to have my children repeat. :) 

Oui ou Non?!

Gazing out the window tonight, Bryson Jr. exclaimed,

'Oh look!

It's a croissant moon!"

{it must be that New York accent! He thought he was saying crescent - or that croissant was crescent. I love his little accent on some words...it's darling & hilarious!}

Which that darling little homemade french saying, brought me back to last week....a good laugh of a story. We went to a friend's home out in New Jersey last Friday night to escape Hurrican Irene....more on that will come, but it was rather interesting as we ended up going more into the storm that out of it . We didn't know that at the time, but of course hindsight is always quite perfect.

We stayed with friends that we know through work, as the wife and the children were off to another state to visit family. The entire home open - except for the husband, and one day, we were in the kitchen cleaning up after a meal and I asked about their recent adventures over in Europe. I asked what his favorite place was they had visited, and he replied enthusiastically, "Oh, it was definitely Ver-sal-es."

Hmmm...I thought to myself for just a moment. Ver-sal-es? Where in the world....and then he went on to say that the Hall of Mirrors were magnificent and the incredible gardens, etc. That is when I realized where he was talking about.

At an appropriate time in the conversation, to reply to what he was talking about this area, I told him that I also had been to and loved Versailles - trying not to be obnoxious but also speaking clearly so that hopefully he could hear that the ending of the word is silent, the LL's are dropped and your voice almost seems to sound like a sigh to go along with that you say it Ver-SIGH {this explanation is phonetic, not correct grammar!}

He once again was very excited as he came back with more things that he loved about Ver-sal-es. And I did a different kind of sigh and realized that unfortunately this was one French word that would not be pronounced correctly during this conversation!

Oh la la!

past memory

I am cleaning through each area of the apartment - I started thinking we might be moving in February and I wanted to get a head start on organizing and throwing things out. Then we decided to stay, but I realized my spring cleaning was going to be done early on so that we can play once the weather turns nice again. If that ever happens!

Last week was the hallway and I went through the many, MANY notebooks/journals and writing tablets we have. In one of those notebooks I found this little gem. Dated from October of 2009, during General Conference. And it says....

"Why do you bring up Jesus in everything?"...quoteth Bryson Jr.

I wish I would have written the context of why he said this - because I think it's a little funny, in a not-laughing at religious things way. Just that his observation was probably spot on with it being General Conference and everything revolving around the Gospel and our Savior.

As I see it - he was stating the obvious. In his very sincere, open, and honest 5 year old way.

I'm so glad I decided to clean that hallway.

the irony

I was dusting off our side table by the kitchen table, and picked up a little plaque that I got last year at Deseret Book.

As I was dusting it I was reading over the inscription --- which I have read dozens of times before. However, this time I paused to re-read and then laughed out loud at the irony of the saying:

'The best things in life aren't things'

Hmmmm. I suppose the only way to put that saying up, is on a THING and I know it's not talking about that specific thing. Still, it makes me laugh. :)