OH! The Things Kids Say!

Yesterday I had a laugh my butt off, until I nearly peed in my pants moment... thanks to my girls.
At the ages of ten, seven and newly six, they have unique perspectives on the world...
...and on vocabulary.

My kids stay after school each day in our district's "scope" program. For those of you unfamiliar with Scope I'll define: It is an aftercare program often located at your child's school or at a local site that is "bus-able." - A true GEM! Some refer to it as the milk and cookies program. The kids are supervised by licensed educators/caregivers and have homework time (including HW help), play time, craft time, playground time (when weather permits) and are given a healthy snack.

I pick my kids up when my school day is over. On the average day they are so wrapped up in snowflake making, lego building or drawing that they beg me to leave and come back later!
That makes me want to shed a mommy tear...but I'm so happy that they have a good time there that I always sniff it away before it escapes.

BACK TO THE FUN STUFF...

Grace came running across the all purpose room, arms outstretched...

Holy! I was going to get a hug...No go aways today. --Smile.

"So Mom, I was talking to a boy."

Me: "Oh." (thinking..Boy...Hmmmm.)

"I asked him where his tentacles are and how many does he have."

Me: (Nearly choking while turning away at an attempt to control my laughter.) "Graaaacie...Where did you here about tentacles?... What are those?"

"I don't remember, but all of the kids are talking about them. "

Me: "They are?! Ooooh...but why? Can you explain this to me?"

"But Mom, wait. There's more."

Me: (Thinking, Dear God, what more could there possibly be?)

"The boy, he's over there...(pointing across to the right corner of the room at a group of boys playing Connect Four) He didn't tell me."

Me: "Well, what did he say when you asked him that?"

"The boy just stared at me and didn't say anything. Then he said that he didn't know. So I said...I don't understand?! How could you not know about your own body and your tentacles?! - I don't get it. It's gross too."

Then she turned, realizing that I was of no use to her, grabbed Chloe's arm, whispered something and dragged her away.

I stood dumbfounded.
What just happened?!

- Better yet I wonder what the conversation at that little boy's house will be like if he asks his parents ...where his tentacles are?!

Could there be a phone call in the future? Who knows. We don't know this family. I just might sit back and let Jimbo tackle this one!
That's bound to be good!

- Stay tuned for the creative conclusion of The Boy With The Tentacles!

Sandy, Sandy, Sandy...

This Sunday was like many others...
I was woken much earlier than I would have liked.
This is always the case...Two more hours some day would be delicious!
I'm guessing that I have at least a decade before this happens.

The giggles of our girls echoed through our cramped halls.
Three sets of feet ran rampant on the beaten floorboards of our little gray house.
...or was it two sets? Could someone be missing?
The dogs followed suit, barking at their heels...
I moaned, stretched and stared at our Tiny.
She was resting on her elbows at the foot of the bed.
"Mom, my tummy is rumbling. I think I have a belly ache. Am I sick? Can you kiss my head?"

Me: Chloe, you're hungry. It's breakfast time. Don't worry."

STRETCH AN ARM INTO THE AIR...
NOW THE OTHER.
good
STRETCH THE LEGS OVER THE SIDE OF THE BED.
WIGGLE THE TOES.
ahhh...almost there.

"No, really... Kiss my head please."
Get-Out-Of-Bed-Ritual interrupted.

Me: "OK Chlo. (leaning and smooching) Chloe you're fine. What would you like for breakfast? You're tummy just needs food.

Chloe: "No. I just need Moshi Monsters. Can you sign me up? Addi has had lots of time on Moshi and that's not fair."

There we go.
That's why I didn't hear all of the feet... or cries of the wounded.
The kids grow while our house shrink wraps around them.
Honest fun typically gets messy, especially in p.j.'s.
Computer fun is much more entertaining.

Addi was online, cuddled up in her warmest blanket, face aglow by the un-natural light of the monitor.
She likes to hang out in the world of Moshi. Cute, imaginary critters grow pets called moshlings in their gardens, journey to strange lands, go on impossible missions given by a little furry dude resembling Obi-Wan Kenobi and visit the domains of other cyber critter buddies.
Did I mention that there are math games in this world?
YES!
Earn rocks (this has nothing to do with drug use...glowy little stones...think  semi-precious)
Complete tasks and score high on the puzzles.
Smart, smart gamer creator people! They knew how to make the parents happy.
-  Math and fuzzy, weird but lovable critters roam our laptops these days.
- I rarely get my imac anymore.
-Jim, on occassion is allowed use of his pc.

Do we mind?...NOPE.
We monitor usage and allot what we consider to be fair amounts of computer time.
After the rigor of the school week this is their much deserved down time...mine too!
Back to Chlo-Chlo's tummy!
Breakfast was being made...
"Sunshine Eggs" and toast for our earliest to rise...
Scrambled with cheese for our oldest...
French toast with a side of syrup for Tiny...
A complicated egg white, bacon, cheese and hot sauce wrap for my big guy...
As for me, I picked as I cooked and enjoyed my flavored coffee.
French Vanilla...AAAAaaahhhhhhh.

Sunday morning bliss.

I looked outside of our cheery bay window half expecting to see the birdhouses that the girls made with Jim, swaying in the breeze.
Instead I saw my not-so-lovely, beaten and battered front yard...and what remained of the colorful houses on the porch table.
FROWN.
I poured another cup of coffee and thought... "Thank you Sandy."
Then I looked back to my kids.
They were teaching each other gaming short cuts and looking for the rarest moshi's together.
The AAAaaaaahhhhhh...n my Sunday was back again.

There is a roof that needs to be replaced...
A bedroom that requires a whole lot of love...walls, ceiling and flooring,..
The driveway is non existent while the garage is teetering to the left and raised two feet on the right...sounds like a circus act doesn't it?
Our dogged eared picket fence is now peace mealed together, looking like a pack of hounds chewed it up...
Every morning we wake to find new stress cracks in the ceiling thanks to the shift that our home made when the oak hit.

You know what?
I count us amongst the lucky.
This is all just "stuff."
It will be fixed.
What matters most are the little girls at my kitchen table.
-together
-happy
-and yeas, hungry!!

Life goes on as I pour another cup of coffee.

I had to giggle. Spell check does not recognize: Obi-Wan; Moshi; Moshlings; Kenobi: pc or cyber!