A Day in the Life

My Mistake.
Ok, so I’ll admit, as parents we sometimes say or do dumb things. Our two year old cannot drink some juices yet. They just run straight threw him. He saw the OJ in the fridge and was pleading for some. He wouldn’t be distracted or even convinced to opt out for something else. I consented and without thinking I said something about the juice giving him the runs. As soon as I had said it I wished I hadn’t and hoped it slipped by. Not so. From then on, whenever he wants OJ, he asks for Poopie Juice. Not good when you’re at IHOP and the waitress asks what everyone wants to drink. Needless to say we aren’t buying OJ for a while, until this too passes.

When the Stakes are High, let it Rumble.
It was late afternoon and well tension was beginning to run high. It was in between snack and dinner, it was in the triple digits outside and not much cooler inside, mom’s attention was now on dinner and well they had had enough of each others’. Just as I was gearing up to help them cool off one of them let out a nice big belch. The squabbling stopped, it was quiet for the slightest of moments and then they started giggling and laughing, rolling on the floor and off they went brotherhood restored. Nothing like a big burp to bring brothers together and restore the peace.

‘Imaginate’
Isaac, whispering with shoulders hunkered over secretively- when it’s dark at night and we’re asleep everything comes alive. Later during a family outing we had just parked in a parking garage and were piling out of the car. Isaac leans in to me and informs me that when we leave the car will come alive.

Our Little Ham
Having recently just returned from a trip to Seattle. A highlight for the boys this summer. Hudson was relishing some attention by being silly. Dad asks, “where’d you come from?”. “Seattle!”, Hudson responds.

Safety First
We were over at a neighbor’s for a yard party. They had a trampoline and the boys made a beeline for it. Bouncing and flipping to higher heights with out a care in the world. A little later a few other kids made their way over too. I whispered to Everest to be more careful there were more kids now. He quickly responds over his shoulder as he boings in the air, “I always never do that” A father next to me, chuckles and comments, “very well stated”. Indeed, nicely put.

Sweets for the Sweet
I was nibbling on a cookie and offered Hudson one, ‘no, mom, no mom…’ while backing up and shaking his head. Upon making eye contact he changes his tune, ‘yum mom, yum cookie, mom.’ My only question is, what in the world did he think I was eating in the first place?

But of Course
Edison trying to convince me of something sincerely states, “ Really, I’m true”.

Mutts in the Pantry
Hudson skips into the kitchen and asks for a snack. “Nack, mom, nack”. He points to the jar of nuts on the shelf and I comply giving him a small bowl with nuts in it. Shortly he hands me the bowl and spits the nuts out in my hand, “yucky mutts, mom, yucky mutts”. They must have been old mutts.

Attention Grabber
I love casually listening to the conversations of my boys. Some make me smile, some make me chuckle and some make me jump to my feet. Such as when Isaac quizzically asked, “Edison come here, this is really mysterious”.

Forecast for the Day
Hudson is our thermometer. In fact he’s always keeping us informed. Recently with all the heat, his most common phrase pared with bright red cheeks and a swipe of his brow, “hot day, mom, hot day”.

Blindsided

I parked in line along with all the other parents waiting for the bell to ring. Little did I know I was about to be blindsided. I immersed myself in a book when I suddenly realized there were kids whizzing by the car. I looked up and was searching through the mass of mothers and kindergarteners looking for Edison. There he was racing straight for me when he leaped up into the opened window he exclaimed, “Guess what I got today?!” I’m clamoring for answers, “ahhhh sticker?, ahhhhhh book?, aaaaaaaan award?”. He couldn’t take my feeble attempts any longer, “A GIRLFRIEND!!!” Oh, wow, I wasn’t expecting that one. “A girlfriend”, I respond, “what’s her name?”. ”I don’t know”. “Well, what’s she look like?”. Expecting a vague description, Edison whips out with a full blown detailed report, “well she has on this white skirt and purple polka dots on her shirt with a tie that goes around the front like this and ties in the back and it has little dots on it….. her hair does this pokie thing like this(flipping his hand up to show me) in the back …” Wow, she’s really caught his eye. In fact he told me that when they were lined up at recess he walked by and said to her, “You’re my girlfriend”. It was adorable they way he told me, with a confident macho look and hip hand gesture. I am so in trouble. Big trouble. She’s all he talked about for the rest of the day; in fact she’s been the star topic of the week. As soon as we got home he ran down stairs and told his dad and again reported to his brother upon his arrival. In which Everest said with a no fair expression, “what, you have to be 16.” Then the two brothers submerged themselves in guy talk.

Later that night, still on cloud nine Edison confides in me, “mom, we were sitting on the carpets at class and I was looking at her the whole time and whispered to myself, she is sooooooo beautiful.” Almost confessing Everest comes up quietly and says, “I kind of have a girlfriend too, mom. I haven’t really talked to her yet, but she’s in the class next door. Her class comes in to do stuff with ours and when I saw her I whispered to myself, I hope she sits at my table.” “Did she” I asked. With a sweet little smile he shook his head yes. Oh my I’m so in trouble. Everest has been quieter about girls, that’s his nature but now he and his brother talk constantly about them. What they should say and do. It’s really cute but my goodness I was hoping for a couple more years.

In the dark of their room past bedtime they talked quietly about what they should say the next day to their girlfriends, Everest giving his younger brother advice. Edison comes out with a hopeful grin, “I think I want to write my girl friend a message.” “Well that’s a good idea, what do you want to say in your message?” “I don’t know I just want to write her a message.” “Well why don’t you think about what you’d like to say while you lay in your bed and go to sleep.” Skipping back to his bed he went.

Little tidbits and updates keep coming. Like he even mentioned the “M” word last night as I was tucking him into bed. Yes, marriage. Did I mention I’m in trouble? I told him he’s a little young for marriage let’s just work on the friendship part for now. I’m expecting a phone call from her parents any day now.

I had mentioned I wanted to meet his girlfriend or at least see who she is. So, yesterday I waited in the same line of parents waiting to pick up their little socialites. I spotted Edison and I started over to greet him. He was floating and beaming from ear to ear. I honestly don’t know what was keeping him from floating away because his feet were at least three feet off the ground. I knew the little girl beside him was ‘the’ one, because he was trying so hard to walk right beside her. Not go too fast, nor too slow and he was frantically searching through the mom’s, cars and kids for me with a proud look ready to show her off. I had a sudden flash-forward, seeing my little 5 year old as a 22 year old bringing home his fiancé. Smitten with love. My they grow up so fast.

Today he jumped in the car and excitedly reported his progress; “she talked to me more today”. On the way home he says, “I love school!” I don’t doubt it one bit, but I’m curious as to just what they are teaching them. Sitting in the back seat of our expedition he tells his younger brother Isaac, “When you go to school you get to have girlfriends”. Isaac’s face lights up. We might be switching to an all boys school by next year.