funnies

 

Remember the movie Monster's Inc.?  The kids have been watching it a lot lately.  There is a scene where the monster world is contaminated by the human world...the loudspeaker calls out "2319" and men in hazmat suits rush over to decontaminate the unfortunate monster.  NiNi now likes to use "2319" as code for anything dangerous or gross that needs immediate attention.  For example, Ethan sneezes and green goo is hanging from his nose...2319.  Or Ethan is poised with scissors in one hand and my work paper in the other...another 2319.  You can imagine there are many opportunities to call a 2319.  Ethan also likes to say it although does not understand the inside joke.

 

More NiNi quotes:  "Oh mom...it looks like you're growing a mustache. (than adds hastily) But it looks nice on you!"  

 

Ethan quotes:  "God made my car blue!"  (said of his toy car in classic epiphany style after learning in Sunday school about all the things God made)

Chris likes to wrestle with Ethan and taught him to say, "You wanna piece of me old man?"  He now tries to fight all our male friends who come over for a visit, spouting off this phrase.  Recently Chris says, "Ethan needs to cut that out!"  Yeah right!  Fat chance dad!

NiNi taught Ethan what "pinky promise" means.  It requires all of the fingers on his opposing hand to hold down the fingers on his left hand, leaving only the pinky out.  He asks for a pinky promise when we say things like, "you can watch cartoons later."  I have to admit it is one of the cutest darn things I have ever seen

He still has trouble getting in all of the syllables in words like slippery.  The other day I had just mopped the floor and he fell saying, "Woah!  Slipley!"

Ethan needs his cuddle time when he wakes up in the morning.  Not terribly convenient when I am upstairs trying to get kids dressed at 6:30am.  If I say, "I can't hold you right now"  He says, "Mama, hold me downstairs"  As in, "hold me even when we go downstairs."

Ethan is into pretend play right now.  He of course does the typical fighting of bad guys/crashing of cars, but also plays with NiNi's dolls.  It is very sweet to hear him talk to the baby and say, "You're ok, don't cry."  The other day he was playing the role of "frazzled daddy", holding the baby with one arm and doing a load of laundry with the other.  Kept opening the dryer and checking to see if the clothes were done.  When I asked him, "What's your baby's name?"  he said "Jesus."  Baby Jesus is probably the most famous baby he know.

 

Snow day

Snow day...3 days before spring break.  So the girls went sledding with their cousins!

Spring program

NiNi had a small speaking part in her school program tonight.  I am continually amazed at how this girl has come out of her shell.  Such a different place than where we were a year ago.  And I will never tire of this newest phenomenon...the ear to ear grin

 

Epic fail of my camera at the precise moment she was standing at the microphone!  Darn!

spring is here...sort of

 

Meagan's Birthday

So I've decided that yet another dirty little secret they don't tell you before you have kids is that photography is, for the most part, prohibited beyond age 11, especially when friends are present.  So I get one of two facial expressions:  

 

 

 The "are you kidding me?" look (my personal favorite)

 

 

 or the ridiculous "I'm-going-to-photo-bomb-your-picture" look 

 

 

But here is photographic evidence that Meagan did indeed turn 12.  It was in fact the easiest party to plan in over a decade.  No crafts, no games, no pricey outings...in fact I didn't even bake cake.  Per Meagan's request, all she wanted was to hang out...seven friends and a very large pan of brownies.  Everyone slept over and they never even watched a movie.  Just talked and laughed all night.  Love it!