Christmas Vacation Productions

Our little break has lent itself to my boy & girl teaming up for some live action. Thankfully, I always have my phone (camera!) nearby & can get it all on camera in a unsuspecting fashion.

So, when this little 'drama' was set to begin, I got a request for a song. "something slow Momma" Flynn directed me. 'To the Sea' sounded like a good idea.

Next act was apparently the scene where the baby (conceived by the first dance?) was born.

And next, a grocery shopping trip with the baby -- now turned toddler.

I hope I never forget these moments.

Diagrams of Explanation (she takes after me)

A few mos ago, I comically illustrated a slight would-be-altercation between myself & some half-cocked lady in the Lowe's parking lot at the bluffs; wherein she blamed me for going back in time, leaving my car, turning a stop sign 90 degrees, so that when I went through the intersection later (in present time), I wouldn't have to stop.
"Somebody turned the sign!"
WHAT? REALLY?
Why not just accept blame by saying, "I didn't know you didn't have a stop sign, sorry."
But then again, that's what I get for stopping in the middle of the intersection & asking her why she honked & gestured.
Sheesh, it's almost like I'm an elementary teacher or something.

Anywho, to make the story more interesting later, when retelling it to my nieces, I sketched a little map to go along with my retelling. Complete with a cactus for Qdoba & a bulls eye for Target.
We laughed so hard that I magnet-ed it to the fridge.
And later texted it to my nieces so they could get just one more laugh out of it (because, you know, we're short on laughs in our family... /sarcasm).

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

This morning, when my two littles forgot it was a holiday (the same way they forget every five days that it's a weekend) & came into our room (around 7'ish?), we sent them back out with a request to play quietly while Daddy & I (who did not forget it was a holiday) slept for mere minutes more.

It doesn't take long for some kind of disagreement to break out between my almost-Irish twins & this time, Flynn wanted to be sure that we knew E-X-A-C-T-L-Y what went down.

That is why she drew this:

to show Daddy & I, what transpired between her & her bubby.
COMPLETE with a brown vapor -- so that we could almost smell what she smelled.

And to this, I say,
the NUT doesn't fall far....

Moobs

Our Gabe is a funny boy --- says what he's thinking & means what he says.
After a shower with Daddy, he was hanging out, sitting outside of the shower & watching Daddy's every move.

Gabe looked at Dad's chest. Looked at his own. Then said what he was thinking,
"Hey Daddy?... (reaching out & pointing to his little bosom)
....when I grow up?, are these gonna get big?..... like Mom's?....and....YOURS?"

And Jeff immediately started a new diet plan.

"Guy Rockets"

Flynn is in the bright/pre-gifted education at school. Our school calls it, "Sky Rockets."
One of her assignments was to take a bag & fill it with 20 unique things. She chose things like photos of her & gabe in a photo booth, trinkets, Mad Science make and takes, lip gloss, a shell from the beach & at least one of her favorite rocks.

This collection took a couple of weeks to obtain. And the whole family got in on the selections.

Fast forward a couple of months. The scene is Gabe showing Flynn something "neat" & Flynn's typical excitement for all things neat Gabe shows her.
The best though, was the response Gabe gave her...

"Finn!, Finn! You can take it to GUY ROCKETS!!"

Space Cowboy

This handsome wrangler strolled into my room to find me to tell me & tell me a very important announcement....

"Me the SPACE COWBOY."

Now either this kid has been listening to the Steve Miller Band. Or he has taken his love for Toy Story to the next level & combined Woody & Buzz.

Almost As Good as my Recliner

I love coming home, exhausted & tired-footed, & plopping down in my soft recliner.

But EVEN BETTER is sitting here tonight watching Gabe...

He's playing 'DJ Hero' (a mix-master wii game) wearing camouflage cut-off pants and COWBOY BOOTS.
It's almost too much. And I love it.

Despite His Verbal Challenge

My boy managed to spit out the funniest thing tonight after dinner, even though 1/5 of what he says is unintelligible.

He was eating dinner, just him & me. He finished his delish corndog & carrots meal, wiped his mouth, asked to be excused & stood to his feet. Looked at me & said,
"I'm eternally grateful."

Shaking His Money-Maker

Okay, so I had been discouraging Gabe from BENDING OVER & SHAKING HIS REAR END in front of others.

The next day, he wakes up with this announcement, "alright, the Perrys not like shaking them booties anymore."

Sometimes You Don't Know Whether or Not to Laugh or Puke

Gabe: Me yike the mell of burps.

That'll make a momma proud.

Briefs or Boxers?

Today Flynn said (mid-lunch) to Jeff's Dad, "What's under there?"

Dan replied, "Under where?" [underWEAR]

I don't know which part I like the best: the fact that she had the nerve to say it...or the fact that she kept a straight face while she did it.

What Color is Your Parachute?

Here is a conversation I heard from the driver's seat on one of our many, many long drives...

Gabe "When me get big me gonna 'drive' a plane and be a yeacher."

Flynn: "Well, I'm gonna be a tooth fairy."

Fur

My boy is a snuggler. He's also a lover not a fighter. And when we've spent the day apart, like we do every single week day, he makes up for it, in affection.

So, after we were reunitied, I held him in my lap. He kissed my hand, told me that he loves me, & we 'nuggled.

He nuzzled into my neck with his sharp little nose & looked up at me,
"Me wish you had fur Momma."

They Keep Cracking Us Up

Before I tell this story, here's background info...

Uncle Yoren = Uncle Loren; Uncle Loren = My brother

Uncle Yoren is a hunter, with a lot of deer heads to show for his hobby.

Okay, let me proceed.

I was getting the kids together to take to my Dad's who was watching them for me while I went to an interview.

In an attempt to get Gabe to get his hat, I reminded him, "Papa will like it!"

His response, "Uncle Yoren yike it too.  Uncle Yoren yikes REINDEER."

And as if that didn't have me rolling in the floor enough, Flynn (who hears all, sees all) interjected with,

(imagine a voice here, an octave higher than her usual range)

"He SHOOTS them!"

Me Got a Question For You

My little jokester has been working hard on spinning his knock-knocks & one-liners.  Sometimes he remembers them correctly, sometimes he makes them up as he goes along.

I'd like to say they're always funny, but that would be a stretch.

My favorite thing about all of it is his approach,

"Hey Momma, me got a question for you..."

And when I hear that, I can't resist.

Possibly One of the Cutest Things She's Ever Said

We're happily diving into a tub of summer clothes, mostly stocked by HAND ME DOWNS by our favorite hand me down'ers.

I came across a shirt (I think from our pastors), which is kelly green with bright yellow writing (that alone could make me love it).  It has JOE on the front, MAMMA on the back.  Haha.

Like I do w/ all her clothing, I put it on her, and explained what it said.  I laughed as I said it.

About 5 minutes later, she approached me, 

"Momma?  Was this YOUR shirt when you were little?"

"Um, no..."

"Then why does it have your name on the back??"

His Dad's a Science Teacher...

so why should expect differently?

Like when he & his sis get in a scuffle (regular occurrence) & he comes to me, crying...

"Momma... Fwynn hit me... she hit me... in the esophagus...."

I've Heard of 'Break a Leg', but this is ridiculous...

Monday, on account of me being busy with the tv spot, Papa was roped into dropping Flynn off (as well as picking her up) at dance.

It sounds as if she wasn't getting into her seat & strapping herself in right away. So Papa did his uncanny approach of coercing her into her seat,
"Flynn if you fall out of the truck on the way to dance, you won't be able to dance if we run over your leg."

This was no threat to Flynn,
"It's okay, I can dance on one leg."

Yes... It's been INsanely Busy

And right now I blog this from our hotel room in Atlanta.  I am dog-tired, but missing my kiddos has helped me overcome my exhaustion & minor jet lag, to brag a little on them.

I got a pedicure last night.  Finally used a gift certificate from my BIRTHDAY (august!!).  I went w/ a totally different color palette...well that's exactly what it is.  It's called chiclets & each toe is a different (neon) color.  When I walked in the door & called for Flynn to check them out, Gabe came running too.

Within seconds he analyzed my new look, "COLORFUL!" he declared.

Speaking of the little wordsmith, he & Daddy went to Lowe's last week.  It was rainy & the bottom of his crocs were soaked.  When he started taking steps on the dry part of the pavement, he left shoe prints.  Of course, when he saw them, he announced, "Wook Dad!  PAW prints!!"

Flynn has been counting down the days until we left for this trip.  "How many more days til you go to 'George'a'?"

This morning, she followed me into the bathroom where I was weighing myself.  "Ooh Mom, make sure you take a camera...I want to see what Georgia looks like!"

My eyes are burning...itching.... and our conference starts in 9 hours.  

Good night.

PS I miss my kids.

God's Fingernail?

Yesterday, Daddy was clipping his nails. Talking to Gabe about fingernails.

Last night, Daddy was taking Gabe to bed when he pointed out the sliver of the moon. Daddy told Gabe, "Gabe look, at the moon...it's just a sliver..."

Gabe asked Daddy, "That God's fingernail?"

Big Head

Gabe: Finn, you bigger dan me?

Flynn: Yes Gabe. I am taller than you. Because I am older than you. Right Mom?

Me: Well, yes, you are taller than Gabe. And yes, you are older than Gabe. But just because you are older than someone does not mean that you are bigger than that person. As a matter of fact, I don't know how much longer you will be taller than Gabe. Probably soon, he will be taller than you.

Flynn: Why? Because I...

Me: Because he is going to be a very tall adult. Actually, a tall kid. And you are going to be a petite person, not tall.

Flynn: (with revelation) Ohhhh.... it's because his head is so big.