In their words...

Trying to catch a breath between all the diaper/sheet/outfit changes around here...

So instead of me, here are some quotes from the children:

Andrew:

Put him to bed at his "normal" summer bedtime. Jeff starts his workout video (damn him) while I start a computer game (damn me). After about 10 minutes, Andrew comes down the steps, sniffling. He earnestly walks to my side, with his eyes welling up. I am immediately impatient because this looks like a grade A delay, cooked up for just my benefit.
Me: "WHAT?"
Andrew: "Um, Mom? I think that my helmets should go in a hall of fame when I'm done with them. I really don't want to give them away or throw them away."
Me: "The helmets that you play with 3 hour of the 13 hours you are awake each day? We're certainly not going to get rid of them until you are ready."
Andrew (fighting back tears): "No! I want them to go to a hall of fame. I NEVER want to get rid of them"
Me (itching to throw him back upstairs): "Okay, then. We'll give them to a hall of fame. Goodnight?"
Andrew (not done yet): "Because the NFL could get more teams, or one of the teams could change names or cities, and my helmets could be a way for people to see what it was like now."
Me: "Got it. Hall of fame. Helmets. Gift for future generations. You need to go back to bed."
Andrew (cheered up): "Great. And can we give my books to a hall of fame too?"
Me: "Sure. Go to bed."
Andrew: "And my posters? Maybe my jerseys?"
--the sound of feet running upstairs as I get up to chase him back to bed.--

Little football-obsessed, ya think?



Lily-
Getting her diaper changed by her dad on Saturday morning. She was already a little raw under the diaper, so to speak, so she whined a bit as he wiped her off.

Jeff: "Sorry, Lil'"
Lily: "Dat's nice, Daddy. Dat's nice to say sowwy to me."





Michael-

Okay, so Michael is not actually speaking. But I swear this kid is going to turn 2 and just start speaking fluently. It's like he's doing Berlitz English behind our backs. Every once in a while, he says something as clear as day, and he won't do it again. Like I took the two older kids in the backyard after dinner, and Jeff was getting Michael out of his highchair. Michael pointed to the back door and clearly said, "Go! Go! Go!" He did this again last night when Jeff went out to grill. But that's it. Never any other time. He walked by me and pointed to his nose and said, "No!" I repeated back, "What's a no-no? Did you do a no-no?" He pointed emphatically to his nose once again and said, "NO!" He has never before or since pointed out a body part. He was walking across the room with his water cup, took the cup out of his mouth, held it up, and clearly said, "Wa-wa." Never again.

Which leaves us wondering if we are reading into these things too much...or is he sneakily learning language and just internally practicing? He's the 3rd child, so we'll still just assume he's a caveman. ;)