Isms

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2010-07-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Mama: [Tucking Eliana, who has a cold, under the covers for Quiet Time] Okay, honey, just read your book and I'll go get a Kleenex for your nose. [Continuing to straighten covers and tuck them under her legs]

Eliana: [pausing, thinking, then nodding understandingly] That's short for Toilet Paper, right, Mama?

Mobile Entertainment

2010-07-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Gideon has figured out how to make his brothers and sister giggle during meal times... he rolls his eyes to the sides and up and down, holding his head very still, a tiny smile on his closed lips.

After one such session, Corban leaned back and sighed, Ah, Gideon. He's our tabernacle entertainment!

Daddy and I looked at each other. What?

You know, he continued. The tabernacle was mobile? They could pack it up and go wherever they wanted? Gideon's like that- we can take our entertainment wherever we go!

Certainly

2010-07-07T07:18:00.001-07:00

I pulled Gideon's bowl of eggs away so I could attach his bib first.

Eliana, watching, said, I don't need a bib anymore, do I? I'm a big girl! But you need one, Gideon, certainly!

Lolling

2010-07-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

Eliana was "scrubbing" the kitchen floor while I washed dishes.

Gideon thought it was a lovely game and came lolling across her back. She grunted and called out to me.

Gideon, please get off of sissy! I called.

Oh, Mama, it's okay! He's being cute. She smiled up from mussed hair and crumby floor.

Loll away, children.

Hierarchy

2010-06-28T16:47:00.001-07:00

Corban: Eliana, earlier when I said I didn't want to play your game? It was because it's kind of a girl game. Being a queen and stuff.

Eliana: Noooo! But you can be my servant!

Speechless

2010-06-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

Mama was expressing to Daddy her confusion about the popsicles she was making - They keep turning out so sour! And I'm following the recipe exactly! So, either everyone else likes sour popsicles, or I'm doing SOMETHING wrong!

Apparently she was getting a little dramatic in her frustration, so from where he sat on the floor in the living room, playing with Eliana and Gideon, he joined in.

What in the world? It's a conspiracy! People are crazy! They're popsicles, for goodness' sake, why must they be SOUR?

Mama laughed from the kitchen and decided to dial back her expressiveness.

But Eliana stood speechless in front of Daddy, gazing at him in surprise for a few moments. Then she said,

I don't know what to say!

Corban and His Pride

2010-06-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

At a recent wedding rehearsal, Corban came over to the bride to say hello. But before he got to her, he tripped!

Are you okay? she gasped.

He picked himself up sheepishly and answered, I'm okay. Nothin' hurt but my pride!

So Proper

2010-06-25T08:41:00.001-07:00

Eliana and Daddy were outside watering the garden together.

He was pointing out the different plants, and telling her what we could make with them.

The onions and peppers and tomatoes will make salsa, Eliana, doesn't that sound yummy?

Her response: Indeed, Daddy. Indeed.

Eliana

2010-06-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

After slipping the fairy dress over her left-over-from-being-a-flower-girl curls, I turned to leave the room, calling her to come with me to make supper.

First, she said quietly, turning to her jewelry box, I need to decorate myself.

And three bracelets, four butterfly clips and a necklace later, she's *decorated*.

I feel so shabby standing at the stove in my rubberbanded-ponytail and bare wrists and neck.

Kidkind

2010-05-18T12:24:00.001-07:00

Corban, feeling his way up the stairs with a homemade astronaut's helmet on, covering most of his vision, said,

"One small step for man, one giant leap for Kidkind!"

UGO

2010-05-18T11:26:00.001-07:00

Micah: Mama, if you saw a minotaur running towards you, but you didn't know what it was, you could call it a UGO!

Mama: [thinking] [thinking] [thinking]

Micah: Unidentified Greek Object!

Eliana

2010-03-05T12:11:00.001-08:00

Coming in from the newly fallen six inches of snow...

Mama, my breath is cold! I need some hot chocolate!

A New Word

2010-02-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

Micah: Did Daddy tell you what happened to me last night?

Mama: Oh, I know, honey. You're feeling congested?

Micah: Yes, and he helped me ungest it by taking a bath.

:)

Running

2009-08-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Eliana: Mama, my nose is running!

Mama: Well, where is it running to? Ha ha!

Eliana: (pointing very seriously to her upper lip and looking confused) Right here, Mama!

Sick

2009-08-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Eliana (in the bathtub playing with her doll): Mama, my baby is sick. Yeah, she has a temper. 'Sokay, baby.

A Reminder

2009-08-02T17:47:00.001-07:00

(We ran some errands while Daddy was away; two stores, in and out of a tiny, two-door borrowed car. Eliana was warned that Mama was going to count spankings (reserved for when we arrived home) for poor listening... one was counted when Eliana disobeyed Mama's helper, Corban. In the hustle and bustle of arriving home and unloading the car and nursing the baby and making lunch, the spank was forgotten by Mama. But not Eliana...)

Mama: (laying Eliana down for a nap): I'm glad you're taking a nap today. You were kind of grumpy this morning!

Eliana: Yeah. (Sitting bolt upright in bed) We forgot my spank!

Mama: Oh, my! You're right. Thank you for reminding me. I think we need to do that right now.

Eliana: (Climbing out of bed) I know. I don't like spanks. But you can do it!

Daddy and Eliana

2009-08-02T17:46:00.001-07:00

Eliana blew on Daddy's face to be silly, so he blew on her.
Eliana: (nose scrunched) You smell like food!
Daddy: Sorry.
Eliana: What? Don't say that! It's good! (Leans in for a long, satisfied sniff.)

Marriage

2009-08-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Micah: When I get married, I'm going to take my wife to a restaurant for dinner, and then to Britain.

Cor: I'm going to take my wife to Hawaii!

Eliana (shouting): I'm going to take my man to McDonald's!!

When I Grow Up...

2009-08-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Corban: When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut, or an FBI agent, or a soldier, or a policeman...
Micah: I want to work at McDonald's!

............................................

Corban: I want to own a restaurant when I grow up. Micah, do you want to be my partner?
Micah: Nah. No thanks. Well, I guess so. But I don't want to be a partner- I want to be a waiter!

Corbanism

2007-10-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Learning about density in school today, and like all home schools, the new knowledge was immediately tested...

Corban worked with Daddy, fixing things with tools from his toolbox. They talked while they worked about the density of wood, and compared it mentally to the density of Daddy's tools. Later, after lifting the tool box to put it away, Corban groaned at its weight.

"Daddy, this toolbox is just filled with dense!"

Corbanism

2007-05-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Standing behind his sister, his arms wrapped around her, he laughed and she screamed.

At my request for him to stop, he stepped away, saying, "I was just playing her!"

I said, "It didn't sound like you were just playing with her!"

He said, "No, Mama, I was playing her! She's my guitar!"

Corbanism

2007-03-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

When Corban asked me to show him my muscles the other day, I obliged gladly, for I have been using Miss Holly's workout program of stick-em-in-wherever-you-can pushups.

"Wow!" he shouted, showing me his skinny little arms. "They're bigger than mine!"
(He did not notice that what hangs beneath my arm is larger than what is above, and I wasn't gonna point that out!)

So later that day, Kevin figured out how to fix something using his head, and when Corban exclaimed over Daddy's genius, Kevin said, "Well, I just used my brains instead of my brawn!"

"What's brawn?" Corban wanted to know.

Kevin told him it was another word for muscles, and to this Corban jumped to his feet and said, "Mama has HUGE brawns!"

Corbanism

2007-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Corban makes a special mix for his tater tots and corn dogs, stirring mustard and ketchup together.

"It's kustard, Mama!"

My dear, that's like no custard I've ever tasted.

Corbanism

2007-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Learning his Roman numerals and loving it, Corban asked me what he would need to use them for.

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You know, I really don't know what you'll need to know Roman numerals for!" (I know, bad teacher!)

No worries. He responded, "Well, if I'm a person experimenting on Ancient Rome, I'll be glad I know this!"

Corbanism

2007-01-28T21:24:00.000-08:00

Last week, we were making ice cream sundaes for the youth group at our house, and when Corban's turn came, I asked if he wanted hot fudge, caramel, or both.
He said, "Just hot fudge. I hate caramel. Me and caramel are worst enemies."

Micah-ism

2007-01-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

During Sunday School (where I am the teacher, and our two sons are the only students), I was writing the Bible verse on our chalkboard, and I noticed Micah, out of the corner of my eye, flopping on the floor and rolling around. I said, "Micah, be still."

He asked, "Mama, how do you see backwards and side to side?"

A lesson in peripheral vision followed, and I successfully fought the urge to tell him I have eyes in the back of my head.

Corban and Micah-ism

2007-01-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

We were cuddled together on the couch today, watching "Mary Poppins". Micah spoke up, "What is a nanny, Mama?"
I said, "It's a person who comes into the home and takes care of the children when the Mama needs help."
Corban, from his spot under my arm, said, "We don't need one of those!"
And Micah poked his head out, looked across at Corban, and said, "Yeah! We have Mama!"
And then I was hugged.
*Sigh*

Micah-isms

2006-12-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

While driving home one evening, Micah looked out the window and said, "Mama, is the moon following us? Like, does he have a car or something?"

"Good night! Sleep tight! Don't let the bedbugs fight! Cause that would really make it hard to sleep."

Seeing the twinkling stars overhead, "God and Jesus must have hung their Christmas lights!"

Micah is very ticklish when I'm cutting his toenails - actually, both boys are. One evening, after baths, as I tackled this chore, Micah sat in my lap, laughing and squirming. I spoke in a frustrated tone that I wanted him to sit still! so I could finish.
He said, "Could someone just put me unconscious for this?"

Corbanism

2006-11-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

As the boys watched their National Geographic today - "Jewels of the Caribbean", I worked in the kitchen.

From what I could hear, a large group of creel fish attacked a school of parrot fish who had just finished laying their eggs. The result: not one egg was left.

I sighed sadly from my post at the sink, not realizing they could hear me.

Corban hollered from the other room, "It's all part of the food chain, Mama!"

Corbanism

2006-11-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

Corban asked if I had talked to Daddy about something. I told him yes, and it was all worked out. He said, "Of course you worked it out! You're friends!"

Micah-ism

2006-11-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

"Mama, there are two good things about being blind! You don't have to wear a blindfold to hit the pinata, and you don't have to close your eyes when you pray!"

Corbanism

2006-10-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

While watching me strain my tea through a raggedy dishtowel, Corban said, "Mama, you're such a smart little gal to think of that!"

Corban-isms and Micah-isms

2006-10-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Corban says, "Was that back when we were still inside you being worked on by God?"

After watching Corban run across some chairs, I ask him to get down. He does, then notices I'm looking at him with a smile on my face. He says, "I know what you're thinking! "Such a boy!""

While watching Eliana chew on a baby doll, Corban says, "These are the words I live by in babyland - it's not a toy, it's food!"

While watching Fiddler on the Roof with subtitles at our church movie night, Micah turns to me with a very frightened face and says, "How do the words follow the man?"

Corban says, "Mama, a couple of my dogs got married about 2 minutes ago! (stuffed animals) For awhile, my dog was engaged with my cat, but then I thought that was too weird, cause he's bigger than the cat!"

After evening prayers, when Daddy asks forgiveness for being crabby, Corban says, "It's okay that you were crabby, Daddy. It happens to all of us. It happens to EVERYONE in New York!"

Micah notices a picture of a brand new Eliana on the screen saver. He asks, "Mama, how did someone pull on your legs and push the baby out?"

Corban says, "Daddy, I wish I was born before you and Mama got married so I could be your ringbearer."

Micah calls his ideas "announcements" - that's some church influence for ya!

Corban says, "I've been arguing with myself about what I want to be when I grow up!"

When Daddy got KFC at the drive-thru, he said "Ah, beautiful!" as he took the bag from the worker. Micah, from the backseat, said, "Daddy, why you say beautiful? I thought there was a wife in there!"

Corban told Daddy he was dunked in the water at the pool and was baptized. Daddy said, "Well..." and Corban said, "I know, I know, it was swimming pool water, not Glory of God water!"

Micah says, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a man with big glasses and big pockets!"

Corban, after listening to Mama and some friends talking about different diets, says "I'm on a diet of playing as hard as I can so I can lose weight!"