Nothing

Last Night

Daddy:  Edee, what did you do today?
Edee:  Oh...I wen to a caft 'tore (craft store) and to dance cass (class).
Daddy:  What about you Chicken?  What did you do today?
Chicken:  Nuffeen.
Daddy: Nothing?
Me:  Chicken, didn't we go to the libary today?
Chicken:  No.
Me: ......Yes we did.  Who did we see there?  Did you see Blake and Graham and Dane Dane?
Chicken:  No.

     Okaaaay.....

This Morning

Me:  Chicken it's time to get dressed.

no response.

Daddy:  What do you want to wear today Chicken?

Chicken:  Nuffeen.

Daddy:  Not wearing anything isn't an option.....

I thought this was a teenager response, not a two-year-old response.   Then while thinking about it, I remembered that this was not a new response for him....I blogged about it here back in July.  He's had this response since he was a one-year old.

Spicy

Chicken, Edee and I are sitting on the couch relaxing and watching Tinkerbell after a busy day away from home.  Chicken starts backing away slowly into the kitchen; I assume something is too scary for him.

Not soon after, he comes running over to me, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Chicken:  My ton ih 'picy.

Me:  Your tongue.....is spicy.

Chicken:  Yeah.  It 'picy.

Me:  Why is it spicy....did you eat something?  Wait, what smells like cinnamon??  Wha...wait, did you just eat some cinnamon out of the shaker?

He slowly nods in the affirmative.

This is not the first time he's consumed something directly out of the shaker.  I think he was hoping for the garlic salt and got quite the shock instead.

Sick

Oh joy of joys.  We have been sick so much this winter.  Fortunately nothing too major...mostly lots of colds and a few minor stomach bugs.  And pink eye--that wasn't fun.

We just got over one of those stomach bugs this past weekend.  Edee threw up all one morning while Daddy stayed in bed all day with nausea and stomach pain.  They were mostly better by the next day.  Of course, by then it was my turn.

I'm sitting down bending over with my head in my hands.

Me:  Ugh, I don't feel so good.
Edee:  It's okay Mommy, we will take care of you.
Me:  Thanks, Edee, that's sweet of you to say.
Edee:  Oh, oh, oh.  I need to tell you some-ping.  If you feel like you are gonna have a yucky burp, dust cose  (close) you mouth yike dis... and den you won't frow up, okay?
Me:  Thanks Edee....I'll remember that.
Edee (rubbing my shoulder): Poor Mommy. Feel better, Mommy.

She's been so well trained.

Kitty

Chicken has been in this phase lately where he really likes to act and meow like a kitty cat.  No other animal.  Just a cat.  I usually play along with it.... it's cute for a two year old.

I don't remember the whole conversation, but one day I called Chicken a sweetie pie and I got quite the unexpected, adamant response:

Chicken: "I not a 'weetie pie!  I dust Caytin!!"
Me:  Oh my.  Okay, just my Chicken.
Chicken: And kitty cat Caytin.

Of course, can't forget that.

Owl

At the beginning of the year I went across country for a few days. Alone.  It was the longest I had ever been away from the kids.  On the last day that I was gone, Daddy and Grandma took the kids to the science museum.

I asked Chicken about it when I got home late that night.

Me:  What did you do at the museum today?
Chicken: I yaw....I yaw a yittle owl.

He says it with bright, reminiscing eyes and a little shy smile, while pinching his fingers by his face to signify "little".

Me:  Oh wow!  A little owl!  That's so neat!  Was that your favorite part?
Chicken:  Yeah.  I yaw a yittle owl.

Months later when I ask Chicken how his day was or his favorite thing about the day was, there's a 50/50 chance that he'll still say, "I yaw a yittle owl" with the same eyes and smile.  Even when no owl was involved.

Driveway

It's been a rough winter, for multiple reasons.  I won't mention the 100 inches of snow, or the ice dams causing leaks all over our house, our our water pipes freezing and bursting.

But I will mention that our driveway goes up a decently long hill.  And it gets icy.  And slippery. And my car's tires were bald enough that on more than one occasion I couldn't drive up it.

Usually we'd eventually get up after roughing up the icy patches or gathering more momentum or something.

But one night, I just plain could not climb it.  After four or five attempts and lots of frustrated muttering and despairing, I gave up and took the hungry kids out to Panera Bread for dinner (one who had been crying because he wanted to go home, while the other was crying because she didn't want to go home).

As we go up to the register and I start to order, I can tell that Edee really wants to say something.  I assume because we were just talking about what she was going to eat that she wanted to tell her order.

Me:  Go ahead and tell her your order.
Edee: Um, oh oh!  Mommy couldn't get up our dive-way and dat's why we got to come out for dinner!!!
Me:  Um, oh, Edee....just tell her you want the Mac n' cheese....thanks.

I mean, I can see why it was pretty exciting.  I was taking her to restaurant which I rarely do, and she really had not wanted to go home.  This driveway drama was a good thing for Miss Drama Queen.  Not so much for Chicken, poor boy just wanted to sleep.  He tolerated dinner fine though.

By the time we got done eating, Daddy had come home from a late night of work.  The kids had fallen asleep and were completely out by the time I pulled back to the dreaded driveway.  Daddy tried driving us up unsuccessfully and ended up just towing us up with the truck.  The kids didn't even flinch when we put them into bed, and that was that.

Chicken woke up some time in the middle of the night screaming.  His nose was a little stuffy and he was yelling for a drink.  As I took him downstairs into the kitchen and started to pour some water, all the crying abruptly stopped with realization, and he asked with a surprisingly clear voice--

Chicken:  You get up da dive-way, Mommy?
Me:  Yes honey, Daddy got us up the driveway.
Chicken (throwing his little arms around my neck and squeezing tighter than I can remember):  Oh I am yo, yo, yo, yo, yo  HAPPY!!  Dank you Mommy.  I yo happy!

Translation Key:
yo=so

It was probably one of the cutest things I've had to get up in the middle of the night for in recent history.  That little boy was more happy to get up that driveway and be home than I was...even though it was quite the delayed response.

Occupied

Sleep really is a precious commodity here.  It's so sad, I love feeling rested.  I don't understand why kids so flatly refuse it.

My kids wake up before the sun is up more often than not.  And that's saying something in the smack dead of winter when the days are short.   I recently read the new sleep guidelines for toddlers and preschoolers.  My kids get an hour or two less than the minimum on a near-daily basis.   Of course, that means we as the adults are also often getting less than our minimum.  Alzheimer's, here we come.

As I finally gave in to the tramplings and proddings and whinings this morning and grumpily stumbled downstairs pre-6:00 AM with Chicken in tow, Edee starting quizzing me about the day.

Edee:  What kind of day is it?
Me:  It's still nighttime
Edee:  What are we going to do?
Me:  Clean.
Edee:  EEeeaaah!  But what are we going to do??
Me:  You can go back to bed or help me clean.
Edee:  But how are we going to be occupied?
Me:   ......what?
Edee:  How are we going to be occupied??
Me:  You need to worry about that, I'm not going to entertain you right now.
Edee:  Movies make us occupied.
Me:  I am not letting you watch a movie when the sun is still asleep.  Play with your toys.
Edee:  Toys don't keep me occupied.  Movies make us occupied!!

Yeah....I know.   Imagine how hard it is then for me to refuse them....

Twinkles

Chicken marches by me up the stairs like quite the footie-pajama-ed man on a mission.

Me:  What are you up to, Chicken?

He holds up a cardboard paper towel tube.

Chicken:  I'm yooking for tinkles!  Yee? (See?)

He points it up to the ceiling while holding it up to his eye.

Me:  Looking for twinkle stars?  I'll come with you.

We walk upstairs into my room.  Daddy had just finished gutting and remodeling the entire room, and we had moved the bed in yesterday.  I pick up Chicken and we lay on the bed looking for stars.  He looks through the tube at the ceiling fan.

Chicken:  I yee one!!  It's a BIG one!
Me:  Oooo it is a big one!
Chicken:  My Daddy a made dat one.  He made dat big tinkle.
Me:  Yeah Daddy put up that big star for us, huh?
Chicken, proudly:  Yeah, my Daddy did.

He's SO precious.

Little Whiles

Me:  Edee, come here!!  I don't want to ask you again!!
Edee:  Oh, oh oh, wait.  I just need a few yittle whiles more.  Dust a few more.

Lady Bug

We have a slight lady bug infestation problem.

 This past summer there was a day or two where there were literally swarms covering the outsides of houses.  Now, seven months later, we still see one pop up in the house every now and again.   I'm really not bothered by it--we're talking about someone has dealt with spider, ant, roach, and mice problems over the past six years of marriage.  I'll take the occasional lady bug.

Plus, the kids (who often pester me about getting pets) adopt the little lady bugs as their own.  It will have to satisfy their pet desire for now.

A few days ago Daddy and I (and Edee) were still lying in bed one morning while Chicken was puttering in and out of our room.  We hear from the hall:

Chicken:  A lady bug!  Oh hi, little lady bug.  Aw, it's westing.  It's 'leepin'.  Little lady bug is 'leeping.

We all know what that means when a lady bug is "resting" or "sleeping".  We giggle about it in bed.

Before we know it, Chicken and said lady bug were also snuggling up in the bed with us.  I forgot about it until a few minutes later it started crawling up Daddy's arm.  I guess it really was sleeping.  I think we might be taking this lady-bugs-as-pets thing a little too far if they are in bed with us.

Then yesterday, I see Chicken rocking and singing:

Chicken:  Rock-a-my-lady-bug!  Rock-a-my-lady-bug! Rock-a-my-lady-bug!

This time it really was a dead one.   Oh dear.

Shower

When you're a mom, seemingly simple things get complicated.  Like, taking a shower, for instance. I feel like I could count the number of peaceful showers I've had in the past four years on my fingers and toes.

I always have the kids in the bathroom with me while I shower if Daddy's not home--sometimes they are in there even when he's home, otherwise I run the risk of listening to them banging on the door crying for me or asking for something.    Usually I bring in toys or something for them to occupy themselves with.  That works out okay most of the time.  There have been times when I've had to jump out all sudsy to assist someone crying, and times that they have escaped unknown to me until I feel the draft coming in from the door.  There have been other times that they've gotten into my makeup.  Grrrr.

Then there's times like today.

I'm rinsing my hair when all of the sudden the shower curtain opens and a little naked body hurdles in.

Me: Whoa, hey.  What are you doing, Edee?
Edee:  Um, well I dust was smelling myself, and when I was smelling I weah-yized (realized) dat I was stinky.  So, I come-ed into the shower wit you.
Me:  Alright...

A minute later, the corner of the curtain opens a bit again.

Chicken:  You okay, Mommy?
Me:  I'm okay.
Chicken:  OKAY MOMMY?
Me:  I'm okay Chicken.  Thank you.
Chicke:  EWA!!  YOU OKAY?
Edee:  Yeah!!
Chicken:  YOU OKAY, EWA???
Edee:  Yes Chicken!!!!

The curtain falls back, just to pop open again.  This time Chicken has a flashlight he's shining in.

Crap, I forgot he had that.

Chicken:  YOU OKAY?
Me:  Yes, Chicken. We are okay.  Thank you.

Etc.

This particular shower ended prematurely when the shower rod and curtain came crashing down.   It also took about half an hour afterwards to get Edee dressed. All the while Chicken is shining the flashlight on her asking where her boy parts are and various other anatomy questions.

 Showering.  Such a seemingly simple thing.....

Orbit

Daddy and I have recently made a new arrangement for my personal sanity.  It's that when he gets home from work and while I'm making dinner, he has "science time" with the kids.  That way they are occupied while I'm cooking, instead of the usual hanging on my legs crying to be held and begging for fruit snacks.

So far the new arrangement has worked out quite well.

Last week, Daddy was asking the kids questions about what they had learned  a few days prior.

Daddy: Edee, what orbits around the sun?
Edee:  Da Earff!!
Daddy:  Good, the earth!  Chicken, do you remember what orbits the earth?
Chicken:  A COIN!!!
Mommy:  I'm guessing you used a coin in your moon visual with the globe?
Daddy:  Yep.

Of course we all thought it was hilarious.  Chicken especially.

Then today (a few days later) I hear the kids talking to each other while eating breakfast. I'm at the sink cleaning up dishes, just listening.

Chicken:  Yook!  Da ball is 'pinning, da earff!! Bit-ting! (Look, the ball is spinning around the earth!  It's orbiting!)
Edee:  No Chicken, da only fings dat orbits da earf is da 'pace station and da moon. (the only things that orbit the earth are the space station and the moon).

Well, looks like science time is paying off.   Another benefit is that the kids have actually been eating their dinner now that I'm not having to pump them full of snacks to leave me alone so I have free hands to cook.  Kudos to Daddy for keeping their attention--and to me, of course, for having the brilliant idea :)