Groovy

Chicken:  Mom!  I don't like dis song!  Dis song is boring.

Me:  Just wait a bit. It picks up and gets better, Bud.  I think you'll like it.

Edee:  Mom you were right!  Dis song does get better.  I like dis song!

Me:  Daddy and I like it too.  

Edee:  Yeah, it's pretty groovy!!

Me: Ha ha ha.....I guess it is....

Edee:  What is dis song called?

Me:  American Pie

Edee:  Why is it called American Pie?  Why is pie American?

Me:  Well....pie is just considered an American thing.  It's a dessert our country is known for.  Other countries have other foods that they are known for.

Edee:  But why is it American?

Me:  Well...people have made it for a long time. Like as long ago as the Pioneers.

Edee:  So Mom, why are they called Pioneers?

Me: I don't know why.  Pioneer means the first people to do something....

Edee:  Maybe it's because they made pie?  Dere is "pie" in da name.  Pie-a-neers.  Pie-aneers. 

Me:  Ha, well....I don't think that's exactly why.  But good observation.

Whenever I hear American Pie I automatically have memories of driving down to the boardwalk in Virginia Beach with Jeff on a hot day--singing along with the windows down and then walking down the boardwalk a few minutes later to hear a live band playing the same song.  Now whenever I hear it, I'll also be thinking about Edee and the Pioneers. 

Birthday Suit

Just making sure I have this on the blog for posterity.  Or for future wedding reception stories.  Or black mail.

I'm cooking at the stove-top this morning when suddenly a buck-naked little boy runs into the kitchen. He proclaims (while giggling): "I'm in my birthday suit Mom!!" and runs out just as quickly as he ran in. I hear him yelling up the stairs (all the while still giggling): "I did it, Dad!!"

Yes, it was Chicken's 4th birthday that day; and yes, he's growing up to be more and more like his father.

Sore

I picked up Chicken from Joy School.

As he's getting into the car:

Me: Come on Chicken, let's get going.  Get buckled in, please.
Chicken:  Uuuuuhhhh.  I'm so sore!
Me:  You're sore?  From what?
Chicken:  From all that learning!!!

Hee hee.

Old

Edee will have her first day of kindergarten in a few days.  It's kind of a HUGE deal! First child going to school!!  We went to her orientation this past week and it went well.  She went from being mostly nervous and only a little excited, to "excited as big as da whole house!!"

After the orientation, at a friends' house:

Edee: I didn't know dat my teacher would be so young!
Me:  She was so young! (turning and talking to my friend) It made me feel pretty old!  She's definitely in her early twenties.  Long blond hair, very chic....
Edee:  Yeah mom, you are pretty old! She was, like, in her twenties and you are like, in your sixties or seventies or some-ting....
Me:  Wow.  No.  Let's get this straight.  I am in my early THIRTIES.  You have grandparents that aren't even in their sixties and seventies.

Thank you for that, Edee. I think I'm just going to go dab on a little wrinkle cream right now.

Bum

We're in the car.  I hear some reference to the word "butt" as the kids are yammering in the back.

Me:  Hey.  Let's not say that word, it's not a nice-sounding word coming from your little mouths.  You can say "bum" instead.
Edee:  Okay, you are a BUM, Chicken!
Me:  Hey wait, don't say that!
Edee:  But you said it was okay, Mom!!
Me:  No no no.  Name-calling is never okay.  Name-calling is saying something that can hurt someone's feelings or make them feel sad.  I meant if you were referring to the body part, you should say "bum"!
Chicken:  But I'm okay with that!
Me:  You're okay with being called a bum!?
Chicken:  Yeah! It doesn't make me sad!
Edee:  Yeah!  It's not name-calling, he's not sad!  You're a stinky bum, Chicken!
Me:  Edee!
Chicken:  Ha ha, I'm okay with being a stinky bum!!! I'm not sad!
Edee:  Ha, ha, ha, Big Poopy Bum!
Me:  Edee....seriously...
Chicken:  But Mom, I'm okay with that!!  It's okay, Mom.  I'm a Big Poopy Bum!! HA HA HA!

I lose.  I just....lose.

Appaloosa

We are talking about horses on the way to the Little Buckaroo Rodeo. Edee was in a sheep-riding event; Chicken in a stick-pony race.  Both were in the chicken-scramble and we rode home with two chickens in the car.

Me:  My favorite horse is an Appaloosa
Edee:  What's dat?
Me:  It's a horse that is spotted. I like the ones that have a splash of white on their lower backs and spots on it.
Chicken:  I want to see an Apple-Paloosa!!

I just loved how he kept calling it that :)

Millipede

Me:  Chicken...don't touch that.  It's bird poop.
Chicken:  Why?  How do you know dat?
Me:  Can you just trust me on this one? (Then going for distraction) Hey, look, a millipede.
Chicken:  A penelopede!
Me:  Oh....here we go again.  MMMM.  Millipede
Chicken:  Manilapede!

Sometimes you just have to give up and admit defeat.  This isn't the first time I've tried to wean them off saying "penelopede" for millipede.  The struggle is real.