Reverence at the Dinner Table

While eating at Applebee's recently, I looked around the restaurant and saw a young 'tween girl sitting with her family. As the waitperson served her family their food, she had her head lowered with her hands in her lap. I was so surprised to see someone of her age saying a silent prayer before a meal (even though her family wasn't joining her in this moment of silence), that I had to glance back at her after a moment. She was still praying. After a few more glances, I studied her a bit more closely. Not only was she not praying, but she was texting with her cell phone on her lap! So much for first impressions.

Puke, Spilled Milk, and Little Cleaner Uppers

Word of the Week:

Puked

This word was worked into many convos this week. Once Gracie told us (again) that she puked at Grandma's, everyone else had to compete with similar stories. It seemed to be a contest of who could use that word the most in a sentence, a conversation, and a day. Usually these conversations occurred during meals and snacks. Very appetizing.

Crying Over Spilled Milk

If you've ever wondered how we go through dozens of dish cloths each day... wonder no more. Every time I use one for any purpose, it goes in the laundry room or if we're using them one after the other, I'll stack the dirty ones in the sink or at the back of the sink until I can get them to the laundry room.

That fact and my fear of going to the bathroom (Not a fear of the germs and random puddles of pee, but a fear of what is happening in the house when I'm in the bathroom!) combined one day this week when I walked out of the bathroom to see 2 yr. old Andrew politely wiping up the glass of milk he'd spilled on the floor while I was in the bathroom.

Apparently, he'd reached up to the edge of the sink, gotten a wet dish cloth, and began to mop up the spilled milk on the floor. He then lifted the sopping wet, milky, dripping cloth to the table and swished around that milk, then carried the still dripping dish cloth to the sink and set it on the edge. He gave me the biggest smile, and was so proud of himself for cleaning up the mess. I thanked him and told him what a good job he'd done.
Then, yes, I thoroughly cleaned everything.

Here's my fear - What if he'd finished "cleaning" before I got out of the bathroom. I never would have known why there was milk everywhere (including running down the cabinet front), or all the places the dish cloth had been used. That's why we don't reuse the dish cloths!

Just 'cause.... and Illiterate Literacy

Word of the Week:

'cause - This word, along with a shoulder shrug, is the reason /explanation for everything that happens around here.


Recently, Aidan saw his name written in all capital letters. Not used to seeing this, he said (sounding like a future rapper), "This looks like my name, but my name has a A to the I to the D to the A to the N". Too funny.

I've noticed, lately, a lot of nouns used as verbs. Has it always been this way, or is it on the increase?
For example, "We roommated in college.", and "I.M. me later". How would an English teacher break down these sentences?!
And while I'm on the subject.... Oh, the downfall of the written word! I was reading a Scholastic book to the kids recently, and one of the words in it was "sorta"! As in "I sorta want to go". Who proofreads these before they're published?! Are they hiring?
Another book used the wrong word entirely. The sentence was something like this - "As he past the goal line..." It should be "passed".
Another problem - should of, could of, would of used instead of should have, could have, would have.
Another problem - Books, especially children's books with incomplete sentences.

Please don't point out all my mistakes in my blog. I know I'm not perfect, but I expect companies who are in the business of publishing books to have them properly proofread before publishing them for millions of people to read.

Dip It In A Liquid

Thought for the day concerning young children....

They will eat almost anything if they can dip it
in ketchup, ranch dressing, or chocolate syrup.


Just name a food and pick a dip!

Modern Day Shopping for the Fam

After heading out to do all my Christmas shopping for my family in one day, I realized I'd left all their wish lists at home. Not to worry. I got a pen and paper out of my purse, and jotted down what I could remember from their lists. And, strangely, very few vowels were needed.

To the best of my recollection, this is a compilation of their wish lists:

MP3, DVD, LCD, HDTV, HP, Wii,

GAP, 18K, IPOD, 360, DS, NFL,

AE, GMC, BMW, CD, NBA, GPS,

VCR, 7UP, R2D2, C3P0,

ACT, SAT, FEMA, IRS, FBI, CIA, NASA

They got $.

And not much of it.

Day Care Christmas

We had a short and sweet day care Christmas party. They each took a bite of their treats I'd spent hours laboring over, and a sip from their holiday punch I'd specially prepared ( Ok, it was just Lil Debbie snack cakes and juice pouches...), and they ripped open the present I'd gotten each of them. Party over.

I'd gotten Carter and Aiden walkie talkie sets (I even remembered to get batteries!). After they opened their presents. I began showing them how the walkie talkies work. I let loose my entire repertoire of CB language. It went something like this - " 10-4 Good buddy. This here's Rubber Ducky. I'm headin' into Chi-Town, where there's Smokies as thick as bugs on a bumper. They even have a bear in the air. We'll crash the gate doin' 98. Let those truckers roll! Negatory, Pig Pen. Catch ya on the flip flop. 10-4, roger, over and out." (Ok, so my CB language repertoire is all from the 70s song Convoy.)

After all that recitation, the only thing the kids picked up on was..... roger. They began screaming into the walkie talkies, "Can you hear me, Roger? Roger, can you hear me?"

I think they'll have fun with them, especially when they finally realize the walkie talkie doesn't need be smashed into their mouths in order for them to talk into it. And if they'll talk into it, not shout. Everything came out sounding like, "mmsh aaaggg cccurrzzz gglliissskkll, rroggggerrr?"

The girls enjoyed their Barbies. No explanation needed.

Back to pre-Christmas......

B.C. (before Christmas), I loaded up the day care kids, and ran a few errands. Included in those errands was a trip to the dollar store. As we were walking slowly down the toy aisle, I heard the kids begin an excited chant of "I want that! I want that! I want that".
By the time we were nearing the end of the toys, it had become a quiet, rhythmic monotone murmur of "I want that......I want that......I want that....." In fact, it was so flat and devoid of emotion, it reminded me of the scenes in Finding Nemo where the seagulls have the same repetitive murmur of "Mine, mine, mine, mine" - As if repeating it so much made it meaningless.

Just one of those funny, had-to-be-there moments.