Gas

If you have kids, then you know the moment I'm about to describe. You tell them a new word, and they repeat it, and you're proud because they repeat the word and don't completely butcher it. And then, maybe a few days or weeks later, you drive past that same thing, and without prompting, say that word back to you. And then they turn it into a full sentence.

And that moment is when you realize your kids are geniouses*. And that they are paying attention to EVERYTHING you say in the car. I was talking to BellyMomma on the phone when this moment happened, and I told her about it, and she laughed and said yep, they're listening. All the time. Oh lawdy. I knew it was going to happen, I mean, they dont stay drooling blobs forever, but I figured I had more time before they started to get smarter than me.

Did anyone else also just think of the first Jurassic Park when the raptor dinosaur gets smarter during the movie? No? Ok. Moving along.

For me, one of those moments for me was when we told the boys about gas. As in, gasoline. We stopped to get gas, Keith hopped out, and I told the boys that Dad was getting gas. As a funny sidenote, I also told them that Dada has gas all the time. I wonder at what opportune moment they will repeat that back to me....I digress. I had coffee this morning. Lots of thoughts swirling. Anyway, Keith filled the car with gas and off we went to wherever we were going to tire the kids out.  This was almost a year ago, or so, right when we started putting more words together. At the time we were really into greeting and saying goodbye to all things and places, so as we left, we all said goodbye, gas station!

Fast forward a few weeks, when we're driving and all we can do in the backseat is point out gas station. Das a gas stashun! Dada put gas in car. Car need gas. OOOH. Anoder gas stashun! Two gas station. Gas station on Gwady's side. One of Cowey's side, too. I know. I'm overcome with their intellect  too.

So, maybe the gas station phrases weren't that profound on their own, but for me it was a distinct change in their language skills. We were leaving the point and say a word or two phase, and now we were thinking -and speaking of- places and we were thinking about the purpose of those places. And this, my friends, is so cool. You'd have to be lacking a pulse to not think that brain development isn't midly fascinating. So for the next few weeks, as we drove, the boys asked about places and started chatting about these places in everyday language. Two other funny places: the major southern fried chicken fast food store in our family is called "Chicken Nuggets", and the king of burger joints is called "Momma's Coffee". So you see the level of sophistication of our descriptions vary. Sometimes we just call it what Momma gets there. Notice it's not called Momma's chicken nuggets, 'cause Momma has to get the chargrilled chicken sammich to her rear doesn't keep expanding, and they're just not interested in that. Is dirty, Grady said. I think he meant the seasoning.


Ok. So, to recap: I have fond memories of gas stations and gasoline conversations.

Flash forward to current time, when we are both really into pushing trucks, like Cousin Rhett taught us.

We were playing after dinner, waiting for Dada to get home. And then Cole said he needed some gas for his truck. Oh. I thought. This is new.

Me: And what type of gas would your truck need?
Cole: (thinking)
Me: Where does the gas go?
Cole: (thinking)


Cole: OH! Here. (runs to pantry, points at cereal containers). Dat! Truck needs it.

So, you can see that this much loved cereal fuels more than just bodies. And, as Cole learned soon, that fuel will also be consumed by two dogs who will follow him for hours until he leaves the truck unnatttended.

Grady, too, got some fuel for his truck. He decided Beah needed to eat the fuel. You'll notice below that Beah, and a sippy with milk, was Grady's truck's cargo.

This little man loves that bear. So much so that when he pushes the truck around he talks to Beah.

Grady: Oh. Beah want to go for a wide?

Beah: (stares)

Grady: Beah like the truck?

Beah: (slumps a little towards sippy cups)

Grady: BEAH, no drink my milky! (chuckles to himself, 'cause Beah can't drink!)

He has a really funny sense of humor, this kid. He's already mocking his brother (separate blog post that I'll do without making it sound like I laughed inappropriately at Grady's teasing of Cole) and teasing his stuffed animal, so there are some good and funny times coming, I can tell.

So there you have why I smile and get nostalgic whenever I pass a gas station. Or eat a bowl of that cereal. Or find Beah perched on Grady's high chair.

*It's all relative, people.

Lights, and some truck action.

You know it's not really the holidays until someone in the house gets all tangled in cords while trying to "festive" up the outside of the house. And in this house, that person is Keith. 

So on what seemed to be the coldest Sunday we've had in a while, he got busy with this task. If the next 3 pictures are blurry it's because I stood inside and took pictures through the storm door. It was cold, people! 

The boys ran with the plastic bags we use to store the lights during non-festive times. If to run fast enough the bags shoosh and open big and that's good fun.

And when they tired of the bags, they pushed trucks. Notice that Grady has cargo in his truck. 

In seemingly no time, (perhaps because I was inside in the heat?) Keith had the lights up! Night-time pictures coming soon.

Twice the Fun

Me: You're moving? That stinks. Want us to watch the kids for the afternoon so you can move furniture without worrying about kids swarming about your legs?

Friend with Twins Who are 1 Month Younger than Ours: . Uhhh. Are you sure? 

Me: Yeah, of course! It'll be easy.

Friend: YES!

And this is how we ended up with two sets of twins a few Saturdays ago. 

Adding to our male toddler count was Mason. He's the kid we've always thought should be a babyproofing consultant, 'cause if there's something in your house that could cause trouble, he's gonna find it. 

Balancing out all that craziness was his sassy but mellow sister Morgan. Notice above how the boys ate lunch. Then notice below how they disappeared to go wreak havoc in the living and bedroom, leaving Morgan to linger over her meal, quietly and calmly. And so begins my chances to see how boys and girls really are so. very. different.  

After a nice 15 minute chat, Morgan decided she tired of my conversation and wanted to color. And Grady, being the charmer he is, left the other two boys and their lego blocks and got a little alone time with the lady. 

And they colored.

And talked about what they were coloring. Morgan is a speed colorer. Or an abstract artist. She made one big loopy swirl on each page, then turned to the next page. Who needs to get bogged down in the details of coloring the snowman's stick arms? Puh-leaze.

Grady looks a bit like a brooding artist here, no?

All four of the kids, with a little coercion (you will sleep in this house!), all four took a loooong, gloriously long nap. Score. Which was good, because we were loading the foursome up for the park after naps. 


GG and Grampie were visiting and by this point in the afternoon GG had returned from her visit to check on Nanny and Papa. She followed Keith and a stroller, and I and a stroller followed GG and a stroller. 3 adults, 3 strollers, 4 kids, 4 sippies, and one diet soda. And a few snacks to avoid meltdowns were thrown in there too, but I feared in vain. All went well at the park.

But it was cold. Too cold to play for very long, so we caravaned back to the house for a mealball dinner. Some of these little ones can eat. Wow. And then bath and funtime in pajamas! WHOOOO. We ran laps in the house, laughing and squealing as we went. Until I remembered the two that weren't mine have asthma and I really did not want to fire up their nebulizers. 

So we calmed alveoli with a rice cereal treat and some milk. And some cartoons that may have container either a charming mouse or a hispanic explorer girl. Both are popular in our house. 

And then the blond duo left. And I thought-well that wasn't bad. I bet having triplets or quads really isn't that hard. 


I kid. We did have a lot of fun, though.

Give Thanks

Briefly stopping my online shopping to share a last few Thanksgiving pictures. A few taken before Thanksgiving, the rest taken the day of Thanksgiving.

At Karen's.

Finally getting around to sharing snippets of our visit to BellyMomma's.

Naturally we love her stairs. 

Almost as much as cousin Greg loved this video game. And his uncle may have been infatuated with it, too.

Chairs were good.

And horses. Hhm. Not many words about these horses, except that Sara sure does seem to love them.

And Cole was kinda into it. 

They just watch you so intently.

See? One eye is always on you...

Dark one, still staring me down. Brown one getting love from Sara.

Oh. Now brown one staring. Must keep distance.

You know who else kept his distance? This one. He sat in this car the entire time everyone petted and fed the horses carrots. Pretty sure he was thinking someone get in here and drive me around. now. NOW.

That field back there is deceptively hilly when you run it, especially after sharing a really good sammich with your sister. I probably should have run/walked first, but she made the sammich and you know how those taste better when someone else makes it. So I ate.  


Greg strolled.

And others ran. Look at Rhett's form! 

And people finally got more rides. 

And somehow we didn't get more pictures. You get the idea, a nice relaxing weekend hanging with the kiddos. And those evil eye horses.