You Might Be From Northwest Arkansas If...

This morning, we were driving through downtown Springdale on our way to the kids' preschool Open House meeting.

 

As we drove down Huntsville Road, we pulled out in front of a live chicken-hauling semi truck, or a "chicken truck" as we call it. If you live here, you know what I mean.

 

Girl Twin:  EEEWWW, there's a chicken truck!

 

Boy Twin:  Don't get behind it, it will POOP on us!

 

*hysterical laughter from the back seat.

Conversations With My Kids

As always, there is no shortage of entertaining conversations with my kiddos. On any given day, any one of them will provide us with a ton of laughs. I'm always ready to jot down the really good stuff so I can log it here and always be able to look back and remember it.

 

Recently we were driving somewhere when a motorcycle stopped beside us at a stoplight. It was a chilly day, so the driver was wearing a ski mask.  Now I can't remember which kid said it, but I think it was Boy Twin:  "LOOK! It's a robber!" 

This happened, the other night at dinner.  

Big Sis: Mom, how old are you?

Me:  I'm 38. Why?

Big Sis:  How old is dad?

Me:  He's 40; reaaallly old.

Big Sis:  HAHAHA!  Dad will be a grandpa first!

Obviously, I don't think she quite understands how the grandparent thing works.  But I'm glad she does recognize that her dad is so much older than me.

Conversation With My Kids

I had another fun bedtime conversation with Girl Twin last week that I want to share.  I'll be honest, bedtime is not always fun for us simply because we are outnumbered and we have three kiddos who require a lot of assistance and attention.  Mainly, the little ones like me to lay with them (in separate rooms, of course) while they fall asleep.  While there are about eleventy million other things that need to be done during that time, I put them aside and lay with my kids.  This is when we have some of our best chats.

 

This particular night I was with Girl Twin and we got to talking about vacation.  Of course, she requested a trip to Disney.  I told her about the time we went when she was a toddler and promised a return trip when she's a little bigger.  We talked about the trip we are planning to "the lake" this summer and about swimming.  I then told her we might even try to go to Tulsa a few times.

 

Her:  "I like Tulsa dip."

 

Me:  (confused)  "Did we have Tulsa dip?"

 

Her:  "Yes! I like the red dip!" 

 

Ahhh, salsa dip!  Haha.

 

 

 

 

The same night, we laid in bed talking about school.  She said, "Why is it taking so long to get to Walker?"  (That's Big Sis's elementary school).  The kids are so ready for kindergarten!  I told her that she had to be able to spell and write her name before she can go to Walker.

 

So, I asked her to spell her name for me...which she did, flawlessly.

 

Then, I asked her to spell brother's name.  Again, easy peasy.  Then, I asked her to spell Big Sister's name.

 

"B-E-R-L-E-Y!"  (I think she thinks everything ends in LEY!")

 

 

I love that kid.

 

 

 

Conversation(s) With My Kids

It's no secret that I like to blog about the funny things that my kids say and do.  I don't capture these funnies to embarrass them later in life or even to embarrass them now; these are the sweet things that I want to remember many years from now when they are grown and gone.  These are the moments that make all the hard stuff worthwhile.  I'm not being dramatic; I'm serious.  In this house, we are either laughing or crying. And, as you can imagine, the laughing is much better.

***     ***    ***
 

A couple of weeks ago during bathtime, I had both twins in the tub.  Girl Twin was just singing her little heart out, as she has been doing a lot lately.  Sometimes, I can identify a song from her daycare or from the radio.  But either way, she has really started to sing to us a lot.  It's sweet.

So, as they were bathing--

Me:  Sissy, you are my good singer!  

Boy Twin:  Yeah, and I'm your good pooper! 

Boys will be boys.  (And, he's right.)

***   ***   ***

We had another funny going to school last week.  When we are captive in the car, I often feel like I'm in front of a firing squad, with each kid peppering me with "Hey, Mom!" or "Mom, Mom, Mom?", each fighting for my attention.  I've gotten to where I actually call on them when it's their turn to talk.  Otherwise, they are talking on top of the other and I can't field any questions.  And, of course, they always have such important things to say.

Boy Twin:  Is that Katy Perry on the radio?

Girl Twin:  Hey mom!  I saw a red ball in the grass!

Big Sis:  Mom!  Justin Bieber's IN JAIL!!!

Conversation With My Kids

It's been a while since the last CWMK, and I just happened to have the funniest conversation with them the other day.  We were on the way home from a birthday party for Big Sis's BFF.  These kids make me laugh every day!

Girl Twin was snoozing in the back seat, so she missed out on this one.  It went like this--

Big Sis:  I wish I was Dahana's sister so I could live with her.

Me:  You want to go live with her?

Big Sis:  Yes!  

Boy Twin:  (sadly, to Big Sis)  But I love you!

Me:  (to Boy)  Do you want to go with her?

Boy:  Yes!

(And I thought he was on MY side)

Me:  You guys would leave me and dad and go live with Dahana?

Big Sis:  Open the door! 

Me:  No way.  I cannot believe you.

Big Sis:  You can pick me up in 100 days.


Obviously, she felt sorry for me there.  Those kids.

Conversation With My Kids

Last night, the kids were playing at my feet in the kitchen (as usual).  Boy Twin was being mean to the dog, but I'm still not sure what happened.  He probably either hit her or threw something at her.  Bless her heart, Fergie puts up with a lot of crap from those kids.

Big Sis:  Aww, Fergie, are you OK? (giving her a hug)

Pause.

Girl Twin:  She's not talking.

Those kids.

Conversation With My Kid

This little girl has been cracking us up lately.  She's very bossy to the twins, but she also loves them with all her might. Sometimes she even surprises me. Like last night, she asked Boy Twin if he wanted to sleep with her favorite blankie and stuffed bunny. I can't remember a night when she hasn't slept with them herself!  And, she's also been helping the little ones wash in the shower, which is a nice help to me.

The other day, getting out of the bath, she said to me: "Mom. Sometimes, like when we go to Walmart, we see people with big booties."  Out of nowhere!  I couldn't help but laugh at her perceptiveness.

Conversations With My Kids

These kids just keep providing the doozies! I can't help but stop to jot it down when they say something funny or cute. My memory is terrible, and these are the things I want to remember when they are all grown up.  Or at least, grown up enough to be embarrassed by my re-telling of stories around the dinner table.

The other night Girl Twin came home from daycare in a really good mood. She was helping me with dinner in the kitchen, singing in her sweet little voice, "Bible story, Bible story, Biiiiblllle stoooorrryyyy....."

Me:  Did you learn a Bible story at school today?

Her:  Yes!

Me:  Was your story about Jesus?

Her:  No. About God (long pause).....and Cinderella.

OK then. I'm glad she's paying attention!

We have a big cup that I've been drinking out of a lot lately; it's got red and black polka dots on it.  We were in the van, heading to dinner with Grammy and Nanny, when this happened.

Him:  I see coconuts!

Me:  What? What are you talking about?

Him:  (pointing at cup) Those coconuts!

Me:  These are POLKA DOTS.

Him:  Oh, Polka Nuts! I like Polka Nuts.

Conversation With My Toddler

There is a house with a pasture right next to our daycare.  In the pasture is one lone brown horse.  Every day since July, we've seen the horse and talked about the horse. We talk about what the horse eats (grass) and if the horse is hot or cold, and where he sleeps. It's riveting conversation, let me tell you.

 

Recently, we named the horse Bullseye (Toy Story).  It's really fun for us to wave and yell "good morning" to Bullseye as we drive past. Every. Day.

 

This morning I said to the kids, "What does Bullseye eat?", and I hear this reply from the back seat.

 

"Bullseye eats CHILI!"  Thanks for the laugh, Girl Twin.

Conversations With My Kids

As always, my little monkeys have provided me with some good material to share. Read on to see just a tiny glimpse of what Lee and I get to witness Every. Single. Day.  

Last night, we were sitting around the table eating pizza for dinner. Evan asked me for a new piece of pizza with "pepper" on it. Thinking he wanted Parmesan cheese, I held up the shaky cheese to him.  "No, pepper," he insisted. (We have been seasoning their food with salt and pepper lately, as the grown ups do.) I explained that we do not eat pepper on our pizza. He fussed a little, so I asked him, "Pepperoni?"  Maybe he wants pepperoni?  Then Carley looks at him and asks, "Peppermint?" Then she laughed, as if she understood why this was funny. I had no idea she knew the word, much less could say it! 

Kids at the Tontitown Grape Festival last month. Total money suck, but how could I deny them?

After the littles went to bed, I sat on the couch with Becca to catch the end of America's Got Talent. She was excited that Justin Bieber was going to perform. A few minutes into the song, a young black rapper joined the Biebs on stage.

Becca:  Mom, who is that other boy?

Me:  I don't know, but I bet they will say his name at the end.

Becca:  I bet he's Justin Bieber's brother.

FYI: The rapper was Big Sean. I'm totally uncool, so I had to Google it to find out. And just for the record, he is not JB's brother.