OK. But just one.

Overheard

SOPHIE: Who was that on the phone?
ME: Mom.
SOPHIE: No. Call her "mudder."

My favorite Christmas song this year...

...can be downloaded here. All three downloads are good, but the first one is very, very good.

How we roll in Indiana

With wind chill it's zero degrees out today.

When the kids came home from school yesterday they headed straight outside to enjoy the weather: sledding on the ice covered driveway, making snow angels in the grass, watching their sleds blow away in the 60mph gusts, etc., etc.

Emma stayed outside playing for two hours. Before we knew it she had attracted a handful of other crazy kids.

(See the swings and snow blowing in the wind? Ay caramba.)

They eventually came inside and Ginger made them all hot chocolate.

Overheard

SOPHIE: An ornament fell off the Christmas tree.
ME: Oh really? Did you put it back on?
SOPHIE: I didn't knock it off. I didn't. I really didn't. I didn't knock it off... I know who did! IT WAS ETHAN.

It's cold out today

Overheard

ETHAN: I want to watch Kit Kittredge.
ME: You do?
ETHAN: Just to see how dumb it is.

Six years old!

Emma turned six last weekend. The highlight of her birthday, besides having Bamma, Pa and Joojie there, was the sewing machine she opened. She is making a quilt, and has been telling everyone that she can sew.

She had a pajama party with her friends last night. They watched a movie, played games, open presents and ate cupcakes. Happy birthday Emma!

Overheard

GINGER (to Sophie and Emma): Who wants to bring me some nail polish?
SOPHIE: Who wants to bring ME some nail polish?

Overheard

Emma just walked into the kitchen with a concerned look on her face and her hand on her neck, and said:

"Mom, Dad, I think my heart moved. I tried to feel it on my chest but I can only feel it in my neck."

Overheard

GINGER: Aack! There's mold on the lettuce!
SOPHIE: It wasn't me!

Overheard

The kids had to get H1N1 vaccines at school today. We thought they were going to get the mist, but Ethan was given a shot.

ETHAN: When they tried to give me the shot I pulled my arm away and they told me to think happy thoughts. But all I could think of was how I might die or end up in the hospital.

In the end, he was brave. Many of the kids cried, including one of his friends who is otherwise very tough, but who claims to suffer from "shotphobia". A defining day for the third graders.

Overheard

SOPHIE: I'munna get a pet whale. They don't bite.

I had a ball. Then I lost it.

While we were posting this video, we ran across an old one that is worth a second look. Ethan and Andrew almost hurt themselves they were laughing so hard watching it.

Fashion

Tonight we went to a baptism at church, so we had to get dressed up. I told the boys: NO JEANS. So they went up to their room and sat on the floor until it was time to go, and then they "decided" to get dressed (after some "gentle" "prompting" from their parents). Andrew put on: a red striped polo shirt and JEANS.

Andrew, no jeans. You need to change.

So while the rest of us were downstairs going through the shoe-putting-on ceremony, Andrew came down the stairs, without jeans. He was wearing: his red striped polo shirt, turquoise and white plaid shorts, and black socks. Ethan said: What. Are. You. Doing.  And then Ethan started laughing through his nose.

Andrew said: What.

I said: Andrew, you can't wear shorts to a baptism.

What? Why not?  You SAID NO JEANS.

(He was totally serious, and completely oblivious to 1) why we can't wear short pants to a solemn occasion and 2) why red-and-white stripes and turquoise plaid don't work.)


So we waited in the car while Andrew put on some khaki pants. It wasn't until we got out of the car at church that we realized the khaki pants only went halfway down his calves. Ginger noticed Ethan's extraordinarily baggy pants, and recognized immediately they were wearing each others' pants.

Go into the nursery, she said, and switch pants.

What? Take our pants off in church?

Yes.

But the nursery was dark! So I went in with them, turned on the light and held the door so no one could come in. Ethan took an extra long time unbuttoning his pants so Andrew had to stand in the room in his underwear and skinny legs, watching the door nervously, for a long time.  But they made the switch and all was well.

The end.