Watch your language...

Aiden: Mommy, what language do people who live in China speak?

Me: Chinese

Aiden: Oh. (Then with a disappointed sigh) I wish I spoke Chinese. Or Arabic. Or English. Or Spanish. I only know HUMAN!

Teacher vs. Student... Who is who?!

I'm such a good example. I teach my children to choose the right. They learn. They follow. ;)

Just the other day, Aiden finished his pancakes and headed downstairs to play. I called after him, "Aiden, are you finished eating?" He yelled back, "Yep!" I questioned, "Why is your plate still on the table?" He very sweetly replied, "Because I wanted somebody else to put it up... to be helpful and kind!" I kindly helped him and put his plate in the sink.

Aiden's such a good example. He teaches me to choose the right. I learn. I follow.

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies

I love how bedtime at my house becomes "true confession" hour. Take tonight for example... It started with Chase having an upset tummy. He suggested that maybe he drank too much water. I countered that maybe it was because he had 2 sodas today. The conversation continued like this:

Chase, "Aiden had 2 sodas too."

Me, "No, Aiden had chocolate milk."

Chase, "Aiden had chocolate milk at Grandma's house."

Aiden, "Ya. I spilled my chocolate milk in the family room. On the carpet. I didn't tell Grandfather."

Me, "Why didn't you tell Grandfather?!"

Chase, "He cleaned it up!"

Me, "But why didn't you tell Grandfather?"

Aiden, "Because I was afraid he would get mad at me and spank me and lock me out of the house or put me in a dog trap."

Me, (more than a little amused... remember Aiden's my dreamer with a vivid imagination) "Grandfather wouldn't do any of those things. He might give you a time-out. It's better to tell the truth. Adults get more angry when someone lies about a mistake."

Aiden, "Well, I'll tell Grandfather tomorrow."

Chase, "Well, maybe I drank too much water."

Me, "When did you drink too much water?"

Chase, "In the bathtub. I'm sorry, but I drank the bath water."

Me, "That's pretty gross. Maybe that's why your tummy hurts."

Aiden, "Mom. We always drink the bath water. When you're not looking."

Me, "Well, maybe it could make your tummy hurt so you shouldn't do it anymore."

Aiden and Chase, "We won't."

A clear conscience must do wonders for little boys since they promptly fell asleep. ;)

Which way do we go?

We recently had an FHE (family home evening) lesson about the pre-existence. We talked about there being two plans, Heavenly Father's and Lucifer's. Since we're here on earth, we obviously chose to follow Heavenly Father. Whenever the boys are making bad choices (read: being naughty like only 5 yr old boys can!) I ask them, "Who are you choosing to follow right now?" It usually makes them think, at least, even if they don't immediately become the obedient, loving children I know they have in them... down deep inside... ;)

Fast forward to FHE last night. Aiden wasn't paying attention and was climbing all over the furniture. After numerous reminders to sit down properly (on his bum on the seat of the couch rather than on his head with his feet against the wall) and listen, I asked, "Aiden, are you choosing the right?" He said, "No. I'm following Satan... Does that mean Satan chooses the LEFT?" ha ha ha... Well, I guess when you put it that way, we should definitely choose the right and not the left... right?! ;)

It's the little things...

Chase was washing all the hair off his body in the shower after we shaved his head. He was washing all over and said, "Gotta wash my bum?" I said, "Yep, wash your bum." Then he stuck his finger out like he was making an important point and said, "And can't forget the little guy!" Hee hee hee. Gotta record that one for posterity! ;)

Omnivorous

Aiden and Chase were talking about herbivores and paused to ask me, "Mom, are we herbivores?"

I asked, "Well, do we eat plants?"

They questioned in return, "Do we?"

So we discussed some plants we eat like tomatoes and carrots, to name a few.

Satisfied that we're herbivores, I asked, "But don't we also eat meat?"

Again, the question, "Do we?"

So I named, "Chicken, hamburger, roast beef..." and they decided we must be carnivores.

I said, "Well, since we eat plants AND meat, we are..."

Before I could finish, Aiden clapped his hands and declared, "I know! We're DINOSAURS!" HA HA.

Independence

Aiden and Chase start kindergarten in the fall. They're soooo excited! We went to the charter school they'll be attending for a tour and to watch the kindergarten spring program. The cute kids showed off some of the knowledge they'd gained over the school year. Pretty impressive. One thing they learned was about the Declaration of Independence. The teacher asked, "What did the United States tell England?" The students replied (in unison, pointing their fingers) "You're not going to be the boss of us anymore.

My parents were out of town that week, so I wasn't surprised when the boys excitedly told them all about their "new" school when they returned. I was quite amused to realize what Chase took from the program when he got up really close to Grandma and whispered in her ear, "My mom's not going to be the boss of us anymore!"

Ha, ha! I had no idea that's what he thought. He'd kept it secret quite well, considering how excited he was about it!

It's a bird... it's a plane... it's...

"Look Mom, it's Jesus!"

"I think it's Jesus!"

"A girl Jesus!"

(Or maybe just our friend Becca in her graduation gown!)

Gotta love my Aiden! Never know what's going through their heads, right?! :)

Your roots are showing...

I think my cute little Aiden is going to be brilliant someday. As with lots of brainiacs, I sometimes wonder about his common sense. ;) For example, we went somewhere the other day. We were all getting out of the car, but Aiden started to cry and claimed to be "stuck"! I calmly suggested that he take his jacket off so he could free himself from the seatbelt underneath it! :) Problem solved!

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Today on our way to the previously mentioned freezing soccer game, Aiden put a plate on his head that had streamers on it. (It was a rainbow windsock he made at storytime yesterday.) The streamers hung down over his face and he exclaimed, "Mom, I'm BLONDE! I can't see!" I think you mean "blind", buddy, but then again... ha ha

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We went to PenRad yesterday to get x-rays on Chase's leg because he's been having some pains and difficulty running. He insisted that he needed his brother by his side. We walked into the lobby and there in the corner was a clear, large glass "cup" proudly displayed with a plaque identifying it as an award for excellence. Aiden was sooooo proud of the employees when he saw it. With a thrilled voice Aiden proclaimed, "MOM! They won the Piston Cup!" (Any Cars fans out there?) He insisted on getting a picture of it! In my defense, I DID try to tell him what it really was, but there was just no convincing him!

He's innocent! ;)

Chase is always saying things that take me a second to process... to make sure he's not saying something "innapropriate". While my friend, Kristy, was in town looking for a place to live (yay! They're moving back!) she came over to visit for a bit. Chase was playing with my cell phone. He'd push a button to make the backlight come on and ask, "Mom, what time is it?" Then he started sticking it under articles of clothing to see if the time would shine through. Upon sticking it under his shorts, he asked, "What time is it in my pants?" Kristy and I laughed enough that we embarrased him and will hopefully not be posing that question to others in the future!

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Then today on our way to a f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g. soccer game (it's April in Colorado, what do you expect?!). Visibility was very poor as we were driving. The boys thought I was going to get lost since they couldn't see where we were going... Chase commented, "Mom, I think the fug is in our way." I paused while the shock wore off and I could logically figure out what he really said and not what it sounded like he said. I then replied, "Yes, Chase the FOG is in our way!"

What's in a name?

So, my little Chaseroo decided a few days ago that when he turns eleventeen, he's going to change his name. TO... Spiderspeed! Why Spiderspeed, you ask? Well, because he's sooo fast and he has Spiderman shoes, of course.

"Chase"

Today he decided he wanted his head shaved. I didn't have the heart/guts to really shave it, so I just cut it really short with the smallest attachment we have. The result? He LOVES it, but decided that because "WOW!" he looks "SOOO cool", he's no longer waiting for his eleventeenth birthday to become Spiderspeed. No, that is effective immediately. If you happen to slip and call him "Chase", never fear, he'll be happy to remind you of his "new" name! ;)

"Spiderspeed"

boys will be boys... accidentally

The other night after piano lessons with 2 of our friends, I went down to visit with their mother for a few minutes before they headed home. Our boys were playing together while we visited. After a couple of minutes, they decided to venture upstairs, which is where their bedroom is and some of their toys. No problem, right?! WRONG! Prior to piano, Aiden had asked me to make him some popcorn. Unfortunately he hadn't eaten much of it, so it was a perfect temptation for the BOYS being BOYS to have a POPCORN fight!! We told them they had to clean it up, but after 15 minutes, their only progress was to completely block every hose on my DYSON (the love of my life!) and overheat the motor! So together, Rena and I whipped out our cell phones to document the mess and then together we cleaned it up... she used my Dust Buster while I swept the carpet.

The pictures really don't do the mess justice. Suffice it to say, popcorn was EVERYWHERE! Cleaning it up was reminiscent of the styrofoam beads due to the staticky nature of both! :P

While Rena and I cleaned, the boys all had a "timeout"... her boys on the couch, mine in their room. After a few minutes, my boys came out to inform me that they had prayed about it and apologized to Jesus. I asked how they felt about what they did. Aiden responded, "I told Jesus I was sorry and He said, 'It's ok, it was an accident'." Thank you, Jesus, for reminding me that no matter how destructive little boys are they don't MEAN to do it. They're just being BOYS!

Aiden and Chase... partners in "unintentional crime"!!