Monday, January 18, 2010

These Kids Crack Me Up!

I don't have any pictures to post {Sorry} but I do have some funny little stories about the kids.

We'll start with the most recent. Both Ava and Jax have been having a hard time being away from me. It started after we returned from vacation, which I can totally understand. They were away from home for two weeks, sleeping in four different beds and constantly on the go. They got all out of whack. Anyway, tonight when I put Ava to bed I told her I was going to the gym -- that was a BIG mistake! She went into a panic and began crying almost uncontrollably. I gave her a hug, a kiss and my pillow and explained why I needed to go to the gym. That didn't seem to help, but I knew I needed to go, so downstairs I went. About five minutes later I hear her crying/yelling, "I can't calm down! I'm all worked up! I can't stop!" I wondered what prompted this, so I went upstairs and hear Jax from his room saying, "TOP! TOP!" which is how he says "STOP!" It appears the little dude just wanted some peace and quiet to sleep in. I couldn't help but laugh at them "arguing" through the wall.

Jax thinks it's HILARIOUS to try to eat my feet. My feet are ultra-ticklish, so when he gets them I squirm and shriek which only increases his attempts to insert my foot into his mouth. A few days ago as he attacked my "tootsies" as he calls them, I accidentally kicked him. Not hard, but enough to stop him in his tracks. Now, he knows that kicking and hitting aren't allowed in our house so, with his most serious face he said, "No! No!" then pointed to the stairs and announced, "My-mout" (TIME OUT) which is where hitters and kickers go in our house. At least he knows, right?

Speaking of the mancub, he has become quite the little helper! He is always so good about picking up toys when it's time to clean-up, but the best part is, I usually don't have to ask him. Just tonight, as I picked up puzzle pieces he walked right over and began helping me, all on his own. And I can almost count on him helping me unload the dishwasher, unasked. Usually, as I put the top rack dishes away, he'll pull out the bottom rack and begin putting the silverware in its drawer. He can't actually see into the drawer so he just drops everything in. But, I never go in and correct it because I want him to know just how much I appreciate his effort. Sweet little man!

Ava has been great about keeping her room clean lately! We had a little issue last week and some important toys had to go to time-out. That night, I explained to her that it's important we try to keep our house tidy, because we want our home to be like a temple -- clean and a place where the Spirit can abide. That really struck a note with her, so since then, she's been so wonderful about cleaning her room and is always asking for jobs to do around the house.

On another Ava note, she says the funniest things --- don't all parents say that about their kids? We've made it a habit to read each night from the "Friend" (it's an LDS magazine for kids). This month's mag includes a story about a little boy who chose to ignore another little boy who had called him mean names. After the story, as is standard, Ava and I discussed. I explained to her why the boy chose to ignore the mean kid, rather than retaliate. So, I ask, "what would you do if someone called you a mean name." "Ignore him," she replied. "What else?" I ask. Now, I should stop here and say that I fully expected her to say something like, "walk away" or "tell him that hurts my feelings" but instead, my sweet, non-violent little girl says, "I could, well, I could kick him or something." Oh my heck, I tried so hard not to laugh but I couldn't help it. She totally caught me off guard. After composing myself we talked about why kicking probably wasn't the best choice. She decided she would only kick pirates, big bugs and bad guys.

So there you have it, just a few little stories to give you a glimpse of what I enjoy every day. Who needs TV or other forms of entertainment when I have my own little sitcom/circus/drama/excitement right here?

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