Boxers or Briefs?

                                                  

Last night I took the kids to the mall for FHE.  Good mama, huh?  And because the boys were so well behaved, I decided to take them out for a treat afterward.  

As we were driving to our refreshment destination, Isaac and Ian were playing 'Army Guys' in the back seat.  Isaac went through his laundry list of items that he would be needing for his upcoming combat mission.

"I have my knives, my rifle, my grenades, bullets, my helmet, my bullet-proof vest.....is there anything that I've forgotten?" he asked Ian- who had this far off look in his eyes (he really gets into this stuff!).

He thought for just a split second and then replied, "Your underwear!"

Nicole and I burst into laughter!  

Of course he's right though.  You mustn't forget your underwear.  Every good soldier has a clean pair on!  Because you just never know!

A reminder from President Hinckley

Looking for an idea for a FHE lesson tonight?  I've got it covered for you!

My friend Cindy, sent this to me a few weeks ago and I used it for a quick lesson for our family last Monday.  It is powerful, but short and sweet, which is about all my kids will allow these days. So gather your family around the computer and enjoy!  (Might want to keep a box of kleenex close by- I needed it.  I cry at everything these days!)

Enjoy- now go make refreshments!

Mountain Men Don't Smile

                                                        

"I know what I want to be when I grow up, mom!" he said. 

 

"Really?  That's great!" said the mother.  "What is it?" 

"I want to be a mountain man." said the boy.   The mother gulped.  

"Why do you want to be a mountain man?" she asked.  

 

"Because you get to have 4 guns, a lot of knives and you look all awesome!" he exclaimed. 

 

"Have you seen one recently or something?" the mother asked.

"Yes!  One came to our school today!  He shot one of his guns, he made fire not even using a match, he showed us his knives, and he looked awesome!" the boy rapidly recalled.

"Wow!  That sounds so cool!" said the mother.  "But wouldn't you have to live in the mountain?  By yourself?"

"Yes!  That would be OK with me!" he said.

"But wouldn't you miss your mother?" she asked.

"No.  I would see you when I  came to elementary schools to do an assembly!" he said.

Thank you 4th grade.  Thank you for introducing my son to the world of the mountain man.  It's all he talks about.  

Funny how fast things can change.  Last week he wanted to be a pilot.  And a couple of weeks ago he told me he was not going on a mission unless I was dead.  He didn't want to leave me.  Huh.

                                          
My future mountain man.  (Isaac dressed up for the 4th grade Mountain Man Rendezvous. ) 

Nothing to say

I am sitting here at my laptop, which I am still very much in love with, watching Sophie sitting in my window "chirping" at the birds and the snow (snow.... grrrrr) , and nothing is coming to me.

I hate to go too many days without blogging because people start to worry about me.  Did she die?  Is she sick?  Is she so stressed out with school?  What is wrong with her?

I start getting phone calls, emails and texts from my worried friends.

I have been wracking my brain, trying to come up with something blog worthy, but I am drawing a blank.

I could describe what it was like dissecting a sheep heart last night in lab, but that might gross some people out when I tell about sticking the probe into the aorta and having it go all the way into the center the heart or how cold it was when we first got it but as it warmed up a bit from all the handling, it became more pliable it started dripping a bloody fluid all over the place.  (That was a really long sentence!)

But I won't go into all of that.  Someone reading this might be eating their lunch.

So I will just end with this.  I am fine.  I am not dead.  I'm not even sick.  As for the stress level- it's pretty low considering.  Nothing exciting is going on, that's all.  Well, there was the break in at my hunny's work last night that I could write about- but writing all this nothingness has used up all my allotted blogging time (that and playing with the camera on my computer).  So that story will have to wait for another day.

Laundry Day

I am usually a pretty positive person.  I try to see the glass half full instead of half empty.  But try as I may, I have a hard time doing this with housework.

I do love how my home feels after a day spent cleaning.  The house feels so clean and shiny. But it is so short lived.  It can be spotless, with vacuum tracks on my carpet one minute and the next- well, it looks like a tornado has hit.

Today is laundry day.  It isn't one of the worst chores in the world, just very time consuming.  I always feel tied to the laundry room waiting for a batch of clothes to dry so I can quickly pull them out and hang them up before the wrinkles set in.  My reward is seeing the empty laundry baskets and the drawers and closets full of clean clothes once again.

But something unexpected happened as I was doing my 5 or so batches of laundry today.  No, I did not find a $100 bill-wouldn't that be nice!  It was something very simple, something I have never taken the time to notice before.  

As I was hanging the shirts up to dry, I found that as I put each shirt on a hanger, a memory of the past week came with it.  I could literally remember the day each of Nicole's shirts were worn and whether or not she had a smile on her face the first time I saw her that morning (a smile on Nicole's face in the morning= a good day for the whole family!).

I saw shirts that were worn on St. Patrick's Day, shirts that were worn the night that Erik and I spent downtown with friends from the hemophilia community and at a fundraiser for an  African water project.  Shirts worn to a homecoming, to a BBQ, during a fast and furious game of basketball and on and on.  Each time I pulled a shirt out of the dryer, it was another memory.

I had so much fun that I decided to throw another batch in!  I soon found, however, that it just wasn't the same with jeans, towels and socks.  Dang!  

But for a moment today, I found a way to enjoy doing the laundry.  I will try to remember this little trick each week as I face the loads of laundry waiting for me.  Now if only I could find some way to enjoy scrubbing the toilets or grocery shopping.  I'll save that for another day.

This week I

was so happy to see sunshine and feel the warm temperatures!

saw a friend I haven't seen in over 8 years, at an African event downtown- of all places.

enjoyed Spring Break by studying for an upcoming midterm.

watched Nicole and her friend try out for a talent show at their school- they made it!

went to an eye opening cheerleading meeting at the high school- with all the cheerleader hopefuls for the 2009-2010 year.

enjoyed walking in the mornings.

met two new hemophiliacs from Brazil and India.

saw a car accident happen right in front of me.

used my squirt bottle like 40 billion times trying to keep the kitty off the counter!

listened to many NCAA games on the TV- not my favorite thing.

went on a date with my boys.

saw lots of interesting people at Wall Mart waiting to buy the Twilight DVD.

had a BBQ at our friends home.

made a chocolate chocolate bunt cake- yum!

wore flip flops 2 days.

watched my boys (all three of them) try to fly kites- very comical.  Erik would just get one kite flying and the other kite would crash.  He went back and forth helping the boys for about an hour before they all gave up.  :)  Very entertaining for me to watch.  

went to the homecoming of an amazing returned missionary.

Fun week!   Can't wait to see what next week will bring....

It's hard to wait.

We were driving in the car with the boys tonight and Ian asked how many days until his birthday.  I got out my cell phone, pulled up my calendar and counted the days.

"Nineteen days."  I told him.

"Nineteen days?" he questioned.

"Yep, nineteen."  I replied.

"That's too many days." he said.  "How 'bout change it to one day."

I wish I had the power to do that sometimes.  :)  But I'm not sure I want him to grow up any faster than he is already.  Even by 18 days.

Oh my Spring fever!

The temperatures have been slowly rising each day.  The kids are playing outdoors again.  The neighborhood is starting to come alive.  Even the middle school is holding gym class outside....I love hearing the happy chatter as the students enjoy their moments of fresh air!  

Spring is finally here!  As a matter of fact, today is the last day of winter!  Glory be!  So put away all those coats and boots, gloves and winter scarves. Away with the dark dismal colored clothing.  Bring out the bright, and happy colors!  Time to get the patio furniture out of storage and dust off the bikes in the garage.  

The thing that I love about Spring is the hope that it brings.  Where winter is a time where everything sleeps, Spring is a time for awakening.  As each new green blade of grass pushes it's way out of the old, lifeless lawn that was under our feet last Summer, it brings a hope that I too can start anew.  I can brush off old habits that have become a familiar display in the corners of my soul.  I can bring out those goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year and recommit to achieving them.  I can forgive myself of my laziness and of the few added layers of adipose tissue (see I am learning a thing or two!) that helped to keep me warm during the long months of winter.  

Ahh yes!  Spring is finally here!  And I am more than ready!

I love to see the temple...

With all that has been shown and said about Mormon temples lately, this is a wonderful explanation of why Mormon's build temples.  Just thought I would share.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May you find, at the end of your rainbow, as cute a leprechaun as I did!

Scarves Anonymous

Hi, my name is Becky, and I am addicted to scarves. 

There!  I've said it.  I truly am, and I have to say, I am not sorry.

I love them!  I love how they keep my neck warm, how they dress up a plain ol' t-shirt, how they make you look cozy and warm or fun and springy.  

I highly recommend you getting one, or twelve, too!

(This pic is a sampling of the scarves in my collection.  I was sorting through them putting the wintery ones away until next year.  Yeah!  Spring is here! :))

Sophinator

I feel like I have a toddler all over again.

Sophie is on my 'bad kitty' list today.  

She is not allowed to be on the kitchen counters and for some reason, she cannot get that into her head.  We have tried a squirt bottle- I think she enjoys licking the water off of her fur, and balls of tape- which my dad claims that cats hate.  She is not affected by that either.

This morning, she kept jumping up on the counter behind the kitchen sink and would then climb behind the blinds.  She knocked over a lamp and soap bottles, which are behind the sink, multiple times.  I squirted her, scolded her, put her in time out even, and each time she was let out, she ran straight over to the counter and jumped back up.  I tried setting a chair by another window for her to sit on so she could look out.  But for some reason that didn't do it for her.  She was determined to get to that window behind the kitchen sink. 

After putting her in timeout for the 2nd time, I went over to the sink, picked up the lamp and was rearranging the tape when I heard a buzzing sound.  A fly.  That was the whole reason she was obsessed with that particular window.  A dang fly!

I have a feeling that it's going to be a long summer.

This Week I

put up some Easter decorations- a little early, I know

watched Nicole perform in her play two times

helped with Writers Workshop in Isaac's class

went on a date with my man

bought two more bags of Mini Robin Eggs

learned about the Autonomic Nervous System and reviewed the regional anatomy of the head, neck and back

listened to Nicole play the piano at New Beginnings- she plays so well!

watched two episodes of The Office

went downtown for jury duty

spent a fun evening with my daughter and her friends

forgot to dial the area code first- three times.  Such a pain!

played with a cow eyeball

welcomed home a dear friend who has been in Africa

missed walking with Keek- dang snow and dang jury duty!

visited the doctor's office 

had a fun 'mini date' with my little guy

felt happy

felt a little worried

Oompa Loompa doompa de do.....

Another successful play is over!  Nicole played her role as one of the head oompa loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so well!  She was darling, funny and sang beautifully!

The cutest oompa loompas ever!
As a reminder of the play, at least for the next few days, she is left with a rash on her cheeks from the makeup.  Nice!

Nicole and some of her fellow oompa loompas along with Grandpa Joe at their "cast party" after the show!
 Nicole has performed in all three school plays at her middle school during her years there.  She was given special recognition last night because of that.  Way to go Nicole!  We love you!

Juror #140

Boy do I have a great story to tell you today!  So get yourself a snack, get all comfy and enjoy!

A few weeks ago, I was summoned for jury duty.  I think I mentioned this already?  Anyway, the day they had me assigned to go in just happened to be the most stressful day of my entire life- the practical exam for my anatomy lab.  So after a few phone calls and help from a really nice lady (thanks nice lady!) I got reassigned to a one day trial that was scheduled for today.

Before we get to all of that, I have to tell you that I have a small phobia of driving on the freeways.  

I have lived in the same state my whole life- gone downtown many times, but when I have to drive myself there- at freeway speeds, it stresses me out!   I never know which exit to take.  I am one of those people who causes other drivers to say bad words.  And I don't want to be the cause of other people going to hell, so I just avoid the freeway at all costs.

Also, I am VERY uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations- and although I have watched my fair share of court dramas on TV, the thought of going through that myself made me sweat.  You would think I was the one on trial for all the the stress it was causing me!

But, I told myself to buck up, act like the 36 year old that I am, and deal with it.  

I did this by not allowing myself think about what I would be facing in the morning- in fact I drugged myself the night before so that I would go right to sleep and not lay there for hours thinking about it and getting myself all worked up.

I awoke this morning all bright eyed and ready to face the day.

I had planned to leave at 7:15 to give myself PLENTY of time (over and over you are told to 'be there early, be on time, but DO NOT be late!') because I would be joining my fellow drivers in the morning commute, and because I would not be taking the freeway.  However, I did not leave my house until 7:30- which ended up being just fine.  I got to the courthouse at 8:05 a.m.  No worries.  

I parked my car (I think I actually parked in a reserved spot....oops), got out and saw 3 other people walking my way with their yellow juror card in hand.  I smiled and said a few hellos.  A nice man was waiting in the elevator when the doors in the parking garage opened.  He smiled, asked if we were jurors to which we all answered yes.  He said, "Oh, I am sorry."  We all chuckled as if this was the funniest thing we had heard all day.  I guess it was.

After going through security- much like at an airport, except you get to keep your shoes on- I was ushered down the hall and into a large room full of chairs with little armrest-like tables on them (the kind you see in schools).  I sat down, smiled at those around me and pulled out my homework.  I planned to use my time in a quiet room of adults wisely.  I don't get quiet often and it is something I value greatly these days!

About 15 minutes later, a plump woman walked into the room, welcomed us, thanked us for taking the time to be there (like we had any choice.  Well, I guess we did.  The alternate is to pay $1000 and up to 30 days in jail....hmmmm.) and asked if anyone needed letters for their employer proving that they really had participated in jury duty.  

She then preceded to tell us that we would be watching a short video showing us about the process of jury selection (I found out that the only way out of it my friends is not to vote or drive) and that hopefully it would answer any questions we had about what would be happening that day.  It was quite entertaining if you enjoy watching poorly made government videos where people are talking about their feelings about being selected, or in most cases not being selected- , to be on a jury....hey!  almost as bad as this post!

After the riveting video, the woman told us to take a few moments, stretch our legs and use the restroom.  Since I hadn't been sitting there very long, I decided that I would once again use the time to do homework.  You know, take advantage of the quiet?  

But that was not to be because sitting right behind me was a nice older fellow who apparently had just returned home from a mission in Malaysia with his wife and wanted to tell everyone around him all about it.  Every detail, every person's name, every place he went, and how much money he was now spending each month on the few fortunate souls he had helped get into school here in the USA.  Wanna know?  $4000 a month!  I don't mean to sound rude- I do admire him and all that he has done, I just was hoping for some quiet time.  And there were several people around me that seemed to feel the same way.  

After a loooooooong time, a small woman, dressed in black, mid 50's or so, walked into the room.  She introduced herself as Judge So-and-so and said that she was the judge on the case that we were to be jurors for.  She thanked us once again for taking the time to be there and let us know that the case that we were to be involved in was a child abuse case and that she had been working with the lawyers all day yesterday until late in the evening to get the defendant to accept responsibility for his actions, so there would be no need for a jury.  But obviously he would not and so that was why we were there.  However, the man had had a change of heart when he heard that there was a room full of jurors who were waiting to hear his case that morning.  He pled 'no contest' which the judge was happy enough about because it still gave her the room to give him the maximum punishment, to force him to get help, and to keep him away from the little girl he had abused.  She told us many details about the case, which I was surprised about, and which made me glad to know that we were not going to be needed.  I would not have been selected for the jury- of that I am sure.  Being a former foster parent, I think, would have put me on top of the list of the defence's 'no-way-no-how' list.    

The judge was very gracious and told us that we could use the rest of the day for ourselves and thanked us once again for being there.  She made a point to let us know that it was because of our presence there today that this man would not be hurting this little girl anymore.

As all the potential jurors lined up to get parking tickets validated, I listened as comments were shared about how they felt about the case that we almost had been a part of.  I visited with a woman next to me and we shared how we had children of our own and how hard it would have been to hear all the details about that case.  The woman asked how many children I had and how old they were.  When I told her I had a 15 year old daughter, she said how great I looked and asked what kind of skin treatment I used.  "I am serious!  You look great!", she said as I blushed trying to think of even one product that I use.  Then she said those words that I should have known were coming...."Have you ever heard of Mary Kay?  I sell Mary Kay and they have this amazing dermabrasion product that minimises pores and fine lines.  You should get some- NOT that you need it."  Yada, yada, yada.

So there you have it!  My day as an almost juror.  In and out by 10:00.  To reward myself for being such a good citizen, I went straight to my favorite home decorating store, Tai Pan, and did what I could to stimulate the economy.  I am good!

A Dishcloth a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

It's time for another addition of 'It all adds up to me'. But before I go any further, I was asked by an inquiring mind, from the first addition, if they ever caught the masked man. The answer is no. They did not. And that didn't help my fearful mind at all. I knew he was still out there and would be coming to get me sooner or later. I was thrilled when we moved- 4 years later- knowing it would throw him off my trail!

And now without further interruption, I bring you, a daily habit of mine.

I must, must, must, change the dishcloth and hand towel in my kitchen every day. I cannot stand the thought of using a day old cloth to wipe my counters down or clean hands on. (I realize this is not the most riveting of topics, just bear with me.)

Looking back to think about where this one came from, on first thought, I would have to say that it came from my mother's example. She was a wonderful homemaker and kept a tidy home. However when I mentioned to her, a few years ago, that I change my dishcloths daily, she seemed a bit surprised. And that surprised me. Isn't that where I learned it from?

As I have given this more thought, I remember her sending me an article on the topic when I was first married and just starting on this whole housekeeping adventure. It was probably from the Reader's Digest or Good Housekeeping and it scared the bajeebers right out of me. It talked about all of the nasty germs that are picked by the cloth (OK the article was really referring to the use of sponges, but I felt it applied just as nicely to dishcloths) and then how it becomes this wonderful breeding ground for those little bacteria and viruses. It then went on to explain that when you use it again to wipe counters or wipe your sweet child's face off- you spread those invisible disease causing pestilences all over. I was completely mortified and immediately went out and bought 10 more dishtowels and hand towels to add to my already over flowing drawer, so that I would have enough to change them even more than once a day if need be.

I use bleach when I wash them- whether they colored or not, and wash them in the hottest water possible. "Kill, kill, kill!", I find myself chanting as they are being sloshed around in the washer. (Alright, I don't really do that, but I think it!)

And there you have it. No germs will be infecting my family and hopefully not yours either after reading this post. :)

This Week I

Got off the hook for jury duty....stay tuned for next week though!
Survived the anatomy practical exam- ugg.
Put air in my tires 3 times! (And they don't have a slow leak- it's just the temperature change. Annoying!)
Went on a date with my hunny- saw a disturbing movie.
Ate my favorite pasta- angel hair with artichokes
Painted my fingernails and toenails
Painted my 4 year old sons toenails dark blue- he thinks he's a rock star now!
Watched the Smurfs
Cried once
Laughed and smiled lots
Started walking in the mornings again with Keek
Lost an inch of fat- I'm just sure of it!
Gained it back by eating lots of mini Robin Eggs
Marveled at how amazing my children are
Gave a crappy Sunday School lesson
Saw the snow come and go
Cut Sophie's fingernails
Reconnected with my best friend from elementary school!
Read my favorite blogs
Tried Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino for the first time- so good!
Took a load of stuff to the D.I.
Made a yummy Sunday dinner

Boogey Man

We all have weird or quirky things that we do or things that we are afraid of- things that make us unique-make us who we are. I was thinking about some of mine today- and I have some strange ones! I thought it would be fun to try and figure out why I do the things that I do and why I have the fears and worries that I have. So I am starting a new feature on my blog called 'It All Adds Up To Me'. Every now and then, I will look at one of my many quirks- and will play psychologist and try to figure out why I do them or why I think that way. Plus, I will be killing two birds with one stone by recording some of the history in my life too. So here we go!

Why I Am Always Worried That a Stranger Is In My House

I was a carefree young girl, enjoying the summer before starting 3rd grade. Those sunny days were filled with riding bikes around the neighborhood with my girlfriends, putting on 'cooking shows' in my backyard, running through the sprinklers, and playing with my friend, Jackie, who had The. Most. Amazing. play room one could imagine. This room was like stepping into an F.A.O. Schwartz. She had all kinds of amazing toys that I could only dream of. The largest stuffed animals, the most beautiful dolls and doll houses, a kitchen play-set, electronic toys that were the latest and greatest, the list goes on and on. However, the toy that I ran to when the door to that magical room was opened was her battery powered Barbie Jeep. It was beautiful! Each time I climbed in, I immediately felt like a teenage girl cruising around town. The thing that amazed me was that it was always charged and ready to go.

Jackie was raised like she was an only child. She had two brothers who were 12 and 14 years older than her. Her parents were divorced and she was S-P-O-I-L-E-D. And I loved being her friend because of it. We got to do things and eat things and go places that I was not often allowed to do, eat or go to. I loved it!

On this particular day, Jackie's mom was at work and her Aunt Helga, who lived across the street, was watching her. I begged Jackie to see if her aunt would let us go across the street to her house to play. She was never excited to play at her house- something that I could not understand. "If I had all of those toys, I would NEVER want to play anywhere else!", I always thought to myself.

She finally agreed and we got the key to her house from her aunt. We ran across the street and to the door inside her carport. As soon as the door opened, I ran like a lightening bolt straight to the play room. Jackie decided to go to the kitchen to get a snack first.

I remember climbing into the jeep and getting ready to turn it on when I heard a conversation going on in the kitchen. I knew that no one was supposed to be home, so I decided to find out what was going on. As I walked down the hall I heard my friend say, "Robbie! That is not funny!" And then I heard a deep growling sound. As I turned the corner, Jackie screamed and yelled, "Get out of the house!". I looked in the kitchen as she was running past me and saw a tall dark figure wearing a ski mask looking right at me.

I ran out of the house as fast as my little legs could carry me, feeling like the intruder was close behind, ready to grab me at any second. We ran to her aunts house, and through our tears, told her what had happened.

Jackie had gone in the kitchen and when she saw the man, who had his back to her, she thought it was one of her older brothers. She asked him what he was doing home? The man then turned to her and she saw he was wearing a ski mask. That was when she said, "Robbie, (who is her older brother), that is not funny!" It was not until after the man growled at her that she realized it was not her brother.

The police showed up minutes after being called and asked each of us questions about what we had seen. They checked the house and found that the intruder had escaped out the back door and had jumped the fence that divided my yard from Jackie's. He had taken money and guns from her brother's rooms and the kitchen knives. I thought that was strange. Why had he wasted his time on knives when there were all those amazing toys in the playroom? I seriously thought that.

I remember going home after that and telling my mom all about our ordeal, my little body trembling and tears streaming down my face. I was just sure that the man was hiding somewhere in our yard or perhaps even in our home. My mom did her best to reassure me that he was long gone.

I could not sleep that night. I just knew that he was going to come back and break into my home. I thought that if he recognized me, he might try to 'get rid' of me because I might be able to identify him. All sorts of thoughts went through my mind.

It was weeks before I slept soundly again. I never forgot about that afternoon and from that day on and still to this day, I worry about finding an intruder in my home. I hate being the first one in the door when we have been gone- and going to down in the basement kinda freaks me out- don't tell my kids. And there you have it, that is one experience that makes me, me.

***Just know this, intruder man. My husband has a wicked pair of homemade nunchucks (made from a broom handle and a bike chain - with some intimidating chinese phrase engraved on the side (I think it says La Choy- right hunny?)) and he knows how to use them!

More Poo

I know I just barely did a post about Ian, but I just have to share what he said today.

We were driving home from preschool when the following conversation occurred:

Ian: Mom. I saw POO fall out of Christopher's pants today. Brown poo. It was disgusting! I saw it on the floor.

Me: Did any of your teachers see it?

Ian: No.

Me: Did you tell any of your teachers that there was poo on the floor?

Ian: No.

Me: Why?

Ian: Because we don't say potty words at school!

And therein lies the dilemma in the mind of a 4 year old. How does one tell the teacher there is poo on the floor when you can't say the word 'poo' at school???

Melde Family Picture Day

It's been 17 years since the extended family got together to have family pictures taken. I just thought I would share a few. :)

Bird Poo and Crocodiles...You have GOT to be kidding me!

Ian says the funniest things! Today while sitting in the car, waiting to pick Nicole up from school, he got into his backpack and took out a plastic egg, filled with candy, that he had gotten from a friend at preschool. When he looked inside, he exclaimed, "Oh gross! Bird poo, like Nicole!"

Explanation: Nicole got some Cadbury Mini Eggs the other day and was trying to trick her brothers into thinking that they were real bird eggs. She accidentally dropped one and some of the shell came off revealing the chocolate underneath. To save herself, she said, "Oh look! Bird poo!" Then she ate the egg and grossed her trusting brothers out.

So Ian, for whatever reason, decided to put the 'bird poo' in his mouth and eat it. A few seconds later, from the back seat I head him moaning and groaning. "Oh, this bird poo is disgusting! I need to spit it out! I don't feel so good!"

The power of suggestion.

I told him to swallow it. :)

It got quiet after that as we sat watching for Nicole to come out of her school. The silence was broken by Ian saying, "You have GOT to be kidding me." (real slow and adult sounding). "What?", I asked him, thinking something amazing was happening somewhere. "A leaf is blowing over there.", he said.

Later, I was filling the tires on my car with air and Ian was being my helper. After we were finished and I was putting the compressor hose away, Ian squatted down to look at something. "Mom!", he exclaimed. "It's a crocodile!"

I looked over and there was no crocodile in my garage. Just a dead cricket.

Funny boy!