Anderson Adventures

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Those Funny Kids

Kids are funny. Bet you already knew that. Seriously, I could talk all day about how silly these little offspring of mine are, but since that's not fun for anyone other than myself, I'll write them down and you can read them....if you want.

Story #1:
I picked Claire up from the bus stop and asked her how school was. I do this every day and usually get the same uninformative answer of "I don't know, Mom". Then I have to be very specific about my asking. "Did you sit at the green or blue table?" "Did you color or paint?" You know, vital questioning. On this particular day, I asked my question and got a response of....

Claire: "(SIGH).....I'm SOOO tired of telling you how school was."
Me: "Oh? Well, I really like to know what you did during the day."
Claire: "But I'm just so so so tired of it."
Me: "Well, alright. I guess you don't have to tell me."
Claire: "Yeah. I'm tired of it right now, so I'll tell you when we get home."

Story #2"
My brother gave me his iphone 4s and I'm eternally grateful. Since this brother is eternally addicted to cookies, I'm paying him for this gift in cookies. One box of mailed home made cookies each month for 6 months (I know....I'm sooooo sweet, aren't I). The other day, we realized that November is falling away and passing too quickly and we had to get them sent asap or else he'd be at Thanksgiving dinner eating way too many sweets and not in need of any cookies at all.

There we were, Monday afternoon, friends over, cookies baked, an all around good feeling. We ate a hefty amount per person and called it good. Luckily I had set Jason's cookies to the side for shipping and they were left unscathed. After a little while of mom gabbing, we got up to round up the children for the playdate to end. As I peered in the kitchen, almost two dozen cookies from the cooling rack had disappeared. Vanished. Not a trace. We walked back to the kids' room, opened the door and asked, "Did you guys eat ALL those cookies???" Claire, with a mouthful and chewing responded with a smile and a nod. Henry ran to the closet with two cookies in hand while Jared lifted his cookie in the air as if toasting to the occasion and took a bite. They all looked pleased. I repeated the question. "ALL of the cookies? All of them?" Once again Claire nodded, smiled, swallowed, and said,"YES!"

Then Henry poked his head out of the closet and said rather defensively, "Jared just kept bringing us more and more cookies to eat!"

They spoiled their dinner and I laughed my guts out instead of reprimanding them because, afterall, he's gonna be a phenomenal waiter one day.

Story #3
(Beware: this story contains the words nursing, pumping, and "milk things")
Tonight we went to dinner with an old college friend and his beautiful wife. I haven't seen him in over 5 years, so I didn't want to have to leave to go feed Hailey when she inevitably got hungry. She's always hungry. So, during our mad rush to get out the door to the babysitters, I had to sit down and pump before we left. Since I hate pumping, this is a rare thing. I didn't really have time to be discreet about it....and let's be honest....even if I did have time, I wouldn't have been.

While I was doing so, Claire came up and asked me....

"Mom.....why are you doing that.... (Pause)...to your...(pause)...milk things? "
Me: (I smile, but try not to laugh. It IS a valid question after all.) I'm pumping so Hailey can eat while mom and dad are at dinner with our friend.
Claire: "But....why do your....(pause)....milk things do that.
Me: "Well, when mommy's have babies, their bodies make food so that the baby doesn't get hungry."
Claire: "Oh..... Did God give you that?"
Me: "Give me what? This (point to the pump)?
Claire: "yes"
Me: "No, I bought this at the store."

Claire smirks a shy smile and walks away looking rather uncertain about the situation. Ya know, Claire, at 4 years old, I would feel a little uncertain about "milk things" too. I understand.

Friday, October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween

Good gracious! What is all this blogging about? Well, when there's a picture, there's motivation. So, we were the Anderson Avengers for Halloween this year. Yes, Spiderman is in the Avengers in the comics, so it does fit. Claire was Scarlet Witch and everyone at school kept telling her that she's not in the Avengers. Just think of how cool she'll feel when the new movie comes out and they were all WRONG! (Ok, she won't feel that cool because she hasn't even seen the movies....but I know how cool I feel proving a bunch of preschoolers wrong.....yeah....)

I'll be honest, I was SOO excited for this Avengers idea....until we were costume shopping and saw a Scooby-Doo costume. How did I not think of that? We spent a couple of months watching that wonderful cartoon and it is a definite highlight of my year (Yes, we are THAT boring). Next year, for I am destined to be Daphne or Velma.

Our Halloween trick or treating was wonderful. We went to the "Halloween House" and successfully made it through without our kids being terrified of the Jason and Zombies holding chainsaws. Score! Jared is a boy after my own heart because he wanted more when Claire was aching to go home. I went trick-or-treating until I was 20, people. TWENTY! I LOVE IT! Glad to see someone carry on the family tradition. :)

Funny Tidbit. So, I was black widow....and I sort of, kind of...dislike Scarlet Johansson in everything she plays because it is usually a little floozy-ish. Despite her gaining 20 points for being black widow (because it is a killer awesome character and I felt pretty rad), I had to feed screaming and exhausted Hailey while out trick-or-treating and did so walking around. Funny part being when my friend said, "Are you nursing her? I'll just call you Scarlet Johansson." Baha! I guess that's the perk, right? If you're being Scarlet, you have every right to "show off" the goods. (Don't worry, I was completely covered the entire time. No one would have even suspected. Only thought she was a sleeping baby.)

Anyway, I love Halloween. I hope yours was wonderful and safe.

Showing off their powers

Gosh, I love this family! And look at them bones! Henry looks so rad! Not to mention her adorable little dinosaur. This woman can do some killer things with her sewing machine!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Bubbles and Chalk

Being outside after being sick for 2 weeks straight is more than heaven sent. Enough said.

This is what I call, the "Grandpa shot". :)

See that road he made for his cars?

Out of the mouth of Claire

Claire was asking me about Hailey nursing. She was sad to find out that Hailey wasn't nursing anymore. She said, "Well, when I am a mommy can you give my babies milk?" Uh...nope. Can't do that. "Why mom?" Well, my milk will be gone (thank goodness) and you'll have to do it. "Oh, well, I want a big, big, BIG family. TWELVE babies! But I don't want the littlest baby to ever get big because I do NOT want one hundred babies." March 2015
Claire: Daddy, do you stink? Brian: Why do you say that? Claire: Because I can smell you. 6/18/14
Claire walked out of her room and this is what ensued: Daddy: "Claire, get back to bed." Claire: "But Daddy, my bed is being crazy!" (We try hard not to laugh). Daddy: "What?" Claire: "My bed is being crazy!!!" He went back, she tangled her blanket so her feet were getting cold. 5/15/2014
Claire asked her sunbeam teacher what "this" was, pointing to something on her chest. She thought she was talking about the pattern on her dress. Claire said, "No, no! These. They are for milk for babies." 5/2014
Eating corn on the cob for dinner, Claire turned to me and asked, "Mommy, are you going to eat some of this YUUUUMMMMYYY corn?" 5/2014
"Mommy, can you do this for me?" She hands me my eyelash curler and I proceed to curl her eyelashes. She bats her eyes in the mirror and says, "There. That's better." For the record...I have never done this, so she didn't learn it from me. 1/28/14
I was doing Claire's hair , combing through it. "Mommy, stop brushing my hair, you're making me crazy." 1/28/14
Claire has a VERY hard time going #2 in the toilet. She will hold it for days and days, so she ends up sitting on the toilet for hours sometimes. This week, she had been in there for a good two hours (and never went). Anyway, during that time she called me in several times, "MOMMY!!!! Come here!!!" And then would tell me nothing. So, after what seemed like the billionth, "MOMMY come here!" shouting, I went in to find her with the ENTIRE roll of toilet paper collected in a heap in her arms. I looked at her and gasped in frustration. I had just changed that roll! Brand new roll. Think of all that! She looked at me, giggled, and said, "Mommy...hehe....I sneezed...hehe." 1/28/14
We had our first ice storm here in Texas. I took Claire to Costco and let her walk on the ice. "Mom, I need to put on my ice skates". "Claire, do you have ice skates?" "No mom, I don't." Good point though sweetheart!
Claire always wakes me up telling me that the sun is awake. The other day, she came in, told me the sun was awake once more and then told me that she wanted some candy. I informed her that we didn't have any, but she said, "Mom, all we have to do is say Trick-or-treat!"
We went camping and I asked if Claire had fun. Claire: "I love camping, but Jared was naughty. We should leave him home".
Me: "Claire, why are you out of bed?" Claire: "Because of this..." She starts moving as if she'll pee her pants. Me: What? Claire: "Because I have the wiggles."
While at the mall bathroom, "MOMMY! YOU DID IT! YOU PEED!" For everyone to hear.
We're still trying to potty train Claire and have her poop in the potty! She says she does it, but can't seem to have it happen and will hold it for days (which is very frustrating). In an effort to get the ball rolling, I said, "Claire! Let's both push. 1...2...3...push!" At that point I did a fake push and she quickly exclaimed, "MOMMY! Don't poop in your pannies!" 7/12/13
Jared was crying and wandering around the house this morning. He popped his head in the bathroom where Claire and I were, and started to cry. Claire said, "Oh Jared, stop whining". 7/3/13
Brian and I were talking about the frustrating expenses of moving. At one point I said (about our debt), "It's all my fault." Claire came to the rescue and said, "NO! It's MY fault! My fault....and Jared's!"
This morning Claire woke up at 5 am screaming, "I WANT A COOKIE!!!!!" I went in, she repeated her sentiments. I promised her a cookie and she went back to sleep. When she got out of bed at 10:30, she jumped into my arms and said, "Where's my cookie?"