Triblets Reclean!

Smug Dallin

 I didn't post last week cause I went shopping out of town with a friend all day Saturday. It has been my first time away from the family for more than three hours since before Dallin was born---and was very refreshing! I think it's really important to have time away now and then from everyone. Gave me a chance to remember not to be taking things for granted. I came home missing my family and bearing gifts for all. For Dallin I got this adorable little Sunday suit from Burlington Coat Factory. He looks like like a tiny portly banker and when he throws a tantrum in it--he looks like a furious stock broker--it's pretty funny!

One of the funniest things to me and what I wish I could literally record on a daily basis are the funny things my kids say. It's so hard to remember some of the things they say even though at the time I am thinking "I have got to remember that!"

Parking Lot Sandal Fest

On Friday I decided to take the boys to go buy some new athletic shoes. They don't have any right now, just work boots, snow boots and Sunday shoes. So we went to Payless Shoe and didn't find any shoes I wanted to get for the boys---but found sandals on sale....and what do you know---they had some in Dallin's size too! Now, Dallin isn't even walking so I know it's silly, but the boys were ecstatic to all be 'twins' as Eli exclaimed over and over. The cashier lady heard him and said, "Well actually you will be triplets!" He looked confused so I explained that in this case triplets were three people who looked alike. He lit up and said, " Exactly now we are 'Triblets'!" They were so excited to all wear the same sandals (although as you can imagine Dallin was pretty much indifferent) but as I was trying to unlock the door with baby and purse in my arms I realized Preston was frantically ripping off his shoes to try to get his new sandals on before I was done unlocking the doors. I started laughing and told them to go ahead and put them on. They sat down right there in the parking lot and put on their sandals while I stood guard.

 

 Eli is great at coming up with all kinds of interesting things. He says some things like 'Flamily (family)' and its so endearing that we can't bear to correct him much yet. Some other Eli'isms I love:

Funny Eli---(yes he is asleep with ear phones and a candy cane in....)

Hork: ie. "Don't just hork it down!" meaning scarf or gobble-up greedily.

Gigundous: "It was the most gigundous cookie I had ever seen!". It's a great mix between giganitc and humongous.
Waddle: " I know how to waddle Dallin now" meaning Swaddle.
B**** Black: ( first word clue rhymes with Witch). This one I had to correct him on eventually, but the first time I heard him say this, he was 5 and was helping me set up my class in the building I rent from. It is really dark in the building before I get all the lights on and he was making conversation with me trying to sound very grown-up and said, "Wow mom, it sure is b**** black in here!" I wasn't sure I heard him right so I asked him to repeat himself. Yep...he did. I had to try not to smile cause it was so innocent.
Drawling: "Drawling family near each week we'll keep love burning bright" (2nd verse of Home Can Be  a Heaven on Earth) instead of 'drawing'

Eli on the 'Running Machine 'carpet''. He loves it!

There are lots more but I can't think of them at the moment. Eli is just such a character! He is so earnest and really wants to share information with others--and never hesitates to use big new words he picks up--even if he isn't totally clear on their meaning or pronouncement. I love that about him! he makes people laugh without intending to, and I have to be careful because he is sensitive and if he thinks people are laughing at him even in an 'Oh how cute' kind of a way--he shuts down and becomes embarrassed. Very endearing kid.

Boys pumped up and rushing to help make Sunday dinner

Preston finished folding napkins 'Preston style'

Preston is pretty clear with all his words---he is a cautious by nature and likes to be sure of what he is saying usually. The time he isn't is when he is singing the Transformer movie theme song (by Linkin Park 'New Divide') He really cracks me up with it because it is his 'pump up' song. When I ask him to do a chore, within in minutes he begins humming or belting out, "So give me reason to turn me up, to watch mm memory reclean!" (The lyrics actually say, "So give me reason, to prove me wrong to wash this memory clean"). He also likes to sing the beginning notes which are a kind of this bass guitar strum building up which he voices as 'Down! down! down! down!" in a deep manly voice. My favorite is when he can convince Eli to sing with him and I hear both boys belting out the Preston version of the song which is the first verse and chorus sung over and over with filler words and murmuring sounds when he isn't sure of the right word.  Today he and Eli made out main course for Sunday dinner. Not feeling like cooking anything too complicated---and being a bit calculating I decided to just do twice baked potatoes and salad for dinner. I knew if I called it 'salad' though there would be whining so instead I asked the boys if they wanted to chop (using action words goes a long way!) some vegetables for me--any ones they thought would be good in a design-your-own-salad-buffet! I have learned if I give things better names and give them some freedom--they are so much more willing to do and eat new things. They started pulling everything out of the fridge---carrots, tomatoes, beans, bell peppers, celery---and a chopping session began with 'New Divide' as the background music courtesy of Preston. I tended to Dallin and watched amazed as my busy boys excitedly got all the stuff ready for our salad buffet. They even set the table without me asking and Preston even folded napkins (he folds them like paper airplanes and put the cups precariously on the nose of the airplane) for everyone (Mom---the rest of the napkin opens up like a billow when I do this, isn't it cool?). There is some power in that Transformer pump-up song!

(Yawn!) Ok, the night is 'drawling' to a close so I am going to sign off. I am off to 'reclean' my face and try not to hork down anything too gigundous before I get myself off to bed...goodnight!