Jun 19, 2017

Slices of Life, Vol. 51

I was going back through my Drafts folder last night and found these Slices. They're 18 months old, and I can't believe I never published them. I think it was because that was around the time my iPhoto quit working, and I kept thinking that once I got access to my pictures, I'd post this with images. Well, that still hasn't happened.

So I'm sharing these with you anyway. Jake would have been in the middle of 2nd grade (age 7-and-a-half), Amelia would have been about 4 and Nick, 10.

FYI, I've decided to start fresh with iPhoto and just loaded the past year or so of pictures from my phone into it over the weekend. I also loaded our pictures from Costa Rica, so more posts will be coming. Not daily, but hopefully about once a week. I've missed it.



While going through a bunch of random papers after we moved, I found a stapled set letting us know that Nick had been selected as the Star Student of the Week. Last December 4 [2014].

We were to have sent photos of him to be displayed in the classroom, gone to have lunch with him at a special table in the cafeteria, and written a letter about all the things we love about him that his teacher would have read to the class, among other things.

Me: "Nick! I can't believe I'm just now finding this! Why didn't you give it to me when you were selected as Student of the Week? I feel terrible that we missed out on doing all of this for you."

Nick: "You didn't. I told you about it back then."

Me: "I don't remember that at all! I don't think I sent pictures, and I only remember coming to eat lunch with you on your birthday, not for this. And I don't remember writing a letter about all the things we love about you, either."

Nick: "You did. IT WAS A SHORT NOTE."

* * * * * * *

While going over Jake's spelling words one evening:

Grayson: "Okay, Jake, spell 'bandana.' "

Jake: "B-A-N-"

Amelia: "D."

All of us:  [blink blink]

* * * * * * *

We were eating supper at Texas Roadhouse, where they have TVs above some of the tables. America's Funniest Videos was on while we were waiting for our entrees to arrive. One video was of a girl about 6 or 7 years old sobbing with happiness and hugging her toddler brother, who had just taken his first steps.

On the video, the man taking the video asked, "Why are you crying, sweetie?" And she sobbed, "I'M JUST SO PROUD OF HIM FOR TAKING HIS FIRST STEPS!"

Jake: "Mommy. Did you see that?"

Me: "The video of the little girl crying because she was so proud of her baby brother? Yes. So sweet."

Jake: "Or. OR, they're in the Guinness Book of World Wecords for being the youngest married couple ever, and she was so pwoud because that was her SON taking his first steps."

Me: "Hmm. That's pretty unlikely, buddy."

Jake: "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, not ALL 6- and 7-year-olds are weddy for wo-mance like I am."

Me:  [raising my eyebrows]

Jake: "Do you want to know how I know I'm weddy for wo-mance?"

Me: "I can't WAIT to know."

Jake: "I don't woll my eyes at wo-mantic scenes in movies anymore."

* * * * * * *

And just a few weeks later, I was folding clothes in the den while Jake was watching TV.

Jake: "Quite fwankly, I can't believe they show this kind of wo-mantic content on Nickelodeon."

Me: "What?"

Jake: "That young couple just kissed. I mean, I'M not bothered by it, but a lot of kids might be. I wemember when we were at the beach, we were watching a show one day and Gwant said, 'EVWYYBODY CLOSE YOUR EYES.' And evwybody did, except me. I mean, the people only KISSED. But even Gwant and Nathaniel didn't want to see it. I don't know. Kids just aren't weddy for wo-mance."

* * * * * * * 

I was putting a barrette in Amelia's hair one recent afternoon:

Me: "Aww. You look so precious."

Amelia: "I DON'T LOOK PWESH-US."

Me: "Okay, well, you look cute."

Amelia: "I DON'T LOOK CUTE."

Me: "Well, what CAN I call you if I can't call you precious or cute?"

Amelia: "Bootiful."

Oh Lord. We're in for it.

* * * * * * *  

We were out to supper at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and the waiter came to the table to take our drink orders. Amelia and Jake were sitting on the same side of the booth with me. I ordered my drink, then looked at Amelia.

Amelia: "I WANT SPWITE. Wait."  [To Jake.]  "JAKE, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DWINK?"

Jake: "Spwite."

Amelia:  [To the waiter]  "WE'LL BOTH HAVE SPWITE."

* * * * * * * 

Going over Jake's spelling words with him one night, we were asking him to spell each word and use each in a sentence.

Grayson: "Ammunition."

Jake: "A-M-M-U-N-I-T-I-O-N."

Grayson: "Good. Now, use it in a sentence."

Jake: "You have a lot of ammunition. CAN I HAVE SOME OF IT?"

* * * * * * *

Amelia: "My teacher Miss Gwace is getting mawwied!"

Me: "She is? That's exciting! To whom?"

Amelia:  [pause]  "To a PWINCE!"

Me: "Really?! To a prince? That's even MORE exciting."

Amelia: "I know!"  [sigh]  "I can't WAIT to see their fuhst dance."

* * * * * * *

Today at lunch on the way to the beach, a friend we were eating with asked Jake if he passed first grade.

Jake: "Yes, actuwy, I was one of the smahtest kids in my class."

Grayson: "ONE of the smartest?"

Jake: "Yes, technicwy the second smahtest."

Grayson: "How do you know that?"

Jake: "I tested evwybody."

* * * * * * *

The kids watched the movie Home on a recent trip. When it was over:

Me: Did you like the movie?

Jake: I really DID. It almost made me CWY.  [wipes tears from both of his eyes]  THAT WAS MY FUHST WEAL TEARJERKUH."

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