That's Emma

Emma is playing house in the little tent/fort she’s set up for herself.  She came over and said:

“I have a schedule all set up for my family.  And every day we do it and we don’t miss.  I have a little pencil and a notebook next door of my house for whenever I want to write notes down.  And I have clothes laid down and a hat and a purse.”

Fiction doesn’t so much imitate life, but she role plays what I aspire to be some day! J

Um ... OK?

Foofie: We haven’t been dead for 51 days.
Mama: Oh? What does that mean?
Foofie: Well, it just doesn’t make any sense because we haven’t been dead for 51 days.
Mama: OK, but I want to know more about what you think about that.
Foofie: I just wanted to tell you that.  Guess what’s the biggest number? 99 is the biggest number.  Ah!  20 is the biggest number.
Mama: So is 20 bigger than 99?
Foofie: Yes! (wanders off to listen to Emma read “Caps for Sale”)

And there you have it, folks.

Movin' and Shakin'

This morning Henry was up early before all of the other little people in our household.  Mama would have rather been asleep, but it proved to be a good opportunity to capture his new moves.  Just within the last week he has added a bunch of new skills to his repertoire.  He can now roll front to back or back to front at will.  He can go from tummy or all fours to a sitting position and back.  And, he can crawl … kinda.  Here are a few short videos mostly recorded for posterity, but available for you to check out if you wish.  (Warning: These are probably way more interesting to Henry’s Mama than to anyone else on the planet, but if you’re willing to risk it, you can click on the still shot above to link to the videos.)

Do Some Good

This afternoon I was helping Foofie get ready for naptime.  This is what she shared with me.

Foofie: This morning at playgroup when I went to the potty, I wiped myself and then I noticed that there was some wet on the seat.  So I also wiped the seat.  But when I got up, I felt kind of wet.
Mama: Oh, what did you do about that?
Foofie:  Well, I wanted to wash myself, so I came and sat on your lap.  I thought it might do some good.

Oh.  Thanks.  (Though I can’t say as I noticed any consequences.)

Of Drums and Drumsticks

Today we were invited to the Trumbos’ house for lunch.  We had a lovely meal.  Luke was especially enthusiastic about the fried chicken which was served in a big bowl.  I think he must have assumed that if we put all of the pieces together, they would comprise a single whole chicken, because on the way home, he made this observation.

Luke: Well, I know there were only two drumsticks in that bowl, because chickens only have two ears.
Mama: What do you mean, Luke?
Luke: Well, I ate two drumsticks and there couldn’t be any more drumsticks from that chicken because chickens only have two ears.
Mama: What do drumsticks have to do with chickens’ ears?
Luke: Well, I don’t know, but a drumstick is a part way up inside of your ear.
Daddy: Wow.  Chickens must have pretty big ears!
Luke: Yea, I guess so.
(Mama and Daddy trying mostly unsuccessfully not to snort and snicker in the front seat.)

Identity Crises

At dinner we were talking about President Obama.
Foofie: President Obama was a bad guy, but he became a good guy.  You know, he walked into a room and put a star on the top of a Christmas tree and … (noticing that we’re all staring blankly at her and/or trying not to snicker) … well, who was that guy in Rudolph?
Mama: Um … the Abominable Snowman?
Foofie: Right.  That’s who I mean.

And, in a related vein …
Foofie: Mama, who’s that guy that’s like Uncle Doffa [Joshua]?
Mama (just staring blankly waiting for the connection to come)
Foofie: You know, he’s like Uncle Doffa and he’s in the Nutcracker?
Mama: Uncle Drosselmeyer?
Foofie: Yea.  Him.

So is this girl a verbal/auditory connection-maker or what?

A New Foof

Since Robyn turned two in November, she is definitely our latest talker.  She’s been uttering a few words for a while now (mostly variations on the “B” consonant plus vowel sound).  But she’s just started stringing words together in halting combinations, like this, “Ni-ni … Ma-ma” (Night-Night, Mama).  It’s like she can’t really say two words at once, but she can say one word … and then another word.  I remember the other children doing this and it’s so fun to watch all over again!  Sometimes even big words take a pause in the middle, “Ba … nana”.

Recently she’s been classifying the family members according to gender.  “Emma – heh – goo,” “ Hoof – heh – goo”, “Mama – heh – goo”, “Huke – heh – bow”, “Hen-ya – heh – bow” and (as her Daddy taught her) “Dada – heh – MAH!” (Translation: Emma is a girl, Ruth is a girl, Mama is a girl, Luke is a boy, Henry is a boy and Daddy is a MAN!)  When I ask her what she is, she says, “Heh Bo-Bo!” (I’m Bo-Bo.)  When I say, “Are you a girl?” she shakes her head and repeats (with more emphasis) “Heh BO-BO!”

Nice to know we have an up-and-coming source for Foofisms just in case Foofie every outgrows the job.

More from Foof

Foofie went outside to play in her dirt clothes (the box of clothes I keep by the back door for “real” outside play).  I recommended she wear the short-sleeved shirt.  She opted for the sweatshirt instead.  Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, she was back, sweaty and pink-cheeked complaining that she was too hot.  As I changed her to her short-sleeved shirt, I think it occurred to her that this was somewhat of an admission of Mama’s wisdom and so, in defense of her original choice, she uttered a classic Foof-ism, “Well, at least when I was hot it was keeping me warm!”

Last night at family worship, Matt was reading to us from the book of Jeremiah.  He explained how God, through Jeremiah, was pleading with his people, his bride, to return to him.  We then got into a discussion about whether Mama would ever leave the family and what they would do to get me back.  Foofie didn’t seem at all concerned.  “Mama would not leave.  We have such a comfortable house.  And such a comfortable Daddy.”  I couldn’t agree more!

US Patent Pending

In our house we’ve wiped our faces with “nackmins” and “nackims”.  But this morning is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone asking for a “nackuum”.  Sounds like a product waiting to be invented.  Don’t worry; I’ll remember you all when I’m rich and famous!

Solid

The children were watching The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (the old animated version).  At various points during the battle scene, Foofie could be heard saying,

“She’s stoning them all!” or

“They’re all getting stoned, now!”