Developing Musical Tastes

For the longest time Jack would only listen to "Kids Singing" in the car - a CD of the African Children's Choir. Then he branched out a few weeks ago, allowing us to listen to "Avery's CD" (thanks Sara and Avery!). Then this conversation happened:

(In the car on the way home from school, after we'd listened to both Avery's CD and Kids Singing...)

Jack: "Momma, can I have the Kids Dat Come Around the Block please?"
Momma: "I don't know what you mean."
J: "Ummm....dose kids from around the block."
M: "Do you mean "The New Kids on the Block?"
J: "Yeah!!"
M: "Ummm, okay, I guess."
(I fumble around with the disc changer, finding the mix CD that Beth made Christi and me one Christmas - which starts with Step By Step by NKOTB. We listen to a few bars and then we're home.)
J: (mumbling to himself as he's getting out of the car) "Step by step....oooh baybee..."

Big Boy

My Great Idea

So I had this great idea. I thought that since I'm incapable of writing in narrative form, I would get Jack to tell a story out loud and I would type it as he went. I introduced this idea and this is what he said:

A
Donuts
Fire Engine
Forklift
Plate
Oven
Pop pop
Grandmommy
Door
Heart
8
7
8
9
10
11
12
Twe-elve
Wall wall

Ironic, isn't it?

Things Chuck Fixed

My writing has been reduced to lists. I think it's a workers' comp issue - too many spreadsheets makes me incapable of thinking in complete sentences.

My list for today:

Things That Chuck Fixed (Subtitle = And That Made Him the Coolest Person on Earth to Both Me and Jack, and that No One Else Will Care About But I Feel the Need to Praise Him For):

• Rigged a gigantic antennae from our attic across the ceiling and to our TV in the living room
• Took apart my old tubing from my pump and made new ones
• Put wheels on Jack's train table
• Fixed up an old snowblower so we have one without buying it
• Batteries - okay so this isn't technically "fixing" but Jack is thrilled that Daddy can make his flashlight work over and over again
• Planed the bottom of the doors to the kids' rooms so they don't make as much noise
• Fixed all of our plants - he "fixed" them by becoming a worm farmer (I can provide details to anyone who wants to know them - the rest of us can just collectively say "eeewww")
• Installed Ryker's carpet
• Fixed our fence after it blew down in a storm
• Fixed our lawn every time we ruin it (which is every summer)
• Rigged an extension cord out to our table in the backyard so it has purdy lights at night
• Put up a new fence to keep Tugboat in her part of the yard
• Built a workbench in the garage
• Built a rack for our firewood out of old fence parts

In writing this list I realized that most of our probortunities (as we called them in a previous job) are related to lawns and fences; and that the solutions frequently involve wood and worms. It's the Cycle of Life or something - he's certainly the center of ours.

The House that Jack Ate

For dinner Jack had:

• some hummus and carrots
• a hot dog and bun (together!)
• a pear
• some Pirate Booty
• some graham cracker bunnies
• a piece of pumpkin pie

And I think I'm missing some things.

You Know You're a Parent When...

1) You get a new white board at work and, instead of throwing away the foam packing materials, you save them for art projects.

2) You go to a party on Saturday night and spend half the time sitting on the floor of the bathroom. Only you haven't had too many beers - you are sitting with your preschooler as he decides this is the opportune time to really let loose.

3) You think it's okay to share things like #2 with all your blog-followers.

4) Your end-table is a bright yellow, red and blue plastic easel.

5) You say things like "there are starving children in Africa" or "fine, if you can't appreciate that toy then we'll give it to children who will."

6) You know the words to the theme songs of "Martha Speaks" and all the videos on the Thomas website.

7) You have asked the question "why are you naked?"

8) You've found pureed vegetables in your ear.

9) You see a crane with a wrecking ball working on a construction site and seriously consider getting your preschooler, driving back there and finding a place to sit and watch it.

10) You have stickers stuck to your floor.

11) Your comic arsenal includes jokes like "Why was six afraid of seven?" and "Why did the cookie go to the doctor?"

12) You've attempted a somersault recently (sober).

Pear Face

Ryker's first attempt at pears was tonight. He made this face after every single spoonful.