Monday, April 30, 2012

Sweet Secrets

Tonight I overheard Turbo whispering to dad in the kitchen while I played with Smiley in the living room. My husband was kind enough to share the secret, although I won't tell that to Turbo. I want to make sure he trusts me enough to share future secrets with me.

Turbo: "Dad, if you behave I'll give you lots and lots of ice cream that you can give to me."


Sunday, April 22, 2012

How to Win Friends

... the Turbo Edition.

This story is from my husband so it's told second-hand, but I bet I got it right.

Turbo has been really into being bad lately. He's developing this interesting black-and-white view of the world that I hope he outgrows. I live in the gray zone, as I feel life is not in absolutes. But he's his own person, so perhaps he'll trend this other way... kind of like his dad. :)

When he chooses one book over another, for example, he'll say, "I don't want that one. It's a bad book." Or, if he wants to watch The Red Balloon instead of Curious George (which he watches a lot and loves), he'll remark, "Curious George is a bad one." And all of these bad comments are accompanied by a dramatic scowl that Turbo has perfected with much practice. Future drama student?

My husband took Turbo to the park this morning before lunch. It's a glorious sunny day here in the suburbs of Seattle and that means we do everything we can to be outside as long as possible. We play, eat, and even pee outside (if you're Turbo), so we can avoid the messy house and coo at the splendor of our area bathed in sunlight. Ahh, bliss.

Not our actual park, but thank you, Google.

While the boys were at the park I took Smiley to Whole Foods for a couple of forgotten grocery items. I made it a quick trip so as not to be indoors for too long. She makes even the grocery store a bright spot. Love my little girl!

When we returned from the store, Dad and Turbo were putting lunch on the table (thank you, honey) and when I asked my husband how it went, he told me the following story.

There was one other kid at the park. This kid walked up to Turbo, who was playing with a steering wheel on a climber - pretending it was a boat I'm guessing - and when the kid got close enough, Turbo said, "This is a bad boat. I'm going to poke you in the eyes."

The kid just walked away.

Atta boy, Turbo. Way to make new friends.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Blowin In the Wind

It is my duty to pick up the kids from school at the end of the day. School is probably an overstatement, as they are 1.5 and 3.5, but it is a school and there is a curriculum and I sometimes get to giggle when I call it a school, so that's what we say. Tee hee.

The benefit of picking up the kids is that I get to drive straight to work in the morning, skipping most of the bad traffic, and tuning into my choice of radio stations - usually it's anyone who is talking, as I am not interested in music that early in the morning.

The downside of being the picker-upper is that I get the kids at the end of a long day and it's sometimes complete and utter chaos. I'm usually so busy chasing my two kids (Smiley knows how to run now) in two different directions and I'm so focused on each of their bodies barreling down the hall that it took me a while to notice that the halls are full of other parents engaged in the same craziness. There was an audible sigh of relief when I realized it wasn't just my kids. Phew.

I would like to note here that my kids are very well behaved. Ahem, for other people. I get glowing reports of their manners and the please-and-thank-yous that escape their lips at all the expected moments. One of my favorites from about a year ago was when Turbo reportedly said the following after music class, "Thank you, Miss Ashley. Thank you for playing the piano."

Who are these kids, and may I please spend some time with them?

Yesterday, after wrangling a kicking Smiley into her car seat - complete with crocodile tears I might add, a shining example on her cheeks that I am one mean mama for not letting her run into traffic - and after begging Turbo to get into his car seat, and then resorting to "I'm going to count to 3... 1, 2, thr--"... we finally settle in for the 5-minute drive back home. Once in their seats, they are little angels. Night and day. Heaven and hell.

At home I unbuckled Smiley and she leapt into my open arms with the sweet and gooey greeting I'd been longing for. And so I kissed her and cooed at her and blew air softly onto her sweet little face. She blew back and we giggled together. Ah, bliss.

We repeated this sentimental exchange several times as we approached the other side of the car to unleash, I mean, unbuckle, her brother. As Turbo climbed out of the chair, he stood on the edge of the car and watched Smiley and me for about a milisecond before blowing a raspberry and spitting on me and getting his sister to do the same. It was a raspberry spit, so fairly benign, but the juices flew all the same.

What had begun as sweet mom-and-daughter play time ended in mom getting showered, spit in my eye thankyouverymuch, and Smiley and Turbo guffawing hysterically as if they'd invented humor.