Firefighters

After a summer nap in only their undies and t-shirts, the boys woke up and got right to playing without dressing further. They donned firefighter hats, and played fireman for quite awhile. They had a red handkerchief for fire and a white for smoke. The big couch served as the fire truck. A calculator, carefully tucked into J's underpants, served as the "fire control system," used to calculate the severity of the fire. There was also a "fire-rific telescope," a camera, which is used to spot fires at a distance. S was the chief with her own fire chief car (the small couch). S would call them on the walkie-talkie (also tucked into J's underpants) to tell them where the fires were.

A played the role of boy climbing all over the fire truck.

Teamwork

Last night, J was bound and determined not to eat any fish sticks. (The fact that our boys love broccoli but won't eat fish sticks is a different story.) I explained that he had to eat three, and that if he did so in time, he could play Mario Kart with his brothers. If not, M, A, and I would play, leaving J alone at the table. I then said I was going downstairs for a moment.

When I came back up, two of the three fish sticks were already gone. I was frankly surprised - that's fast, even for J. Then I saw M in the corner, trying to cover his mouth while he chewed. The little booger ate one of J's fish sticks for him because he didn't want to play Mario Kart without J.

They've teamed up. We're in trouble now.

Not Me

A needed to poop, but refused to go in the potty. (He has been potty-training lately, so this was something different.) He then walked over to the train table, took a moment to himself, and did his business. S asked him, "Did you poop?" He said, "No. M (but saying his name, of course)."

I guess since we don't have a dog...

The Baby

S was driving with the boys past the local middle school, and she explained that "big boys" went there. M said that J was a "big kid" (he is the largest), to which J responded, "we're all big boys."

A, apparently, took offense. "Me, BABY." Clear as a bell.

He won't love it forever, but at least for now, he's chosen his role in the family, it seems.

M's New Song

M wrote a new song. I'll have to make sure to get a video of him singing it, because it's very sweet. He closes his eyes and rocks back and forth on his feet, and actually sings very nicely. The lyrics are:

Cats and dogs are different
But they're both pets
It's good to love someone who's different from you
It's good for all the Earth

Be Glad of Who You Are

On the way to the gym this morning, J said from the back of the car, "Mommy, some beetles eat poop."

M said, "I'm glad I'm not a poop-eating beetle."

Wise words.

Learning the "Natch"

I love sports.  Not all sports, but most of them.  And I love playing more than I love watching.  I'll try just about anything.  That said, I've tried not to push the sports too hard on the boys.  Despite being a rabid Wolverine fan, my boys don't know all the words to "The Victors." 

But, J...

J has sports in the core of his DNA.  He'll watch a sport on TV he's never heard of, and immediately figure out how to play it in the living room.  And he'll be good at it!  J has the practice discipline of an Olympian.  I've never met a four-year old who enjoyed practicing a sports move so much, and he's been doing that since he was two!  His throwing technique is excellent.  If you ask him how to throw a football, he won't say, "with my arm."  He'll say, "with my eyes."  Those who played QB will know he is right.

Today, he wanted to know what I was doing grunting in the basement.  When I told him, "dumbbell swings," he insisted I teach him.  So I did, and he practiced and practiced (using a toy bowling pin).  Then he overheard me saying that I wanted to learn how to snatch, and then asked endless questions about what a "natch" is.  So we spent about an hour, all told, looking at YouTube videos of great lifters.  First it was some Olympic snatching, and then it was to videos of "ree-yee ree-yee" (really, really) strong guys - Arnold, Coleman, Platz, more Olympic lifters.  Then he insisted on learning the one-arm bowling pin snatch.  I showed him.

Surprise, surprise ... after only a little practice, he's pretty good.

Crocodile Toots

M and J decided that the living room floor was the ocean, filled with crocodiles. The crocodiles had really stinky toots. How do crocodiles get stinky toots? From eating ocean sand frogs as said frogs (M and J) hop back and forth from North to South America.

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Cobservations on Dinosaurs

The other day, S had two scientists at the kitchen table.  M and J were "cobserving" a dinosaur and making hypotheses (yes, they said that).  They categorized their bin of dinosaurs as meat-eaters and leaf-eaters, separating the birds "because they are hard to inspect." 

"This is our contrast pile."

"Whatever is small goes in the small set."

"These have long tails and stand up."

They were doing all of this using a tape measure and a kitchen scale, and wearing goggles and button-down pajamas. 

At the end, two small triceratops were on the kitchen scale while the crazy little scientists in pajamas and goggles called out numbers to record as more "cobservations."

Flash M, the Juice-a-saurus

One weekend before Christmas, we learned:

M is a Juice-a-saurus.  Juice-a-sauruses (M's preferred plural) live in water, but are the fastest land animal.  His name is Flash M.  He has a Flash M-mobile, which is a rocket-mobile that turns into a helicopter or an airplane or a truck.  There is also a very involved costume.  Flash M the Juice-a-saurus has ten fingers instead of two, like most carnivores.  He does eat leaves like spinach, but only raw.  He does not like oranges.

I wish I was a superhero like Flash M, the Juice-a-saurus.

Greenoff, Reindeer of Legend

M and J were coloring with markers while A napped.  The red marker dried out and became unusable.  This was unfortunate, because it was just before Christmas, and M really wanted to draw Rudolf, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Undeterred, he told S he had an idea; he would draw a green-nosed reindeer, Rudolf's sister.  J approved, and when asked, stated that her name should be "Greenoff."  This seems logical, as they think Rudolf is pronounced "Redoff."

Busted!

S took the boys to the craft store last month.  M and J were constantly grabbing items off the shelf and asking S to identify them.  She finally stopped paying attention to the particular items about which they were inquiring.

M held up a final item, and asked S what it was.  "I don't know.  Put it down."  He responded, "Of course you don't know; you didn't even look at it!"