Kid's perspective

We've been trying to decide if we want to stay in Miami for Ryan's fellowship (which will start a little over a year from now) or go somewhere else. (I know, it seems like a no-brainer from my point of view and my apparent love of Miami, unfortunately there are complicating factors... but that's another story.)  Anyhow, I decided to ask Cash one afternoon and I said, "Cash, do you want to stay in this house, or get a different house?" He looked at me and so matter-of-factly said, as he swept his arm toward the ceiling to emphasize his point: "But I have this whole big house." (Yes, referring to our 2 bedroom + a den apartment.) I was like, oh man, I forget how cute things are from a kids point of view! Of course this is the only place we've lived that he even remembers. What else could he need? Made me stop and think of all those things I think we need, but the kids don't know any better anyway. Of course if he knew what a back yard was about he might change his mind. Then again, having elevators and a pool in your house are pretty cool too.... Doormen and lobbies are part of a normal house as far as he's concerned.

Then the other day I was getting him in the car and he kept demanding a fruit snack. After a lot of denials, I finally said, "We have to eat something good for us first, honey." To which he replied, "Well, honey wants a fruit snack." Little sassy-pants.

I really have to laugh at the things he comes up with. The other day we were standing there and out of the blue my three year-old tells me, "Bake is a complex word mom." (Except he can't even say all his letters right so it was bake is a compwex woowd mom." Even funnier to me as he telling me grammatical facts.) I was so surprised. I guess that's what you get when you just put movies on for your kids and never watch them with them.

The other night Ryan and I were sitting in our room and in the background I finally realize I keep hearing Phoenix snickering and tapping at something as he keeps repeating the same phrase. I look over. He keeps pointing his finger at something on a magazine and laughing. I realize what his reading material is - the Victoria's Secret catalog. Oh lovely. He's laughing as he points to each rear end and snickers, "Bum!" 

Dinner is also a somewhat unpleasant and constant battle now that the twins have realized Cash no longer sits on one of the booster seat high chairs. So now they all insist on sitting in regular chairs. Which leads to someone constantly getting out of their chair, goofing off, and going to play with toys instead of eating dinner. This one particular night we were eating spaghetti, only I had used the elbow macaroni instead of spaghetti noodles. We were in the middle of getting mad at Phoenix for the umpteenth time when he picked up one of the somewhat crescent-shaped elbow noodles, puts the tiny thing up to his ear and starts saying, "Ha-woah.  Ha-wooooaaah?" We were trying so hard to keep a straight face for our parenting techniques, but ended up laughing too hard at his creativity with the miniature macaroni to keep up our you're-in-the-middle-of-getting-in-trouble routine.

Thank goodness they're at least cute and naughty Ryan says. After a long day with the kids, tonight at dinner I commented he may be the only person in the office who loves Mondays. Darn right, he agreed. After a weekend with these kids, going back to work looks pretty appealing.