He'll Either Be a Cop or a Bounty Hunter
Rolo ("reading"
Where the Wild Things Are): Look Mommy, that boy is going to look for bad guys.
Me: Hmmm...I don't think so. I don't think he's looking for bad guys.
Rolo: What he doing then?
Me: I think he's going to look for an adventure.
Rolo: Looking for bad guys is an adventure.
Labels: conversations, Rolo
4 Months and 2.75 Years
Swiss Miss is trying her damnedest to turn over. I am so not ready for that. She is one of the sweetest babies I've met though. Of course, I'm biased but she's so laid back. She doesn't like to be left out the conversation and will voice her frustration if the rest of the family is at the dinner table and she's stuck over in her swing. But otherwise, not much seems to bother her. Her cheeks are ridiculous. I feast on them daily. She's started laughing and it's at that awkward phase where it sounds like she's trying to clear her throat. Adorable. Her hands are constantly in her mouth and I think she's on the verge of teething. Something else I'm not ready for.
She is constantly, constantly fascinated by her brother.
Rolo, on the other hand, is a whirling dervish. Like most kids his age, he's a little bit like a person with untreated bipolar disease. Charming one moment and a maniac the next. But there's lots more good than bad. He's a whiz at counting. The number 14 trips him up for some reason. He tells me things like, "I have two toys and if I take one, then I only got one", which is his version of math.
The other night I was telling him that I needed to make him an appointment with the dentist and our conversation went like this:
R:NOOOOOOOO! NO dentist!
Me: What? The dentist is fine. The dentist is fun.
R: No, no dentist.
Me: How come you don't like the dentist? You've never been to a dentist.
R: I don't want a shot!
Me: Oh. The dentist doesn't give you a shot, bug. No shots.
(I realize it's conceivable that he could get a novacaine shot, but I'm keeping it simple here)R: Oh. So what he do, then?
Me: He brushes your teeth and looks in your mouth.
I love that Rolo is at an age where he can rationalize somewhat and can ask appropriate questions. His sentence structure still needs some work, but I love that he asks things like "What he do then?".
He lacks patience and he watches too much TV. He probably gets his way too often. But he's smart and funny and very caring.
Two kids is good. I like having two.
Labels: conversations, parenting, Rolo, Swiss Miss
Conversations
Me: We probably need to really start talking about names.
R: Well, boy names are hard. We have some girl names don't we?....Ella's still on the list, right?
Me: Yeah, it is. But I'm less enamoured with it than I was 2 years ago. We have a girl's middle name though, right? We're still using my mom's?
R: Yeah, that's fine.
Me: I sort of feel bad though. I mean, I feel like I should incorporate my grandmother's name somehow.
R: We could use her name, or your middle name, as a middle name.
Me: I know. But...I've sort of been set on using my mom's as a middle name. Still, I feel a little bad about not using my grandmother's.
(
pause)
R (
not unkindly): Your grandmother deserves it more.
Me (
sighing): I know.
Labels: conversations, preggo
Conversations
Rolo: Howl! Howl! Mama, howl!
Me: Howl?
Rolo: Howl!
Me: Do you mean towel?
Rolo: Nuh. HOWL!
Me: I don't get what you're saying. Are you really talking about howling? Do you even know what that is?
Rolo (
getting irritated): Howl. Whooo. Whooo.
Me: Wait, OWL? Do you mean owl, like the bird? Goes who, who?
Rolo (
rolls his eyes): Yesh.
Labels: conversations, Rolo
Weird Conversations (Or Self-Serving Attitudes About Politics)
Me: You know, I'm not like 100%, gung-ho Obama, but I am leaning towards him.
R: I know, I know. But you realize he's going to tax the crap out of us, right?
Me: Well...(sigh).
R: You realize we're not going to be middle class anymore? Not according to him. I've worked a long time and those taxes will take a higher gross salary and turn it into low net salary.
Me: Well,
unless you're planning on making $5 million a year, which is impossible, we'll be middle class forever with McCain, regardless.
Labels: conversations, i like stories, Living
Conversations
Me: So, I finally decided that I needed to track down all my pairs of gray sweatsocks that have gone missing. You know how I complain that I keep having fewer and fewer pairs? Well, I was finally down to almost none and thought "This is ridiculous, these socks can't all be eaten by the dryer."
Ron: And did you find them?
Me: I did. I did find them. Do you know where I found them?
Ron: Where?
Me: IN YOUR SOCK DRAWER! You have been ABSCONDING with my favorite socks! You're a thief.
Ron: We don't share a sock drawer?
Me: What?! You think we share a sock drawer?
Ron: I do. I did. I've always put your socks in there when I put away laundry. Since when do we not share a sock drawer?
Me: Since NEVER! What would make you think we shared a sock drawer?
Ron: I thought you told me we did.
Me: Didn't you think it was strange that there were never any of my socks in there?
Ron: Well. The gray socks were in there.
Me: Come over here so I can punch you in the face.
Labels: conversations
Conversations
Between my brother and I:
Me: I told you he doesn't need another ride-on toy.
Him: But there was this one that was shaped like a bee. It was totally cool, what about that one?
Me: What part of "he-doesn't-need-another-ride-on-toy" do you not understand?
Him: Okay, Debbie, you win.
Me: Did you just call me Debbie?
Him: Yup. You got it. Debbie Downer. That's you.
Labels: conversations
One of the Nicest Compliments I've Ever Received
Between myself and an older gentleman who's been at The Institution forever:
Him:
Well, you know, you're going to wind up being a VP somewhere.
Me:
Oh, I don't think so.
Him:
Definitely, you're on the fast track to being a VP. I've seen you bust balls with the best of them.Labels: conversations, work
The Difference Between Men and Women
Me: I need to pick up some face-lotion today. I packed the bottle because there was only a little left, but it turns out it won't last the whole trip.
Ron: Why can't you just use the stuff at the hotel?
Me: Because that's some sort of body lotion by some random no-name brand.
Ron: So why can't you use it?
Labels: conversations
Happy Mother's Day!
Me: Ma-ma
Rolo: Ah.
Me: Ma-ma
Rolo: Ah.
Me: Ma-ma
Rolo: Ah.
Me: Ma-ma
Rolo: Ah!
Me: Ma-ma
Rolo: AH!
Me: Ma-ma
Rolo: AH DADA DADA DADA DADA!
Me: You win.
Labels: conversations, Rolo
Conversations
R: I'm really jealous that you get to stay home with him.
Me: Really? Want to trade places?
R: I would love to. I wish I could.
Me: Yeah. Me too.
Labels: conversations
Conversations
And speaking of laundry:
Ron: I got the
Dreft.
Me: Great.
Ron: You know, they have a Target version of the same stuff.
Me: But you went with the real thing, huh?
Ron(
shrugging): Yeah, I figure we can let the kid have the first few weeks of thinking he'll get the good stuff in life.
Labels: baby, conversations
Conversations
At a Lamaze class:
Instructor: So, the urge to nest, to make ready for baby will be overwhelming. Dads, you need to help mom out. You'll need to really do things to help with this nesting instinct.
Me: Hear that? You'll need to help me. My urge to nest will be overwhelming.
R: Please, your nesting urge has been on-going for as long as I've known you.
Me: I'm serious. We'll be moving and we'll need to get the place ready, like I've been talking about.
R: Somehow, I don't think buying a new dining set counts as "getting ready for baby". Because
that's what you've been talking about.
Labels: conversations
