Princess

Kayla - "Cash! Come here! I'm a princess!"
Cash runs to Kayla's side.
Kayla - "Legend! Come here! I'm a princess!"
Legend zooms by his friends on his ride-on car on his way "to work."

As Legend approaches, Cash leaps in front of Kayla, arms stretched protectively around her.
Cash - "Legend! You can't touch my princess!"

...


On our travels outside, we come across a ladybug.
I pick up the ladybug and show the kids, Cash and Legend each taking turns to feel it tickle up their arms, while I talk about what ladybugs eat, how many legs they have, and so forth.

I notice that Kayla is remaining a couple steps back from me and my bug.
Me - "Kayla, don't worry. Ladybugs are very safe. It won't bite. Ladybugs are nice. Look how cute it is."
I try to get a little closer to her to give her a better look, hoping that will ease her irrational fear.

Just as I stretch out my arm a little towards Kayla, the ladybug walks to the end of my finger and drops off the cliff.

Kayla screams in absolute terror.

Yep, you're a princess all right. 

Typing

Legend holds his hands above the keyboard on Cody's laptop. He wiggles his fingers without touching the computer.

Me - "What are you doing, Legend?"
Legend - "I'm typing a résumé."

Me - "Did he just say...?"
Cody - "I think so."
Me - "Where...?"
Cody - "No idea."

Honk

Cody is driving me and the boys to our hike and picnic location when another vehicle goes through a red light right in front of us. Cody lays on the horn.

Legend - "Oh! I hear it. MEEEEEEP! Like that."
Cody - "Yeah. They were going the wrong way so I honked at them to say 'watch out!'"

Cash - "Oh. Yeah. My Grandma honks the horn."
Cody - "Does she."
Cash - "Yeah. She goes, 'hey you, get out of my way here!' and my Grandma honks the horn a lot."

Busted.

The Animal Kingdom

Cash holds up a book on beetles from our study of bugs this month - "Look Auntie. This beetle has antlers."
Me - "Kind of. Those are actually part of his mouth. Can you say 'mandibles'?"
Cash - "Mandeebowls... They fight! My girl! My girl!"
Me - "Yes, boy deer fight mostly for girls, but beetles fight mostly for food."
Cash - "Oh."

He considers the picture for a few moments.
Cash - "That beetle is mad. He wants his lunch back. Give me back my lunch!"
He pretends to be a beetle and attacks the wall.

Full

Daddy - "Legend, I'm going to work. Give me kisses."
Legend - "No kisses. I'm full."


Daddy - "Legend, will you help me clean up your toys please?"
Legend - "No thank you. I'm full."


Me - "Legend, would you like your socks on?"
Legend - "No thank you. I'm full."


Me - "Legend, would you like more food to eat?"
Legend - "No thank you. I'm all done."

Whose Belly?

We have gone as a family to view the new baby growing inside my belly.
(Yep! I'm preggers!)

Cody holds Legend's hand as the ultrasound technician describes what we are looking at and we "ooh" and "aah."
Legend is mostly quiet.

The technician ends the show by handing me a towel and telling me where the bathroom is located.
I wipe my belly and stand up off the bed/table.

Legend yells at the technician as she makes her way to the door - "No! Wait!"
She turns to look at him.

Legend lifts his shirt and attempts to climb onto the bed.
Legend, quite upset he is missing his turn - "Wanna see baby in Legend's belly now!"

Counting: Hours and Years

Cody - "What time is Cash here until today?"
Me - "6:30."
Cody - "6:30? Okay."
Cash - "Cash's not 6:30. Cash is 3."

An Introduction to the Mosquito

Legend is enjoying his Grandpa's hot tub when he notices a small bug.

Legend - "Look! A ladybug!"
Me - "That's a mosquito."
Legend - "Ladybug eats other bugs!"
Me - "That's right. But that is not a ladybug; it is a mosquito."
Legend attempts the word, but discards it half way through.

Legend, surprised - "Ah! Mommy! This ladybug bite me!"
Me - "That's not a lady bug. That's a mosquito. They are mean. They bite."
Legend, understanding the difference now, and the need to know the new word - "Ladybug eat bugs... Meskeeta eat... eat... eat... ME!"
He is incredulous.

Grandpa comes outside for a visit.
Legend - "Grandpa! Mosquito eat ME!"
Grandpa - "Yeah. That wasn't very nice."

A few moments later...
Legend - "Grandpa! Mosquito eat my HEAD!"
Grandpa - "Your whole head?"
Legend - "Yeah. Mosquito eat my head."




Note: Sorry for yet another hiatus. We were away for a week and a half visiting my parents.

"________ YOU!"

Me - "Legend, please come get your shoes on now."
He completely ignores me.

Me - "Legend, please come get your shoes on now."
Legend - "No thank you."

Me, more firmly - "Yes please. We are going outside now. Please come get your shoes on."
Legend walks up to me and screams - "NO!"

Me, more than a little annoyed - "Legend. Do not yell at mommy. Come here and put your shoes on right now."

Legend's face turns red as he screams - "BLESS YOU!"

Well, my friend, you will learn more "appropriate" words in time, but I am glad to see you haven't learned them quite yet.

Time. Out.

Mommy's Care

We are at play group, and today we are celebrating mother's day.

Group leader - "Today is a very special day. Today we are focusing on being thankful for our mommies. Our mommies do lots of things for us to take care of us and to love us. What is something your mommy does to take good care of you?"

One little boy leaps up and yells - "My mommy makes me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!"
Everyone laughs.

Group leader - "That's great. Our mommies makes sure we get enough good food to eat. What else do your mommies do to take good care of  you?"
Cash jumps up, inspired - "My mommy takes me to Auntie Kate's!"

Grapes

I put grapes on Legend's lunch plate.

Legend bites one, suspiciously. He has had grapes many times before and has enjoyed them.

Legend - "YyyyyyUCK! It's too gross."

Me - "What is?"

Legend - "Strawberries too gross."

Me - "You mean grapes." I taste one. "They are delicious."

Legend - "Grapes?"

Me - "Yes, grapes."

Legend - "Okay." 

He proceeds to eat them all then ask for more.

Later..

Legend wakes up from his nap bawling his poor little eyes out.

I race up the stairs to his room to find him curled up in his bed crying to himself, eyes closed tight.

Me - "Legend! Legend! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

He looks up at me pitifully - "My grapes! My grapes fall down outside! Dirty! My grapes!"

Boys and Girls

Legend calls for me from his bed this morning - "Mommy! Mommy! Come here. Hurry!"

I drag myself into his bed room, trying to mentally prepare myself for the day.
Legend pats the bed beside him - "Lay down, Mommy. Have a rest."
I gladly snuggle in beside him.
Legend pats my head - "Good boy."

Me - "I'm not a boy. I'm a girl."
Legend - "No. Not a girl. You're a mommy."
Me - "Mommies are girls."

Legend - "Legend big boy."
Me - "Yes, and Daddy is a boy too."

Legend - "Daddy's not a boy. Daddy's a big baby."

Love Cont.

Cash and Legend are playing a rousing game of Hunter. They take turns hunting the other, who is either a wolf or bear, or sometimes they hunt dinosaurs together.

They are convinced there is a T-rex upstairs they must hunt. They creep up the stairs, unaware that I can see them from where I am sitting.

Cash - "What's that noise? It's a Sharp Tooth. Let's get 'em."
Legend - "Ya. I hear dinosaur. Up there."

They reach the landing.
Cash - "It's night time now. We gotta make a tent."
Legend - "Ya. Night night, Cash."
They lie down beside each other on the stairs.

Legend - "Night night. I love you, Cash."
Cash smiles broadly - "I love you too, Legend. I love you too."

I enjoy seeing how they interact when they think I am not watching. Sometimes their love and kindness toward each other surprises me.

How to Make Friends

Cody, Legend, Cash and I are enjoying an evening at the park. We have it all to ourselves for a little while, then a family of three girls arrives, much to my boys' delight. Cash assumes he will instantly have some more friends to play with.

Cash - "Hey look, Legend. Friends."

Legend pays them no mind for the moment, interested more in gravel and dirt than other humans.

Cash charges at one of the girls, a couple years older than him. "Legend! Get her! Get her!"

He puts on his best snarly, mean face and thoroughly expects the girl to squeal (either playfully or in sincere, either will do) and run away like Kayla usually does.

The girl looks at him, unimpressed, and tries her best to ignore him while he stomps around her.

Cash eggs Legend on to join him - "Get her! Get her!"

I walk over and kneel down so that I am eye to eye with Cash. 

I speak quietly so he know it is something just for him to hear, like I am sharing a secret.

"Girls like boys who smile and are nice and kind, not boys who pretend to be mean. She doesn't like your mean talk. If you want to be friends, try saying 'Hi, want to play with me?' Okay?"

Cash looks at me like he finally understands the difference between the sexes. 

He nods gravely - "Okay, Auntie."

Soon he and the girl are playing a great game on the slide. I can't quite figure out the rules or premise, but both are smiling and laughing. 

Crazy

Roisin sits beside me on the bottom stair and smiles up at me.

Legend sprints over to us, yells something incomprehensible, and runs away down the hall, barking like a dog.

Roisin looks back up to me, with a very silly smile - "Legend crazy."
Me - "Yes, yes he is."

And she barks after him.

Go To Sleep

I tuck Legend in his bed, and snuggle up to him to sing him a couple lullabies.

Legend puts his finger in his ear.

I laugh - "Oh, do you not like my singing?"
Legend shakes his head, then nods, then pats the pillow beside his head.
Legend - "Lay down go nigh-night, Mommy."
Me - "No, no sweetie. It's time for you to go to sleep and I will see you in the morning."
Legend shakes his head and pats the pillow again.

Love

I gently wake Legend from his nap.

He opens his eyes, blinks, and smiles sweetly at me.

Legend - "Hi Mommy. I love you too."

Heart melts.

...

Cash and Legend have been playing extremely well together. Legend is feeling the love. 

He puts his hand on Cash's shoulder and bends in to look into his friend's face.

Legend - "I love you, Cash. I love you too."

Cash looks down and away.

Me - "Aw, Cash did you hear Legend?"

Cash nods - "Uh-hun."

Legend tries again - "I love you too, Cash."

Cash turns his head away again, and changes the subject.

Cash, pointing at beads in a flower vase - "What's that?"

Luckily, the rejection doesn't phase Legend and they are off playing happily again in a moment.

Spider

Legend and Cash are very excited to discover a spider hanging out on the corner of their slide outside.

Cash - ``Oh wow! Auntie, look! A spider!``
Legend investigates - ``Oooooh! Scary spider!`` He wiggles his fingers menacingly.
Me - ``Don`t touch it. If you touch it, it will be scared and it might bite you.``
Cash and Legend both nod gravely and Cash takes a half step back.

They follow the spider around the slide for quite a while, pointing and making exclamations.
Legend - ``I like happy spider. He is smiling. Friend.``
Cash - ``Spider lives on our boat (referring to the slide). It`s his house.``

As soon as the kids turn their backs, I squish the spider and wipe away the evidence.

When Cash`s mom arrives, Cash is excited to show her his new pet.
Cash - ``Mommy! Come see! I wanna show you spider.``

But, he can`t find it.

Cash, happy and oblivious - ``Oh, he is hiding now, Mommy.``

I hope they don`t go looking for the spider tomorrow. I am prepared to lie if need be.

Superman!

Legend digs out his Superman baseball hat. He puts it on his head and runs around the house.
"SUPERMAN! To the rescue!"

He stops beside me.
Legend - "Superman, mommy."
Me - "Nice hat, Legend. Oh, you have a booger." And I wipe his nose.
Legend - "BOOGERMAN! Boogerman to the rescue! Nose!"
And off he goes again, arms raised triumphantly.