From the mouths of babes...

I'm afraid that if I don't stop all the craft talk and start telling you funny things about my children there's going to be a revolt.

So...here goes.

Easton - The firstborn. The first grader.

Of his own initiative he decided to write a Halloween story. You can see that he is still sounding out his words, but you'll still be able to understand and follow along. (the ending is my favorite)

Wunts aponu time thare whus a huntid house. And thare whus a house that whus huntid. Thare were skary gost and thare where wiches and the peplle that leved there did not now that thare house whus huntid. And some body told thim that thare house whus huntid they ware vary skared. And all the houses ware spoky in 1980 but now nun of the houses are spoky.

Easton is also very "into" football. Or baseball. Or any kind of ball that comes on TV. Yesterday the Notre Dame vs. USC game was on. Poppy (who Easton knows also loves football) called. This is the conversation between Easton and Poppy as heard by me:

E to Poppy - Hey Poppy, are you watching that game? The one with Notre Dane? And S...
E to Spencer - Daddy, who's that playing on TV?
Spencer - Southern California
E to Poppy - Yeah, Notre Dane and South...
E to Spencer - What is it again?
Spencer - Southern California
E to Poppy - Are you watching that game between Notre Dane and Carolin....
Spencer interrupting - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
E to Poppy - Yeah, me and Daddy are watching Notre Dane and Western Minnestoa. Can you believe that Notre Dane is LOSING???
E to Spencer - Daddy, is Notre Dane winning or losing?

Bless that child. In his mind he is 25. It is so difficult when he has to realize he's only 6 :-)


Camille - The middle child. Our social butterfly. Who will never be bilingual.

Several weeks ago:
Camille and I were watching Dora. And Camille asks, Why does Dora speak Spanish? Well...because Dora's family lives in another country. And sometimes people that live far away in other countries speak different languages. And at Dora's house they speak Spanish. But we live in America so we learned to speak English. She continues...So Handy Manny lives far away and has to speak Spanish? Yes, that's right.

A few days ago:
Camille and I are working a Dora puzzle together. The puzzle has Dora and Boots and many stars in the sky. Remembering my limited Spanish I tell Camille that those stars are called estrellas. Camille very plainly looks at me and says, "No, Mommy. Dora does not live at our house. We do not speak Spanish here."

Okay. Sorry.


Claire - The Baby.
Well, her vocabulary is still limited so not much dialogue I can share here. I will say that her lack of words do not prohibit her from voicing her opinion. She has mastered the phrase "uuuuhhhh, uuuhhhh" and can make it mean "Stop that", "I want more", "Give me that", "I don't want that", "Where are you going?", "I don't want to take a nap!", "My cup is empty!" The possibilities are endless really.