Make Bed Races

Each morning we help Marin and Emmy to make their beds. As we do, we ask the girls to name each thing we touch "white sheets, green blanket, blue comforter" etc. We do this to help them learn colors and new words.

The problem is that Emmy is quicker on her feet then Marin, which peeves Marin to no end. While Marin pauses for a second to think about which item we are touching, Emmy blurts out "green blanket!" Emmy gets so excited about speaking first that she stutters "gre- gre- gre- green b-b-b-b-lanket" and she still gets the thought out before Marin does.

Marin whirls around and screams "No. Emmy close mouth. My bed!"

Emnet the Devious

One of my vices is reading at the table. I've been doing it since I was a kid - newspapers, magazines, and the mail. It is one way I multi-task.

Colleen grudgingly tolerated this throughout our marriage until the kids came, upon which she laid down the law. NO READING AT THE TABLE.

The kids picked up on this and seldom miss an opportunity to reprimand me if I try to sneak a peak at something while sitting at the table. One time Marin went so far as to hide my mail.

Fast forward to this morning. Just Emmy and I at the table. Emmy eating cereal and me drumming my fingers in boredom. Colleen and Marin were in the next room doing something.

Emmy reaches over, touches my wrist, smiles sweetly and says "Daddy reading? It's OK. No tella Mama. Daddy reading." So I ponder this invitation, decide "what the hay", grab my mag and dig in. I'm not even through the first sentence when Emmy wheels in her chair and yells, at the top of her lungs "Mama Mama, Daddy reading at table."

Then she turns to look at me as if to say "How does it feel to be tricked by a two year old, you dope?"

Holy Wars

This is another post about the mealtime prayer.

Marin and Emmy are really good about including their friends from school in their prayer. Marin's key friends include Kate, Carla, Brady, Tanner, and Coltrane.
Emmy's key friends include Kristin, Megan, Shelby, Holden, and Teegan.

When Emmy wants to push Marin's buttons, she will interrupt the prayer and name some of Marin's friends, which puts Marin directly into meltdown. "No....he's my Coltrane....sob, sob, sob". And Emmy just sits there with this devilish look of satisfaction on her face.

Marin finally learned to turn the tables. Upon completion of her meltdown, she starts saying the prayer and names Emmy's friends, which puts Emmy directly into meltdown. "Don't do dat....my Megan....sob, sob, sob.....my Holden"

Marin the FuzzBuster

I was pulled over by a cop for speeding. You know the routine. Cop raps window. I roll window down. Hand him my paperwork. He scowls and gets on the radio.

Marin was in the backseat, in a great mood, practicing her English. She's saying "Good Job!" "Do it Again!" "Good Job".

The cop shoots me a dirty look because he thinks Marin is wising off at him. I explain the situation to the cop. And now Marin realizes there is somebody standing right outside my door. So she cranes her neck around her sunblocker, sees the cop, and with the cutest expression on her face says to him " Thank you too much! I miss you!"

The cop burst out laughing and gives me a warning to slow down.

I definately owe Marin an ice cream cone for this one.