like Tommy like Tio...(kinda)

The Momma in me just wanted to remember how Tommy said "Carolina" today:

As Tommy finished off his second banana in a matter of minutes, I said, "Wow, Tee! You're a good banana eater just like Popsy." Tommy retorted, "Yeah, me miss Popsy. And Gammy. Popsy puts grapes and 'nanas in his cereal!" "You're right, Tee. How do you know that, though?" "MOM! I been there! To Popsy's house. I see him put grapes and 'nanas in his cereal in da mornin'!" "Oh," I reply. "Where is Popsy's house?" Without hesitation, "Care-ah-fah-lina."

Sometimes, Moms just want to know what their kids actually know. Tommy knows. :)

**"Care-a-fa-lina" made me smile. One, because it's just such a stinkin' cute way of saying (North) Carolina but also because it so reminded me of the way my brother said North Carolina when he was Tommy's age...Payson's question at three was, "Mom, how far is it from North Care-ah-jah-bah-lina to da debil?"

Cutie Kiddo Comments

On Jan.5, 2012 I was reading a Fletcher fox book to Tommy in which the author mentioned the "bare trees" of winter. Tommy quickly said, "Uh, WHOA! I guess 'dem bears live in duh trees!" I replied, "No, it means no leaves on the trees. The trees are naked." Tommy quips, "Well, dem fox is naked! Him don't need clothes, though. Him a fox!"

Tommy still says one of my favorite Tommyisms..."preznint" for present. I also heard him say a Sarahism that brought me back to when she was three (seven years ago!)..."pregnick" for pregnant.

Fletcher, at age almost nine, still says one of my favorite Fletcherisms..."fravorite" for favorite. I love how the "r" enters at the beginning of the word instead of the middle.

Tommy loved to call out "rockycom" as we drove around town, and he spotted the "SErocks.com" car magnets Charlie passed out at church advertising the youth group.

On Jan.3, 2012 Tommy said what he has said to me every night for the last six to twelve months as I pull his bedroom door closed for the night, "Bugs-n-cake! Have a good date with Dad!" Umm, MELT me! What a sweet three year old! The "Have a good date with Dad!" comment is entirely a Tommyism. He started saying it because he knows that after the kids go to bed is my precious time with Daddy. I look forward to the evenings when I can hang out with Charlie. The kids know this and have been reminded on more than one occasion if they are lolly-gagging around with getting drinks of water, turning their fans on, getting the Bible story cd of their choice in the radio, "GUYS, you are interfering with my time with Daddy. Hurry up!" So sweet Tommy began following up his "Bugs-n-cake!" with "Have a good date with Dad!" Ohh, how precious his heart is!

The bugs and cake comment originated with Sarah and Fletcher at ages 5 and 3 when we read a book in which the Mommy told her little girl, "Love you like crazy cakes!" Sarah and Fletcher heard me say, "Don't let the bed bugs bite!" just like my Mom always said to me (and Gammy still says to her grandbabies). So after praying together and giving kisses and hugs, the kids and I would exchange, "Don't let the bed bugs bite! Love you like crazy cakes!" Well, after some time, the exchange had evolved into, "Bugs-n-cake!" Now, five years later, the kids and I still exchange "Bugs-n-cake" each night. Precious saying to a Momma's heart!

Tommy and his best friend, Reese

Tuesdays are fun days for the little boys and I because we drop the big kids off at their Options school and have time for just the three of us to be together. Often, we bring his best buddy, Reese, home with us for a playdate. Tommy often says, "Mom, Reesie my best fwend." "Yes, Tee, he is," I reply. The pictures above are from a playdate on January 3rd when the boys had gotten so hot and sweaty from jumping on the couch cushions that had, at one time, made up their fort but turned into their mosh pit. They came upstairs to the kitchen from the basement saying, "We are SO hot!" I told them they could always take their shirts off until they cooled down. Well, they thought that was a fabulous idea. I cracked up watching them sit on the stairs without their shirts "cooling off." Within two seconds of being bare-chested I heard Tommy say to Reese, "Youz lucky! Me wish I had brown skin like you!" Reese just looked at him blankly. Tommy quickly followed up those comments with this one, "You have man nipples. Me have baby nipples!" They then proceeded to pinch their nipples giggling together. So glad I was in the kitchen to hear that exchange!

A "party in back" mullet became an "angry all over" look for Tommy

Charlie is often the one who takes Tommy for his hair cuts on their "dates" together while the big kids do school with me at home. The only thing I've ever asked is that Charlie tell the hair dresser NOT to cut his bangs straight across (my pet peeve!) He left yesterday as normal and I've said the "no straight across" bangs comment for so long I didn't even say anything to them about his hair as they departed on their date accompanied by Fletcher. I didn't think anything about it until Charlie came in first and got the video camera started before calling the boys in from the garage. Apparently, Charlie and Fletch had dibs on how nuts I was gonna go about Tommy's haircut. They knew I was going to HATE it. Charlie had NO idea this was what the hair dresser was going to do to Tommy's hair when he wrongly said, "Mohawk." How could he say, "Mohawk" if he didn't mean mohawk, you ask. GOOD question! Tommy's best buddy had a "FAUXhawk" awhile ago that Tommy thought was cool. Charlie actually said to the hair dresser, "Mohawk" not knowing what he really should have said was "Fauxhawk" (I wouldn't have even asked for that! and neither of us even had a clue that there was an actual hair cut called a Fauxhawk!) The hair dresser messed up in that when Charlie said, "Mohawk," and his very next statement was, "and when he doesn't want to spike it up he can just comb it over." She said, "Oh sure. He'll be able to do that." She then proceeded to buzz the side of his hair and Charlie said he flipped out inside but Tommy just sat perfectly still and called out, "DADDY!! You WANT me have NO hair?!!" The hair dresser thought that was a riot. I wanna know how she ever thought he was supposed to just "comb it over if he didn't want to wear it spiked"??!!! She might have TRIED to clarify with Charlie before taking our son's hair down to the BALD look! Charile has had the FUNNIEST reaction to Tommy's hair! We are both glad that in a SHORT while we can just buzz the center stripe off too and say bye-bye to the mohawk! :)

p.s. it is funny to be in public with Tommy now! the looks he gets are a riot!

Christmas Eve Family Pictures, 2011

Tommy, December 2011

A few weeks before Christmas Tommy said, "Mom, when I'z get big, me learn to rollerblade?" I said, "Sure, bud. You could even learn to rollerblade now." I knew it'd be fun to find some used rollerblades for both Tommy and Paris so they could join Sarah, Fletcher and myself when we have ours on to go on the bike path. Yay God, because our local Goodwill just happened to have two pairs of rollerblades...yes, one boy's pair and another girl's pair...and YES, Tommy and Paris' EXACT sizes!!!! Paris' pink rollerblades even look like pink Converse tennis shoes which she owns and loves. Both kiddos were thrilled with their "new" blades! The note from us on Tommy's gift said, "Because you are a big kid now!" He and Parie have been practicing and both are making progress.
"Blading" in his Superhero workout suit from Gammy!
Tommy also asked us for a real penguin. He often said, "Mom, I really want a penguin. But if I'z can't have a real one, can I please, PLEASE have a penguin dress-up?" Well, that was his gift from us! I found a fun one online, and he is thrilled with it. We love the way he imitates penguins' waddle holding his feet close together and wiggling his shoulders side-to-side. He's done it for months without a costume on, and now it is extra funny when he does it wearing his new dress-up.
A pretty "yummy" Tommy penguin! :)

New Year's Eve 2011

Tommy, "Mommy, youz a queen. Daddy's a king!" Tommy thought the crowns from the poppers were quite special.

Fletcher loved the jokes.
Sarah had said on Christmas Day that she missed the poppers and wished we'd done them. Leave it to good ol' Gam Gam! She'd brought them in her suitcase for New Year's Eve not knowing how much Sarah had really wanted them for Christmas dinner.
Poppers are quite exciting for all!
Charlie is King of solving the riddles! He is quick to figure out the play on words.
The night ended with snuggles and sparkling beverages consumed during the newest Alvin and the Chipmunks movie played on our basement wall.
Tommy enjoyed his sparkling juice, spilling it only once on the carpet, while playing pans with egg beaters and wooden spoons (one of which broke and became his sword) to welcome in the new year.
Mid-evening we took Mom and Dad to our friends, Don and Nora's, home. The one block walk just about did me in from laughing so hard at our friend, Michael Winnakur, who kept blowing the "Awkward Whistle Alert" and making me have a Pee-my-pants Alert!
Before departing for the adult party, our night was enlivened with a few rounds of charades, boys vs. girls, and Things. One of the prompts we had tonight had some telling responses: Things that tire you out..."Fletcher (what Sarah said), Popsy (what Fletcher said), New Year's Eve games (what Gammy said in response to how LOUD it had become once game night started)." It was quite LOUD during game time and not just a little bit of commotion either!
Daddy and Sarah enjoying all the corny riddles.