Sunday, August 22, 2010

Knock, Knock...

Lucy and Murray have been telling each other Knock Knock jokes lately. I've decided this is one of the best parts of having more than 1 kid. First of all, they're hilarious and it's so entertaining and heart warming to listen to them interact, second of all...I don't have to tirelessly say "who's there" and pretend to laugh at the end of the joke. It is honestly much funnier and much more amusing to listen to them tell jokes to each other and laugh than the jokes themselves. The jokes usually revolve around a banana, an orange, a donkey kick, or a doctor. I'm not quite sure how these favorites were chosen but they've stuck. Occasionally another item in sight or a strange mix of words will work their way in, but usually the joke goes something like this:

Knock, Knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana Who?

Banana Doctor....hilarious laughter ensues....

Or another favorite:

Knock, Knock.

Who's there?

Orange?

Knock, Knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana who?

Aren't you glad I didn't say orange?

I told them the banana joke..."orange you glad I didn't say banana?" and they thought it was funny...but obviously adapted it to a MUCH funnier version.

My favorite joke encounter was a few days ago as they told jokes back and forth. Murray usually repeats whatever joke Lucy just said, occasionally with a slight variation. Lucy has announced on more than one occasion that she is great at telling knock knock jokes and she is going to be a joke teller when she grows up. So, as they're telling jokes back and forth I hear Lucy say to Murray, "You're a great joke teller Murray. You're so funny, maybe even funnier than me." What a joy to hear my daughter compliment her brother that way!

So, if you come to visit anytime soon...be prepared to say "who's there"!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Pop Pop Visits Us!

My dad came to visit us this past week. Nick was supposed to be out of town, but his retreat was cancelled. Pop Pop (that's what the kids call him) came anyway and I was glad for the help and they (Lucy and Murray) were thrilled with the extra attention. It's always an event to have out of town visitors and we love it! We love all of our friends in town, but having out of town family come to town is such a special treat. We enjoyed some mundane tasks around the house and took Pop Pop to experience a few unique to our area adventures.

One of my favorite things about my dad is how silly he can be. He is not afraid to talk in a British accent while having a tea party or sing and tell silly stories. Lucy eagerly anticipates more stories from Pop Pop. He really should write some down and become a children's author...at least for my kids. They love the adventures of Fred Napp and all of his friends who are an intricate part of history. Fred Napp is most famous for his discovery that everyone is happy if they lay down for an hour or so in the middle of the day...we pay homage to Fred Napp each day in our house as we take our nap. He also was a co-author of the constitution (his name is missing b/c he was taking a nap, but that's why there's a large space on the bottom...and he invented ice cream). I could go on and on...but those are a few favorites around our house. He has friends that visit, a few that are naughty but most that are nice. The kids love hearing stories from Pop Pop (made up or read aloud).

My dad is also great at cleaning cars. We had an unidentifiable oder in the car so Pop Pop, the kids and I cleaned the car for over an hour until we found the source of the oder...but we still couldn't identify the decomposing food tucked neatly under the padding in Murray's carseat. I don't ask questions...just take care of business as needed. Thanks to Pop Pop's help the car is clean...he thought this was a must if we were going to be using the car to go on any adventures while he was there...it smelled pretty bad!

A few of the adventures we went on were to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (separate days for each...we're not that crazy)! I'm not sure if Pop Pop enjoyed the exhibits at the museum or watching the kids discover the exhibits more...either way they were both successful days and the kids have great memories with their Pop Pop.

The trip was dabbled with lots of hugs, eating and bike rides on my new bike. These are also a few of Pop Pop's favorite things. I'm not sure a visit would be complete without them...can't imagine enjoying a visit with Pop Pop without love, food, or bike rides!

I'll try to post some pictures later!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Might as Well Start Somewhere

I've been thinking about starting a blog for over a year now, and I figure I might as well start somewhere. So, this is where I'll start. I picked the name "Season of Soggy Cereal" because it's an expression I've used for the last 4 years of being a mom. I've noticed that anytime I pour myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, no matter how long I wait to pour the milk on it as soon as I do something happens that needs immediate attention and I come back to a soggy bowl of cereal. Well, that's life and I enjoy being a mom and all the "emergencies" and excitement that call me away from what I'm presently doing. So, in 4 years I've learned to eat fast or get myself a breakfast that doesn't get soggy. (or just wait until naptime to eat...which does happen occasionally!).

It's a Saturday afternoon and the house is amazingly quiet except for the sounds of Lucy playing in her room (quietly). It's the first time all 4 of us have been home with nothing on the agenda for quite some time and man has it been quite a week! A few highlights of this week have been:
  • Nick had strep throat. My dear husband ended up with strep throat the week between a trip to New Orleans with 22 high schoolers and the start of Jr. High VBS with over 75 kids a day...this was his first time getting it that he can remember...and not a very fun experience for any of us!
  • Murray started potty training (again)! We decided that since just he and I would be home in the mornings it was a perfect opportunity to potty train. He's enjoyed it and been fairly successful...but at 25 months he's not quite ready to be independent yet...so we'll keep at it. (I'm sure I could do a whole post on the adventures of potty training...maybe I will!)
  • Lucy got the stomach flu for the first time! I know...what a week! I can't believe that Lucy threw up 3 times, but our little girl was a trooper and amazingly Nick was fast and effective at cleaning up bedding/floors while I tended to a sick girl.
  • I survived! Overall it was one of those weeks where you depend on God to keep you going and marvel at the small successes and laugh at the joy your children bring you. I was impressed at Nick's willingness to come home after a long day and give me an hour away so I could continue to serve our family happily and without resentment! What a blessing a good husband can be!

So, that's our past week in a bullet pointed synopsis...guess I'll write more later!