Gideon's Translation of Mommy Speak

I was folding laundry yesterday when I heard Gideon trying to engage Silas in a pillow fight.  Silas wasn't too keen on the idea, having experienced a "pillow fight" (a Gideon clobbering) earlier in the morning.  I shouted to Gideon that I didn't want any pillow fighting.  He either didn't hear me or ignored me (probably the later), so I crossed the hall into the boys' room just in time to see Gideon throwing a pillow at Silas from on top of the bunk bed (as though Silas wasn't already at a serious disadvantage in the pillow-fighting category).  Silas was crying and I firmly told Gideon, "I better not see you throw another pillow!"  Gideon responded with, "Okay...but just don't watch.  You can go clean the downstairs."

Gideon's Drawings

After having absolutely NO interest in drawing or coloring, Gideon came to me one day about a month ago and showed me the fish that he drew.

I thought it was so cute that I had to take a picture of it and since that time he's been drawing all kinds of things, but mostly little cartoon people.

Pinnochio and Other Tales

As we were touring around the newly opened WinCo last Monday, Silas was getting sick of being in the shopping cart.  Attempting to squirm out of the straps that held him down, he began crying, "I'm a real boy!  I'm a real boy!"

One morning I asked Silas what he wanted for breakfast.  He said that he wanted strawberries.  I told him we didn't have any strawberries.  He looked at me and said, in the most authoritative voice he could master, "We are going to have strawberries."

Silas' sassy two-year old attitude often leads him to rebel against things like putting his clothes on, getting a diaper change, etc.  I counteract this with reverse psychology.  If he cries about getting his pajamas on, for example, I say, "Fine.  You can't wear your pajamas."  He will immediately start crying about wanting his pajamas and then I can put them on easily.  It works like a charm.  Well, apparently Gideon has been noting my strategy.  One day Gideon and Silas were fighting over a toy sword, so I took it away from both of them.  Gideon responded with, "Thank you for taking my toy away!  I don't like toys.  I don't want toys every day."

Welcome to Las Vegas or in Other Words: Sights I'd Rather Not See in My Kitchen

In case you can't tell, this spider was ginormous!  Look how small the "regular" spider looks in comparison (which is eating it, by the way).

Potty Humor

Silas has been really excited about using the potty.  Yesterday, he added a festive flourish to his pottying ritual.  Whenever he does something in the potty, he gives me a high five and tells me, "Merry Christmas, you!"  I have no idea where he got this, but if I am interpreting it correctly, then A) I'm getting an early Christmas present: poop; and B) It's the best Christmas present ever!

And while we're on the topic of potty stuff... We had the missionaries to dinner tonight and for an unusual twist Gideon was quiet while Silas was the chatterbox.  So, there we were, eating our dinner, when Silas turned to the missionary beside him and said something about poop.  Then a few minutes later, he started shouting, "That was my gas!  That was my gas!  That was my gas!" despite my attempts to shush him.  He made up for it later by his very cute attempts at conversation, "Do you like cinnamon rolls, missionaries?"  "Do you like milk, missionaries?"

Boyhood Thrills

The other day, while I was eating lunch with Gideon and Silas, I found myself very annoyed by the game they were playing while they were supposed to be eating.  "Stop. Putting. Broccoli. In. Your. Eye!" I snapped.  No sooner did the words escape my mouth than I realized something.  Only a mother with two young boys would ever have to say something like "Stop putting broccoli in your eye!"

I wish I had something to blog about, but I don't. So here's a quote.

"My bum just honked at me." -Gideon

Our House & Silas' Thoughts on Our House

 This is what our couch looks like and you can even see a piece of our super zany rug.

Gideon's Latest Quotes

Gideon was really sick a couple of weeks ago.  I handed him a cookie, which he bit and then handed back to me.  In a mournful voice he proclaimed, "I'm so sick; I don't know how to eat cookies."

Peter read the boys a book that was written in England.  He explained to Gideon that English people sometimes use different words than we use in the United States.  After pointing out a few examples, Gideon was apparently inspired. "Well, you're really a father.  Fathers are great big daddies, you know that?"

I was peeling an onion for dinner, when Gideon asked, "Mom, do those have layers AND ogres have layers?"

Good First & Last Impressions

I thought I heard Peter's beard trimmer humming quietly as I sat in the living room chair (talking to Peter), but then I second-guessed myself.  A minute later, Gideon appeared, proudly proclaiming that he had cut his own hair.

 So this is Gideon's hairdo for the last Sunday in this ward and for the first Sunday in the next ward.