Cabbages and Kings

Sometimes I jot down funny little things the kids say or do, intending to blog about them later. Usually these anecdotes make it into a similarly themed post in a fairly timely manner, but sometimes they hang around and gather virtual dust. So, here are some funny little things about Max and Molly, along with some photos I never got a chance to use.

Max finally started using pronouns a few months ago, but he's still trying to get the hang of the syntax. A common request around our house is, "Need help, me!" He also still suffers from acute Bob Dole-itis and often refers to himself in the third person. Whenever he wants to do anything, he announces, "It be Max's turn!" And, of course, one of my favorite things to hear – "I make a mess!"

Molly is big on giving kisses. When I go to put her into bed now, she gives me a big kiss, gives me a little wave, and says, "Bye-bye! Night, night!" So cute!

Max and Molly usually watch DVDs instead of actually watching shows on TV. Since our stock of kiddie DVDs is limited (and we don't often buy them), I regularly check DVDs out of the public library for the kids to watch during their allotted daily "screen time." They seem to like having new videos to watch each week and I like being able to test out titles before actually spending any money on them, since sometimes my best guess as to what they'd most enjoy is terribly off (Disney's "The Sword in the Stone"? No interest. A DVD of the AWFUL "Blue's Room" show that I accidentally picked up, thinking it was the regular "Blue's Clues" show? M&M LOVED it, but Dad and I HATED it.). Today I was gathering up this week's DVDs and books to take back to the library after work. Max was eating his lunch, saw me collecting the library items, and instructed me to, "Get more videos, Mama." I told him I would and he gave me even more specific instructions – "Get more videos, Mama. Little Einsteins! Be right back? Be right back! Ok?" The kid cracks me up!

On occasion, Max wakes up in the morning or from naps to discover that he's peed through his diaper and has wet the bed. Usually this means that it is time to move up to the next size diaper, but sometimes he does it if he drinks too much water in the evening or if his pjs ruck up his diaper. This morning, when I went in to get him up, he announced that there was "pee in there." I got him up and, sure enough, he'd peed through his diaper and his pjs, blankets, and sheets were wet. Max stood up, took a look at the wet spot on the sheet and said, "Uh oh, pee. Look at that! Big pee, all wet!" Thankfully, his special angel blanket, his stuffed monkey, and his stuffed bunny avoided the deluge. As I started pulling wet bedding out of the crib, I asked Max who peed in the bed, hoping to use his confession as an opportunity to segue into some potty discussion. I laughed out loud when, instead of the expected answer, he shook his head sadly and replied, "Monkey peed." Hehehe, that naughty monkey ...

Molly is talking up a storm and has a lot of funny things to say. Whenever she wants something, she points at it and exclaims, "This! This!" When she wants to nurse, she grabs her cloth diaper lovey and wanders around forlornly muttering, "Need a bubbie two. Need a bubbie two!" Since her lovey has always been her "bubbie," the use of "bubbie two" cracks me up. Molly has also been super clingy and needy lately and wants to us to hold her, so we here a lot of "More, nup! More nup, peese!" ("More up, please"). This, of course, is a lot less cute in the middle of the night. :P

Max periodically asks me to "go flying" with him. I think watching "Peter Pan" and reading "The Snowman" has given him the idea that this is something we can go do. The other day he asked me to go flying and I asked him if we should bring Molly and Daddy – he said no ("No, Mama, no Molly go flying. No Daddy. Daddy sleeping."). I wish I could take him flying, but we usually have to settle for a walk. He's also taken to pointing at planes in the sky and excitedly declaring that the plane is Rocket (from Little Einsteins) or Super Why!.

Max LOVES it when I take him downstairs and let him play in our finished basement. We keep the "out of rotation" toys down there, which I think is at least part of the appeal. When he wants to go down, he stands by the basement door and says, "C'mon, Mama – lets go more backstairs, get more toys!" Downstairs, backstairs, what's the difference?!

Although Max and Molly aren't always the best about sharing, they are pretty good at swiping. Molly, especially, loves to snag Max's snacks when he isn't looking. I gave them both snack cups full of crackers today, and, as per usual, Molly scarfed hers down before Max finished his (Molly could not live on bread alone, but she thinks she might be able to subsist on crackers). When Max left his unfinished crackers unattended, Molly grabbed the last two crackers and stuffed them in her mouth. Max caught her in the act and, being overtired and greatly in need of a nap, started crying and howling, "My crackers! My crackers!!" Molly was a little taken aback by the outburst and looked a little upset. She then walked over to (the still crying) Max, reached in her mouth, pulled out the stolen crackers, and handed them back to him (a little soggy and the worse for the wear). Awwww!