“five year olds like to help their moms”

“five year olds are very good at obeying”

[going thru a basket of planes] “this isn’t really something a five year old likes to play with. You can get rid of it.”

“Five year olds are more quiet”

“What I do to be more quiet is [zip mouth closed] just shut my mouth.”

“Five year olds eat salad.”

[hands on hips, looking at me from the side] “I love being five.”

I think I love it too.

“Are all those buildings out in town?” He asks me.

“Yes.”

“So, are we going to go shopping out in town?”

“No, we’re going home after this.”

“Mom…..whats out in town mean?”

The 5 year old brain never fails to entertain me. Always trying to use words and phrases but still not entirely sure what they mean.

———

I had asked Nathan to get the TV remote for me earlier and he was happy to oblige. I told him (and I find myself doing this more and more– like Im some 80 year old grandma) “You know, when I was your age we didn’t have a remote. We actually had to get up and push the buttons on the TV.” We’ve had this conversation about tv remotes and cell phones and computers and Im sure my child thinks I must have grown up in the dark ages. Like how could life have ever existed without remote controls?

“How did Dad get that?” he asks me.

“They had to fix the bone in his arm because it had broken.”

“How did he break it?”

“He was playing a game, baseball, I think.”

Nathan pauses for a moment, thinks about what I just said and then asks, “so…..he was playing it on the iPhone?”

Folks, I know Im not overly computer savvy because Im married to someone who is, but man, I never thought there’d be a day that the 5 year old would be offering tech support.

Nathan roped his dad into playing ’store’ with him and I heard the following:
PC: Hi sir, I’d like to buy 5 transformers. Im buying 5 transformers for my son Stefan.
Nathan: For who?
PC: For my son, I have a son, his name is Stefan
Nathan: [serious, straight face] For real?

Here Nathan thought for a brief moment there might be a sibling he never knew about. Also, all day today Mackenzie has been all about removing her pants. I hope this is not an early indication of what her teenage years will be like.

But, before we get back to those types of tales, lets talk about food. There will be another giveaway so don’t totally tune out yet. And before I tell you what I eat, I want to know what you eat.

FYI- I have no way of tracking your answers. Mom, I know probably a quarter of the hits a day are from you, but for the rest of you 70 readers, you have no reason not to participate in my Very Scientific Survey. I have no way of knowing who you are. Though, my curiosity is growing as to who is “trackingfriends”?

*I realize the problem with this one is family size (and number of non-potty trained members in the house). So, lets just assume you are shopping for a family of 4-5 (ie :if you are a couple double your amt)

Nathan: Mom…when can I drive?

me: when you’re 16.

Nathan: Hmm….well how old do I have to be before I can say [cups his hand over his mouth and whispers] Jackass?

me: when you are a grown up, like when you are 18.

(sidenote: we’ve given up on trying to cover Nathan’s ears for every bad word that he overhears whether it be from one of us, a neighbor, the Marines, the TV etc. so we just tell him they are grown up words that only adults are allowed to use).

Nathan: Like really old? Like as old as you? As old as great granddad? Like 100? Ok….well, mom, what about shit? When can I say shit?

I suppose I should be thankful that that was the end of the expletives and his swear word vocab is limited to two words.

I just took a shower and put on my most favorite PJ’s, the ones from Marc and Viv. I have a cup of hot tea and Im trying to enjoy the soft light from our new lantern light from Ikea but we are having a major bug problem with- I don’t know, I’ve heard people call them flying ants? Anyway- those bugs are flittering away in the lantern so there is a soft yet annoying sound emanating from the lamp.

Both kids were fantastic today. Nathan has been especially lovey-dovey and these are the days where the mom thing pays in dividends. Today at the commissary there was a small carton of pumpkins! already and I couldn’t pass it up. I love seeing how excited Nathan is just by having a pumpkin! on the coffee table. Simple treasures.

Today we made cupcakes. In halloween wrappers with orange frosting and autumn sprinkles. Mackenzie was asleep and Nathan was hugging me and squeezing me and telling me how much fun it was that we make cupcakes together. I usually let him eat batter before I add eggs and today was no different. I scooped him up a healthy amount and put it in a bowl with a spoon for him. Chocolate-faced he tells me Im the greatest mom ever. (There you have it- a bowl of cake batter puts you among the mom-elite). We also worked on a little banner for Mackenzie’s party and Nathan, my faithful little crafting assistant sat there patiently, often trying to “help” which internally I was like “JUST BACK UP” but constantly reminding myself: he just wants to help. He just wants to be involved. He just wants to be with you. I should be so lucky to have this. He told me what beautiful fabric I picked out and what a beautiful craft I was making and would I ever make something like this for him on my “sewer” (sewing machine)? We worked on a Halloween craft I picked up at Michaels when we were home this summer- you stuck foamie pieces on a spooky house and as Nathan stuck the shutters on he put them over the windows instead of next to them- “so you can’t see anything scary.” He helped me unload groceries today- running back out to the car “darefoot” (barefoot) as he calls it. Have a I mentioned how much I love 4? They are just so charming and endearing and loving and actually able to articulate it. Much like babyhood, I hope it doesn’t go too fast.

And speaking of the baby, Im painfully aware of just how many days it is until Saturday. Until B-day. Its so silly really, whats the difference between 365 days and 366? And I think what it really boils down to is that you cross a threshold. There’s no going back. You’re officially not considered ‘baby’ anymore and its hard to not be sad about that. She’s become such a big girl in just the last few weeks. Pulling up on everything has made her seem more toddler-like and less baby. She is fascinated with the shoes in the front hallway and its gotten to the point now that if I look at her and say, “what does Mama say?” she smiles big, shoe in hand, and shakes her head “no.” My little stinker. Today I was in the kitchen and from the family room Nathan asks, “Where is Mackenzie? I hear her splashing.” Of course I came running out to find her playing in the toilet. The one her brother forgot to flush. Thankfully it was only pee. She was having a grand time until mom came and wrecked it. It makes me a little sad to see her embrace her toddler-ness, like today when I shut the dishwasher- much to her dismay, which sent her flailing back, arching, laying down on the kitchen floor crying. We’re already on our way to being a “two-two-two-year old”, as my niece Kaitlyn would say.

I wish there were more days like this. More days that you (are able to) take it all in. And fewer days with whining, and puking, and strep. On that note, Im going to take my tea, be cozy in my PJ’s, and go watch our new favorite show: The Vampire Diaries.

My usual places to look for recipes are Food Network, Epicurious, and recipezaar. I settled on this recipe and it was fantastic. Though I used milk instead of cream and just a tad less butter.

As we were eating dinner I announced that I missed fall. I miss crunching through leaves and cool crisp weather. I like making hearty soups on cold days. Im bummed that I can’t take the kids to the pumpkin patch or on a lame hayride. Instead we settle for moldy pumpkins imported from California at the commissary.

Today as we were walking in from the car after picking Nathan up for school I commented on the weather. There are dark ominous looking clouds and there must be a storm out over the ocean because its windy and cool. And by cool I mean its a cool 84 degrees. As I said that Nathan told me confidently that the reason it was so cool was because its “Antem” (pronounced like the word anthem, with out the “th” sound). I asked what Antem was. He told me that meant it was cool out. And I asked him in what language Antem meant cool? (Its not Japanese and while his teachers are Filipina I don’t think they teach Tagalog).

“ENGlish mom.”

“I’ve never heard of the word Antem meaning cool in English.”

“Well, thats what my teacher told me today. First its spring, then summer and then antem.”

Now I get it. I just wish it felt more like Antem.