Homework Frustration

There's alot of "catch up" homework to do after getting home from our big trip.  It's been a struggle for all of us.  Today after school, I sat the boys down to do their math homework.  When I went back to check to see how it was going, there were still several blank answers, and the following sentence on the bottom of the page....
"I GIVE UP TECHR".

UGH.

Of Walmart and Wishbones

Took the boys to Walmart to grocery shop with me tonight.  I LOATHE grocery shopping with my boys.  It's one of my least-favorite times as a parent.  They were running around like the wild-men of Borneo, lying on the floor, hiding in the clothes racks, shouting to each other from different aisles.  Miserable.  I pretended not to be with them, donning a "who are these kids and why are they following me????" expression.  At one point, Quinn asked if we could buy a whole chicken.

Me: "No, I don't think we need a chicken."
Q: "Yes we do!  They have a wish bone!"
Me: "Yeah.  So."
Q: "You could make a wish!"
Me: "Uhhhhhhhh."
Q: "I know what you'd wish for."
Me: "You do?  What?"
Q: "For us to be good boys."
Me: "WOW.  You just read my mind.  That's amazing."
Q: "Mom, we're good boys sometimes."
Me: "Those times are very few and far between."
Q: "We're just having some fun!"  And then he runs away to play hide and seek in the the toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

SIGH.  It frustrates me that they KNOW they're being hooligans, and they really just don't care.  And nothing I say or do seems to make a hill of beans difference.  SIGH.

End Of My Rope

There was alot of driving yesterday, going up to the Volcano.  Alot of "cooped up in the car while it's pouring down rain" time.  Alot of screaming, fidgeting, not keeping hands to self time from the back seat.  I had had enough.

Mom: "BOYS!  Stop it right now!  I'm at the end of my rope!"
Colby: "End of your rope?  What does that mean?"
Mom: "It means I can't take anymore!"
Quinn: "What part of the rope do you normally hold on to?"

((sigh))  I guess I have to admit that I live my life at the end of my rope.

M'mmmmmmm Coffee

Robbie woke up this morning with one thing on his mind.... Kona Coffee.
Rob: "I have a new palatial favorite."
Me: "Huh?"
Rob: "A new palatial favorite.  Kona coffee.  It's a feast for the palatte."
Me: "Palatial?"
Rob: "I have to make up words to describe it."
Me: "Except that word is already made up and means something entirely different."
Rob: "Oh".

hee hee hee

Da Da Da's

When the boys were one year old , they would strip down to their diapers and run around screaming "Da Da Da".  I would register dread whenever I heard "Da Da Da" because it never meant anything good.  This was twin-speak for "running around like mad-men while naked or nearly naked".  Of all the twinspeak that the boys had (which persisted well into their 4th year), this one word persisted the longest.  It usually ended in some kind of carnage or destruction.  This morning, at six years old, Quinn showed up in underwear, and Colby said "Hey, Mom, Quinn is playing Da Da Da!"    I hadn't heard the 'word' for several years.  Sometimes I'm amazed at the things they remember.  The ONE thing I wish they'd forget!!!

The Mail

Colby just wrote a letter, put it outside in the mailbox, and raised the flag.  When he came back in, I asked him what that was all about.

Colby: "Oh, I'm just mailing a letter."
Mom: "To who?"
Colby: "Dallan from school."
Mom: "What did you write?"
Colby: "Since I won't see him, I told him to ask his mom to drive him to Chicago, and meet us on the plane going to Hawaii.  She might say yes, or she might say no.  I don't know."
Mom: "You invited him to Hawaii with us?"
Colby:  "Well, he wanted to go."

Yeah - his mom might say yes.  Sure.

The Man Upstairs

Rob was explaining to the boys this morning that our upcoming vacation does not involve an amusement park or water slide in any form.  That was blowing their minds a bit.... WHAT?!?! A vacation without an amusement park?  Doesn't that go against the very DEFINITION of vacation?!?!?!?!

Rob:  "This will be Nature's roller coaster.  We'll get to see and enjoy all kinds of natural stuff".
Quinn: "Oh, good.  So there's a roller coaster."
Rob: "No.  I meant that on this vacation, we'll be enjoying the exciting things that 'The Big Guy' made."
Quinn: "Who's the 'Big Guy'?"
Colby: "I know.  DAD!"
Rob: "No.  I mean 'The Man Upstairs'".
Colby:  "That's STILL you, Dad!  You live upstairs!"

Overhearing this conversation from the bathroom, I couldn't help but think two things....
#1 -  Idioms are lost on 6 year old boys
#2 - Rob's head was about to swell to the size of the "Big Island" we're planning to visit.