Always listen to the little ones

What do you say to a three year old who, after eating a hot dog and a s'more, comes up to you and says, "My belly isn't full."

"There's still room for three more marshmallows."

And finishes with a grin like this?

Obviously, you say, "Would you like those marshmallows roasted or raw?"

I love this child.  The things he says makes me laugh, cry, ponder, and gasp.  It's time I wrote some of this stuff down.

As I was leaving the house one day, he told me to keep an eye out for turtles.  Odd.  We haven't been talking about turtles.  We haven't seen a turtle.  But guess what I saw in the middle of the road on the way home.  Yup.  A monstrous turtle crossing the road. 

We were driving home one day this fall, and he says, "Are the trees getting ready for Halloween?"  I looked out the window and saw all of the beautiful yellows, reds, and oranges.  "Why do you say that?"  His reply, "They are all putting on their costumes!"

When I would take the big kids to cross country practice, the three year old insisted on running with them.  It would be 100 degrees, and a-runnin' he would be.  I would continue to ask him to stop and play on the playground with us, but he would just glance over long enough to gasp," NO!  I'm running!"  He ran so much that the coach gave him his own little uniform.  When I told him he couldn't start the races with the big kids, but could start a bit behind them, he protested, "But then I can't win!"

His new word is "never".  When we are in the car waiting for the big kids to come out of school, he'll say, "They will never come out."  When I am helping the two year old put his coat on, he'll say, "You'll never help me with mine."  Luckily for him, no whine is evident.  He's just making an observation. 

He adores his little brother, and when the littlest one would do something funny, the three year old would look at him and say, "Woo so coot!" 

Hubby's mom wanted to take a few of the kids to visit the gravesites of her late parents, so she told him, "We're going to see Grandpa."  He replied, "Grandpa isn't dead?"  When they got to the cemetery and were standing by the headstone, he bent down and started pulling at the grass.  Hubby asked what he was doing, and he replied, "We put dirt over Grandpa, so we need to dig it out to see him."

Feel free to go get a Kleenex.  I'll wait.


One day, I found him playing with the two year old in the big kids' "house".  "I found a hat!" he says.

Yes, it is an ancient, ugly lampshade.

We love to listen to the radio, Sirius/XM Kids Place Live to be exact.  I so enjoy it when he sings along.  I found a new favorite song last week when "Yellow Submarine" came on.  Sing with me:  We all live in a yellow submarine"  (This is when the three year old belted out a "What?" )  A yellow submarine ("What?") etc, etc.

It is amazing that he actually learns any words from the radio, though.  Whenever a child wants to talk to me, I turn the radio down, so I can hear him.  A typical drive with him goes like this:

(music playing)

Mom!
radio down
Yes dear?
Is this Kid's Place Live?
Yes, dear.
radio back up
Mom!
radio down
Yes, dear?
Can you please turn it up?
turn radio up a little bit louder
Mom!
radio down
Yes, dear?
They're working on the road today.
Yes, I saw.
radio back up
Mom!
radio down
Yes, dear?
The horses are out today!
It's a beautiful day.  I'm sure they are enjoying it.
Mom!
Yes, dear?
Can you turn the radio up please?
radio up, temporarily of course


I could go on and on.  Except that I'm 40 and it's past my bedtime.  I'll just leave you with a last look at that adorable face.

Have a lovely day!