max said...

"Mom, you're strange in a really good way."

I think that's a compliment.

they keep me laughing!

preschooler girl to preschooler boy:

Do you want to be my husband? I have a beautiful little rabbit.

future diplomat

This is another of my 'conversations overheard'. You can probably tell that I love eaves dropping on my children. It's one of the great priviledges of mothering.

This was Max calling our neighbor the other morning. Poor woman, she probably didn't even know that she was going to be side swiped by a 10 year old when she innocently answered the phone.

"Hey Mary, it's Max."

I'm guessing she said something like..."Hi Max"...because she's nice that way.

"I was just thinking about coming on over to your house. Is that fine with you?"

BAM!

Does the woman have any choice in the world with the way that question was phrased?

No, she does not.

Max went right on over.

Don't let anyone ever try to convince you that there is not power in words and, in particular, their method of delivery.

I was just thinking about coming on over to your house.

Is that fine with you?

blood

Max, Sophia, Lewis, Seas, Della and August
Grandaddy and Cookie
William and Parker
Lewis and Ethan
Reid and Max
Della and David and below, Rainey, John William, Patton, Dylan and Scot....the much revered 'old' cousins.
Eric, above and Maycee and Matthew, below

When you are counting your blessings there are many obvious things that come to mind. Today it dawned on me that I need to add nieces and nephews to my list. I have lots of them. Lots and Lots. Seriously. This means that my children have lots of cousins. Duh. It means that their lives are a living, breathing, ever changing, big fat mess of love. With out all these cousins, our lives might border on the ordinary. As it is, we are just a writhing mass of children.

Picture a bunch of snakes all in a pile. You don't know which tail belongs to who or what little voice was howling for mercy or a soda. It IS safe to assume that they all want something, and their tails probably need something, too. Wiping, beating, clothing, what not.

They may not see each other for months at a time, but it doesn't matter. It's all right there at the surface and it takes them about a minute and a half to take up right where they left off. How nice to be loved so easily by so many.

This past summer two of our Georgia cousins spent the night. We don't see them as often as we'd like. I finally had them all laid out on pallets and beds. The littles in one room and Max and Lew in the other.

Maycee said "Wait, I've got to get up."

"What do you need, sweetie?"

"I have to tell the cousins goodnight."

And she did.

"Goodnight cousins."

translation....good night to you other children who are riding the same road and sharing the same crazy love... who are part of me in a way that i don't quite understand because i'm only 5 but i know that we all are in this thing together with grape ice cream and loud aunts and uncles and more than our fair share of wonderful grandparents and always food and hugs and kisses....

Another cousin is on the way.

You can't know how excited I am.

My beautiful sister is having one more....probably the last of the cousins....last but not least!!!

Pile on, little guy!

We love you already!

conversation overheard

Max was in the front seat rocking out to some Greenday. Making mini lassos above his head and grooving as much as you can with a seat belt on.

Della and Lewis were in the back seat very earnestly discussing their college choices.

"You should just come to Colorado with me. It's a long way away, but you can be a cheerleader."

"I don't have a suit for that." Della says

"They give them to you when you get there." because Lew is in the know.

"Mom and Dad will come up and take us out to dinner, too, with our girlfriends and boyfriends."

"What if I don't have a boyfriend?" she asks...

"You will. You're real cute."

"So are you, Lewis."