bite-sized mumbles

* The other day M called S "smartypants." S became quite upset with dad regarding this name-calling and asked him to please not call her "sweatypants" anymore. So, of course, we now call her sweatypants all the time.

* E has a new learning strategy. When he wants to know what something is, he points to it and says, "Name?" I love it. I've never seen a kid do it like this before. Usually kids say, "What dat?" But E apparently has figured out that everything has a "name" and, therefore, he is going to use the proper terminology. What a smartypants. :)

* J is actually ready to go back to school. I can't believe it. 2.5 weeks to go. Let's hope 3rd grade lives up to expectations.

* Those who know me know that I rarely shop for our clothes in a regular store. I prefer second-hand. Not only is it better for the environment, but it is waaaaayyyyy cheaper and I don't give a rat's ass if something gets ruined. So, last week I went to my favorite local thrifty-type store to shop for back-to-school clothes for J and work clothes for me. I bought 22 separate items -- a ton of shirts for him and a ton of pants for me. $32.87. Yes, I am the queen and my husband loves me for it.

* Took the kids to Toys R Us yesterday just for fun. S and E had never been there. We walked in, and they had to stop at practically each game or toy and inspect it. M sooned realized that it was going to take us forever to make it through the store. Somehow, we not only made it out of the store, but we did it without buying anything or anyone having any tantrums because of it. I'm not sure if that makes us good parents or bad parents. (Hmmm. . . take kids to a toy store and not buy them anything . . . ok, maybe it just makes us crazy stupid.)

* S's birthday is coming up, and she can't wait. E, of course, is ready to have another one. What is funny is that they don't yet get the concept of having one per year. Understanding time is hard enough (if not impossible) and the idea that you only have one birthday but you get to have it again someday just doesn't compute. J told S that he has had 8 birthdays and she didn't believe him.

* Did you know that all 3 of our kids are copycats? Make. It. Stop. !!! (Actually, it is kind of funny when E does it because he's only 2.)

* And one political bit: How cool is my dad?? My dad is a 79-year-old caucasian man who grew up in a coal-mining town in Kentucky. He is a Korean War veteran who served on the USS Missouri, and he has spent most of his adult life in a small, conservative, Republican town in western Ohio -- my hometown. He has been known to have his prejudices, but he has come a long way in changing. He has also been known to not like George W. Bush. So, I just had to ask him: Dad, who are you voting for? He looked at me like it was obvious and said, "Barack!"
Yea, Dad!! If he can see it, then I have hope for others as well.

* Ok, two political bits: Can someone please make Grampy McSame stop talking?? His voice sounds like it should belong to some evil hypnotist in a bad B movie, "my friends". Oh, and the smile has to go. Just reinforces the evil hypnotist notion. Besides, if something obviously isn't a natural, comfortable thing for you to do, then just don't do it. blehhhhh.

Stepping down off my box now.
:)