Are you 60? Do you know it?

I've heard a few kids around the neighbourhood singing a song by LMFAO called Sexy and I Know It. I guess it was inevitable, sitting in the kitchen, I hear Jonah sing with great conviction and garbled enunciation "I'm sexy and I know it". This is the conversation as I recall it:
Me: ooh, Jonah. easy. don't sing that song.
J: huh! why Dad?
M: (uh oh, do I really want to do this) umm, because... umm.
J: (interrupting, as per) why Dad, WHY?
M: its CRUDE, Jonah. Its an adult song, not for younger kids to be singing. they're singing about adult stuff. Where did you hear it? Did you know a kid got expelled for singing it in a school cafeteria (for real, I don't make stuff up! read it on CNN. over-reaction, imo)?
J:WHAT?!? kicked OUT OF SCHOOL?!? wow. Its xxxx's favorite song. Is he going to get kicked out of school?? wow.
M: (oh boy) probably not, we are pretty liberal here. don't sing it ok.
Jonah thinking for a few moments, thousand yard stare...
J: I think I know why its so bad. Maybe people are singing and making fun of people who are sixty... that could be pretty mean.
M: yessir, that would be pretty mean alright.
-diversion time - Is that a fox outside?? right there, look!

No wonder he was confused, one minute singing about being 60 and knowing it, the next on the brink of expulsion from school. The world is truly a confusing place, good thing he has a father that is so totally clued in and armed with wise answers, eh?

ABC Gum - the best kind

While Jonah was playing ball hockey tonight, I sat in the stands and Nate ran around the arena playing Power Rangers and making friends. He likes to challenge all the little kids to a foot race. I can see the top of his head as he makes his way around the boards, huffing and puffing, calmly adjusting his glasses when they fall out of place.

Toward the end of the hour, I noticed him pulling his gum out of his mouth and stretching it. It must feel really cool, but does not look cool at all.  I told him to stop doing it, because his hands are dirty, bacteria, virus, flesh eating disease, yada yada.  A few minutes later I see him doing it again. "Gross" I say, "did I not just tell you to stop doing that?" Nate leans in close to me. "There is something I didn't tell you, Dad. Its like a secret." He paused for a second, then said very quietly, almost in a whisper, "I got it off the floor!" I told him I thought it was very gross, and he had to spit it out in the garbage. "Why, Dad, I cleaned all the dirt out of it. Its fine." We go to the garbage can, I point and say, "In there. spit!" I turn around, Nate has his mouth wide open and it is empty. "It's gone, Dad." Suspicious, I say, "Where? where did it go?" Large smile, crooked glasses, bright blues eyes, he pats his tummy and replies cheerfully, "right here, i swallowed it." Let's hear it for ABC gum.

Nate's First Joke

Nate told us his first joke at the dinner table tonight. Cutting through the dull roar that is the soft ambiance came a loud voice.
N - excuse me guys. excuse me?
someone said go ahead, we are all listening.
N - Mommy (looking at Leah), why did the, umm, why did the chicken cross to the other, umm, side of the playground??? heheheh.
all of us - ahh, umm, we don't know, please tell us.
N - to get to another slide. hahaha.
Leah - haha, that's cute Nate. (thinking he said 'to the other side')
I ask Leah if she got the joke. She says she thinks she did, but maybe is not really sure now. I tell her its a play on words, its to get to the OTHER SLIDE.
N - NO DAD! its to get to ANOTHER SLIDE.

So, his first little joke was cute but didn't bring the house down. We would have to be actually listening first.

Octobrrrr
Some flippin's cold lately, had me feeling pretty down and out. No biking for the last month, but the weather cleared and was up to 24C (75 for you 'mericans) on the weekend. Got out a little with the boys. Took Jonah out for a 'date' on Friday night. Let's go for dessert somewhere Jonah, I say, what do you think about DAIRY QUEEENN??
J: I don't like ice cream or chocolate. lets just go to Walmart and get a Bey Blade.
M: we have to go somewhere and sit down, have a chat.
after driving around town, talking about not much..
J: lets go to Tim Horton's and get timbits for dessert.
Isn't that a classic. He got a vanilla dip and blueberry muffin, and to drink, a hot chocolate. It is chocolate after all, but in spite of that, he enjoyed it pretty well, after it became a cool chocolate.

I took Nate out on Saturday for a quick spin to McDonald's. He got a soft vanilla ice cream. He sat there, staring off into space, coming back to reality every now and then to share with me what had been happening during that time. His motto is: if you think it, you share it. It does not have to make sense. At all. In fact, at the end of your explanation, if your subject is left with that confused look, like they need more information to put the puzzle together, just reassure them with - "thats the way it is Dad, it is. Yep."

He asks me how many Walmarts there are in town. I say one. He says 'What?" (always). I say one. ONE!! UNO!! there is ONE/UNO walmart in town.
N: Uno??
M: yes. uno, it means--- cut off by this...
N: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, neuve, diez. hee hee, haha. Dad! I was just talking in FRENCH!
M: hmmm....
N: was that FRENCH???
M: no, pretty sure that was Spanish. Did you learn that from watching Dora?
N: NO, you taught me. do de do...

I certainly didn't. How can you learn something like that and not know who you learned it from?

Sorry for the long absence. Crazy summer!! The kids have sprouted the last couple of months. Jonah is 50 inches tall, which means he can ride the tube water slides by himself! Nate is not the minimum 48 inches, so he has to ride with me. That is good because he needs pretty heavy supervision. Emily was taking him to the washroom (Ladies) on the weekend and he peeled off at the last second and disappeared into the Men's. Emily tried to get him but the washroom was full of men, so it didn't work out. He had to reach UP to the 'toilet' but he did his business. Apparently at least one man helped him activate the water tap and start the hand dryer. I arrived on the scene to 4 men all laughing and staring at a small blond boy, singing, drying his hands. One guy figured he did pretty good, quote "just mostly messed around in the sink". I told him never to do it again but I have a feeling this scenario may repeat itself...

this will always make you smile

Nate is a deep thinker.
Nate: Hey guys, did you know? Did you KNOW that the beach is bigger than a small POOL??
Me: seriously?
Nate: Yep. it is, cause the beach is the whole ocean.

Running over to me this summer, almost out of breath.
Nate: Dad, did you know? Did you KNOW that nanny is your mother and you are her son?

ELLA - one of Nate's 'gurls'. great buddies.

Jonah is now a Grade 1-er. They have a higher social standing than the Kindergarten kids. They are older, faster, stronger and of course, much smarter... Sometimes, they look down on K kids because, well, they just do not have the life's experience of a 1-er. Just imagine what it will be like to be a 6-er. Yes, contemplating this great achievement produces far away looks and whispers. We tell him God made him strong so he can help the K kids (and Nate). Sometimes the temptation to use his strength for his own purposes does get the better of him, and he practices his profoundly expanding vocabulary at home, calling Nate things like idiot and moron. Nate has no idea what these new, zingy sounding words mean but he knows they are not intended to compliment him.  He is not accepting his role as doormat, so he makes up words too, and sticks out his tongue. He did not get the memo that 1-ers don't think that's cool.

Last night, Nate was ahead of Jonah on the way upstairs, and Jonah was in hot pursuit.
J: IS IT A RACE NATE?????
N: NO, no race Jonah, no race....
Jonah eases off, and lets Nate continue to the top of the stairs. As soon as he hits the second last step
N: JONAH, it IS a race. (raising his hand in the air) Wa-hoo, I win, I win, I just beat Jonah.

They are working it out, Nate beams when Jonah pays attention to him and says 'please' and 'thank you' to him. He was sad when J went back to school, but is pretty pumped about his own school.

Just some pics for you folks.

pasta anyone

Beauty and the Beast

praying or preying (shark attack!!)

what exactly is happening here??

Giving Thanks

At meal time, Jonah takes a turn giving thanks before we eat. Once I asked Nate if he would like to thank God for our blessings, and he looked at me terrified, very quickly said no, plopped his head down on the table and started fake snoring. we'll wait until he is ready...

Sitting down for supper tonight, Jonah slowed himself down and started to pray.
J: Heavenly Father, thank You for making everything for us and thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for our sins and washing them all away. Ummm, thank You for the Lord Jesus, in Jesus name, amen.
Me: great, thanks.
*indistinct chatter* Jonah's eye's get big
J: wait, wait, I forgot something.
we all hold hands again.
J: Heavenly Father, thank You for the Lord Jesus, and for the food. In Jesus name, amen.
J: ok.
He often includes things we often don't think of, like bees and honey, blackberries, rainbows

Overheard: Jonah to cousin Brianna (7 yrs)
J: I am going to live to be 100.
B: Jonah! you will be dead by then.
J: No I won't. the bible says if you obey your parents, you will live long on the earth.

A couple of Quinn

A couple of the baby. Making lots of noises and smiling a lot. I'll post a video here soon too. The pics will have to do for now. Great kid so far.