I was watching some littles on the playground today, and one little girl, Maggie, came up to me and my friend to tell us something. What she said I really don't remember, but HOW she said it- oh my! Hilarious. So that led me to thinking about the many things my kids did/do that are so funny. Rob's Nanny told me one time that I really should write those things down. I was in my early 20's when she said that, so naturally I thought, "Why would I need to do that? I'll never forget these things." Well, guess what? I have forgotten a lot of things. But a coupon for pantyliners and a forecast for a rainy day made me remember...

Once upon a time, long, long ago, we lived in the Mojave Desert in the uppermost corner of LA county. There were only four of us in those days: Rob, me, Harrison, and Eli. Our kitchen floor was that 13x13 glossy ceramic tile. You know- real uptown but hard to keep clean. Anyway. Rain in SoCal (southern CA for those who've never lived there) is not like what we folks in the good 'ole South experience. See, it doesn't rain for MONTHS there. And when it does start, like in October or November, it's a big deal.

It had been raining off and on for about a week that fall. I had taken the boys to the library and the park already that week, so I decided they could have some indoor fun at home. I put some toys out in the living room and some music in the CD player and told the boys I would be folding laundry in my room. Eli was around 14 months old, and Harrison was 4 (almost 5). As I was folding the second load of laundry, I began to hear hysterical giggling- the kind that gives kids hiccups because they can't catch their breath. I remember thinking to myself, "What's so funny about Legos and 'The Wheels on the Bus'?" I walked into the living room, but the boys weren't there. I went on into the kitchen where I beheld my offspring having the time of their short lives. "Momma! We're skating!" Harrison told me. "But y'all don't have on socks," was my last thought before Harrison demonstrated what he found. "Look, Momma! Skates that stick to your feet." Sure enough, he had found a box of pantyliners, peeled off the backing, and stuck them to the bottoms of his feet. And since he was nothing if not a helpful brother, he rigged Eli- who couldn't walk yet- by sticking them to the palms of his hands and his knees.

So now it's written.

The weather here in south GA was wonderful today: sunny, breezy, and warm. This morning I told the kids we would go to their favorite park later in the afternoon, after homework. (This, by the way, is a great motivator) I so enjoy watching my four play and interact with other children. Initially they all stay together, then "fan out" after 10 minutes or so.

I was sitting on a nearby bench when I looked up to see Kirk perched on top of the monkey bars. He was casually telling a group of three girls, "Yeah. I can pretty much do a backflip off these monkey bars." The girls, of course, were suitably impressed. With a 6-year-old. Unfortunately for him, the girlies wanted to see some action. I thought Kirk would start backpedaling, but it was not to be. "Well, y'all have to see that some other time. It makes mommies nervous when I do stuff like that."

Impressing the ladies. Holla.