Quick Witted Kids

A few nights ago I walked into the dinning room to hear Ben trying to convince the kids it wasn't appropriate to talk about pooping in someone's (Donald Trump's) face. Their fits of giggles, and Nell's insistence that he deserves it because he's mean, told me they weren't really buying Ben's argument.

Knowing Nell was the primary instigator, I tried to appeal to her sense of logic and reason. "Do you think he'd say, 'Oh, now that Nell Szilagyi pooped on me I'm going to be nice!'?" 

She answered "No," while trying to stiffle her giggle. 

"So would it solve any of your problems?" I pressed.

"Well, it'd solve one." She took a deep breath, "I wouldn't have to go to the bathroom anymore," and then she burst in to laughter. I fought it pretty hard, but it wasn't long before I joined her. 

Honestly, I had to leave the room and call my mom so I could tell her just how funny it was. I'm still laughing out loud over this four days later! That Nell is too smart and too funny for her own good. 

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Two nights ago Reid and Ben returned home from scouts. Reid's smile spread across his rosy cheeks -- they'd spent the bulk of their time building a snow shelter -- I could feel his joy.

"Isn't your dad the best scout leader ever?" I asked.

"Yes!" Reid replied enthusiastically, quickly followed by "but he's the only one I've ever had." Ben and I both got a chuckle out of that. He isn't wrong. 

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Just now Coraline was telling me her plot to get the snack I kept denying her. She was going to pull a chair up to the counter and then climb on the counter to reach the snack bin. I told her I didn't want her to do that because I thought she might pull the cupboard shelves down.

"I won't," she said as she walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

"If you do, I'll sell you to the zoo!" I threatened.

There was a small pause before I heard her reply from the other side of the door, "Send me to the penguins." 

Bwahh! They just crack me up! 

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And while Mara might not have a quick wit just yet, she still gives us all a regular laugh. A couple weeks ago she started countering every nap and bedtime routine with an "I'm happy Mama! I'm happy."

Her argument never worked and I'd often remind her that you can be happy and sleepy at the same time.

One Sunday after church the kids and I were all finishing up our lunch at the kitchen table when Ben took Mara away to prepare her for her nap. She was crying and crying, per her usual response. 

Reid, trying to beat her to her trope, asked if she was happy. Through tears she responded "No, I crying." We all laughed at her expense as she continued to sob until she was fast asleep three minutes later.