Playground chit chat

Wow.  Been a while since I've posted, huh?  Kinda crazy around here lately.

Anyhoo.  The weather has been, to use a meteorological term, icky lately.  Matthew is a kid who NEEDS activity, so we've been hitting the indoor playgrounds big time.  Matthew is always quick to make new friends, typically with older children.  The other day he paired up with a 5-year-old girl who I'll call Ada.  The place was fairly empty, so even when Matthew and Ada were playing on the floor above me, I could hear their conversations.  Includindg the following exchanges:

Ada:  I'm taller than you.
Matthew:  No, I just grew an inch and I'm big enough for Cameron's kind of car seat.
Ada:  No, you aren't taller than me.  I'm tall enough for a booster seat.  Without a back.
Matthew (impressed, naturally):  Oh!  How did you grow?  How did you grow up to there?
Ada:  Uhhh, I didn't.  I just am this tall.
Matthew:  Oh.

Later, Ada came down a slide and addressed her mom.

Ada:  Mom, is this the slide Annie said was fast?
Matthew:  Yes, it is.
Ada: You don't even know Annie!
Matthew:  Yes, I do.
Ada:  Is she three?
Matthew:  No.
Ada:  Then you don't know Annie!  She IS three. She's my cousin.
Matthew:  Oh, wait.  I do know Annie.  She is three.  And also?  I just bumped my head on the slide.

Do Not Open Until Cameron is 16

Today, Cameron and I went on a wintery walk.  We chatted about school, about Legos, about Christmas and about what it would be like when we go on a walk together when he's a teenager.  "I wish I could prevent myself from being weird when I'm a teenager," said Cameron.  "Like, I feel like I should write myself a letter?  And put it in a waterproof bag that says 'Open when you are 16,' and put it in a hollow tree." 

"What would you write to yourself?" I asked.

"I would write something like, 'Cameron, don't be weird!  Be more serious.  Be like you were when you were seven.  Stop laughing so much!' No, cross that out.  'Be silly and laugh.'  No, wait.  OK. 'Laugh when it's funny and don't laugh if it's not.'"

This may not be a hollow tree, but I plan to pull this letter out when Cameron is 16 years old.

Sweet dreams

For the past two nights, I've been awoken by Matthew talking in his sleep.  The first night, I said, "Matthew?" and he sat up, grabbed me by the ears, mumbled, "Where's the straw?" and then sucked my nose. 

Seriously.

"That's not a straw, Matthew, that's my nose.  Are you dreaming?" I said.

"Yes," he answered.  Then he put his head down on the pillow and went back to sleep.

Last night, I heard him again.  "Matthew?"

He sat up, eyes open, and said, "I'll teach you how, Mommy.  I'll teach you.  Because, well . . . you aren't very good at it."

"Good at what Matthew?"

And again, he was asleep.  Leaving me to wonder what I'm not so good at, aside from acting as a straw.

Or, you could use more Legos.

Today, Matthew built what appeared to me to be a tower of Legos.  "It's a trophy," he explained.

"Neat! Let's build some more trophies!" I said.

"Ummmm, we would have to have 'sssss,'" he said.

"What?"

"'Sssss.'  You have to add an 's' to the end if you want 'trophies.'"

Rice Pudding

Matthew loves to stretch his little arms across a doorway, blocking your path and demanding a password.  For ages, I stood there saying, "Is it 'baseball?' Is it 'Knuffle Bunny?' Is it 'sushi?'" 

Then, one day, Matthew blocked Cameron's path. "Can't get through!  You need the password!" he announced.

"OK," said Cameron.  "What's the password?"

"Rice pudding," responded Matthew.

"Rice pudding," repeated Cameron, and Matthew obligingly stepped aside.

Still Believes

After several days of celebrating a very merry Christmas, today was the day we lazed around and enjoyed the presents.  Santa came through with Matthew's socks and the much-desired vegetable peeler. "Uh, this isn't the right one," he announced as he opened it, but a test run with a carrot proved it worthy.  Despite the lack of written correspondance, Cameron's time on Santa's knee was apparently well-spent, as he scored an awesome Harry Potter Lego set AND the sushi set of his dreams.

Today, Cameron and I hit the store to pick up wasabi and soy sauce and sushi rice and, of course, fish.  As we made our selections, I saw a sushi set on display.  I pointed it out to Cameron who replied, "But mine's better."  I was pleased, but asked what made his better.  "Uh, because we didn't have to PAY for it?" he answered. 

I love this kid.

The other night, Cameron was still rustling around in his room after bed time.  I figured he was reading but a few minutes later he came running out.  "Look what I'm doing!"  He held up a sheet with row upon row of slash marks and his Science Explorer book.  "It says here that there are 'more than 1,500 pictures' in this book.  So, I'm finding out if it's true!  AND if it IS true," he held up one finger and cocked an eyebrow, "HOW MANY MORE?"  He's still counting but he's well into the thousands.