My Kid, The Comic

All parents like to tell stories about their kiddos.  And most of the parents' friends smile politely and tolerate the stories.  No need to kid ourselves... we all know it happens. 

Lately, though, I have had some pretty good Daniel stories to tell.  Between the "no more bootie swats" New Year's prayer and his brand new fondness towards Knock Knock jokes (read: interrupting cow), it's just been one good laugh after another.  

The way he phrases things are just as funny as the actual things.  "Did you notice" is a frequent one now ("Mommy, did you notice that Violet is eating her boogars?"), as is "Of course" ("Of course I am not eating MY boogars, that is disgusting.  Can we say disgusting?").  

While we're in the "Daniel is a funny guy" mood, here are five of my favorite recent Mr. D incidents (courtesy of my facebook page):

1.  Favorite Daniel quote from the zoo yesterday, as his friend panicked about a nearby bumblebee:  "Don't worry, the bee is gone!  He just noticed you are a giant!"

2.  Watching Snow White for the first time with the kids.  Daniel is fixated on Grumpy.  "Why is Grumpy so angry?  Will he change his attitude and be nice to Snow White?  Once he IS nice, will his name change to Happy?"  Good point, I guess.

3.  Yesterday Daniel suddenly yelled, "Mommy!  Cover your ears and close your eyes!!"  I did as he asked, and heard him cut a big one.  Intentionally or unintentionally, he had left vulnerable the only thing that actually needed protection:  My nose.

4.  Daniel:  "Can we put Violet's hair back the other way?  You know, the way God made it?  With rainbow beads?"

5.  What do you call people on swings?  We need a new term.  Because I accidentally yelled "WATCH OUT FOR THE SWINGERS!!" to Daniel at the (very crowded) public park yesterday.  True story.

Life just gets funnier every day.  Which is exactly the way we like it.  

Lady Love Rev B

Daniel has a "lady love".  And the last time I wrote those words, they meant something very different.

I first saw it two months ago, as I was signing him into preschool one morning.  She came in with her mom, and I saw her entire disposition change the second she saw Daniel:  She lit up with a million watt smile, flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and batted her eyelashes in slow motion.

Within days, his teachers were telling me that they were "inseparable", playing together all day.  She cries when he leaves, and watches the window when he's not there.  He talks about her all the time, along with his other friends.

But as much as I watch for a change in his behavior specifically towards her, I can't see one.  Then I realized:  He's a boy.  He thinks he has just gained a new playmate who let's him be the captain on the pirate ship while she is the lookout.  He thinks he has gained a friend who will defer to whatever game or imaginative venture he wants to pursue at the moment - and he's right.  Boys are naive to the heart palpitations of the little girls that surround them.  I so clearly remember being one of those girls, and not too far from his age.

He spelled out their names in Scrabble letters, explaining to me, "she is sad when I leave, so I'll write her name".  He writes her initials sometimes, with the same explanation of how much she misses him.

He is naive and sweet, and I am not even pretending that he understands what a crush is.  But Kindergarten begins this Fall and his world will flip upside down.  Everything is changing, and girls will enter the equation sooner than later.  

It's just one more sign that my sweet little man is turning into a real man.  And I sure wish he'd slow down.  

Gramma Time

True (under)statement:  Daniel loves his Gramma.

My mom visited from Texas for a fabulous nine day visit that featured all of Daniel's favorite things:  parks, museums, candy shops, games of chase, rowdy hide n seek, mountain adventures, movies, and... Gramma.

He had always hauled her around like his shiny new plaything, but this time was different - he was sweetly (and at times not so sweetly) possessive of her time.  He would wake up early and sneak in her room for a little alone time.  He would innocently suggest that Mommy and Violet go do something together so he and Gramma could have some time together.

We explored every room of the Children's Museum, and relived the magic of Beauty and the Beast as it came back to the big screen.  We giggled from room to room, hiding from the kids in the most elaborate game of hide n seek that a 1400 square foot home will allow.  We inhaled the sweet smell of fresh chocolate in a local See's shop, watching Daniel's eyes grow wide with wonder.

There is something satisfying in watching my child and my mom play together so well, blurring in and out of the memories I so clearly remember making with my own Gramma.  We never lived in the same state, but it would not be possible to have loved a grandmother more than I did mine.  Watching this stage unfold with my own children is priceless.

I think I may have enjoyed this trip even more than Daniel did.  

Super Saver

Sometimes, Daniel is not Daniel.  He dons a mask and cape and transforms into another being altogether: Super Saver.  He likes to "save the city" and other similarly noble deeds.  He is focused, selfless, heroic and great with a sword.

The best part is that Super Saver is careful to reveal his true identity to anyone he thinks might be confused at the sudden absence of Daniel.  He just lifts up his mask and stares knowingly at you until you say something to the effect of, "Daniel?  That's you?  I thought you were gone!"





Super Saver might have saved the city, but he has stolen my heart.  

Zoo Adventures

Daniel has always loved animals.  From a young age he was interested in learning the names of all kinds of species, and has a tender heart towards them.  

So this week's adventure to the zoo was right up his alley - his excitement could hardly be contained on the drive over, or on the walk between each animals area.  He fed a giraffe, rode the carousel (on "Runny-Run" the cheetah, no less), saw tons of animals up close and made a new friend.  He knew most of the animal names immediately, some before I did.  Nothing like too much "Diego" to make me feel intellectually inferior.  

The weather was divine, and made the zoo more enjoyable than I remember.  The animals were all out to play too, which was fun for everyone.  I'm thinking we'll be visiting the zoo on a more regular basis before it gets too hot (which could be next week... you never know in Phoenix!)