Potlucks and Pokemon

Methinks I spoke too soon!
I'm healthy again, but seems like my days are filled with everything but my much loved---being a blob in front of the computer.

It's Spring Break and we are having fun filling our days with adventures.

A few things I've learned this lovely Spring Break.

1. Danyo is a little bit crazy. We went to a museum that was totally awesome for all three kids. Danyo toodled around for over 2 hours and had a blast. And then suddenly he was done and went stark raving mad. Throwing his head around, preferrably against my jaw or shoulder, screaming, writhing, not wanting to be down, but not wanting to be held---completely irrational. So I left. On the way home he threw things at me, screeched and spent a good 7 minutes focusing on his finger control, trying to manage the bird for the next time I looked at him. Totally rude.

2. Iowans are like crazed inmates who were wrongfully imprisoned, being released from jail-- when the weather warms up here. It's not just Iowans, because I am not an Iowan, but I'm totally guilty of said behavior. The temperature is above 30 and we're out in our flipflops shoving our kids down half frozen slides and breaking the ice off the swings. Our kids teeth are chattering and their runny noses have turned into slush, but we're just happy their lips aren't blue and their snot's not ice.

This week has been nice, and getting out and letting the kids run around has been wonderful.

Next item of business:

I love Bo. What? You didn't know that? The boy just cracks me up. It's the same ol' stuff, I just love it more every day. He's very interested in adult conversation and often answers along with or in place of J, when I ask a question--to J. Such as, "What did you think of that presentation?" Bo will say something completely appropriate, but totally unusual for a 5 year old. He's like a short, red-haired J. Who hasn't learned that covering your nosepicking with one hand, does not make your nosepicking invisible.

Sunday after church we had a potluck. Bo has told me in no uncertain terms that he'd pretty much rather do anything but go to the first hour of church. It is very boring, I agree. But he loves the rest, so he's getting better about accepting the whole package. But when he learned there was a potluck afterwards, we couldn't get to church soon enough.

Only, he calls them Potlicks. And it's probably my most favoritest mispronunciation of all. There's some stiff competition too, "Fpidoman" and "Excelerate" (for celery)....

Well, his favorite part about potlicks, is the running around like wild animals that takes place after your mom lets you eat a plate of whip cream fluff, chocolate chip cookies, a tablespoon of rice, and two scoops of ice cream.

Bo chose to sit with his bf "K-K's" family instead of ours. Typically we would have been sitting nearby too, but we try to branch out sometimes.

Bo never left K-K's dad's side, the entire time. He went back for more whip cream fluff, but it was like a magnet in his chin was attached to BA's elbow. I noticed it about halfway through dinner. Bo was enthralled and engaged, and laughing quite a bit.

Then I found out what they were talking about.

BA was giving Bo band name ideas. I have no idea what conversation led to the final decisions, but they were "The Tongues" and "The Colonoscopies". It doesn't matter who you are, or where you are---a 5 year old saying "colonoscopy" with pride, is hilarious.

Today I also learned a little more about what BA has to offer in conversation with a 5 year old.
Turns out he has his very own Pokemon character. And while this may be greek, or unfunny to those of you who's lives have been unfettered by Pokemon---I find it hilarious.

He is "Dad-i-chu". And his special powers are "spanking power" and "grounding power".

Now, I love that he has the lingo and plays the game with these kids. But on his own terms.

Today when I was driving with Bo he was telling me about Dadichu's powers.

"He can like, use his powohs and gwound you foh a WEEK! But you can dodge it, and if you dodge it, than you can still play outside with yo' friends."

I'm not sure why this made me laugh so much. I guess it's because to me, Dadichu is totally off the wall, but somehow it's completely acceptable and admirable to these Pokemon fanatics.

The funniest part for me and J, was that as we were driving home Sunday after the potlick, Bo completely cried and complained the entire way home because we didn't "let him" play with his friends. J and I couldn't stop laughing enough to explain clearly that he CHOSE to sit next to BA the entire time, and that he spent over an hour sitting there instead of playing with his friends.

If he had to do it all over again, he'd still sit next to Dadichu---even knowing what he knows now. But Bo's always been really good at crying over spilled milk, and wanting his cake and to eat it too.

I feel like, for Omar's sake, I should round this out with a little bit about Avee, but this is already long enough. We did talk about her birthday this morning and as we talked about what decorations she wanted, it led to what gifts she wanted. She spotted a nice gold bra on Ariel, on the Little Mermaid pajamas she was wearing. She asked me if I could get her "a small one of those". It's this strange combination of completely aware ("small") and totally clueless (a gold strapless bra for a 4-year-old).

Oh! Oh! I have a story I need record of. It happened a couple of weeks ago. It was when Bo was sick, but almost better. He and I were upstairs, preparing to take a nap. Downstairs, J told Avee she could watch Spiderman.

In her excitement Avee ran upstairs and said, "Mom! Mom! I'm going to watch Spiderman, but I'm not going to watch the one that says, 'What the hell?!' I'm going to watch the one that doesn't say 'What the hell!?' I am mom, I am!" I assured her of how wonderful that was and she dashed off to watch her "age-appropriate" Spiderman.

Bo was giggling next to me and I was laughing too. I said to Bo, "It's so funny, she doesn't even realize she's saying a bad word when she says that to me!" And Bo said, "And she said it two times even though she could have just said it once!"

I'm pretty sure Bo's been trying to figure out a way to get two bad words into one sentence like that, ever since.

I'll keep you posted.