Gender Predictor

This is old news by now, but I have three boys.  Most of you have probably known this for a while.  I've known this for 1 year, 5 months, and 21 days.  As strange as it is for me to think that I'm a mom at all sometimes, I also know most of the time that this is how things were supposed to be.  It feels completely right.  What I didn't know until today is that if we were to have a 4th child (which we won't) it would be a girl.  I can say this with certainty.  You see, it went something (exactly) like this...

Laurence:  I'm glad we have 3 boys.  I don't think we need any more babies in this family.  

Me:  Well, that's a good thing, because we won't be having any more babies.  

Laurence:  If you did have another baby, it would be a girl.  

Me:  Oh?  That's what you thought with Alastair, too, but he's a boy.

Laurence:  But the 4th baby is always a girl.  

Me:  Really?  How do you know that?

Laurence:  The plumber.  

Me:  What?  What plumber?

Laurence:  Remember that plumber that was here who had six kids?  He told you you should have another baby.  (For the record, it was a Heating & Cooling Technician, and it was last summer that he was here...)

Me:  Oh, yes, I do remember him telling me that, but---

Laurence:  AND he said, "The 4th one's always a charm!"  So the 4th baby is always a girl.  Girls are charms, not boys.

So there you have it.  

What's a Bike Lock?

I was going to call this post "Thou Shalt Not Steal." Then I thought perhaps I'd be clever and name it using the corresponding number of the commandment in the Bible, but I looked it up and was surprised to find there is debate on the numbers among religious groups - is it 7, or is it 8? And I also found out on Wikipedia (yeah, I know...) that "steal" has been interpreted by some to mean "steal people." Hmm, this I never knew. For what it matters, I have always believed and practiced this to mean "steal anything." Anyway, I have no problem with people interpreting things differently, believing different things, and worrying about numbers and stuff like that, but what it boils down to is that people should just be good. Kids start out so good. As they grow & learn it's up to us to make sure they learn right from wrong, and keep being good...which to me is a pretty scary thing. Now & then I have those moments when I realize I'm doing sort of alright in this regard, and today I had one.

Loic was thrilled this morning to see that the bike trailer is now hooked onto my bike, and he's anxious to go for a ride. As much as he loves to ride his trike, riding together - he on his trike, me on my bike - is tough; if I rode any slower I'd fall off. So, I've been pumping him up to ride in the trailer with Alastair now that he's old enough, so we can venture a little further than around the block and I can actually get a little bit of exercise. I'd already told him we needed to go to the grocery store this morning, so he immediately came up with the perfect plan -- "Mom, let's take the bike & trailer to the grocery store!" I told him that would be fun, but I don't have a bike lock. "What's a bike lock?" he asked. I explained that there's a special place to park bikes and that we can't lock them like we do the car, so we need a special lock to hook them to the bike rack. Then he looks at me quizzically and says, "But mom, any person would be able to see that it's not their bike & trailer, so they wouldn't take it."

Stay good, Loic. Stay so good.

Where in the World?

A few months back Spelling Bees were the big thing in our house, but lately we've moved on to Geography Bees. From Laurence, I must hear 15 times a day, "Mom, ask me questions about where stuff is in the world!" I've actually run out of questions to challenge him, and recently bought a couple of board games that we can play together. I believe I'm learning more than he is.

Clearly Loic has been paying attention and is learning right along with us (me). Want proof? This morning we were eating breakfast and Laurence wanted some strawberries, so he opened the fridge to pull out a quart and said, "Woah! There are 3 containers of strawberries in here!" (We go thru lots of fruit.) Then he says, "Why didn't you just buy one big container - the ones you get at Sam's Club?" I explained that I hadn't been to Sam's recently and he asked why. "Well," I said, "I haven't been over that way in while; it's on the other side of town, and to go just for strawberries seems kind of silly." Then Loic says, "Oh! Then Sam's Club is near China! That's on the other side, too."

Riddled with Riddles

Loic has started telling riddles this week. Or at least what he thinks are riddles. Webster defines a riddle as: a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed. Loic's riddles are in no way misleading and leave nothing to the imagination, because his imagination does all the work. Because I know you want them, here are some examples...

What's in the shape of a circle and hangs from the ceiling and turns around and around and around and around and has four brown things sticking out of it with a light hanging from it? (All of this while staring intently at none other than...the ceiling fan in our kitchen, of course!)

What is brown and says, "hee-haw" and has four legs? (I feel silly even giving the answer here, but you never know....a donkey!)

What is white and has water in it and green rocks and a plant and 2 fish swimming around in it? (Love this one in particular because he uses "white" instead of clear. So, there's a big hint, in case you were stumped. Yep, the fishbowl!)

What is tall and has 2 legs, 2 arms, big hands, long, yellow hair, black glasses & is wearing a shirt with circles on it? (This one might be a little more difficult for you readers because most of you didn't see what I was wearing yesterday, but it's me! I know, I know - tall & big hands?! Remember, Loic is 3 and much shorter than me...for now.)

And finally, one that is a bit puzzling....What is pointing up and hot and has broken pieces of the world melting in a big hole? (Getting back to Webster, I'm pretty sure this is how he defined a "volcano." And if not, he should have.)

The Best Medicine

March 22nd. The second full day of spring. The second day of spring break for the boys. Could it be? Has spring really sprung? Nope. It's snowing. AGAIN. Snow & a wintry mix is expected to continue thru tomorrow, possibly dumping several inches before it's all done. Woo-frickin-hoo. And what else? Laurence is sick with a fever. Poor guy rarely gets sick, but to look at him today is to know he feels like crap. His cheeks are bright red, his eyes are watery, and I have yet to see his toothless smile. We missed a fun playgroup activity this morning, too, which none of us were happy about. A while ago he said he wanted to go to sleep, but after an hour of restlessness he said, "I can't sleep. I just feel awful." He actually agreed to taking some medicine, which is unheard of for him.

This is one miserable day that I want to...remember. That's right, remember. And here's why. I gave Laurence his medicine and told him it would bring his fever down and should help him be able to sleep. Just then Loic came over and sat down next to Laurence on the couch. "When you fall asleep, you can lay on me," he said, so sincerely. Laurence just looked at him and Loic continued, "You can lay here," putting his hand on his stomach, "my belly is really soft, like a pillow. You'll feel much better." Laurence didn't say anything, but I swear I saw a hint of his toothless smile. Maybe my winter funk is making me extra-emotional, but that moment was so touching, I shed a tear (or two). Loic's kind & caring words were the best kind of medicine on a day like today. Happy spring!

If You Can't Take the Heat...

So, maybe you've heard, we had a bit of an oven mishap last week. Just before dinner one evening, I turned it on to heat garlic bread when a few minutes later I heard some sizzling, popping & groaning (yes, apparently an oven can groan), and turned to see white hot sparks flying around in the oven. I leaped across the kitchen to turn it off. The groaning stopped, but the sizzling & popping did not. They continued for about a half hour, in fact, while the element slowly burned much like the wick (is that what it's called?) on a stick of dynamite. It was actually rather fascinating, but I tried not to pay too much attention, for fear the boys might take interest. I know Laurence stole a glance from time to time, but he was smart to heed my warning not to get to close.

Later that night Bill was able to order a replacement element online for a rather reasonable price, and it arrived in just a couple of days. Yesterday was Element Replacement Day, and when Bill pulled the oven away from the wall to unplug it, he revealed quite a site. Not only were the sides of the oven caked with years of spillage gunk, but under the oven we found quite an assortment of treasures...there were 4 marbles, bits of dogfood (not even the brand we used to use -- maybe from the previous owner?), 2 pennies, a plastic lizard tail, a bean from the "Don't Spill the Beans" game, jellybeans, 3 super balls, a sippy cup valve, the tube from my turkey baster, a 2-pack of plastic scrapers, magnetic Leapfrog letters, part of a candy cane, and a harmonica, to name a few. Oh, and dust. Lots and lots of greasy, sticky dust. As I was standing there trying to come up with a plan of attack, Bill pulled out the burned element. "Woah guys!" he yelled to Laurence and Loic, "Look at this! It's crazy!" Laurence was at his side immediately, fascinated to see the now bubbly, burned up old element, while Loic hopped over (wherever he goes these days, he's hopping) and instead stuck his head around the stove to see the mess I was looking at on the floor. "Woah, that IS crazy!" he exclaimed. Then, very seriously, "No WONDER the oven doesn't work."

Get Your Freak On!

Today we're eating lunch and Alastair is eating little pieces of bagel with cream cheese. He's shoving them in as fast as I can give them to him so I say, "Slow down, baby!" and Loic says, "He's soooo hungry today!" Then I say, "Yep, and I think he's a bagel freak!" Loic says, "You're right mom, he IS a big ol' freak." Yep, that's one I'm gonna want to remember.