From the mouths of toddlers . . .

I was reading Allie a book about animals and what they eat (bunnies eat carrots, elephants eat peanuts, mice eat cheese).  When I asked her what does a dog eat she said, "a Phone" and put her hand up to her ear and said, "Hello".  I guess "bone" and "phone" could be a bit confusing!  It made me chuckle.

I was tenderly talking with Cooper in bed one night telling him how much I loved him and that he was my favorite little boy and Allie was my favorite little girl and how Daddy was "my man".  Cooper said, "No mama, Daddy is MY MAN, we're buddies!"

I am pretty strict about any evil influences that enter my house or my kids brains.  (the kids have not seen hardly any Disney movies yet because the villians are a bit much in my opinion for a 3yr old).  However, somehow Cooper started playing ghost with a blanket over his head, chasing Allie down the hall with the sound effects "oooh oooh I'm a ghost boo!" and then would pop out from under the blanket and they both would laugh their heads off. It bothered me a little (I know I'm ultra-sensitive in this area). So after a few days of contimplating this I told Cooper, "We aren't going to play ghost like that anymore because God doesn't like scary ghosts and I don't either.  There is really only one ghost and he's a good ghost, he's friends with Jesus, and his name is the Holy Ghost.   Cooper said, "ok Mama" and then quickly found a blanket, chased Allie down the hall saying, "woooh woooh, I'm the Oly Ghost, I'm the Oly Ghost, Boo!" they both laughed their heads off and so did I.

"Mama can I have a mushmellow?" said Cooper.  "What's a mush-mellow?" I asked.  "you know, those white things next to the chocolate chips that taste like clouds!" He said. "oh Marsh-mellows" I corrected,  "yeah mush-mellows Mama" he corrected.

"Mama I'm too (so) scared of the thunder!" Cooper said.  "Oh Cooper, it is very loud but we don't need to be afraid of the thunder.  Remember when you were scared of the lawn mower because it was so loud and now you love to help Daddy mow the grass?" "Yep but the lawn mower cuts the grass" Cooper said.  "Well, the thunder and clouds are making all that noise trying to make some rain for the flowers, so it's kind of like the lawn mower because it has a job to do too!" I explained.  "Really? That's great! So what's the lighting's job Mama?" Cooper asked.

We had to put our beloved dog Duke of 9 years to sleep this year. Before I drove Duke to the vet I told Cooper and Allie to give Duke a hug because he was going to go live with Jesus. Cooper looked at me with a perplexed face and said, "He's going to live up in the air, WOW, I want to go too!" For an emotional time for Lee and I a bit of laughter was just what we needed.