I'm sure most of you haven't given this a lot of consideration, but we have four car seats in our minivan. So, when we take on an extra adult passenger, like we did yesterday, I am typically relegated to the back seat between Maddie and Ben. First of all, when you look at the spot between two car seats, you think - well, that looks pretty roomy. Then you sit down and realize that the distance from hip to hip in reality, is much larger than what you imagine in your head. So I am literally wedged between a four-year old and a six-year old, much too far back to take part in the adult conversation going on in the front seat and much to annoyed to take part in the conversation going on around me. Is that bad? Do most parents enjoy the pratter and chit chat of their small children, because I really don't. Once in a while, I enjoy listening to their conversations when they don't know I'm listening - those can be pretty funny. I especially enjoy their theological discussions. However, what I really can't stand is my kids telling me what I am supposed to say. For instance, Maddie will say "Mom, now ask where is my right hand?" So, I will oblige. And she will hold it up from where she was hiding it behind her back and I will do the obligatory laugh and tell her how surprised I was. I can handle that - if we did it once. Instead, she wants to do it 15 times until I am about ready to respond with "Maddie, I could give two $hit$ where your right hand is." Of course, I don't actually say that. This road trip I came up with the perfect solution - an iPhone and headphones. I'm not really sure why I haven't thought of it sooner. I just turned on my Pandora, put in my headphones and completely tuned out the noise around me. Once in a while I would get them giggling by poking them with my feet or telling them really loudly that I couldn't hear them (which, blissfully, I really couldn't) and felt that I was still being a good enough parent. Problem solved.
A few quick comments on Zach, since the little fellar did turn three this week. He is, by far, the funniest kid we have. He is also, by far, the most bi-polar kid we have. But, 90% of the time he is pretty stinking enjoyable. I have often said that for a three year old he has an amazing vocabulary, but beyond that he understands sarcasm and actually has some comedic timing. He made everyone smile that wished him a "Happy Birthday" by wishing them a "Happy Birthday" right back. We were walking through the mall yesterday (a trip to Iowa City made well worth it by being capped off by a trip to Chipotle) and he was telling me how he hated the "excavator" (escalator) and would much rather ride the "elebator" (you can probably figure that one out) when a lady walked by and just started laughing at the conversation and said, "oh, excavator - how cute! That is one for the baby book!" To which, I nodded politely and said "Yep, this one really is a funny one." When in my head I'm thinking, oh lady, if you only knew half of what this kid said - I had asked him a few minutes prior if he needed to go to the bathroom as he was grabbing as if he needed to and he just looked at me and said "No mom, I just like to grab my junk." Now there is one for the baby book.
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