Man Day

A couple months ago Middle Child and I went to Denver to visit Sister Quilter and a Cousin. We had a really good time and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Baby was a little sad about being left behind. But he decided to make the best of the whole situation. He planned a "Man Day" for him and Olaf. I don't think he'll ever mind getting left behind again after the success of this day!

Baby decided they need to take a hike. He made sure he had some water in order to stay properly hydrated.

He made sure they had their trusty compass so they wouldn't get lost and have to eat their friends. (or each other since they had no friends with them)


Baby decided they needed to hike to the large pipe in the background. I'm not sure where he got this idea, but he decided on Man Day that was what needed to be done.


The pipe was quite a ways above level ground.

They had to climb pretty high.

I don't think they even brought ropes.

But as you can see they finally made it to the top. Olaf said if they had fallen it might have been the end.

Baby brought a flashlight so the pipe could be explored. But I don't think he brought markers so he couldn't announce his presence to the world like so many others.

The day was finished by some shooting of guns.

And finally they hit the local burger joint, I'm not sure which one because we have several awesome local places. (anyone who fancies In-n-Out as a good burger joint has obviously never tasted a Glade's SuperCheese or Barry's Fries or a Little Acorn Grilled Cheese.)

PS. I forgot to mention that he didn't shower while I was away. Another part of Man Day.

Baby's Growing Up

Lately Baby has been fascinated with growing up. I'm the only one allowed to call him 'Little' and 'Baby.' He constantly tells everyone else he is NOT little, he is BIG. His BFF also feels the same way. Maybe this is a consequence of being the youngest in the family. He just wants to be big like his big brothers.

Over a month ago he announced to me that he was getting hair in his armpits. Trying not to laugh too hard I asked to see the hair.

"Oh, you can't see it yet. It's going to grow in where the white patches are."

"Can I see where it's going to grow in then?"

"No, but Zac already has hair in his armpits!"

"Really? Do you think he will show me?" I really wanted to see hair on some eight-year-old boys.

"No, he's kind of private." Excuses, excuses.

A couple of weeks later we were driving somewhere in the car. He was sitting up front with me running a one-sided nonstop monologue. I had tuned him out, probably thinking about laundry, until he started talking about hair again.

"Look, Mom!" he had obviously said this several times. "I can pull my skin without touching it at all!" And he was pulling his leg hairs. I don't know if he realized he's always had leg hairs or if he thought it was something new associated with the growth of his armpit hair. He was pretty amazed.

Another few weeks later he announced to me, "I'm getting hair down there!"

"Really!?!" This time I couldn't help the laughing. "Now can I see your armpit hair?"

"No, it hasn't grown in enough to see yet."

"This means you're turning into a Real Man and there is only one Real Man allowed at this house. We're going to have to get rid of it."

He walked off completely unfazed at my comment and jubilant about his hair growth. As of a couple weeks later he still won't show me his hair. I have my doubts until he actually shows me, but in his head he has Grown Up.

Lunchtime

"Guess what we had for lunch!?!" Baby exclaimed when he called me this week at work.

"What?" I casually asked, figuring they had cooked something on the stovetop again this week.

"We ordered 5 Buck Pizza!" I was dead wrong.

"What? How'd you do that?"

"Middle Child called them and ordered it. We had it delivered!" He was so stinking proud of themselves.

"Wow! Really?" I was a little stunned. Middle Child has mentioned several times that Calvin had programmed 5 Buck Pizza into his phone. (During school he and some friends had ordered it before lunch and expected it to arrive during lunch. Then the pizza delivery guy came a few minutes early and his teacher was kind enough to excuse him from class to pay for the pizza. The teacher only charged him one piece of pizza.)

"Yeah!"

"How did you pay for the pizza?"

"I had money. I used my money." Baby is proud of the money he collects.

"And whose idea was it for you to buy pizza?"

"It was Middle Child's idea." I have previously mentioned Middle Child's ability to get what he wants right here.

"So, how much was the pizza?"

"Five bucks!" Duh. "I paid him five bucks and I tipped him." He was so proud.

"How much did you tip him?" I didn't know he understood the whole tipping process. I thought maybe he gave the poor delivery guy a quarter.

"I tipped him two. . ." and I thought, Wow, he's generous with two quarters, "dollars and thirty cents." He may understand tipping but he still isn't aware of taxes.

"Wow! So you paid for the whole pizza?"

"Yes, but Middle Child said he will pay me back." Famous last words of many people.

Then a light bulb slowly flickered and finally lit up. "If you guys do your chores all week before I get home from work, I will give you seven dollars on Friday so you can order pizza for lunch!" These chores are beginning to get expensive.

"That'd be great Mom! I'll do my chore every day!" I'll be lucky if it lasts three weeks. Nevertheless, I was pretty impressed with their resourcefulness at such a young age. Despite my best intentions I am raising Real Men; they don't want to cook for themselves.