While playing in the sand at Nana's house, the kids were making little holes in the sand and filling them up with water. 

Dylan caught on real quick.  He began digging his own "small" hole.  After a while, he asked me if I liked his cat pool. 

I was trying to decide in what way it was a cat pool when I was saved.

Holly said "Dylan... you mean a kitty pool!" 

Yes... Dylan had made a "kiddy pool".

When in Wal-Mart, in the Sporting goods department, the kids were checking out the cricket box.  All of a sudden Holly laughed and yelled "y'all listen... the crickets are cricken!"

We were reading the Egyptian Magic Tree House book in the truck while traveling.  When it mentioned the sarcophagus, I let Garrett tell us all about that.  He did a whole unit on Egypt the previouse year and knew all about it.  

 Sure enough, he told us all about it, then added that we also have one in our throat.  J

I teach third grade now, but last year I taught the same bunch in second grade.  I found this age group to be very interesting and entertaining.

Once, we were at lunch, when one of my boys sitting right next to me says "Mrs. Combs, the next time your husband kills a doe, tell him to get the doe pee." He went on to explain it's purpose and how it attracts big bucks. He told me exactly how to extract it and everything. I told him how interesting this was and assured him I would tell Major.

At the end of the day, as I'm passing out homework folders, he comes to me, and lays his hand on my arm with a look of concern on his face. He looked as if he were preparing to tell me about a problem he was having. Instead, he says "Mrs. Combs, don't worry about the doe pee. I can get you some." I assured him that I wasn't worried and that I was sure we could manage to obtain some, but he insisted that he would get me some and that I shouldn't even think about it again.

So..... I now have doe pee connections. : )

Go figure!
I told you second graders were an interesting bunch.

Dylan began hollering for a sucker Saturday morning, (way before get-out-of-bed time), so I told him if he went back to bed I'd get him one in a little while. I had a bag of blow-pops he had been dying to get into.

This is a silly post in that it bares a peculiarity of mine. I've never liked the use of the word butt much,(pertaining to one's bottom). I don't know why. But, the kids have been taught to use bottom instead. It just sounds better to me. Dylan is very supportive of this rule. When Major says things like " sit your butt down"!, Dylan reminds him "bottom, Daddy". He keeps everyone "mama correct".

Well, the kids had just seen an older Lindsay Lohan movie. She was still just a kid in it. They were talking about the scene when she was doing the booty bump with her butler. As soon as Dylan heard them say butler, he immediately said "bottomler!". The kids cracked up laughing and have kidded him ever since. They keep saying stuff like "Dylan, I'm going to go get some but..ter... and look at my shiny but..ton. It's okay though. Dylan loves the attention.

Major insisted upon buying this huge aquarium. I told him he didn't need one that big. I told him he wouldn't take care of it and keep it full, but he didn't listen.

So.... one day on my due date, actually, of our third child, I'm on the phone with said husband. He's conveniently at the fire station with his feet propped up (I'm sure). I hear this strange sound, (you know the sounds that just don't belong in your everyday line of hearing), so I said "let's go see what the boys are doing".

On my way to the living room, I hear the most awful sound. Then my worst fears are seen. Garrett and Michael are standing at the end of the aquarium staring in shock as water gushes from the hole he just made with a hammer at the BOTTOM of the aquarium (of course). Garret is about three and Michael is about a year old.
So.... As I Scream/Cry... (I take turns doing these), I grab two buckets, (a three gallon and a five gallon) and begin catching/dumping water from the aquarium. The whole time I'm doing this I'm screaming at my husband on the phone about how HIS children had just ruined the aquarium HE just HAD to have. And that it was just TOO convenient that he was AT WORK with his feet propped up telling me "don't worry about it", "just let it flow". "It's just water!".

I'm thinking 110 gallon aquarium of stinky fish water with hard wood floor underneath....just not good. I really was expecting it to fall through the floor.

Later, the aquarium became a really large terrarium. So.... this is our "how the aquarium became a terrarium story".

The next morning when I went into his room to wake him up, I said "wake up sugar bugar!"  He sat up and told me "I'm not a sugar bugar!     I'm  D-D- Dylan!"    

I guess I stood corrected! 

One morning, when I took Dylan's pull-up off to get him dressed, there was another one under it.  I thought it funny that he double stacked his pull-up, (he hates putting them on), but as I pulled it down there was another.  I started counting, and he had on 6 pull-ups!  I couldn't believe he did that because he hates putting on pants and pull-ups. 

I asked Garrett if he knew how many pull-ups Dylan was  wearing and he said "ummm 6 or 7… I lost count."   I asked him why he put all those pull-ups on Dylan and he told me he didn't do it, that Dylan did.  I asked why Dylan did it and Garrett  said, (in exasperation), "Mom….remember last night when you said you were going to whip Dylan if he didn't be quiet and go to sleep?... Well… he started putting them on then!"   

That honestly had never occurred to me!  Really!  I knew at this moment that I was in big trouble with Dylan (child number 4).  This one is gonna do me in for sure!

Holly is quite hard on Dylan when it comes to her name.  Dylan's name for Holly had always been "Ga Ga".  She's been working with him because, though he still calls her Ga Ga, he now knows how to say "H-o-d-d-y".  Occasionally, he can even say H-o-l-l-y when he's in the mood.  Only thing is, when he wanted to talk to her, he'd still call her "ga ga" out of habit.   One day she was in a snippy mood and I heard her fussing at him.  She said " MY NAME IS H O L L Y'.  So he said "HODDY".  She then yelled "NO Dylan!.. NOT H O D D Y!;   IT'S ...  H O L L Y!!" 

Dylan then yelled back at her slowly and perfectly her name....

 " H O L L Y !  . . .  GA  GA!!!!"  

She gave up after that.

One evening, when Holly was sitting on the potty, I heard her laughing.  She has this really deep throaty laugh.  I asked her what she was laughing about and she said "the tub is naked!"

I had no clue what she was taling about.  I had to go in there to figure out what she meant.  And sure enough, the tub WAS NAKED. 

Earlier that morning, I had removed the swhower curtain to wash it.  The tub WAS NAKED!

One day I walked into the dining room to sit down at the table.  Michael informed me that I looked like a potato.  I looked down at myself and realized I actually kind of did!  I was  greatly pregnant with Dylan  and was wearing a brownish sweater with brown denim pants.  The site really was funny.     

I told him "thanks a lot" while everyone else laughed with me …. (not at me of course). 

After we finished eating, we all loaded up in the car to go somewhere, (I've forgotten where now).  When I opened my door to get in, Holly had just said something about smelling peppermint. 

Immediately, I hear Michael in the back say "well... I smell a potato!"  I looked back   at him and the little sucker's grinning from ear to ear, kind of like a mule eating briars.  

He was only four at the time, and already a comedian.