Sometimes it isn't what they say...

...But what they do.  This post is about things that they have done.

Graduation Party

This summer Will, me, & all of the kids attended a graduation party. It was a nice party with tons of food and a bounce house to keep the kids busy.  Since the bouncer was there, the kids were jumping & taking periodic breaks to run back to our table for a bite of food or to take a drink, then back to jumping.  I saw Ethan climb out of the bounce house & when he didn't appear at our table soon after, I started looking around. 

And I saw him.  

He was standing in front of a tree, back turned to us, pants down, getting ready to pee on the tree.

But I wasn't the only one who noticed this, naturally.  We heard laughter from some other tables as they noticed his bare butt and I, embarrassed, was briskly walking around the tent & tables to stop him.  Well, he heard people laughing too, and turned around to see what everyone was laughing about, flashing the entire tent.  

I got to him soon after that, and led him into the house to use the bathroom, having the you-only-pee-outside-when-we're-at-home conversation for the thousandth time.

Birthday Party

Later on in the summer, at their Birthday party, he also peed outside on a tree in front of everyone at his party.  He did this about SEVEN TIMES, not caring that I asked him to go in the house when people are over because he "really had to go."   (Damn you, capri sun juice pouches!!!!). Except then, just standing on the tree & peeing wasn't good enough I guess, because as he was going he started circling the tree.   The fact that the last time he did this, towards the end of the party, our dog Lola ran up & started trying to DRINK THE PEE only encouraged him that this was funny.  It was gross. 

And of course, they both seem to think that "let's go in the house," "it's time for bed," or we need to GO, we're running late" mean scream-like-a-maniac-and-run-like-hell-while-giggling-like-you-are-hilarious-when-Mom-and-Dad-chase-you.  Never a dull moment. 

Creepy...

Personally, I think if anyone can see spirits, it's animals and children, and sometimes kids say creepy things...

About a year ago, Ethan came into my room in the middle of the night and asked to sleep with Will & I.  When I told him he needed to sleep in his bed, he said "But that girl keeps walking into my room."  Since I am the only "girl" in the house, I said "Ethan, Mommy is the only girl here, and I did not walk into your room."  Ethan looked at me in complete seriousness and said "NOT YOU, Mom.  The other girl..."

He did eventually go back to his room, after we checked it together.

The most recent creepy thing, was just a few weeks ago.  Ethan, Ian, Will, & I had been out at my parents house for awhile that evening.  On our way home, it was dark.  We drive through the country on the way home and Ethan said "I just saw the Shaddow-Puppet Man walking."  

Will looked at me, freaked out, and said "Did he just say he saw Satan walking?"  I said no, and repeated what Ethan had said, 

"Ethan, who is the Shadow Puppet man?"

He ignores this and says that the Shadow-Puppet man was walking in the direction of Grandma's house.  He then says "what if he finds me?"  and I remind him that he said he was walking towards Grandma & Grandpa's house, not our house.  

Ethan drops this and in 5 minutes we are home.

In getting Ethan out of his car seat, Ethan said "I think he's looking for me." when I said "who?" I remembered, and he said it: "The shaddow puppet man."  

I told him, "You said he was going towards Grandma's house.  You're safe."
Ethan said "A long time ago, back when I was a grown up, we were friends."

I asked "back when you were a grown up?"  

He said, "yes Mom, a long time ago."

and, of course, later said, 

"We can't be friends now because of Ian."

Must be hard to be the little brother.  Can't wait till he starts talking more and he tells me stories too!

Ethanism One-Liners

Some funny, sometimes random things, that Ethan says...

"Mom, can we take Ian back to the brother store?"

Really?!?  Poor Ian

After returning home from a visit at Grandma's...

"Mom, Grandma used to be bigger then she is, she is getting littler.  Shrinking."

my Mom is short, so this made me laugh and call her to tell her about it.

After Aunt Kristi said, "you're my parrot" to him...

"I can't be your parrot, I'm too busy being a person!!!!!!"

...and busy you are