They keep us laughing!

Me: What did you have for lunch?
R: I really don't remember. I guess you'll just have to smell me.

R, while watching a cartoon: That's groovy.

R: When my pretend puppies see rabbits, they don't chase them. But when they see a mole, they chase that.

R, frustrated that Alexa wasn't playing the song he wanted: Alexa, this is not acceptable behavior.

R: I wonder if Alexa and Siri know each other?

R: I just had a brilliant plan.
Me: What's that?
R: *says nothing and brings me a 223 page book to read*

K: A bad guy cut off Baylor's tail when she was a puppy.
R: Did he go to jail?
K: No.
R: But bad guys have black and white shirts!

Me: Think about what you want for breakfast.
R: I'm not going to do that. I think about a lot of things. I don't want to think about breakfast.

D: Sorry Baylor, you don't get to eat chocolate!
R: Because it will make her get the coronavirus!

R, getting ready to play animals with K: Let's cock-a-doodle-do this!

R, randomly: Don't ask me about my hobbies.

Me: I'm going to the bathroom.
R: See ya later, sweetheart.

R: Why do you eat chips a lot?
Me: I don't, really.
R: Well that's a shame.

Me, at 4am: Did you need something?
R: I have three things to tell you: One, my hand is asleep because I laid on it too long. Two, I need a sip of lemonade. Three, I need to go to the bathroom. 
Minutes later, as I'm putting him to back to bed...
R: Also, what is our house made of? And how does our heart pump blood in our bodies?

Me: Do you want breakfast?
R: I just got here!!!

R, while dancing: I have sensible feet!

R: Let's make you a pretend pie! First, we need apples, bananas, oranges, a giraffe that's dead, and coconut.
K: You're putting giraffe meat in my pie?
R: Yes, and coconut.

R, while watching the Blue Angels flyover: But it's the coronavirus!! The planes can't be close together!!

R: Mommy, I know you're a real person, but could you be an animal please?
Me: Ok, how about a giraffe?
R: I think you should be a koala.

While Dave has been working from home, Ryan set up his own pretend desk near Dave's. Ryan will regularly put on his headphones and tell Dave, "Shhh, Daddy, I'm on a call."

After a very rough day where R had been particularly needy, I melted down before putting R to nap. 20 minutes later, he snuck out of his room, came and put his arms around me, and started singing, "You've got a friend in me..."

Ryan is Four

[This post is a bit late] Ryan is FOUR! Wow. Crazy to think that it was on Katelyn's fourth birthday when we told her I was pregnant with him!

This happy, little old man is just the sweetest thing. He loves sunshine and fluffy, "mashed potato" clouds. He LOVES birthdays and throws an all-out pretend birthday party for me at least twice a week. His first instinct is almost always to share and include everyone. The grape flavored fruit snacks? He saves those for me since they're my favorite. His drawings are precious but he's never made one just for me... the paper is always double sided with a drawing for me and a drawing for Daddy. When he and Dave go to Costco, Ryan often insists on picking out flowers for me and Katelyn, and not a day goes by when he doesn't tell us that we're "the prettiest." It's like we have our own personal mini Prince Charming... and I absolutely love it. None of us deserve his level of sweetness!

I've often thought Ryan has the gift of encouragement. When Dave was home sick with bronchitis, Ryan promptly made him a get well card-- while he himself was home sick with a stomach bug. He loves people and is always asking someone to be his best friend. Once when I picked him up from school, his class was sitting in the hallway waiting for the water fountain. He walked down the row, giving each kid a high five or a hug, telling them things like, "Have a good day!" "See ya tomorrow!" "Hey, I like your shirt!" Was he leaving preschool or running for office? Hard to tell.

I LOVE it when refers to his fingers by their status in the "Finger Family" song. For example, he might say, "I need a bandaid for my brother finger!" or "I was eating my snack and I accidentally bit my daddy finger!" It's adorable and I'll be so sad when he grows out of it.

Of course Ryan has bad days. In fact, the past few months have been especially hard as there's been a lot of change beyond anyone's control. In December, his world was knocked off its axis when his best friend, who is a few months older, promoted to the next preschool class. (And when I say best friend, I mean he and this sweet little girl have been thick as thieves since they were 18 months old. They're like an old married couple. The teachers say they've never seen anything like it.). Their separation was hard on ALL of us because Ryan just wasn't himself. FINALLY, it was Ryan's turn to move up classes and join her... and then after one glorious day together, Coronavirus hit. Thank goodness for weekly chats on FaceTime! And when his birthday party had to be indefinitely postponed AND his much anticipated soccer season was cancelled due to Coronavirus, he was disappointed but took it like a champ.

This kid's imagination... oh my goodness. He has the ability to describe exactly what he's imagining and somehow pull others into his convincing, exciting world. A regular conversation can quickly turn into riding on a speed boat, but then the boat broke down and we had to use a jet ski to go get the extra engine, but the jet ski toppled over and then we had to swim to shore, where we found an abandoned golf cart and a puppy. He's so fun!

I love this boy so much.

They Keep Us Laughing!

R: That's the last kiss I have!
Me: You're all out?
R: Yep. I better get more from Baylor and then I can kiss you again.

R, to me at my parents' house: Are you going upstairs to talk to Jerald?

Santa: What do you want for Christmas?
R: Well, my daddy already bought my presents.

R: This new juice is quite disgusting. See that picture of a grape on the box? That's what makes it disgusting.

R: I had a bad day. My friend put his boogers on me.
K: Gross! Did you put your boogers on him??
R: No. I didn't have any.

After an emotional day, K was sentenced to a relaxing bubble bath.
Me: Do you want candles for your bath?
K: What I really want are rose petals around the edge of the tub.

R: Guess what? My favorite animal is a zebra!
Me: Really? Cool!
R: Tomorrow it's going to be a fox.

Me to K: Have a good day at school! I know you can meet your goal!
R, 5 minutes later: Is Katelyn going to play soccer today?
Me: No, why?
R: Well then how will she meet her goal?

R: I wish we had a blanket that went alllll the way down the bed, and then there were balloons and they would pop.
Me: Can you explain that more?
R: The balloons would be underneath the blanket and they would pop when I laid down on them. It was a joke, Mommy.

R: Guess what?? When I was napping, I read THE WHOLE BIBLE. All of the pages! I learned a lot.

R, at Katelyn's basketball game: All these people are NOT using their inside voices.

Me: I heard you get sick in the night so I ran upstairs.
R: You ran fast to come help me?
Me: Yes!
R: Did you also say oh dear?

Me: Look at that spider web! He used all his legs to build it! Amazing!
R: Yeah. How do we get rid of it?

R: I cleaned the living room! 
Me: Well thank you!
R: With pleasure!

R: We smell Baylor's toots because she doesn't wear pants.

R: Where does the water go down the drain?
Me: Into the pipes, down into the ground.
R: Where the gnomes are?

Dave: Are you going to put me in a nice nursing home when I'm older?
R: No, I'm going to BUY it for you!

R, looking at my left hand: I like your rings! There are two on that finger. Which did you get first? The plain one or the snowflake? [meaning my wedding band or my engagement ring]

Grandmom: Are you having a good day?
R: Not yet.

R, during COVID-19 quarantine and at 8:45pm: Mama, I wore these pajamas the whole day. I should probably change into some new ones.

They keep us laughing!

Me: Do you know what your body is made of?
R: Orange juice!!
Me: Orange juice?!
R (looks down at his arms and legs): Oh. Peach juice.

R, looking at Amazon with me for a Halloween costume: I don't need these kinds of options. I need something without a mask.

After several weeks of strong willed defiance over eating dinner, Ryan was mid-meltdown when his attitude suddenly changed.
Me: What made you decide to act differently and eat your dinner?
R: God. I talked to God.

K, regarding God/prayer: He does the job, but it takes a really long time.

Me: You look handsome!
R: I don't look handsome. I look normal.

K: Who was Beethoven?
Me: A famous composer. He was deaf!
K: Oh, I thought he was a dog.

Me: Did you learn about Jesus healing a blind man?
R: Yep.
Me: Can you tell me more about it?
R: Nope. Healed a blind man. That's all.

R: Can I have a blueberry muffin?
Me: Sure, here you go.
R: Thank you. Now can you please take the blueberries out?

K: Can you print this out for me?
Me: Yes, but I need to get more paper because someone keeps taking mine out of the printer and using it for drawing.
K, genuinely clueless: That's what that paper is for? The printer? I thought that was just paper for me to have.

Doctor looking in Ryan's ears (his least favorite thing in the world): I'm looking for monkeys! And alligators! ... I didn't see any!
R, dryly: It was monster trucks.

One morning after waking up, R nervously started scrubbing his hand with a towel: Mommy... something's happening. My hand doesn't feel right. SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. 
Me: I think maybe your hand just fell asleep. That happens sometimes.
R: Is it going to wake up???

R: Thank you for cleaning up.
Me: (sigh) You're welcome.
R: I really wanted you to clean up--
Me: Mmm hmm.
R: --because you're pretty.

K, singing: Mele Kalikimaka...
R: Mele Kamiklaka...
K: You're singing it wrong. Ka-li-ki-ma-ka.
R: IT'S TRICKY!

Me: Why aren't you brushing your teeth?
K: Sorry, I'm singing a medley of Christmas songs.

R: Who is that?
Me: Tinkerbell!
R: Tinkerbell?? I don't like Tinkerbell. I like TinkerBOY.

They keep us laughing!

Me: I have to go to Starbucks and you get to come with me. You can get a special snack-- maybe a muffin or a cake pop or some banana bread. Do you know what kind of treat you might like?
R: Do they have bacon?

R: I need to go potty.
Me: Ok, so go potty.
R: But this is a two person job.

Me: Come here, Pumpkin. 
R: Why do you call me Pumpkin? You could just call me Minion.

R: Daddy, do you know what I said??
Dave: What?
R: I SAID A-BOOM-CHICKA-BOOM!

R: I'm full.
Me: No, you barely at your dinner.
R: But I already ate breakfast, lunch, and snack today. Why do I need to eat dinner??

K: Annabelle let me use some of her perfume, so now my feet smell good.

R: Will you sing me a bedtime song?
Me: Ok, which song?
R: The Jeopardy song.

R: I'm allergic to vegetables.
Me: Really? All of them?
R (sadly): Well... yeah.

R: I don't want to eat my carrots. Carrots are allergic to me.

Me: Let's go!
R: Ok, darlin.

R: I'm going to teach you how to skate! You just put your feet in them and then SKATE!
Dave: Is that how you do it?
R: Yes! See, that's how you skate!
Dave: I can't wait to teach you how to play baseball.

R: ... All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again. They were not doctors?

K: Why can't Baylor have puppies?
Me: We had her fixed a long time ago. There's a lot involved in having puppies.
K: All we need is a basket, a towel, ANOTHER towel, and a dog.

Me: I told you to read. Why aren't you reading?
K: I decided to do something educational instead.
Me: ...
K: I'm playing and using my brain that way.

Katelyn announced she would be putting on a fashion show for us, so Ryan dutifully sat in his assigned seat, cheered and clapped when she told him to, etc. 
Finally, he asked: So when does the movie start?
Me: Ohhhh... this isn't a show like a movie. This is kind of like a performance for us to watch. (best brother ever!)

R: Daddy, I know that you're my best friend, but right now I just want Mommy to hold me.

R, praying very slowly: Thank you God for brown. Blue. Green. Black--
Me: So thank you God for colors?
R: Yes. Brown, green, pink, purple, red--
Me: All the colors?
R: Yes. Brown, blue, grey, orange-- is that too much? 
Me: Well, it's ok to say them all, but it might be easier to just say 'colors.'
R: No thanks. Brown, blue, yellow, pink, green...

They keep us laughing!

R: *sneezes* Bless you, myself.

K: Sometimes Ryan calls "spaghetti" "psaghetti."
R, in a very sophisticated voice: Yes, but sometimes I call it pasta.

R, upset: My jeans have a hole in them!!
K: What?! I wish my jeans had holes! How come he gets pants with rips and I don't??

Me: For teacher appreciation week, I got your teachers a nice candle, sticky notepads, and a snack. 
K: Ok, but can we also get medium-sized glass jars? I'd like to spray paint them pink and blue, one for each teacher. When they're dry, we'll coat them in Mod-Podge and then cover them in glitter. When they're done we'll fill the jar with Dum-Dums.

While at the store, Katelyn was stopping to look at everything she saw...
R: Katelyn, focus!

Me: You are driving me nuts.
K, delightfully: Figurative language!!!

K: Do you have some sort of basket?
Me: For what?
K: I need somewhere to put my books.
Me: How about the built-in bookshelf in your closet?
K: Well, I feel like a basket is more creative. It's more "me."

Me: Go get your shoes and socks.
R, very seriously: Two socks?
Me: Yes, one for each foot.
R: Ok... FOCUS. (walks purposefully to get his socks)

Me, weary of trying to explain Daylight Savings Time: If the sun wants to stay out longer, it can do that.
R: BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE EYES OR A NOSE OR A MOUTH!

Me: Sorry, the tooth fairy forgot to come last night. Do you want me to come tonight instead?
K: Yes! (whispers excitedly) Wear wings!

Me: Sharpie markers do not easily wash off! I need you to tell me that you won't color on your legs with them again.
K: (long pause) Ok, I won't do it again... but I think we both know the answer to that.

Me: You are in trouble!!
R, suddenly looking panicked: But can I still be happy??

Me: How did you get your thumb out of the thumb guard?!? (for thumb sucking)
R: (long pause) I don't have any words.

Me: I'm going to start reading a new book on Leonardo da Vinci.
K, literally dropping what she was doing: I'M IN.

R: I need to poop a lot. It's going to be a party in there!

K: I really don't want to have a boy someday. Just girls.
Me: Boys aren't so bad! And they can be really sweet to their mamas.
K: Well, I guess it's ok if I have a boy. I just want him to put on deodorant every day.

Dave: Hey, let's see if you can be still for two minutes! (sets timer)
With 30 seconds remaining, Ryan was trying his best but still fidgety and clearly uncomfortable.
R, solemnly: Daddy, I don't like this game. I don't want to play this game again.

R: Who will will Jeopardy?
Me: I don't know, they're still playing.
R: Maybe James.

Happy birthday, Buddy

Ryan loves to party. He really, really loves birthdays and celebrating and everything that goes with it. Starting in January, he woke up every morning and asked, "Is today my birthday party?" The weird thing is that he hasn't been to a lot of parties in his three short years, but that didn't stop him from planning his own birthday party starting back in OCTOBER-- five months before his 3rd birthday. He had very specific, ever-changing plans and I found myself conflicted between making his little dreams come true, nervous that I wouldn't execute things to his liking, and remembering that I'm the parent and he doesn't call the shots on what I envisioned to be a casual party with family and a few friends at the park.

Party hats? Very important. Balloons? Also important. The theme? He started with Mickey but then switched to Paw Patrol, Blaze, monster trucks, Blaze again, and then backhoes (What are backhoes?). I genuinely offered to combine everything he loves: Mickey napkins, Paw Patrol plates, bulldozer balloons, etc., but he just laughed and said I was silly. I finally just took him to Party City and told him that whatever he picked was what we were going with, no backsies. Blaze it is!

Oddly, when I asked what kind of cupcakes he wanted, he simply said, "Regular ones."

Whatever, dude. You're a grown man trapped in a three year old's body and I don't know how to help you.

He asked that Katelyn and I wake him up on his birthday by singing Happy Birthday while wearing party hats. We gladly obliged, but I think he quickly regretted his decision. Apparently it was too early for song because he growled and quickly asked us to stop singing. Once he woke up a little, he was absolutely thrilled that it was finally his birthday and had a great day.

So happy birthday to the sweetest little man I know-- the one whose smile lights up a room and the lives of those around him. He is consistent, responsible, charming, ever the encourager, and--on most days--a true delight. He will lay in his bed for 30 minutes early on Saturday mornings and just sing... never fussing to get up, just happily singing.

He is so easy to love.

And may he always want to celebrate, because there is so much in life worth celebrating.