Questions and Answers

I thought it would be funny to ask my 4 oldest kids all of the same questions and then write down their answers. Here goes.

• Why do you like our cat, Boy?

1. Adam-- because he is yellow on his color.
2. Johnny-- because he is cute and nice and that stuff.
3. Kate-- because he's charming-- very nice, and how he cuddles up and lays on you. He's so so cute and really, really nice. He licks my ear, he's orange, and he likes children.
4. Ruth-- He's a nice, calm, happy cat-- loving, cheerful, happy, playful at some hours.

• Do you want to get married and why?

1. Adam-- No. Cause I want to marry Rae and Rae, and I am too little. I am just a kid, you know.
2. Johnny-- Yes, because you are suppose to get married and I want to have kids and you can only have kids if you get married. Isn't that right, Mommy? Can you only have kids if you get married?
3. Kate-- Yes. Children, grand daughters, and a husband. I am excited for them. It is going to be fun to nurse a baby.
4. Ruth-- Yes I do, cause for 1 thing commandments. 2. To live a happy life. 3. I won't have to mow the lawn, and 4. love, and have children.

• What do you like about Dad?

1. Adam-- umm...good.
2. Johnny-- I like to play with him; like when I get to play with him, he's nice.
3. Kate-- Chocolate!!! He always gives you chocolate and roses. He plays; he's a jokester, and he's awesome!!!
4. Ruth-- He loves us. He supports us. He's my Dad.

• What is your favorite thing to do?

1. Adam-- Play with Dad.
2. Johnny-- I have two. Play 4-square with my friends. Play with my family.
3. Kate-- Sing, draw, sing some more, listen to mp3 player, cook dinner, eat mom's glorious french fries, watch TV, take care of my web-kee, and imagine, and play, and stare out windows. Oh, and put down science. I love science.
4. Ruth-- At school-- go outside at recess and play football. Inside school-- read, art, science projects. Play with my siblings, friends, family.

A Funny Kid and a Miracle

Yesterday morning, Rachel took John's keys to play with. After about 5 minutes we did not see the keys again. This morning we knew we needed to find the keys because John has to go to work and to get into his office. When John started the search he asked Rachel, "Rachel, where are my keys?" Rachel said, "Keys are gone." John said, "Can you help me find them?" Rachel happily replied, "Nope." Then John began to search. He didn't search very long before he felt like the task was just impossible. I went to get Anya dressed. She rolled around and I was facing a different way than I usually am when I dress her. I was thinking about all the places I had seen Rachel yesterday morning. When I glanced up I saw John's keys behind the nintendo TV. I am sure that was an answer to the prayer John was saying at that moment. Heavenly Father definitely loves his children. I do not think we would have looked there at all.

Helpful New Skills

1. Adam can now turn on and off the television and put in dvd's and push play.
2. Rachel now comes to me crying and saying, "Adam taked," instead of "Adam's bad."

School Begins

School has now started. Johnny is now in school all day. I think he likes it alright. But he has to make new friends because neither of his friends from kindergarten are in his class. I thought that was too bad, but being a first grader and so young, Johnny has taken it well. He plays with his friend Dylan at recess and Alyssa he sees on the bus. Ruth is in fifth grade with a boy teacher she loves, and Kate is in fourth grade with no opinions yet.

Today after school I had each of the kids sit with me and tell me how their day went. None of them had anything to say. I had to keep thinking of specific questions and squeezing answers out of them. Then just before dinner when Anya was doing her nightly scream because she wants to eat immediately instead of in two to ten minutes, Ruth started telling me about school. But I had to have her repeat herself about 6 times because I either could not hear her, or I was taking care of Adam, Rachel, and Anya. While Ruth was telling me about her day, Kate started telling us about her day too. It took a while, but I finally got both stories. Too bad they didn't tell them when things were calm and I had time to sit down and listen. It is funny how things just happen like that with kids. They never like to do things on your schedule.

Here are their stories:
In Ruth's fifth grade class, they are having a poetry section once a week. If they can memorize the poem and recite it, they get to pick out a treat. Ruth memorized and recited the poem and picked out a chocolate coin. Ruth still remembered the poem and recited it to me. I think she was pleased that she could remember it so quickly.

Kate missed the first day of school yesterday because of a stomach ache, so she was pretty excited to meet her teacher today. But her teacher was gone to a wedding in Mexico and won't be back until Monday. Kate said that her substitute was very mean and just made them work all day. At one point, the substitute let the kids have some free time and cut out some magazines if they wanted to. Kate did not cut out anything. A boy in her desk group threw his waste paper on Kate's desk and said, "You are in our group so you have to share in the work. Go throw this away." Kate said that she threw the paper back on his desk and said "No way, clean up your own mess." The boy threw it back on to Kate's desk and so it went. Kate went up to tell the substitute, and the boy followed and said that he had not done that. The substitute told them to sit down and deal with it by themselves.

Adam's Songs

After dinner Adam put on his SpiderMan costume and started singing, "SpiderMan, SpiderMan." Then he changed the song to " Whenever I go out, the people always shout-- Adam Robertson!!" It was just so cute. I love it when my kids sing.

John and Kate

Last night at dinner John said, "Kids, I am sorry that I have complained so much today. I promise that I will not complain for the rest of the day." Kate replied, "That should be easy for you, Dad. It is the evening. Actually, I think it is already night."

Conversations That Make A Parent Smile

• Said by Adam and heard by John: Yelling angrily across the house, "MOM HOW WAS YOUR DAY?" Short pause and still with a lot of frustration, "Oh man, she still isn't talking to me." (I had been doing a lot of house work that morning. Poor little guy. :( )
• Between Rachel and Mom. "I need bo-chee. I need bo-chee. I need bo-chee. I need bo-chee..." "I am sorry, Rachel, but I do not know what bo-chee is." A few minutes later. "So Rachel, do you need bo-chee?" Rachel looks at mom and giggles. Then says, "Yes. I need bo-chee." "Where is bo-chee?" Mom asks. Rachel points near the television and says, "Bo-chee is there." A few more minutes later Rachel walks over to the television and grabs a lot of tissues. Then she said, "Here is bo-chee, mommy."
• A conversation between Ruth and Kate. Kate says, "Don't you think there is nothing more frightening than the mamba?" Ruth says, "No, drowning and heart attacks are more frightening."