Kids Say The Darndest Things

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2006 brings each of you much joy, love and happiness.

As for resolutions, I need to resolve to do a better job maintaining a straight face when my daughter says something unexpected while I'm disciplining her.

Case in point...Rachel has a habit of dumping things on the floor and not picking up after herself. And when she dumps those items on the wooden floor of her playroom, the sound can be deafening.

A week or two ago, I could see that her plastic container of Legos was about to be tipped over.

I warned her. "Rachel, you'd better not dump those Legos! Rachel, you'd not dare dump those Legos! Rachel...."

(Loud crash and clatter)

"Rachel, why did you dump those Legos? I demand to hear an answer why you dumped those Legos when I expressly told you not to!"

She replied in a calm voice, "I'm not going to talk right now..."

I couldn't stop the grin from spreading over my face. I quickly tried to wipe it off and continued my tirade.

"Okay, I'm going to ask you again why you did that when I expressly told you not to! And you better tell me you're going to pick them up!"

"I'm going to tell you, 'No!'"

A second time, the grin spread across my face. Darn smart-mouth!

Every once in a while, though, she says something that makes me laugh out loud at a time when no discipline is involved.

Last night, we drove from my uncle's apartment in Smyrna to the assisted living place that is to be his new home. Rachel fell asleep about 15-20 minutes from the destination. So we let her continue to sleep while we unloaded furniture and other items and took them upstairs. Next, we park out front so we can go up and rearrange the furniture. It's about 8:30 at night and Rachel stumbles slightly as I lift her out of the back seat of the car and she says in a resigned, matter-of-fact tone, "I am NOT a morning person!"

Once everything was secured, we stopped at a barbecue/restaurant sports bar for dinner. Rachel stopped just short of the kitchen at one point and related that she wanted to work there. When asked by the wait staff whether she wanted to bus tables or talk to customers, Rachel declared her goal was to "make the pancakes."

We can't wait to hear whe she says next.