lights, late nights, and vitamins

Here are some of the funnier quotes as of late:

"We should thank those people." (Henry, with complete sincerity, remarking on a house's (particularly tacky) holiday lights display. The people were standing out in the yard.)

"Mommy, pretend I was your daughter." (Ceci and I were playing some make-believe game outside with Malcolm.)

"I fine." (Malcolm after barfing all over himself, the throw pillows, and the chair yesterday morning.)

Henry is really into the Christmas lights. He keeps talking about increasing the size and intensity of out display. I think we are going to have to figure out how to put up more in our yard. I say figure out because we have no outdoor plugs in which to plug them into, so the current ones are attached to an extension cord that runs into the laundry room window. Of course, Henry has grand plans on what our yard should look like. That is Henry, though. A designer. His current occupation of choice is Inventor, so I think I am going to make him an invention kit for Christmas. Just a tackle box type thing filled with pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks and various adhesives. Stuff like that.

Ceci has taken to stomping off and attempting to slam her door when she doesn't get her way. I thought I had at least, I don't know, EIGHT more years until this was supposed to happen. She also has the unfortunate habit of believing everything her big brother says, which he uses to its fullest advantage. Last night, they were cleaning up the mess they had made in Henry's room, and Patrick walks in. I guess Ceci and Henry were arguing because I heard Patrick ask what was wrong. Ceci said, "Henry said we are going to have to work late into the night cleaning up, and I'm tired!" Patrick responded with, "When have you ever had to work late into the night doing anything? You can't believe everything Henry tells you, Ceci." It's hard being in the middle. Tricked by one brother, tackled by the other.

Malcolm is hilarious. I wish I had a video camera on him constantly. First of all, he is a two year old with the voice of a man. I can't even imagine how deep his voice will be once he goes through puberty. We were sitting at the table Wednesday night doing "best and worst part," and it was my turn. I said, "Hmmm, the best part of my day was..." and Malcolm interjected in a booming voice, "OUTSIDE?" I said, "Yes, playing outside was a lot of fun." He responded, "NANA COME OVER?" I said, "Yes, that was fun too." I think the neighbors could hear him. I love that when he makes a mess and I ask who made the mess, he booms, "MALCOLM KEE!" Kind of like he is reprimanding himself. He also is the most mischievous kid I have had yet. He is into everything. Especially food. I was in my room folding laundry the other morning when I heard a tinkling sound. I knew immediately that he had gotten down the glass Christmas tree jar filled with M & M's. Since my house is so massive, I was not able to make it to the kitchen before he had dumped over the entire jar, filling his snack cup, and allowing the remainder of the $5 bag of Christmas M & M's (why are they $5?) to spread all over the kitchen floor. I arrived just in time to see him come tearing out of the kitchen, snack cup clutched between his chubby hands, booming, "NO, MOMMY, NO!" Today, he managed to get the vitamins off the counter. All I have to say about that is childproof is a relative term.