Liam Logic

1) Liam: Mom, I think I know why Oscar the Grouch is so grouchy all the time.
Me: Really...why?
Liam: Because he lives in a trash can!!!
Huh. 40 years of Sesame Street and it never occurred to anyone that maybe he just didn't like living in that trash can.

2) After seeing several PBS shows talking about dinosaur bones and showing dinosaur skeletons in museums, Liam says to me, "There sure must be a lot of dinosaurs walking around without their bones!!"

3) Yesterday Liam was anxious to pick up his brother from school but it was only 2:30.
Liam: Can't we just go get him now?
Me: No, it's not time yet. It's only 2:30.
Liam: But I want to pick him up now.
Me: Well, there's nothing I can do about that -- I can't change the time.
Liam: Well, I can! (And off he went to change the clock.)
Problem solved!!

In other news, it's official: Liam has an imaginary friend. His name is Joey and he comes complete with a baby brother named Del and a dog named Deke! We started hearing about Joey a while ago but it took us a while to figure out that he was Liam's imaginary friend. Now we hear stories about Joey pretty much every day. He leads quite an exciting life, let me me tell you! But that'll have to be another post....

How You Know Your Husband Has Been Watching TV With Your Children

So Liam and I are walking across the Luther campus and we see a nice-looking man in a suit.

Liam says, "He looks like he's on TV."

"What?" I ask, a little confused.

"He looks like he's on TV," he repeats.

"Oh.." I respond, thinking he's picturing a news anchor or something.

"Yeah, he looks like Michael," Liam continues.

"Michael?" I ask, racking my brain for a Disney or PBS show character named Michael (who wears a three-piece suit, no less!). Coming up empty, I ask, "Who's Michael?"

"Oh, Michael's an office worker," says Liam, confidently, "He works in an office."

He smiles up at me ever so sweetly, but it's too late -- I'm already dialing his dad on the cell phone.

Trick or Treat!!

Well, much has happened in Chamberlain-land since last I blogged (June!) but we'll save that for another post.

Today, it's time for the annual Halloween post (which, as things are going, may well turn into the annual post, period!). This year we were thrilled to have our dear friends Grant and Anna with us for the day. While Anna was napping, the boys carved pumpkins.







After supper, we traded in four mild-mannered children for this:




(That's Optimus Prime, Sir Grant the Knight, Tinkerbell and Liam the Lion, in case you're wondering.)

It was a great night for trick-or-treating, and the kids (and grown-ups) had a blast together!!

Syttende Mai

Future Defense Attorney, Perhaps

Today Drew did something to exasperate Liam, and Liam hit him. (Hmmm, I could probably say that sentence every other day.) At the end of Liam's time out, I asked him why he was in a timeout.

"Because Drew kicked my truck!" was his immediate response.

"No, Liam, why are YOU in time out?" I pressed.

"Because Drew did....and Drew....and then Drew....and he frustrated me!"

"So, what did YOU do, Liam?" I asked, gently.

"I got a timeout."

Oh, the injustice.

Glubs, Katiebugs and Wiggly Readers

I've been keeping a list of the funny 2-yr-old way Liam says certain things that I don't want to forget.

Here's a couple just from today:

(asking about when his birthday is) "When will my birthday be ready?"

(talking about his best friend) "Anna's my SO MUCH friend!"


Some of my other favorites:

gloves (and mittens, actually) = "glubs"

ladybugs = "katiebugs" (I refuse to correct this one, b/c I just love it so and want it to last forever! So shh--don't wreck it! Of course, this is how teenage boys (BRAD) end up still thinking puppies are called "buppies" and a sip of pop is a "zip!")

pretend = "tember" as in, "I tember I baby Cheetah, Mommy. You tember you the Mommy Cheetah!"

hill = "hilp"
kleenex = "pleenex"
McDonalds = "Picdonald's"

And finally, Liam's first knock-knock joke (told consistently, over and over and over and...):

Liam: Knock, Knock
You: Who's there?
Liam: Orange
You: Orange who?
Liam: People!!! (followed - always - by gales of uproarious laughter)


When Drew was two, I didn't have a blog, so I've forgotten most of his funny little sayings. I do remember one, however:

The summer Drew was two, he referred to the Whippy Dip (local ice cream shop) as the "Lip Lip." The neighbors thought that was hilarious and promptly began referring to the Whippy Dip as the Lip Lip from that point forward. The following summer, when Drew was an oh, so mature 3 years old, the neighbor kids asked him if he'd been to the "Lip Lip" yet. He looked at them with total disdain and answered in a perfectly condescending tone, "It's not the Lip Lip. It's the Lippy Dip." Get it right, people.


Of course, at almost six, he's not beyond having his own funny sayings:

My favorites:

weekly reader = "wiggly" reader (again, just can't bear to correct him!)
Mars = Marv's

And one of the all-time best:

Drew: Mom, is Great-Papa one of my anbrothers?
Me: Your what?
Drew: You know...anbrothers? The people that go before you?
Me (after a moment of deep thought): Oh, you mean ancestors?
Drew: Yeah! Ancestors!
Me: Yes, he is.
Drew (after a moment of deep thought and then a burst of laughter): OH! I thought it was ansisters --- and anbrothers!!

File Under: Things My Children Will No Longer Say in 10 Years

#1:
Drew had field day at school yesterday and I went to help out. It was a gorgeous day and we all had a great time going from station to station playing games. I was in charge of a group of 7: Drew and 6 of his classmates. About half way through, Drew flashed me a dreamy smile and then said, "Only one person on my team is lucky enough to have his MOM as the leader! And it's ME!!!"

#2:
I was goofing around with Liam yesterday and said, "Liam, I have a surprise for you!"
He glanced over at me and asked, "What?"
"You'll never guess," I continued.
His eyes widened now, "What?!!"
"I love you!" I responded, a little afraid that he'd now be disappointed.
No worries. He immediately threw up his hands in the air and shouted, "YIPPEE!!!"

Who says you don't get paid to be a stay-at-home mom??