Momies and Babies

These days, another of Anna's obsessions is to play mommy and baby. She is also very observant, there are "mommy dog and baby dogs", "mommy car and baby cars", "mommy flower and baby flower"...etc. The other day she calls me to the rest room to wipe her bottom. Excited she shouts: "Look, dady, look, there is a mommy poop and and these are little baby poops." !

Nutcracker

Just before the Christmas holidays, one Sunday afternoon, we went with family and friends to a matinee of the Nutcracker ballet. To our surprise, both Anna and Phillip patiently sit through the performance - they may even have enjoyed it. After the final ovations, Phillip asks me in his most sincere voice: "Are they going to get naked now?"

Learning preferences

On our way to preschool, Anna talks about her favorite subjects: "I like Barbie and Princesses, but I really don't like American history!"

How did your dad die?

Phillip has developed an interest about "dying", what, why and how it happens, etc. So the other day, in a very somber voice, he asks me about my dad, and whether he died in Germany, and why he died. I explained that my dad was really very old, 90 years old, and that at some point it's time for all of us to go. Then Phillip wanted to know how his grandpa died and I answered that he fell asleep and did not wake up again. Finally, Phillip wants to know: "Did his tongue hang out?"

What's in a name...

Anna is very fond of cats these days. In endless episodes of pretend play, she will crawl across the floor meowing like the real thing. She is also at an age, where, at preschool, she is learning about last names. When asked about her last name she was quick: "Kittyhausen".

We were returning home from trip to coast pretty late and Dominik fell fast asleep in a car. As we drove through downtown Beaverton, Robert points at a sign that says "Libertarian Party." I raised an eyebrow responding: "I had no idea Libertarian Party has an office here."
And then we hear little sleepy voice from back of the car: "Party? I wanna go to a party!" Clearly, the selective listening works even in Dominik's sleep and when it comes to party, he's in.

History lesson

On our way back home from preschool, Anna sings a little song in the back of the car. "I was born in the USA"... deep...deep...da..da "I was born in the USA...". Phillip, who sits right next to Anna, shouts: "I know who sings that song" - "Who?" - "Thomas Jefferson"!

An American Idol

Phillip and Anna both enjoy watching American Idol (very popular, televised singing contest in the US). Recently, Idol ran a special: "American Idol gives back". The show is very successful and draws 10s of millions of viewers every week, so this time the producers, the commercial sponsors, and the viewers joined in for a good cause - helping empoverished children in Africa and the US. During the event they raised a stunning 70m $. This even got the Presidents attention, and in between singing performances by the contestents, the President and the First Lady were teleconferenced into the show to praise the charitable effort. Phillip was waiting for the next singer, and as always, he would first ask "what's his name". - "This is President Bush". - slowly growing a little impatient with all the talking on TV: "Is he going to sing, now?"

No words...

Anna's daily bed-time routine includes brushing teeth. "Come Anna, let's go and brush teeth". Anna's routine also includes, trying to avoid anything that brings her closer to bed. Some of her standard tactics include: pretending she does not hear us, "I need to eat my sandwich", "I need to go potty", "I need to..." etc. After about 5-10 minutes of this game, my patience and curiosity about new excuses rapidly deteriorates: "Anna, I am counting to 3. - 1 ........ 2 ....... 3 .... aaaaand nothing! She looks away. I am kind of desperate: "Anna, you are killing me." - Anna looks at me, smiles, forms a gun out of her hand, takes aim with the index finger, and shouts "PIEW" (a.k.a. "paw", "poof").

....I am still recovering.... she is 2 1/2....where did she learn that...but at her age it was actually quite "witty".

Dominik really wants us to have a baby, but changed his mind temporarily when i explained that if we had baby within next year, i could not go with Dominik to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) camp.

Week later, Dominik (6) decided that baby is too good to pass and announced: "I'd like us to have baby. One of you can stay with it at home, and one of you can go to the camp with me!"
I inquired: "Well, you do know that I would probably have to stay with the baby, since little babies need their mommies the most?"
Dominik responded: "Yes, that's ok. Don't forget that the baby would also have to milk you!"

Before Dominik's 4th Christmas, we kept urging him to be very nice, or baby Jesus would not bring him any presents. Baby Jesus clearly did not disappoint our boy, who even several months after Christmas kept consulting him with all his needs. For example, while playing with track, Dominik was missing one critical piece and couldn't connect the whole railway. He casually leaned back, looked at the ceiling, and yelled: "Baby Jesus, can you please bring me this track for Christmas? But it needs to look exactly like this, see?" He'd lift his hand with the desired track in the air and continue: "Ok, see you tomorrow!"
And it would go over and over.

Robert had before him a big test and spent the weekend complaining about not being able to study because Dominik (~5 at that time) was disturbing him to which i kept responding that he should either lock himself in the office or go study to library.

At 10pm on Sunday, Dominik was in his room with the lights off, but still not sleeping. He was happily chirping, asking/yelling questions at us across the hallway etc. Finally I said: "Dominik, you have to lay down and sleep, and I don't want to hear single word or peep anymore!"
Dominik in turn recommended: "Then maybe you should lock yourself in the office or go to the library -- then you will not hear anything."

I guess what goes around comes around.

Phillip's First Word

Other than the sporadic "mama" & "dada", Phillip's first conscious use of terminology was "car". At first, he used it on his toy cars, but soon he made the connection to real world cars, and a ride into downtown Seattle became an exciting event: car! car...car...car?....car... CAAAR....car...car...carr, car...caaaaaaaar....car.... needless to say, we have a congestion problem in Seattle.

Chicken country

Phillip (4) loves geography. He has maps, a globe, an atlas and a flash card game to test and improve his knowledge. After playing the US states flash cards, where he scored 42 out of 50 just by looking at the shape, he wanted me to show him the silly country on the globe. "Which silly country?" I ask. "The one with the silly name, the 'chicken country'." he says. I started "crawling" my memory, but nothing emerged. Phillip grew impatient, and started to spinn the globe. "Here, let me show you, this country, the orange one..." and he pointed at "Turkey".

Disgusting...

Anna (2 1/2) is ready to go to bed. Part of the daily routine, is a kiss to brother Phillip and a kiss to daddy. Looking at Phillip she performs a 1/1o th of a second kiss, and with the expression of just having bitten into a lemon: "Phillip is dirty!" True, he had some chocolate around his mouth - which would normally not be a problem - but today it was. Then a kiss to daddy, and I guess this was not good either: "Whaaaaah, yucky" !

Pebious George

Phillip & Anna love watching "Curious George", and for the longest time, Phillip called him "pebious George". We tried to tell Phillip that the monkey's name was "curious George" and not "pebious George". One morning, I watched it with them, and it started to dawn on me: it aired on PBS, and he called him "PBS George".

That was until recently, when my wife and I finally succeeded - and Phillip started using the monkey's real name. One evening, we watched the evening news, and the President was on, Phillip asks: "Who is this, dad?" - I say: "This is George W., our President." - Phillip asks: "Oh, is this Curious George?" watch on YouTube

Papa happy

Julius (2y) distributed half of the sand of his box over the terrace his father had just cleaned. His mother said, your father will not be happy. I will have to clean this later. He was concerned and his last words before falling asleep were "Maman nettoyer (cleans), Papa content".

Down under

When Phillip was 12 months old, we went skiing in Whistler. For his care and entertainment we hired a baby sitter. Many of them are Australian, and so was ours. When she came into the room for the first time, and spoke a few words, Phillip noticed the accent and immediately identified her, you are a "Wiggle".

NB: The Wiggles are an Australian group playing children's music. Very popular in the US.

Non-obedient parents

Little Anna (2 1/2) is very fond of chocolate. Just before dinner she requests "chocolate". Mom tells her that she can have some after dinner. Anna insists that she wants some chocolate now: "Mommy, I want some chocolate now, I said". - "Sweatheart, you first eat your dinner and then you can have some chocolate". Anna is quick to respond: "Mommy you are not listening!"

Pilgrims are born at Costco

Phillip came home from pre-school the other day, mentioning that his buddy Dennis was born at COSTCO (large warehouse retailer). Upon further questioning, he also mentioned that Dennis had told him, that he had walked thru every state, and that he is a pilgrim. Apparently, there was also a sex change involved - because Dennis said: "first I was a boy, then I became a girl, but now I am a boy again." We had no further questions.

The Bear

Phillip was just about 15 months, when we travelled to Europe. He only knew a few words, at the time, and bear was one of them. It also happened to be his favorite toy pet. During layover, in the waiting lounge at Copenhagen airport, he spotted an elegant lady in a long mink coat. His eyes sparkled, he hurried to the lady's seat, and volunteered a big hug around her in the fur. With closed eyes and the intensity of finding a lost love, "BEEEEAAAAR" !

My Orca...

Son Phillip (@ age 4): "Daddy, where are we going, when we fly to Europe?" I explained that we would be going to an island called "Mallorca". A few days later, our neighbor came over, and Phillip couldn't wait to break the news: "This summer we are going to my Dad's orca!"

Update: Phillip started to get the point that it is not his dad's orca. His latest opinion in the matter: "It's everybody's orca".

It's raining cats and dogs ...

Watch what you say ... yesterday, just about ready to leave the house for preschool, I told my 2 children that it was raining cats and dogs, and therefor they would have to wear rain coats. Anna (2 1/2), who is a little apprehensive of dogs these days, stood at the open door, looking up into the sky, looking back at me. "Anna is staying home, it's raining dogs!"

Mom: So where are we going today?

Phillip at age 2: I want to go to the museum of animals.