Aubrey Plans a 2012 Yard Sale

As Aubrey and I walked Sharkles today, she informed me she'd like to hold a yard sale.  Today.

After I told her I'd already cleaned out the place and took big loads to the Good Will this month, she was disappointed. So I suggested we start planning one for next summer, setting aside a big box to put things in all year.

"That sounds great," she said. "I'm gonna be the manager."

Then she got to the heart of the issue: "And I'm gonna need a fanny pack."

At least she's got the important stuff figured out.

Birdiom

Last night I told Mick I'd killed a couple birds with one stone.

Dane overheard and shouted out, "Wow! Could you teach me to do that?"

Ode to Scrappy

"Mama, wouldn't it be great if we all lived in our van?" --Aubrey, age 9

(That's my girl!)

Word Nreds

I teased Dane the other day, so he turned to me and tried to make a menacing face as he said, "Do you want to feel the warth of Dane?"

"What was that?"

He cracked a smile and said, "Um, do you want to feel the, um, warth? of Dane?"

"You got that from a book, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah..."

"Nice try, buddy, but it's wrath!" I said, and we had a good laugh.

Later that day, I brought Aubrey home from softball practice and told her the story. She laughed, too. Then she said, "What a trud."

Oh my gosh. That gril kills me.

Dane Gets Fit

Dane: Today at recess, me and Nic ran around the playground 2 times and then did 15 pushups. Then we ran around it again and did 15 more pushups. Then we ran around it 2 more times and did knuckle pushups. We're going to do that every day.

Me: Wow. That's impressive. What made you decide to do all that?

Dane: Zoe P. beat me at arm wrestling.

Quote of the Day - Medical Advice

On our cruise, Dane had an ear infection and was given his first-ever pill-form antibiotics. He kept trying, but couldn't get one down.

Aubrey, who's never taken a pill, advised: Just pretend like you're swallowing your gum.

Dane: gulp.

Not only can he swallow pills now, but he can do it without water.

Not so sure how proud to be of this.

Cruise Quote of the Day

Aubrey defines the ship's casino after a walk-through: "Oh, that's where the rich people go to smoke."

Bud, Not Buddy and my buddy

"If I had to give a rating out of a thousand stars for Bud, Not Buddy, I'd give it a thousand. This is the best book I've ever read."

I love my boy. He's sensitive and insightful and says things like that when he's sitting around on the couch -- and he says things like that even after he's read the Percy Jackson series five times.


Here's what the book is about: A ten-year-old African American boy in 1930s Detroit who leaves foster care when he gets sick of being treated poorly. This is the story of his journey to find the man he believes is his real father, a renowned jazz musician, and how Bud deals with rejection, adventure, and his own sense of identity. It won the Newberry Award in 2000 and I love that a book with such big ideas spoke to Dane. I also love that there are writers like Christopher Paul Curtis out there.

Teaching Note: Dane chose this at the school library for his upcoming book report, which is supposed to be Historical Fiction, and he's supposed to create a diorama along with his written portion. He's already decided to depict a scene at a train station.

Blog Question: Would you have given a book a thousand stars when you were a kid? Which book(s)?

Feeling The Music

We got up early the other morning and walked to Puck's Donuts to get the dog some exercise (*wink wink*). While we were walking, the kids listened to their iPods. At one point, Dane turned to me and said, "Boy, Mom, I have to be careful when I'm walking with my iPod -- so I don't just bust out and start dancing."

Tucked In

Aubrey: When I hug Mommy I get sleepy.
Dane: Me, too...

Lights out.

Quotes of the Day

First one:

Mom, can we just stay home and read all day? -Dane and Aubrey, Friday morning.

Yup. They found my soft spot. Hopefully they have no idea how close I came to caving in. Picturing them curled up under blankets with books to their noses all day seemed very educational and inspired. I had to trust that their teachers had something even better in store for them - but sheesh!

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Second one:

Mom? You know what I like about Jude? [Kindergarten cousin] He's so cuddly. He just gives me the biggest hugs. Every time I see him at school - even if I'm going with my class in another direction - Jude just runs up to me and gives me the biggest hugs. I like that. -Dane, grade 3

And another one by Dane, from a couple months back, so you see a theme here:

Mom? You know what I like about Dominic? [my friend Jennie's 6th grade son] He always asks me how I'm doing. Like when I came over after a baseball game with my uniform on, he asked me if my team won... and how I played... I like that.

So, two cool things there: Dane has really wonderful boys in his life and he appreciates affection and kindness and can articulate it.

Book Sense: A Conversation with Dane

Dane: Mom, how's your book coming along?

Me: Uh, super slow. I think I want to give up on it. It's going nowhere.

Dane: I know a book you could write that would be easy!

Me: Really? [raise eyebrow] What?

Dane: Just write a Dictionary!

Word.

SCRUB FLUB

You know your housekeeping commitment is minimal when you're cleaning your bathtub tiles and your 8-year-old comes in and says "What are you DOing???" like she's never seen anything like it.

BOOK SENSE

Dane: Aubrey, you lost my spot! I was somewhere in the Prologue...

Aubrey: Prologues suck.



Oh dear... (But she's kind of right, isn't she?)

Such A Considerate Girl
Quote of the Day

Does anybody need to go to the bathroom? Because if anybody does, there is now a warm seat. I mean really warm.

-Aubrey Reynolds, age 7

Note: I should add here that I admire Aubrey - and Dane too. They say things like this and just slay me. And when I tell them I'd love to put their words or deeds on the blog, sometimes they jump all over it, sometimes they're embarrassed and beg me not to, and sometimes they're embarrassed but agree it's hilarious and tell me to go ahead. For the record, I never post anything they ask me not to - they're just so brave and confident, most everything's a go.

Beaver Cleaver meets Calvin and Hobbes

Mom, you know what I like about you? You're not as strict as Calvin's mom. When he does something bad, she sends him to his room.

-Dane, after burping at the dinner table

Aubarrhea

Dane, try saying diarrhea out loud... Doesn't it sound beautiful? -Aubrey, age 7

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