merry christmas

ralph: police malidod! police malidod!  i wanna wish you a merry christmas...

cecelia: i am just SO excited to go to winsconsin, i just can't wait!  i wanna go right now!
lionel: yeah!  we can just leave right now and drive for eight hours and dad can run to catch up with us!
mom: no, we can't leave without dad.  we would miss him so much over the holidays!
lionel: yeah... like his church weekend. (sweet boy!)

cecelia: there are actually people who don't believe in santa!
mom: why, on earth, would you NOT believe in santa?
cecelia: mmmmm... i dunno.  lainey and caroline don't.
mom: you know what i say?  if you don't believe in santa, he doesn't come to visit.
cecelia: yeah!  they say that parents buy the presents and eat the cookies and move the elf.
mom: there is no reason for us to buy you presents.  you know we would NEVER buy the things santa brings you.
cecelia: yeah.  like you would NEVER buy me a camera or an ipod.
mom: :)

meet your date

mom: a lunar eclipse happens every 19 years, the next lunar eclipse will be in 19 years.
cecelia: what?  what's 19 + 8?
mom: 27
cecelia: ugh!  what?!?!??
mom: i was 27 when i met your dad.
cecelia: so... i'll meet my date on the next lunar eclipse?  i'm really glad to be eight on this lunar eclipse!
lionel: i'll be like 18.
cecelia: no you won't!  you'll be like 25.
lionel: i'll be driving.
cecelia: you drive when you're like 16.  you meet your date when you're like 18!

ralph: (singing) lovely lady recipe... with her book of leprosy!

mema: lionel, do you want to go to chicago this summer?
lionel: how long will i be gone?
mema: about 2 days.
lionel: i can't be gone that long.

k-pro

ralph: is there a game with wickeds in it?
dad: wickets
lionel: what are they?
dad: the wires you push the ball under in croquet.
ralph: in that game, k-pro, what are the wickeds, again?
(it's croquet)

cecelia: green is the most popular color.
mom: it's because you were the first to like it so much, before you loved black.
dad: you've loved black for quite some time, now.
lionel: I love orange, red, and blue... in that order.
ralph: MY favorite colors are indigo and turquoise!

misc.

at the friendship club parish luncheon, ralph and i were the only ones under the age of 65.  ralph was charming the folks with his antics and his angelic smile while they all oooed and aaaahed. he scrambled up his chair, across my table place, onto my lap and whispered in my ear, "what are all these old people doing here?"

lionel won a trophy in a chess tournament today, even though the rest of the chess club had been playing since kindergarten, and it consisted of 1, 2, 3rd grades.  he skipped it a 'go-see-it' badge in cub scouts in order to play in the tournament.  you should have SEEN his face all lit up!

lately, cecelia and lainey have been struggling with the pressures of 3rd grade girls and have grown distant.  last night, i brought lainey home from school with us and the girls did their homework together, snacked together, played together.  at bedtime, cecelia and i were sitting on the couch chatting about the day and she was telling me how great it was to hang out with lainey and how they had gotten past their differences.  she became DEAD serious, looked at me, and said, "NOTHING will break our friendship, mom.  nothing will break our friendship."  and looked away, deep in thought.  *sigh* i remember those days!

prayers

cecelia and i were saying our usual nighttime prayers: thanks for... please help.... i love you, God! i give less and less guidance as the kids get older and start to understand and take over on their own.  tonight:

mom: (please help) oh!  and the inmates in leavenworth
cecelia: what?
mom: inmates... in leavenworth.
cecelia: oh, okay.  and the inmates in lemonora...

ps.
ralph cleaned his room today!

christmas lists

today was scheduled down to the second from 440AM until 8PM.  it went off without a hitch, thanks, in part, to patrick watching our kids after school.  when i got home, i was greeted by ralph, "cecelia, lionel, and caroline are upstairs playing chest!"  (chess)

lionel: today is opposite day, and i'm NOT playing!
ralph: inka binka bottle of ink, pull the plug and you stink!  i mean i stink!  hee hee, i don't really stink...

ralph's christmas list: baby zip with a nuk and a diaper, batman mighty beans, a lego box, and a fan.