Kids Say (and Do) the Darndest Things

Sorry for the overused title, but it just fits. In fact, I'm holding a contest. In the comments, if you have a better title for this post let me know. The winner will get the satisfaction that comes from watching the title of this post change thanks to your input. Okay. Moving on....

Jenelle says a lot of great stuff. What follows is a collection of said stuff. And, while Meri doesn't say much, she does do this (and we're equal opportunity parents, for the most part):
1) On a walk about a month ago (Alisha walking and the girls in a stroller), Jenelle was holding a leaf. Like any good child, she went to take a bite. Alisha said: "Honey, I'm not sure that's a good idea. People don't eat leaves. Giraffes eat leaves."

Jenelle: "I a giraffe!"

Alisha: "You're a giraffe? Okay, what animal is Meri?"

Jenelle: "Umm... zebra."

Alisha: "And daddy?"

Jenelle: "Zebra too!"

Alisha: "And mommy?"

Jenelle: "Mommy? ...Mommy a elephant."

Alisha: "Thanks."

2) Jenelle is learning to say her prayers every night, which can often be humorous. One particular time she just got on a roll thanking Heavenly Father for things: "Thank you for my elmo, thank you for my blankie, thank you for my binkie, thank you for my daddy right here, thank you for my mommy right here, thank you for my nose, thank you for [cousin] Paige, thank you for Paige's nose...."

3) We have been teaching Jenelle about relationships and different names for some time. For example, Meri is Meredith, her sister, and mommy's daughter. As we were explaining these things one night, she thought for a while, looked at us seriously and said, "Daddy is my daddy and Mama's Cooper!"

4) Along those same lines, when she woke up from a nap one Saturday, she yelled (as she can't open her door by herself yet--or at least forgets that she can): "Dad! Da-da! Daddy! Cooper!!!" Though keep in mind she pronounced my name "Tooper," so it's always funny when she says that.

5) In church last week Meri was beginning to fuss a bunch, and Jenelle looked at her and said: "Whoa! She's goin' nuts!"

6) We drove up to Nana and Bopa's (Alisha's parents) house one night, and Nana's car was in the driveway. Jenelle said: "My car!"

Alisha: "No, I think it's Nana's car."

Jenelle: "It suuuuuure is!"

7) Alisha noticed today that the way Jenelle says the name "Meredith" makes it sound uncannily like "elephant." Yet both are fairly clear. Figure that one out.

8) Jenelle knows that when she's completely potty trained, we all get to go to the zoo. When reminded of this fact today she got a little mixed up, and said "I see animals go potty!"

9) She likes to feel like she's in control. So after we tell her things she tends to repeat them to us. A few days ago she reminded each of us in turn that we weren't to do peepees on Grammy's (my mom) couch or floor, and we weren't to do poopies in our panties. We promised. (And succeeded!)

10) About 473 (approximately) times a day she asks Alisha what she's doing, and upon finding out offers any number of responses. Here is one such exchange:

Jenelle: "What doing, Mama?"

Alisha: "I'm cleaning."

Jenelle (concerned): "Oh, I'm soooo sorry."

11) A short time ago she had a balloon from Applebees' sitting on the ceiling of our family room, and she couldn't reach the string. She jumped--still couldn't reach it. She stood on her rocking chair--still couldn't reach it. Then she looked all over the room for something to stand on to give her that last foot of height she needed. She found it: the remote control. We watched as she carefully put the clicker on the rocking chair, and then climbed on and stood on it. She was extremely disappointed when she still couldn't get it. Once we were able regain the strength in our legs after laughing so hard, we got it for her.

12) Jenelle was asking for music a few weeks ago in the car rather than listening to my sports talk all the time. Understandable. So I turned on the radio, and she kept telling me to change the station--only allowing me to rest on Gwen Stefani. That certainly wouldn't fly for long with me, so I put in a CD or two. She wasn't really impressed with Live, Edwin McCain, or Chris Daughtry. What she fell in deep love with was Jonny Lang. When I say "deep love," I mean that every time she got in the car thereafter for at least a month she would ask "Where Jonny Lang?" When I would say something like "Not right now, we're going to listen to the Blazer game!" she would get pretty upset, yelling "I want Jonny Lang! I want Jonny Lang!" Other than the Gwen Stefani speed bump, I like her taste.

13) Seeing as how Jonny only has one CD that I can listen to over and over and over. Even with that, I eventually had to try to get her hooked on something else. I moved on to Colors, and hit another bulls-eye. Of course I did their live CD first, which certainly helped. Although the best part about it is that at the end of every song, someone from Colors says "thank you" when the crowd cheers. So after every song, Jenelle yells "Thank you, Colors!" and "Yea Colors!"

14) Jenelle loves to dance. We have dance parties often in our house. If you ever come over, be aware that one may just break out, and you will be expected to participate. You heard me. Anyway, if this scenario ever does happen, don't be surprised to see Jenelle put her hand out and yell "Freeze!" When she does, you'd better freeze for at least 2.5 seconds, or there will be the devil to pay. Don't test it. Don't.

15) On one particularly cold Sunday after church, Alisha put on some warm, dark, striped socks on with her skirt to walk around the house. Jenelle said: "Mama, what doing?"

Alisha: "Just keeping my feet warm."

Jenelle (shaking her head and walking away): "Silly Mama. Silly socks."

16) Another gem from today (and perhaps my personal favorite), Alisha and the girls were watching one of the Planet Earth DVDs that Mom so nicely bought me for Father's Day. (By the way, if you haven't watched the Discovery Channel's Planet Earth mini-series, I highly recommend it. Pretty amazing stuff. And while we're on the Discovery Channel, can I just say that "Dirty Jobs" is perhaps my favorite TV show of all time? That's a blog for another time though.) This particular episode was "Fresh Water," and contained a scene of a crocodile surprising and snatching up a wildebeest slowed down to 1/40 speed. It's amazing. This was Jenelle's first time seeing it though, and she said: "Mama, what he doing?"

Alisha: "The crocodile is eating the wildebeest."

Jenelle (surprised): "He need timeout!"

That's right, young lady. If we ever catch you eating a live wildebeest you are soooooo grounded.
Life is fun.