Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Code Talkers

Ok, I know not everyone thinks that me talking about the CHILDREN all the time is INTERESTING. However. That's essentially what my life entails now. Listening to the children.

For instance, last night Abby was in the bathtub and was chattering away while I sat in a chair with my feet on the edge of the tub and daydreamed while partially listening. Does that make me a bad listener? No it does not. I have learned how to half-listen while still thinking about other things and yet answering at the required junctures. Besides, half of the time, she's not even talking to me - she's talking to herself. (I have also learned to listen carefully while appearing to be entirely uninterested. This comes in handy with Riley, as she may be trying to slide something by me while trying to sucker daddy into it. However, that is neither here nor there).

Back on subject. Bathtub, Abby talking. All of the sudden, I realize that she's talking to ME. Usually I am quicker on the uptake than that, however, she kept saying "Mommy. Mommy. MOMMY." Oh right. That would be me. She has taken to calling me that and I sometimes am right on it with the answer, and sometimes I'm off somewhere in Halflistening-ville wondering who she's talking to. Hmm. Perhaps there's some perfecting to be done in the whole not totally listening arena.

Man, can I stay on task with a story or what? Wordy McTangent, reporting for duty. Ahem. The conversation:

Abby: "Our new pres-dent saw he sadow and now we have sits more weets til winter.
Amber: "Our new president...saddle...what?"
Abby: "No. Sadow. SADOW."
Amber: *thinking* "sadow...winter...A-HA"
Amber: "Our new president saw his shadow and now we have six more weeks of winter?"
Abby: "Yes"
Amber: "You mean the GROUNDHOG saw his shadow. And we have six more weeks until SPRING. It's winter right now."
Abby: "Oh. Yes, that's wha I mean. Groun-hog."

At which point I had to explain the whole shadow/groundhog thing and we both got pretty bored with it, so I decided to not even TRY to explain President's Day.

Another conversation:
Amber: "Did you sleep ok last night?"
Chris: "Not really. I kept waking up."
Amber: "Why?"
Chris: "SOMEone kept POKING me"
Amber: "Well, you were snoring all 'snooooorrrrkkkkkkxxxxxx' and I couldn't sleep"
Chris: "When we were first dating, you used to gently touch me to get me to stop."
Amber: "True. And I guess I also didn't sit bolt upright in the middle of the night and loudly say 'For the love of god. Blow your nose!' Do you think the romance is gone?"
Chris: "Probably."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

When we first got married my wife would slap my arm in three rapid successions, slap, slap, slap; slap, slap, slap! And then she'd say, "You're snoring," it hurt. So the next time she did it I slapped her just as hard on her arm and said, "Doesn't feel too good and that's not the way I like to be woken up. I'll gladly roll over, but don't ever slap me like that again." Second marriages are so much fun.

~Jef

The Ferryman said...

I wanted to hear about President's Day...

-J said...

"I have learned how to half-listen while still thinking about other things and yet answering at the required junctures. Besides, half of the time, she's not even talking to me - she's talking to herself."

The secret to all great relationships. ;-)

The Absurdist said...

Having not been a child for many years (at least physically), and not having any children, I can indeed say that I can't understand a damned word that comes out of any child that belongs to my friends or otherwise.

Can't we just teach them to spell earlier, or teach them charades or something?

Alice said...

HAAAA. if only that's how the primaries were determined.

Cheryl said...

I think you're doing well speaking small child...sometimes I wonder if the groundhog might not make a good president...ooops.

Marissa said...

hahahahaha! both these conversations are just classic!

that is so sweet she calls you 'mommy', by the way. it would make my heart melt.