Election Hearsay from the Backseat

I'm thinking Tony and I are going to need to do a much better job teaching the boys about sex than we have about politics if the conversation in the back of the car today is any indication...

James' friend Sean upon seeing an Elizabeth Warren sign: "I do NOT want Elizabeth Warden to win".

James: Why? Do you want Obama to win?"

Johnny" "Right, because he needs to beat Scott Brown".

Sean: " I DO want Obama to win." (starts "Four More Years" chant. My boys join in. I feel pride.). "But I don't want Warden to win. And besides, that's a TOTALLY different contest. Warden is running against Scott Brown for the Massachusetts US Senate" (at this point I start thinking that his parents are doing a way better job than me teaching their son about politics)

And then he continues and I suddenly feel much better... "It's not Brown that's the bad guy! Romney is the one who wants to get rid of Cartoon Network!"

James and Johnny both, voices tinged in fear: "WHAT?"

Johnny (now completely irate at the thought of his beloved network gone): "WHO would want to get rid of Cartoon Network? WHY would he do that? But it has the BEST shows! He couldn't really, could he?"

Sean: "I don't know, but that's what Gabe told us, so it must be true."

Johnny: "But some kids make mistakes sometimes, at least a lot of the kids in my class except me do, so maybe he's wrong." (Now I'm both wondering where my son's "god complex" came from and thinking I'm going to hear a concerned "really, mom? Is it true?")

Nope...

James: "Yea, let's ask (classmate) Brendan on Monday. He'll DEFINITELY know".

Get Your Signs Right Dad...

Just in case you think we will ever get away with anything in this house...

Tony was looking at the new issue of Rolling Stone the other day, and he turned it around for James to see from across the room.



I could hear them talking about the picture. "Dad. That is a lot of tattoos. Do they come off when he takes a bath? They don't come off? At all? Ever? Even after a few weeks?" 
Humored, I kept cleaning. James went back to playing on the iPad.

Then Tony held it up again and pointed towards Ross' left arm. "Hey James, look, do you think he likes the Red Sox?"

James glanced up for 2 seconds and went back to the iPad. Matter-of factly he said  "Dad, that isn't a Red Sox sign. It's a Bentley sign".

Close up. I still don't know how he does it. The kid is good.



Wordless Wednesday: Love this Post X-Mas Tradition



a.m.





p.m.



Moment of Truth Monday

Johnny, 6, asked if he could do the schedule for this week.

He thoroughly went through his week with everything important he had to do. When it was my turn, he helped me figure out what my week would look like.

Looking at my sparse duties for the week, I asked if we should add some chores.

He gave me that condescending look he perfected at age 4 and replied "um, Mom, you don't really DO any chores".

Preserving Arts and Craps

I've been feeling nostalgic since Johnny finished Kindergarten last week, and have been thinking about all the things I'm going to miss as he gets older. 

I'm not sure why it is hitting me so hard, I never felt this way with James.  It could be (and I really hope this is not the case) that a lot of the cute things James did got lost in our memories b/c we were so focused on his progress and therapies, or maybe because Kindergarten lasted 2 years and we were emotionally ready for 1st grade by that point.

It might be that because James didn't speak until later on, and then couldn't verbalize thoughts or ideas at that age, so these Johnny-isms seemed the funniest things we had ever heard. It could be that I wasn't on Facebook and didn't keep a journal (which I totally regret!), so I didn't have the chance to look back and relive those moments.

Or, it could just be that I know I'll never have another Kindergartner in the house (unless he is left on our doorstep!).

Whatever the reason, I keep going back to some images and reminders of things Johnny has said and done, trying to preserve them clearly so I don't lose them like I lose everything else in that black hole I call my memory.

So, more for me than you, here are some of my favorite comments and status updates from the past 2 years:

Favorite Johnny-isms

 "Coughateria", "Chopped lips", "Arts and Craps" and things that "blow in the dark".

Fluffy and Kitty School Moments
- Playing Candyland w/ Johnny and his stuffed kitty. Fluffy is winning.


Fluffy at Kitty School



Kitty school is growing.
Each student has a desk, chair, pencil and eraser.

- It's Dance Party hour at kitty school. Johnny started a "Justin Beaver" chant. 

-There are about 25 stuffed animals in line to see the Vet. I think we have a kitty flu outbreak over here...

Johnny being Johnny

- Johnny: "Mom, how do you spell right?" me: "you mean like take a right at the light?" Johnny: "no, like when you tell your mommy something new that she's never heard of before, ever, and your mommy looks at you and says 'you know, you're right and you are very smart to think that' "



Johnny Multi-tasking

- Johnny just wrote his name in Australian. It is upside down...

- Teacher asked Johnny this morning what he wants to do when he grows up. His response: "I want to do everything, except be a priest".

- My favorite part of today was Johnny sitting down on the steps of the State House and singing "I'm just a Bill, yeah, I'm only a Bill, and I'm sittin here on Capitol Hill" (From the day we went to the State House to support the Autism Insurance Reform Act)

- Johnny Drama just came in the kitchen crying that he really hurt his leg. "What happened?" "I fell! ouch! It hurts!" "what did you fall off of? The couch?"
"NO! OUCH! The FLOOR!"

- Johnny started crying while changing into his pajamas. "Johnny, what's wrong, are you OK?" I yelled running from the kitchen.  "NO!  I got a rug burn putting the pajama pants over my knee!"

-Overheard Johnny talking to his new friend on the playground --
Johnny (in excited, squeaky voice): "Greg! We have exactly the same stuffed animal!"
Greg (confused): "You have a stuffed butterfly too?"
Johnny: "No, I have a gray kitty. But Greg (now using his serious teacher voice) you know why I said we have the exact same animal? Greg, wait. Do you LOVE your butterfly VERY MUCH?"
Greg: "YES!"
Johnny (excited again): "I LOVE my Fluffy VERY MUCH TOO! That is why I said we have the exact same stuffed animal!!"

-OMG, I just looked in the living room and Johnny is dancing to "DJ got us Falling in Love" - on roller skates!

 - Johnny saw something about Cupid and asked who he was, I told him that there was a story that people who got hit with Cupid's arrow fell in love with the person they were with. he said " OH, That is what happened! I got hit with Cupid's arrow when I met Kaydence!" (a girl he became good friends with in his pre-school class 2 yrs ago ;)

Johnny to James on the way to swimming lessons. "Wait, did you say "heart" or "hard"? Was it "heart" like "she stole my heart?"

- Johnny told Tony tonight he believes in God. And Fairies.
Religious Education successfully completed in the Macchi household.

- Johnny: "MOM! There is a BULLY on bus 3-5-9! We don't have a bully on our bus. The cooties come every few weeks though, so that is bad!"


Johnny's been playing with his new file cabinet all day.
I'm waiting for him to start calling the keys "my precious"...



- kids are playing fetch. Johnny is the dog as usual.

James: "someone said the 'S' word on the bus today."
Johnny: "was it the 'upid' or the 'uck' one?

- Umm, Johnny just told me he hears voices in his head that nobody else can hear. I'm wondering if I should take the File Cabinet of Fun story more seriously...;)

- Johnny just said "Mom, life keeps getting gooder".

And the moment that makes me appreciate "Johnny being Johnny" more than any other and realize I have a lifetime of these to come:
- Just watched Johnny lead James all the way around the pool club by the hand to show him where our chairs were. Possibly the sweetest thing I've ever seen.