can I get that in writing?

Our twins attend a wonderful school that emphasizes the 4 R's: Respect, Responsibility, Relationships, and Recognition. Every month there is a "Recognition Assembly" where the teachers award students for their efforts, contributions, good citizenship, etc. Even the staff and volunteers receive awards. When Taylor first came to the school she received a "Certificate of Appreciation - in recognition of your contribution to making Connaught a wonderful school!" She has also received the "Helping Hands Award" for volunteering in the school library. This year Mitchell was awarded a certificate after receiving enough "stickers" for things ranging from soccer to attendance, and "math master" to "attitude award." I think it's wonderful that people feel recognized and appreciated.

Today Mike brought home to show us an award that he received at work. It is a glass "trophy" - a la People's Choice Award - a curved glass piece with a carved wave across the slanted top and with the words etched on it: "Exceptional Service Award In recognition of your contribution to CSC" (Correctional Services of Canada)

Taylor's response was: "You get those kinds of things for awards? We just get a piece of paper!" I feel somehow that she has missed the message.

gingerbread houses are good for a laugh

One of our Christmas traditions is to make a gingerbread house. Not the Martha Stewart kind, just the one in the package from the grocery store. We have never had any problems with them in the past, but this year it did not work out so good. The icing seemed really thick, even after following the instructions to warm it with your hands to soften it. It was really hard to apply; thick lines, thin lines, nothing seemed to work well. And when we added decorations to the door, and over the door, they sloooowly sliiiiid down the walls. We decided to add candies to decorate the roof while it was flat on the table. Once they seemed well stuck, I added the icing and had each child hold half of the roof on, waiting til the icing hardened. But it didn't seem to matter, they still sliiiid down. It was pretty funny! The kids were not upset; we joked that it would be easier for Santa to get in, rather than go down the chimney.

Later when my husband came home from work Mitchell said, "Daddy, you have to go look in the dining room at our gingerbread house!" When Mike asked him why he said "I can't tell you. You have to go laugh for yourself!"

he is full of it!

Mitchell is almost 8 years old and curious about "swear words." He is very interested in these lovely words that he is not supposed to use but other people sometimes do - not us of course, but some people. We tell him they are rude, or inappropriate; that people can be offended by them. We even tried a friend's approach, saying that people use swear words when they are not smart enough to think of something else to say. He also wants to know what they mean exactly... but they are often not easy to explain. And of course sometimes he tries one out, probably just to see what kind of reaction he gets. So today, when he was being silly, I rolled my eyes at him, and he said very matter-of-factly "I know. I'm made of shit." I wasn't angry with him for saying it; we figure too much of a reaction will increase the likelihood of hearing it again. But I was taken aback and not quite sure what he meant. I just looked at him for a minute, until it hit me: "Ahhhhh, you mean 'I'm full of shit!'"

what's in his underwear?

My twins were helping me put clothes in the washing machine yesterday. I was explaining to them how we sort clothes by colour, and how I have to check the clothes for stains, and check the pockets for "treasures", before I put them in the wash. So they were carefully examining each piece of clothing for signs of stains and checking pockets, when suddenly Taylor held up a pair of Mike's boxer-briefs and said "Look, Daddy has a pocket in the front of his underwear!"

my son is a city-boy

We have recently returned from our summer vacation visitng family in Nova Scotia. One day while driving from the cottage to town, Mitchell noticed a farm up on a hill. He surprised us when he asked incredulously "Why is there a house on that farm?" Of course living in Ottawa the "farm" that he has visited most frequently is the Central Experiment Farm - which, although a working farm, is a research facility and museum, not a family farm with a family home. He's such a city-boy!

where should you sit at a concert?

My mother was born and raised in Cape Breton, so I was very excited to see, for the first time, Natalie MacMaster, the phenomenal Cape Breton fiddler, in concert, at the Bluefest, last weekend. We got to Lebreton Flats a few minutes after the show started and were trying to find a spot to set up our lawn chairs when I got frustrated because we were so far back, and I couldn’t find a spot where no one was standing in front of us. Mitchell got frustrated with me and made this impatient remark: “Mommy, we don’t need to see. It’s a concert - we just need to listen!” Oh, yeah! Wait 'til you’re a teenager: no front-row tickets at rock concerts for you, Buddy.

who is the Prime Minister?

My kids watch the occasional movie or kids’ show on TV but they don’t watch the news, so they haven’t seen the latest brouhaha around Barack Obama’s statements about the Cambridge Police. However, at the time of his election they did learn about Barack Obama being the first black President of the United States. So I was not surprised when Mitchell was working on his art project with Taylor and named one of the characters Barack Obama. But I was surprised when Mike asked Mitchell, “Do you know who the Prime Minister of Canada is?” and Mitchell’s answer was: “George Washington??”