conversations with kids

One of my favorite parts of parenting is the hilarious conversations.
Here are a few from lately:

Scene: Laying in between kids last night as they fell asleep. The room is dark (thanks to the blackout fabric my friend gave us- after all it is 7 hours before darkness sets in) and the kids are almost asleep. Charlie goes under the covers, something he often does to fall asleep and suddenly says:

C: "Mommy, quick look, look now."

Me: "ahhhh at what?" Of course my mind is racing, what can be so important under the covers.

C: My legs. There is more hairs on my legs, I really AM growing up.

Scene: Yesterday afternoon. We were sitting on the couch reading all the library books we just check out. In one book a few animals came to the door and a little boy answered. Charlie turned to me.

C: Mommy would you be scared if a T-rex knocked on our door.

Me: Uh, yeh. I would

C: I would save you Mommy, I would.

Kate: (just waking up from nap, out of it and not totally following the conversation) No I would.

C: We could both save mommy from a t-rex at the door.

K: (suddenly looking terrified and pissed) NO

C:YES

K: No

This went on for a minute or two, yelling inches from each other yes, no, yes, no. Meanwhile my dad comes upstairs to do something in the kitchen. I wonder what he must be thinking as I sit back and let my kids have a screaming match. But really what can I do. Charlie wants to save me. Kate wants to save me, Charlie suggests they save me together, and she doesn't like the idea.

Finally it dawns on me that she is more mad than scared.

K: NOOOOOO, I too scared.

Scene: Today after getting back from our day at the pool in palo alto, the kids found the cookies I bought at the store, which I usually hide. They each got two, and Charlie was finishing up his last one.

C: Are there more, or is this it.

Me: (Once again lying) Oh that is all we had. Don't tell Daddy, you know he loves cookies, he will be sad to know they are all gone.

C: I am going to save this cookie for when daddy comes home.

Me: Ahh Charlie that is so sweet.

C: And then when he gets home, I am going to show him what I have and eat it all up in front of him.

Me: Oh....

Scene: Charlie has been compromised. He has strayed from gnome-fairy-forest play, and has found spiderman, ironman, and "bad guys" I, of course, am heart-broken yet healing, and learning to accept him for who he is.....a boy who loves "bad guys"

Me: Charlie sing me that new song you were singing at nursery school.

Char: skinny ma-dinky dinky dee, skinny ma dinky doo....I LOVE...BAD GUYS...

Me: Aren't you supposed to say, I LOVE YOU!

Charlie: I do Love you. And I Love bad guys. But I never ever ever want a bad guy to kill you mommy.

Me: Oh thanks, that makes it better.

Scene: Driving home today after spending hours in the nice hot sun poolside. We are driving on 280 coming up to 92, where our wonderful bank of fog awaits us as usual.

Charlie: Look mommy, it is winter over there.

Me: No, Charlie that is hmb.

If I could freeze time and have Kate and Charlie be this age forever I would. Do I love the moments where I am trying to make dinner and they are jumping off furniture onto piles of pillows? Not so much. But my heart melts when I ask charlie to stop doing something potentially dangerous and he looks up at me with his gorgeous smile and says NO. How can I be made at him?

And can I really get mad at Kate, little Kate, who might turn to me in front of people I am getting to know or complete strangers and say, "YOU ARE BAD, MOMMY"

I would freeze time if I could, so that Charlie would always crawl into my laps at 4 everyday to read piles upon piles of books.

I would freeze time if I could so that Kate would always want to rest her cheek on mine. I know all of her freckles. Really I do. The splattering of them across her nose and cheeks, the tiny patch that makes a triangle on her forehead. Her perfect little lips, whispy curls, sassy strut.