Noodle Etiquette

Setting: Max, Emma, and Dad are sitting down to eat some leftover spaghetti for dinner. Dad takes a forkful and stuffs it in his mouth, sucking the straggling pieces in.

Emma: "Dad! That is not how a gentleman eats spaghetti."

She proceeds to demonstrate the proper twirling technique with the fork and noodles.

They're listening too

Setting: Max's teacher has the kids draw something next to their name on every homework assignment. In the spirit of the season, Max drew a ghost. This one can hear your screams.

Praiseworthy

Setting: Max has just finished singing in his first school concert in 1st grade. He had a one line solo singing part as well.

Dad: "Max you did a great job singing tonight."
Max: "Thanks."
Emma: "What about me? Didn't I do a great job as the audience?!"

Dia De Los Muertos

Setting: Max and Emma are watching Handy Manny on TV (Disney cartoon about a handyman that speaks both English and Spanish). The subject this episode was Halloween as well as the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) honoring people who have passed away.

Max: "I don't want Omi (Grandma) to die. I like her!"
Emma: "Oh Max, don't worry. Omi is too young to die. She has to be old like Oma (Great Grandma, still alive at 93) before she can die."

Jill Of All Trades

Setting: So yesterday was another blustery day. The realtor sign came completely unhinged...again. Today was wet and snowy and Dad decided to let the realtors deal with getting it put back on more securely. Then he saw this...


The sign was on the ground and she managed to get it back on both hooks while standing on an upside-down blue plastic pail.

The Halloweeners

Setting: Max and Em are sitting next to the pumpkins they designed. Emma's is smiling. Max's has sharp teeth!

Haunted Halloween

Setting: Dad attempts to take a picture of the dynamic duo in costume. Someone...or something...interferes.

Hard work

Setting: Max and Emma had spent a good hour or more drawing on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. The next day Dad was beginning to clean again for another house showing.

Dad: "Max Em, I might have to wash the driveway off tomorrow for the house showing, ok?"
Max/Em (simultaneously): "No!!!"
Dad: "Well, maybe I'll call the realtor tomorrow and see what she says."
Emma: "Yeah, you call her. Tell her I did hard work on that."

Emma's



Max's (New Mouse City which includes Mois Ilind, Mois Mexico, etc.)

Barack Obama

Setting: Max, Emma, and Dad are riding in the car. Radio is not on and it is two days before the election.

Max: "Dad...I think I like Barack Obama."
Dad: "Oh really... Why is that, Max?"
Max: "Because when he taxes gasoline...we'll get more windmills for Iowa."

Note: Max has actually seen the "windmill farms" in Iowa.