It's Sumpthin

It was a few months ago when Max uttered the phrase "it's something" or "it's sump-thin" if you're speaking in Max dialect. I was getting him dressed one day when I noticed one of my favorite t-shirts of his was becoming too small. I said something along the lines of, "aw man, this shirt is getting too small." That's when he looked at me with the most puzzled look on his face and said, "it's sumpthin." Yep. He was right about that, it's sumpthin. 

He's continued to say this in different scenarios, including when we were out to eat recently. He ordered mac and cheese --- surprise surprise --- and they brought him out a fork instead of a spoon. Max typically manages a spoon easier than a fork, so Kirk told him he would request one when the waiter returned to our table. Max looked at Kirk and said, "it's sumpthin." Haha! It's turned into our family motto of sorts and we say it anytime life doesn't necessarily go our way, but it's still tolerable. The optimism is seriously appreciated, Max.

It's important to shrug your shoulders a little when saying it in order to get the full effect.

*half smile* "it's sumpthin" *shoulder shrug* 

Lyla & Max started playing school when we get home from school. <-- ironic. Lyla is typically the teacher and I was laughing as she started clapping her hands while announcing it was story time. Max followed her prompts and Lyla offered him a small snack as long as he promised to sit criss-cross-apple-sauce. It's a funny dynamic between them that I'm enjoying while it lasts. I can still remember playing school with my little brother and it was always so satisfying having him willingly obey my demands. I see the exact same behavior in my sweet Lyla girl. The big sister syndrome is fierce.

ALSO, Max's first soccer game was a success. We are so grateful of our good friend Kurt for coaching at last minute due to the YMCA slacking in the organizational department. Kurt did a great job of herding those little rascals in the right direction, not to mention the kiddos were so grateful of having a professional soccer player coach their game. :) If you haven't already viewed my amazing, academy nominated feature film, you can do so by clicking here -----> soccer video.

Charlie & Matilda

We recently introduced Lyla & Max to two new [old] movies and their initial interest has quickly transformed into an obsession. The past few weeks it has been the only thing they want to do following nap time. It's become our afternoon snuggle-session ritual, as they recover from the fog frequently caused by naps. We are generally able to hang out on the couch for half an hour before they become energizer bunnies again. Then it's not uncommon for them to make Kirk sit down for the remainder of the movie when he arrives home. The repetition of their movie choice can start feeling a little...blah. But if I've learned anything from being a parent, none of these phases last for long.

It all started with the original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory movie. Max was instantly infatuated with the main character, Charlie. He even insisted on wearing a red scarf, just as Charlie does in the movie. It was a bit confusing at first before I figured out he wanted the scarf to hang over the back of each shoulder, again, just as Charlie. Talk about attention to detail! He has also renamed the movie Golden Ticket. It's my favorite when he says it  --- "doh-den tih-tet." Lyla took interest in the character known as Varuca Salt, which has been just about as terrifying as you could imagine. Although she swears she is only pretending, I've still had to bring her back to reality a couple times.

I was able to find the movie Matilda at the library this week and it distracted them from the above mentioned movie. This was one of my childhood favorites and I've been thinking for awhile about how much they [especially Lyla] would enjoy it. Just as I thought, Lyla was captivated by the magic and intelligence portrayed by Matilda. Fortunately for me, Lyla forgot all about Varuca Salt and has since been acting as Matilda. This includes wearing a ribbon tied around her hair, bringing a stack of books to the dinner table, and focusing her vision on certain items very intently hoping to initiate some magic. 

It's been entertaining watching them act out scenes from each movie during their free time. I've enjoyed playing different roles as well, including Grandpa Joe and Principal Trunchbull. They are reluctant to stop playing pretend even when Mommy becomes bored of it, this includes continuing their games of fantasy in public places. The fun never stops for these two.