The difference between 9 and 7

[In the car tonight]

Maddy: Mom, remember that time when our car was breaking down, and you were kind of freaking out? [She's right, I did...not my finest mommy moment!]

Me: Yes, I remember. I should have handled that better. I'm sorry for scaring you.

Noah: Yeah, Mom, you scared her halfway out of her skin!

Maddy: Actually, I think it was only about 1/3.

{This proves that not only does she like to be precisely right, she also has mad fraction skillz.}

The difference between 7 and 4

Noah: Jack, guess which superhero I am…

Jack: Uh, I don't know.

Noah: He's a DC Comics hero.

Jack: What's DC?

Noah: It's the people who make some of the characters. You know, like Spiderman is Marvel?

Jack: [blank stare]

Noah: Okay, here's another hint, he's the leader of Robin.

Jack: Robin!

Noah: No, he's the *leader* of Robin. Not the *answer* is Robin.

Jack: You mean Robin?

Noah: Uhhhhh! Okay, he has a foe named Joker.

Jack: What does "foe" mean?

Noah: "Foe" means someone who's bad and versus the good guy. {Can he verb the word "versus"?}

Jack: Oh, Joker!

Noah: No, his *foe* is Joker. Not the *answer* is Joker!

Jack: It's Joker!

Noah: Come on, Jack, he's the leader of Robin, he has a foe named Joker, and he's active at night.

Jack: You mean Robin's active at night? Or Joker's active at night.

Noah: Jack, his name starts with Bat and ends with Man.

Jack: Ummm….Joker!

Noah: No, it's Cat Woman, come on! {He's obviously inherited his daddy's sarcasm!}

Jack: Oh, Cat Woman! That's what I thought!

Noah: Uhhhhh! Jack, it's not Cat Woman. Is she the leader of Robin? No. He has pointy ears like this…boom!

Jack: Cat Woman!

Noah: HE, Jack, HE has pointy ears! Cat Woman is a SHE, not a HE! Here, I'll show you this action figure that looks like him…[holds up Batman figure] See?

Jack: OH, you mean Batman?!

Noah: Yes! You got it right, Jack! Great job!

Noah’s 7th Birthday

Oh they crack me up

Noah: (arriving to visit at Memaw's house, very sweetly) Memaw, I'm not going to waste my time watching a movie while I'm here...I'm going to waste my time talking to you!

**********************************************************************************

Jack: ("reading" an instruction manual for the DVD player) So, first we have to compare and contrast...

**********************************************************************************

Jack: (inspecting the phone carefully) This phone says 2 + 2. How funny is that? (with perfect inflection!)

Me: What?

Jack: The phone. How funny is that?

**********************************************************************************

Jack: This map says we have to go 15 cybermeters. You're driving. Have a nice trip.

Aliens and Pirates

If one soccer picture is good, 47 are better...

After last weekend's rain-out, the boys were excited about their first games this weekend. After 75 degree weather late in the week, we were fuh-reeeeee-zing in 40 degree weather for the game! Noah's team, the Royals (which he kept calling the Blue Jackets, because last year he was yellow and they were the Yellow Jackets), played a great game at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. No one really keeps score, but we definitely held our own and Noah enjoyed it more than ANY game last season, mostly because he was the smallest kid last year and now he's at least average, so he actually had a chance. Both of their practices have been rained out, so they had never actually practiced together. And he was asked to play goalie, which he had never done before! He let a couple slip by him, as he was more concerned with stomping the pile of mud in the goal than paying attention. This is right after the other team scored on him and he took the cheers of the other team's parents very personally, which, along with his size, build, and non-existent inherited athleticism, does not bode well for his athletic future...

But he recovered and made a couple of great saves before his rotation was up!

As you can see, he was pretty proud of his overall first outing as the Royal goal-keeper!

And let's not forget the supportive brother, who lovingly froze his buns off to watch and cheer for his hero. A McGriddle and Hi-C orange bribe doesn't hurt...

The devoted daddy was even there! He went into work super-early so he could come to the game and cheer on his boy. Four days before the tax deadline. He's such a good daddy!

While Jack did actually pay attention to some of the game, he also spent a good deal of time watching the clouds float by and telling very complicated (and mostly unintelligible through the snot and insanity) tales of what each one was. He requested we capture this one on film for some very important reason. Like it was fluffy. And moving across the sky. You know, a cloud.

I'm not sure who the other kid is, but throughout the game, Noah took his soccer cues from him. I guess he looked like he knew what he was doing. Because I have never seen Noah "at the ready" before. Last year, he seriously was the kid picking dandylions off the field. When he wasn't busy asking if it was snacktime yet. I'm so proud to see him actually playing soccer and not just playing.

I guess he realized that he's not going to win on his athleticism alone, so he felt compelled to talk some trash to the other team. Actually, I think he was saying hi to a friend on the other team. But talking trash sounds much more sport-ish.

And at the end of the game, win or lose, there's nothing like a hug from your biggest little fan.

School pictures {aka Teenager Blackmail}

Happy (almost) Birthday, Noah!

**My camera battery died, so most of these are pulled from the video, which is why they look a little "off"...I could obviously use some photography/video editing tips**

**Also, there are LOTS of pictures here, mostly for grandparents, but also because I LOVE THIS CHILD. And there's a recipe hidden in there somewhere, so it might be worth your time to look through this massive pile of CUTENESS!**

We had Noah's birthday party on Tuesday night so he could take 4 friends to Pump It Up. He had a big party there last year (for "the big 5") but we're only doing "big" (read: expensive) parties for birthdays 5 & 10. He REALLY wanted to go to Pump It Up again, so we compromised with just going to open playtime and only taking 4 friends (plus Maddy & Jack), and having the pizza and cake at home beforehand. And since he wanted Justice League (Batman/Superman) for the 4th year in a row, we already had all of the leftover party supplies!

Noah explaining how Martian Manhunter can control people with his mind...
Mmmm....love that WM pizza
Raise your hands if you're greasy!!

Mom, just let me eat!
I made "The Best Chocolate Sheetcake. Ever." a few weeks ago, because I am pregnant and crave chocolate and baked goods all. the. time. Actually I made it for a belated Valentine's dinner for Jared. And then gave at least half of it away because I could. not. stop. eating. It was a big hit and when I asked Noah what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he surprised me by asking for this one. He is NOT a sweet-eater, but this cake is THAT good. And it's basically no-fail, proven by the fact that I have made it twice and it was good both times! Do NOT make this cake if you are NOT okay with gaining a pound or six. It has...drum roll, please...3 and 3/4 sticks of butter! No wonder it's tasty!! By the way, the decorations are some year-old Superman sugar thingies, and yellow sugar-crystal Batman symbol, which Noah requested about 10 minutes before the party, so if you're not impressed, don't feel bad! Also, the bumpy things are nuts in the icing. I kind of did half-and-half in case the kids didn't like them, but they could not have cared less. They were just fighting over the year-old sugar lumps. Yuck-O.Admiring his cake...
You're never too old to have Mommy wipe the pizza off your face...
Candle-blowing attempt #1...
He couldn't quit getting tickled everytime he took a big breath...
...so I spared you the 4 or 5 breaths it took to get to the ACTUAL candle blowing out...
Finally...
SUCCESS!!
You can't go wrong with Star Wars Transformers
This picture looks JUST like my brother David! I think we have a picture of him exactly like this somewhere. I need to do some photo comparison one of these days.
And you also can't go wrong with Transformer spy gear.
He's obviously very disappointed with these Legos, as well.
...and so he stops to explain something very important...
...and then listens as his friends share their own Lego wisdom.
Ha! Of course I won't let my brother get his hands on my Transformer secret listening device tomorrow and chew through the earpiece...oh wait, that's EXACTLY what will happen...
This way to Pump It Up! Let's go!