Daddy Blog: Mommy in the Mountains

Mommy has been at the mountains today (ladies conference at the Wilds) so it's just been Daddy and the kids. Everyone has survived the day with nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. Here are a couple of quotes:
Chlo (after a few bites of her PB sandwich): Daddy, is there crunchy peanut butter on here?
Me: Oh sorry, Chlo. I forgot you like crunchy.
Chlo: Mommy doesn't forget. She doesn't forget because she's a mommy.

(After giving me a tight hug at bedtime)
Chlo: I gave you a big, big hug, Daddy. It was a special present for you because we had such a fun day!

Daddy Blog: Tricycle Tragedy

I can still see her desperate face screaming in slow motion, "Daddy, noooooooooooo!!"  I had placed Chloe on the porch and Eli by the fence so that I could watch them as I backed the van out of the driveway to make room for shooting hoops.  Unfortunately the trike that was directly behind the van did not receive the same care.  I heard Chlo's scream right about the same time I heard a strange crunch and scraping sound.  I hopped out to survey the damage.  It wasn't pretty.  But Chloe sweetly and gamely tried to ride the trike afterwards.  She could only go in circles and the trike would occasionally tip over.  I think I should probably buy the girl a new trike.

Daddy Blog: If, Then Logic

It always warms a parents' heart when their child learns new social skills.  Like the art of blackmail.  Drawing some kind of connection between the themes of the previous post and the previous post before that, Chlo now announces to me, "Daddy, if you say, 'Wolfpack is stinky,' then you can win!"

Daddy Blog: Divided House Indeed...

More like stacked house.  Chloe announces to me often in a sing-song voice, "Wolfpack is stinky!  Tarheels is good!"  Wonder where she got those ideas...

Daddy Blog: The Race Home

Having to take two cars to church on Sunday evening (Terri has choir practice) has led to a "race" home after service.  Chloe has decided to abandon her Daddy allegiance in favor of girl allegiance and cheers vigorously for Mommy to win.  Chloe holds this position even when she is riding with me.  She has decided not only that Mommy should win, but that Daddy shouldn't win.  "Daddy,"  she says, "Don't win.  You aren't supposed to win."  Another time she counseled me, "The Lord doesn't want you to win."  She has also chided me, "Daddy, Mommy is a very nice Mommy.  Don't win!"  She has even led her brother astray with her rubbish.  In the past Eli would shout through the windshield for Mommy to get out of the way, but now chimes in, "Don't win, Daddy!"

Daddy Blog: Positive Reinforcement

I had just returned from my PE exam review class.

Chloe:  "Were you a good boy at school, Daddy?"

Me:  "Yep!  I was a good boy!"

Chloe:  grabs my arm "Thank you, Daddy.  Thank you for being a good boy at school." Gives me a big neck hug

Daddy Blog: Sweet Lunch Maker

Wormy was sweet enough to help me make my lunch this morning before work.  She threw away trash for me and helped with the agonizing lunch decisions.  Chlo was worried about my first choice: "I don't like sandwiches."  But then she brightened, "But Mommy likes sandwiches."  Next I opened the pantry and wondered aloud, "Let's see, what else...?"  Chloe helpfully offered, "Chocolate chips, Daddy?"  I decided instead on potato chips which seemed to please Chlo.  She then instructed me, "Just eat all of them," nodding her head with her ultra-serious look.  Next was the fruit.  She again applauded my selection as I plopped two oranges into my bag.

Pretty soon I'll be able to hand her my lunch bag and she'll make it for me.  The extra benefit of that arrangement would be lunches heavy on chocolate chips.

Daddy Blog: Not Ready for TYDTW Day

Daddy: "Are you going to work with Daddy?"

Chlo:  "No.  I might be boring."

Daddy's Blog: Color Commentary

A sampling from Chlo's commentary from the UVA-Carolina game today.

"I watch football!  I watch football with Daddy!" 

"Football he has football....he throwed it!"

"He runnin!  He runnin!"

"Uh-oh!  He didn't mean to."

"He caught football.  Good catch!"

"He fall down."

"He fall down again."

QB scrambles and throws the ball away:

"He did it!"

Noticing the Carolina logo:

"Go Heels, go!"

Noticing the State logo during the advertisement for next week's coverage:

"Go Wolfpack!"

Daddy Blog: Home Sweet Home

I'm thankful to have a wife that so sweetly cares for our family.  I'm vividly reminded of this when playing Chloe's favorite new game, House.  Friday night we set up Chlo's Little Pink House and a little blue tent that was "Eli's house" in Chloe's room.  We all had a great time entering and leaving and ringing door bells and sheltering from the storms.  Chloe had a little more fun when E was napping and she didn't have someone trying to knock down her walls.  This afternoon while playing House, Wormy wiggled out of her house announcing that I needed lunch and then returned carrying a bowl of plastic french fries.  I asked if Chloe wanted lunch and she said that she didn't...it was just for Daddy.  As I was enjoying my fries, Chlo left to "make Daddy's coffee" and returned with a nice, hot, invisible cup ("Be careful, Daddy.  Don't spill.  It's hot.").  After I had finished slurping down my coffee, Chlo told me, "I need to go to gym."  She then sternly assured me, "I be right back.  Don't cry, Daddy."  And with a kiss to my cheek, she left the house to go "runnin' and jumpin'".  After returning and taking her shower, which was apparently very cold, she ran many other errands, mostly buying milk at the store.  Each time I was instructed to stay inside.  I was finally rewarded with a trip to the park where we had fun sliding down the living room chair and swinging on pillows.

Daddy Blog: Wormy's Words

After a storm had passed and I was taking Chlo back to bed

"Bye rainin'!  Bye thunder!  Bye lightnin'!  Thanks for coming!"

Daddy Blog: The Secret of the Favorite Colors

Remember this?  We had assumed that Chlo had randomly assigned our favorite colors without any order or logic involved.  We should have known better.  Chloe, Eli and I were polishing off our homemade cinnamon rolls on the front porch when Wormy pointed to her rocker and said, "Co-ee's favorite color is pink!"  Next she pointed to Eli's rocker (which happened to be blue) and said, "Eli's favorite color is blue!"  Then she pointed to the adult-sized rocker and announced, "Mommy's favorite color is white!"  And lastly she pointed to me and the (red) swing I was sitting in and yelled, "Daddy's favorite color is red!"

makes sense now