Gracie
As she was carving her pumpkin, she started to worry that it wasn't turning out how she had expected. She turns to Eric and says, "I don't want my pumpkin to look weak!"
Ethan was being a typical big brother and by typical, I mean annoying. Gracie was about to lose it on him, so I told Ethan that he better cool it or he will have to deal with her. Gracie then turns to Ethan and with clenched teeth mutters, "I will take you down, Ethan!" He suddenly knew what was good for him and backed off.
Laundry day in our house seems to double the usual amount of whining. When I told Gracie it was time to put her clothes away, she immediately burst into tears and started to fight me on it. Ethan pipes up with, "I hate doing laundry too, but you don't see me break out into tears. I want to, but I'm holding it in." Gracie's reply, " Sometimes crying makes me feel better." Before she could finish her sentence she was already laughing which made Ethan crack up too. Crazy kids!
One morning Eric made Gracie a bowl of cereal. As he was getting food for Ethan and Lexie, Gracie finished her bowl and asked for seconds. Eric told her that she would have to wait until he got the other two situated. Once he was done with them, he turns to ask Gracie what she would like. She gets up, puts her cereal bowl in the sink and calmly says, "You wasted all of my time. I'm not hungry anymore."
One morning as
Eric was scolding one kid he said, "Don't .. Stop".....
Gracie picks her head up from her cereal bowl and belts out
..."believing! Hold on to the feeling!" She's a Journey fan, there's no doubt about it.
While we were in Myrtle Beach, we decided to take a break from the beach and just lounge in our room, mainly to get us out of the sun for a moment and the little ones needed a nap. Gracie was upset so I told that she just needed to just chill. She pretty much shoots down my suggestion with, "Chilling isn't my thing!"
Ethan was quizzing Gracie into guessing what the missing word is from a sentence. He says, " Now guess the word. It starts with a D. You give me......" As fast as lighting, Gracie says, "Diarrhea!!" We all start laughing because when it comes to the letter D, we now know that Gracie automatically thinks of diarrhea. It was dessert! He wanted her to bring the dessert.
Ethan
As I was driving around one day, I happened to glance in the rear view mirror and see my two oldest smacking each other. Being the mom, I yell out the typical things that moms yell out when they are trying to gain control while being too far within reach. Those are the moments when I really wish I was the mom from The Incredibles. Anyway, after my usual suggestions, threats and bribery I finally resorted to, "I am your mother! Please don't make me hurt you!!" Ethan pipes up from the back seat, "Sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love!" and continues to fight with his sister.
Eric and Ethan spotted a father playing catch with his son in the front of their house. Eric, who loves baseball, suggested that it looked like a lot of fun and something they should be doing too. Ethan, who doesn't seem to get into baseball anymore, very stiffly announces, "That is your opinion and not mine!"
Eric and I took the older two to the movies one day as a treat. We were about to buy some goodies at the snack bar when Eric reminded Ethan that candy was a not an option. He justifies his answer with, " No candy because you guys go crazy with sugar!" and Ethan says so innocently, "Really?? Because I thought I just get awesome." I got the kid candy. How could you not with that sarcastic humor?!
I can't really remember what Ethan had done, but he was in trouble for some reason and I was giving him a lecture. When I asked him why on earth he did whatever he did, he gave me the best possible explanation. "Well we all make mistakes, don't we?" As a parent what do you say to that? Ugh...yeah I guess you're right. The conversation ended right there. He obviously got the point.
One night at bed time, as Ethan and I were snuggling in his bed, I told Ethan that he was growing up too fast. I told him that it wasn't fair because I wasn't ready to let him grow up. He excitedly tells me that all we need is fairy dust like they use in Peter Pan. I tell him that I'm not sure how we can get to Never Never land to get it. He pipes up, "I will ask the Tooth Fairy for some. All fairies must have the same dust!" His innocent mind makes it all that much harder to accept how fast the years are flying by.
This was taken earlier in the day, but it's so cute that I had to include it. 
