shopping with Jack

Shopaholics warning: material may make you cry with discomfort!

Because we live so far from "suburbia", shopping isn't a thing we do for fun... it's something we just do.

Driving down to the Valley (think: Target, WalMart, Costco) takes 1 1/2 hours. One way. Between Nap and Bed is squeezed Driving and Shopping.

Putting words like "Squeezed" and "Shopping" together may drive some of you madly uncomfortable.

Kinda like wearing shoes or pants that are too tight.

When we shop, we follow "The List".

Now some of you are really squirming... relax. Jack's about to learn the word "Browse".

With Catherine's birthday approaching, Erik and I agreed that I would dash away to shop at Target and Michael's with the boys while he followed "The List" and hit Costco with the girls.

Here are some of the conversations Jack and I had on our shopping spree:

Scene:
strolling up and down the aisles, trying to find some sweet, thoughtful things for Catherine's day


Heard:
Jack: Mom, we are LOST.
Mama: No, Jack, we are browsing.

Heard:
Mama: Jack, what do you think Catherine would enjoy for her birthday?
Jack: RACE-TARS! (racecars)
Mama: Jack, would you like race cars for your birthday?
Jack: yes!
Mama: Let's think about what Catherine would like for HER birthday.
Jack (pauses, thinking): MOTORCYCLES!

Heard:
Jack: Is that for me?
Mama: No, this is for Catherine's birthday.
Jack: Is THAT for me?
Mama: No, this is for Catherine's birthday.
Jack: I don't WANT Taf-frin's birf-day. I want MY birf-day!

Heard:
Jack: Maybe we get Taf-frin some princesses for her birf-day.

something to say

Scene: Dinner Friday nights at the Chalet. Afterward, Catherine loves to volunteer with the students to washup. She knows how to dry and where to put away the dishes. Later, we're reading Alligator Alphabet, in which "D" is a picture of a little boy alligator "Doing Dishes." He face indicates that he is disgusted with his job.

Heard:

Catherine: "Why is the alligator so upset about washing dishes?"

Scene: Camille, eyes just opened from her nap (is her brain even booted up yet?)

Heard: "I am soooooo excited about our baby, Mom!"

Scene: Rocking and singing to Jack before his nap. He keeps popping his head up.

Heard:

Sarah: Jack, it's nap time. Do you want Mom to put you in your crib now or sing you a song?

Jack: Sing song. (puts head back down, passes out.)

Scene: graduation week; our kids see and meet other children visiting on campus, including Eva (2.5 years old).

Heard:

Camille: (also 2.5, leans down, putting hands on her knees to look petite Eva in the eyes, and smiles)

Jack: (1.5, walks over to little Eva with arms extended to hug her and croons): "Baa-by!"

Scene: returning home Sunday morning, seeing the mysterious message "QSTGJMP" typed in the "google search" box on our desktop computer.

Heard:

Catherine (from the living room):"Mom! There's a chipmunk in our house!!"

Looks like the little chipmunk tried his hands (and feet) at typing by running across our keyboard. Erik kindly showed him to the door.

new things

Scene: Camille, learning new words related to money, like "Coin" and "Penny," sometimes creates her own.

Heard: "Look, Mom, I found a Coiny!"

Scene: Camille has been identifying herself in terms of her family lately. In a world of many people, she seems content and secure in linking herself to her family members.

Heard: (Camille's prayer at breakfast) "Sank You for my mama, my daddy, my Caf-ren (translation: Catherine), my JackJack. A-men!"

Scene: Catherine has been diving into a new world: board games, card games, coloring, and crafts. Some lingo from these new experiences has showed up in our regular conversations.

Heard:

Sarah - "Catherine, we're out of raisins over here. Do you have any more you could pass us?"

Catherine - "No, Mama. Go Fish." (smiles)

Scene: Jack has been communicating for a long while now... we just haven't been able to translate most of it. And then one day, he busts out with this line, which we heard coming from his crib.

Heard: "Mamagetdown?" (Literal translation: Mama, get down? Meaning: Mama, I'm awake. Can you get me out of my crib now?)

photos of Camille responding to Erik

- who I think was roaring like a lion -

Christmas Day, 2010

one in a ca-mille-ion

Scene: bedtime. Erik and I have been singing hymns together to the kids each night.

Heard:

Camille: "Sing Je-Pa-i-All?"

It took a second for us to work out the translation, but eventually we got it... Camille was asking us to sing "Jesus Paid it All"

Scene: bedtime, tuck-in

Heard:

Camille: "Good night, Mama and Daddy. I love you. Sweet dreams." (who's the nurturing 'Mama' now?)

Scene: skype chat with my mom, Marlit. Camille plays in the other room.

Heard:

Marlit: "I just want to eat Camille up!"

Camille: "No, Grandmar! Don't eat me!"

Scene: playtime with Camille

Heard:

Sarah: "Camille, you're so... adorable!"

Camille: "No, Mama! I'm Mimi!"

our little darlings

Scene: Catherine, walking down the dirt path leading to our house.

Heard: Catherine, stumbling and landing in bushes (after which Catherine gracefully picks herself up and, without saying a word, takes a bow!)

Scene: any average day out for the Snyders

Heard: (strangers, observing Catherine and Camille) Ohhh, are they twins?

Scene: After carrying luggage up to the car for our Colorado Springs trip, Sarah returns to the kitchen; Jack seems to have disappeared!

Heard: muffled sounds coming from...?? (Ahah! Jack is discovered!)

Scene: Camille, in the surfing/skating restaurant "Wahoo's" with Sarah, observes a poster of a surfer ripping through the center of a wave.

Heard: Mama, I want to swim like that! (This coming from our extreme Camille, is no surprise!)

Scene: our family, sharing dinner with a student and parent. Our guests ask Catherine what her middle name is.

Heard: (Sarah prompting Catherine) Mom and Dad often call you "Catherine." What other name do we call you sometime?

Catherine (looking thoughtful, as if trying to remember): "Darling?"

Summer Lovin'

Scene: Catherine and Camille, playing with our friend Christy on the floor

Heard:

Christy: How old are you, Catherine?

Catherine: Three.

Christy: How old are you, Camille?

Camille: Six.

Scene: over breakfast, the organized, goal-oriented Camille talks to Dad about the day

Heard:

Camille: Fimming? (Are we going swimming today?) After supper? Bathe-suit, Dad? Teacher. Kick feet! Noodle. Fish. Baby pool.

Scene: Catherine, hardly a day over three, walking from our house to Ravencrest Chalet, looking for the summer interns.

Heard:

Catherine: Where's Jake? Where's my boyfriend? I miss him.

Mom (thinks: boyfriend!?!) says: What do you like about Jake, Catherine?

Catherine: He plays with me and he LISTENS to me. (Wow...This little woman already appreciates being listened to.)

Scene: shortly after Catherine's third birthday (the age we said she could start chewing gum occasionally.

Heard:

Catherine: I can have gum now, Mom?

Mom: On a special occasion, Catherine.

Catherine: Mom..... is it a special occasion?

Saturation

Scene: our family, driving down Route 66

Heard:

Erik- Catherine, mom and dad want to talk to each other right now. Why don't you talk to Mimi? You can say how pretty her hair looks and ask her how she did it.

Catherine- (quiet for a second) Hey, Mimi... How's your hair doin'?

Scene: our family in eating dinner at Noodles in Boulder, home to Colorado University. Guy students fill the table next to us.

Heard:

Mimi- Hey!! (smiles hugely and points to her chest) Mimi! (as in, "Hey Guys!! My name's Mimi!") The guys engage with Camille and Camille laughs her charming laugh.

Guy Student - She's got the greatest laugh!

Scene: Camille playing with Jack on the floor

Heard:

Sarah - Careful of Jack's fingers, Meems.

Camille - Surrie (Sorry). (Hugs Jack). Her, Jack (Here, Jack). (pops Jack's paci in to his mouth)

Scene: sitting on living room couch with Catherine, who wants to discuss my wedding ring

Heard:

Sarah - Catherine, maybe you'll have a wedding ring on your finger someday when a guy asks you to marry him.

Catherine - Daddy's a guy. I could marry Daddy!

Scene: telling Catherine and Camille about our new friend Carly who was in an accident nearly seven years ago

Heard:

Catherine - Talk some more about Carly, Mom

Sarah describes Carly, ending with - "She needed help, so an ambulance came and took her to the hospital."

Catherine - "We can help Carly, Mom!!"

Camille - "Mimi... hep!" (I can help!)

Scene and Heard

Scene:

outside with the kids

Heard:

Sarah - "Camille, take the rock out of your mouth, please"

Catherine - "But Mom, Christy has rocks in her tummy!"

(referring to our friend Christy's gallstones)

* * * * *

Scene:

breakfast table

Heard:

Sarah- "One more bite, Catherine, and we'll give you a 'Hip, Hip, Hurray!'"

Catherine (a swallow later) - "Ok, Mom. How 'bout a Hippy Array?"

(I chuckled picturing an array of hippies.)

* * * * *

Scene:

Camille eating the peach smoothie I made yesterday afternoon

Heard:

Camille - "Tay-oooh, Mama!" (Thank you, Mama) X 15

(I guess she really likes peaches)

Colorado Girl

Scene: Catherine, looking at the South Carolina live oak trees draped with moss
Heard: Mama, are those ICICLES hanging from those trees?

Scene: Catherine, looking at the horses on the plantation
Heard: Woah! Look at all those elk!!

Scene: Catherine, standing on two long strips of black magnets she pulled off of GrandMar's refrigerator
Heard: Hey, Mom. I'm going skiing.

Scene: (while we were still in Colorado) Catherine, stripped down to pure nakedness
Heard:
Sarah - Catherine, you need to put your clothes back on. It's still cold here in Colorado.
Catherine - But it's warm in SOUTH CAROLINA!

Scene and Heard

Scene: the first Wednesday morning into the spring term. Erik is welcoming the students who will be a part of our "Family Group" for the next eight weeks.

Heard:

Erik: "We enjoy having you into our home. Our kids will want to be with you. You are welcome here anytime you'd like to stop by - after class, on the weekends... only preferably not after nine o'clock because that's when we got to bed these days."

Guy Student: "Cool! So what time do you guys eat dinner??"

Scene: Catherine holding a string from one of our window blinds.

Heard:
"Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height!!" (Still on the Mary Poppins kick from last week.)

Scene: Erik playing a motocross game on the computer. Catherine and Camille watch, cheering over virtual victories.

Heard:
(a thud as Erik's guy crashes)

Camille: Oh, no!!

Scene: Sarah tucking Catherine into sleep at night

Heard:

Sarah: "I had a great day with you, Catherine. I'm looking forward to playing with you again tomorrow."

Catherine: "Aww. Thanks, mom!" (Made me wonder who was tucking whom in bed!)

Scene: Out for a walk with the family. The path bends into shadows and turns icy.
Heard:
Camille - "CareoohMamma!" (Careful, Mama!)


Scene: Catherine and Mom sitting on the couch reading; Daddy walks by.

Heard:
"Hey, Catherine. Whatcha doing?"
"Hey, Dad. Just hanging out."

Scene and Heard

Scene: Catherine, alone on the porch, with nothing but a spoon in hand, talking to herself

Heard: "Mmm, Rum Punch!" (Ladies and Gentleman, may I introduce Mary Catherine Poppins?)

Scene: Catherine and Camille trying to get down the icy path to our house

Heard: "Here, Mimi. Hold my hand." She helps her down the steps. "Careful, it's icy here."

Scene: Mama trying to get (pull, tug) Catherine's too-tight pullover over her head.

Heard: muffled, from somewhere within the pullover, "Where IS my? Where IS MY?"

(Translation: Where am I?! or Get me out of here!!)

Scene: Catherine talking to mama

Heard: "Jack Mama's boeh?" (if the last word was German, there would be an umlaut over the "o")

"Yes, Catherine, Jack is mama's boy." I interpret.

"My can't say zat word. My try!"

(Interpretation: I can't say that word, and I'm even trying!)