Robelisms

Originally, I was going to talk about all the reasons fairy and folktales rock. But on doing the laundry today I made a discovery that switched my blog topic entirely. The find involved my son and I decided he would be much more fun to talk about.

My son is the most interesting, goofiest, sometimes most indescribable person I've ever met. Each day it seems I discover something about him that makes me smile.

Unlike my daughter, Robel doesn't seek out the limelight. At least, not right away. But if he didn't get stage fright he could easily steal the show. Sure in this picture he looks like an average kid. As tempting as it was to show a picture of his funnier side (wearing a fuzzy blanket toga and posing as a Greek god) I've refrained. He would hate me posting a picture like that. And since he's at school and can't give me permission I'll honor his sensitive feelings. But it's really, really, hard.

While I was doing the laundry I realized that his new favorite shirt that he tried to wear 2 days in a row still had its price tag attached to it. This might not seem like a big deal. But it was tucked down inside his new M&M world t-shirt that he wore all day to school yesterday and then to basketball practice afterwards. Then he tried to wear it to school again today. He was excited to have a shirt that his sister brought back for him from overseas. So excited that he couldn't be bothered to take the price tag off. I had to laugh. Wouldn't that tag stuffed down inside his shirt have itched?

Last Friday when he finally got to go back to school again he brought a homework sheet back home with him. It was a project I know we've done at least one time before. He had to make up a record of his life from the age of one until now. Since we've done this kind of thing before and we don't either of us know much about his life before the age of three I let him work on this one mostly by himself. He decided to draw important events that he remembered from his life. I had to help him with his three-year-old square. The facts for the events of that year were both tragic for him and simple. He became an orphan. From that point on the story got happier for both of us. We found each other. For the years one and two he simply put "I don't know." It was an honest answer to the question. Most people can't remember their life at one or two years of age. I told him we at least knew where he lived and with who. But he told me he didn't remember that and I wasn't there, so really "I don't know," summed it up. Nuff said.

When I was taking him to cross country practice a couple of months ago we had a fascinating conversation about ducks. This naturally led to a story idea involving an inept wizard showing off and a duck, which led to giggles for both of us that continued for days afterward whenever one of us would look at the other and quack.

Those are just a few of the Robel moments that I've gotten to enjoy in the almost five years now since I brought this little miracle home with me.

I could continue in this vein all day long. It still wouldn't convey the wonders that are Robel. But here are just a few of my favorite Robelisms that I've recorded over the last few years:

For things that are hot he used to say, "Oooh it's shot."

When faced with a conundrum Robel would hold up his index finger and say, "I have a good idea." Though sometimes he couldn't really explain what that was.

Movies used to be called janoovies, and the interstate used to be the interstreet.

Once when we ordered pizza for late night supper and then went off to do errands while we waited for it to be ready he asked, "Are we going back to Papa Long Johns now to get our pizza? I'm starving." (For those not familiar with the pizza chain he meant Papa Johns).

One of the shows we often like to watch together on TV is "Dancing with the Stars." But I like his title for the show better. While cutting out spiced, sugar cookies during a commercial break he told me, "Okay, I'm going to go back to watching Dancing in the Clouds now."

The other day he was figuring up how many tablespoons of hot cocoa his dad would need to add to the milk to make our dessert of hot chocolate. "If he's using three cups of milk then dad needs to add six tablespoons of cocoa. Or you could say 2+2+2, because that is what 3x2 is." This led to even more ways you can come up with the number six in a math sentence. I love this kid.

What about you? Who are some of  the favorite people in your life who make you smile? Post some of the sayings or things they've done to make you laugh.