Shushi

Tonight after the boys got their hair cut, we visited Hong Kong [Super Buffet]. After walking into the lobby, observing the gated fountain with Big Bird standing in front, Julian paused and  exclaimed, "This place is AAAH-MAAA-ZZIIINGGG!!!"

Getting excited to go make their plates.

Adventurous is his middle name.

"This shushi is delicious!"

"I just want cake because I love cake."

They're already planning our next outing. Julian thinks we should go to Buca di Beppo, "It's in Italy and we went there for Thanksgiving. I got a meatball as big as my head!"

Snacks from Greece

To say the boys are obsessed with geography is an understatement. Their recitation of countries and states and capitals of countries and states gives me severe flashbacks of Mr. McGuire's AP History Class.

At any rate, their love for the world inspired me to sign them up for Universal Yums. A little package will arrive once a month with trivia and snacks from around the world.

Tonight, they received their first box. Snacks from Greece.

The boys tried every single snack from the box (maybe if I told them their dinner was from another country, they'd try everything on their plates). After the first taste of something "yucky," Kate bailed. She no longer trusted the snack box and stuck to drinking her "milky milk." The biggest hit was Oregano Pijarn chips. They killed the bag! Runner-up was apple-lime gummies!

They also got to read about hobgoblins. However, when asked who they'd rather have around at Christmas, they all still prefer Santa.

Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip

A girl orders black raspberry chocolate chip. She gets the sample spoon because it is "so cute and teeny tiny." She digs in with great fervor.

She can hardly stand the wait from cup to mouth. She's got that crazy look in her eyes.

Be thankful you are not black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream. No mercy is shown.

 "Well, that will give me nightmares." - The girl's dad.

Ummm.

Maybe referring to her as Monster and Creature has done some real damage.

One of her latest pieces of artwork.

Also, when playing dolls, she always makes me play Anna (naturally, she's Queen Elsa). Should I be scared?

The Funny One

At the movies with this bunch today. Paddington 2.

Last night Julian told me, “Mom, you’re really bad at iPads.” He also told me over the weekend that, “You do Netflix really wrong.” It’s all true. My 5 year old is better at technology than I am.

How I get so angry when I cannot operate my device!! I want to scream profanities, but I cannot, which makes me even angrier. “WHY, TABLET, MUST YOU RETURN TO THIS FREAKING SCREEN? I DID NOT ASK YOU TO GO TO THIS SCREEN. I JUST WANT TO READ A BOOK. WHERE ARE MY BOOKS STORED? WHY CAN I NOT TOUCH THE BOOK ICON AND BE TAKEN TO THE BOOKS? I SHOULD’VE JUST BOUGHT A DAMN BOOK.” Deep inhale. Slow exhale. Do not throw tablet. Do not throw tablet.

I wonder what it’ll be like as they (my children) get older, and I get even worse at technology. It’ll be like the time my Pappaw said, “Reckon how they got that big buck to go into the gym like that?” In response to an insurance commercial with a CGI deer. I’ll be Pappaw. They’ll be me, sniggering in the background. Julian won’t even snigger, he’ll openly mock me as he does now. He thinks he’s so funny.

He actually said to Doug that he considers himself to be the funny brother. "Jonas is the cute one, and I am the funny one," he says. What a riot!

A Story by Kate

"Once upon a time there was a little girl named Kate. Her best friend was named Mommy. Kate said, 'Mommy, let's make cupcakes! What do we need?' and Mommy said, 'Eggs!' 'Great job, Mommy.' Then Kate mixed the batter and baked the cupcakes.

Then we had to fight a dragon with swords. We rode horses with wings. Our friends helped us. Rainbow Dash and Becca and Tassa and my brothers.

Then we gave the dragon tacos and cupcakes and he was happy.

The end."

Jonas's Friend, Jack

You all know how much we love Halloween. And you know that we appreciate a good horror story. But friends, things are getting real at the Halloween House.

Jonas has a friend. His name is Jack. He is not a school friend. He sees him in the doorway and sometimes through the window. He goes to the trampoline with him.

Jack is a big boy. He's 16. He wears a green shirt.

Jack can clap his hands and make the lights turn dark blue. And sometimes when Jonas turns off the lights, Jack climbs up to the ceiling.

Y'all. I've survived bats and snakes, but I don't know if I can survive Jack. This might be the part in the movie where we get the hell out of dodge.