~Backyard Conversations~

<While preparing for an early family Easter egg hunt>

Me: "Mark, you really need to go clean the yard [and remove all the 'presents' the dogs have left]."

Mark: <reluctantly> "Ok... Kids you're coming w/ me to help!"

Me: "Eamon, you heard your dad. Go help him look for poop."

Eamon: "Yessss!!! I can look for poop on my rock wall!!!"

Me: <trying not to laugh> "You mean you're going to stand on your rock wall playset and look for poop and tell your dad where it is?"

Eamon: "Yeah! This is going to be so cool!"

Hey, whatever gets him excited about this activity so he'll help is fine w/ me! ;)

~Conversations With Meema~

<While eating out a nearby outdoor shopping center>

Meema: "So what do you want to do today, Eamon?"

Eamon: "Go to the toy store!"

Meema: "Um, I don't know where that is. Let's go do something el..."

Eamon: "You can call mommy. She knows where it is."

Meema: "Oh, I don't want to bother her at work."

Eamon: "I know where it is. It's by a jewelry store."

Meema: "There are lots of jewelry stores here."

Eamon: "Well, we can look it up on the big maps they have."

Meema: "Oh, I guess you're right... <walks over to nearby map> Well, I don't see it on here..."

Eamon: "It's right there in the B section, see?"

Meema: "Oh. Well, I guess we're going to the toy store."

Moral of the story: Don't get in the way of a kid and his toy store! ;) 

~Spring Break Conversations~

<After a long day of work for me and a long day of spring break for Eamon>

Me: "Hey, buddy! Tell me all about your day! Did you have fun w/ Meema? What did you guys do?"

Eamon: "I'm thirsty."

Me: "Wow, not even a, 'Hi, mom, nice to see you. I had fun. How was your day'?"

Eamon: "Hi, mom. I'm thirsty."

~Ocean Conversations~

<While standing firm against the torrential [1 ft] waves at Kiawah Island>

Eamon: <in his best "This is Sparta!" voice> "THIS IS HOW TOUGH WE ARE!!!"

Me: "SPARTAAAAA!!!!!!"

Eamon: "Ok, we're not that tough."

~Hangman Conversations~

<Playing hangman on the way to the beach w/ Meema>

Meema: "Ok, seven letter word."

Eamon: "Is there an 'L'?"

Meema: "No!"

Eamon: "America!  Is the word America?!"

Meema: "...?!? Wha...?! How...?!"

Eamon: <big grin>

I guess that's what Meema gets for being a patriot: it's not hard to guess what word she picks for "hangman!" :)  

~Beach Trip Conversations~

<While trying to get in those last few Z's, I hear a knocking on the bedroom door...>

Mark: "Morning, buddy."

Eamon: "It's Sunday. Can I get on the computer?!"

Me: "Honey, no, we're going to be leaving for the beach shortly and we need to hurry."

Eamon: "Awww, but I'd rather play on the computer!"

Me: "You'd rather stay home all day and play on the computer than go to the beach w/ me and Meema?"

Eamon: "Yes."

<Mark, who was looking forward to having the house all to him self today, quickly put an end to that idea!>

~Driving Conversations~

Eamon: "Are we almost there?"

Me: "We should be there in about ten minutes."

Eamon: "Ok, I'll count the seconds... to myself." <I've finally trained him not to do it out loud!>

Me: "That's fine but you know that means counting 600 seconds."

Eamon: "What?! That'll take too long. I'm just going to count to a million instead."

Me: "Uhh, you know a million is bigger than 600 right?"

Eamon: "Yeah, but it will still take less time."

Me: "Ok, whatever."

Eamon: <no more than three minutes later> "Ok, I'm done counting to a million. How come we're still not there?!"

Me: "Are you sure you didn't count really fast? Or leave out numbers? Like a lot of numbers?"

Eamon: "No, I counted all the way to a million really slow like this: one... two... three..."

Me: "Ok, whatever."