~Slightly Braking Conversations~

While at Sesquicentennial Park today with my "intrepid" mountain-biker...

Eamon:  <after a mini wipeout on the bike>  "Ow. Ow.  I'm hurt."

Me:  "Are you bleeding?"

Eamon:  <with great disappointment after thoroughly checking himself over>  "Um, no.  Wait!  I just pulled a splinter out and now there is some!"

Me:  "Where?"

Eamon:  <triumphantly>  "On my finger!  See"

Me:  <squinting>  "Dude, that's the tiniest drop of blood I've ever seen."

Eamon:  "But it is blood."

Me:  "Get back on your bike."

10 minutes later...

Eamon:  <after obsessively checking his injury>  "Wow, I can't believe my wound has already quit bleeding!"

Me:  "That really didn't even qualify as an actual wound."

And then at every slight incline and/or turn on the trail...

Eamon:  "This is a big hill...  Ok, I'm slightly braking!  SLIGHTLY BRAKING!"

"Slightly braking" was our catch phrase of the day. ;)

Oh, and did I mention that we got lost?  Somehow the lake, which should have always been on our left, ended up... somewhere else!  After fording a raging... trickle of water that was too big to jump across while carrying a nine year old's bike, I ended up muddy and with my own bloody finger wound - worse than Eamon's I might add!  Near the end of our very own 45 minute death march we came across a big sandy hill/trail and Eamon shocked me by telling me he was going to drag his bike up it and then ride down.  He dragged the bike - and himself - up much further than I'd anticipated and then came pelting down, yelling, "SLIGHTLY BRAKING!" the whole way.  I probably should have told him beforehand that brakes really don't work on sand and pinestraw... Oops!  It was a spectacular wipeout at the end but I counted it as a win since he didn't end up in the ravine below.  Plus, no broken bike parts - or broken boy parts for that matter!  #winning!

~Conversations With Kids~

As one of our student helpers came up to the circulation desk, pushing a large cart and telling me he had to go retrieve materials for a teacher...

Student: <picks up a brand new copy of Critical Insights: The Slave Narrative>   "[mumble, mumble] ...taking this book...[mumble] outside."
Me:  "Wait, what?  Where are you going with that brand new book and why?"
Student:  "I have to get something for my teacher outside and I don't want the door to lock me out."
Me:  "And that has what to do with Critical Insights?"
Student:  "Well, I need something to prop the door open."
Me:  "And you were going to use our brand new library book for that?!"
Student:  "Well, yeah."

Yes, this is a much better use for the book 

than actually reading it... :P

~Past Conversations~

On our way to USC this morning...

Eamon:  <thoughtfully>  "I remember this place..."

Me:  "Well, I would hope so - we're downtown!"

Eamon:  "Yeah, I know.  <nostalgically>  I just like going to places from the past."

Me:  "From the past?!  We were just here last week!"

Eamon:  "Still..."

 

~Soup-er Conversations~

On the way to a friend's house for my highly-anticipated knitting lesson...

Eamon:  *sigh*  "I wish I'd brought a snack."

Me:  "What?!  You couldn't have thought about that before we left the house, which was 2 minutes ago?"

Eamon:  "No.  I wasn't hungry then."

Me:  "Well, of course not because you JUST HAD BREAKFAST!"

Eamon:  "I know but now I'm hungry."

After doing his best hungry-waif impression, thus scoring drinks and popcorn from Emily and Randy while I knitted, we finally made our way to a restaurant for lunch.  Apparently I did not exit the car quickly enough...

Eamon:  <whispering from the backseat>  "Food.  Fooooooood.  Food, food, foooood..."

Me:  "I'm going!  Give me a second to get out of the car."

While eating yummy won ton soup and drinking tasty Thai Iced Tea at Thailand on St. Andrews...

Eamon:  "This soup is so good!  And this tea is tasty.  I LOVE this soup!"  

Me:  "I'm glad you like it so much."  

Eamon:  "When I'm old enough to drive, I'm going to come here a lot of times."

Me:  "Sounds good to me."

As we were walking out with our leftovers...

Eamon:  "That soup was SO good!  I'm glad I have leftovers so I can have more of that really good soup.  I CAN'T WAIT until dinner!"

Me:  "You're already thinking about your next meal?!

Eamon:  Yep."

Mom's little walking appetite...  Would you be surprised if I told you that as we drove home, he was reading a cake-decorating manual? ;) 

 

~Plumbed Conversations~

The following is less of a conversation and more of a cautionary tale... 

Proud Mom Moment #236:  My son just invented yogic plumbing.  

While assisting Mark with installing a new flapper mechanism in the toilet tank, Eamon went into standing tree pose - on the rim of the open toilet seat - while holding plumbing accountrements inside the tank.  Although his yogic skills were good, his plumbing was not, prompting some instructional swear words from dad.  Try to contain your jealousy 'cuz these two are all mine. ;)  

~Masterful Conversations~

After this afternoon's ice skating adventure...

Eamon:  <gravely> "Well, I've mastered ice skating."

Me:  "Oh, really!?  You skated for an hour and now you're a master?"

Eamon:  "Well, yeah.  It's kind of like roller skating but that took me several days to master."

Me:  "Ok, look.  There are people who skate every day for years and some of those people could be considered masters and professionals but I don't think you skating for an hour [or less if you count the times we rested after the epic falls and tears] qualifies you as an ice skating master."

Eamon:  "But I skated on one foot."

Me:  *sigh*

How can you argue with "The Master?" ;)

~Be-GUY-ling Conversations~

While driving home from school and discussing the eagerly-anticipated upcoming Guys' Night...

Me:  "Oh, hey, actually I might not be going to my book club meeting tonight so can I join your Guys' Night?"

Eamon:  "Well, you'll have to ask Daddy and Rowan."

Me:  "What?!  Why...?"

Eamon:  "Well, Rowan had to get permission from Daddy to be a member of Guys' Night so I guess you do too."

Me:  <scoffing>  "Well, here's a little secret:  Daddy gets his permission from me so I say I'm in."

Eamon:  "I don't think so.  You have to pass the test like Rowan did.  Maybe you can ask her how she passed."

Me:  "Hmm, what characteristics do you, Rowan, and your Dad all have in common that would make you eligible for Guys' Night?  Not bathing regularly, inability to do laundry, and having to be told how to do everything...  Yeah, you're right - I'll totally fail the Guys' Night test!"

Whatever!  Girls are better anyway! ;)