1. Chip (6) and Mickey (3) run around the basement like maniacs for 30 minutes playing tag, during which Mick gets 52 drinks of water. Mick walks up to me, all seriousness, and says, “Mommy, my belly is full of water. I feel it in there. My heart is red. But I think it’s gonna be pink in a minute.”
2. Chip learns someone he loves is in the hospital for some quick tests because she felt sick. He worries about the tests (for chest pains), and asks, “Can she go home after the tests? What if she needs to get her bone fixed?”
3. Chip asks me if he can play a video game, and I say no. He protests. I say, “You’re 6 years old. You have the rest of your life to play video games.” He yells at me, ”Then I’m never going to get to the next level!”
4. Mick: ”My heart is pink now, Mom.”
5. Chip falls off the coffee table, where he should not have been sitting, as we’re coloring. He knocks over a giant tub of crayons. I give him a wary look, then say, “Can you pick up the crayons, please?” He starts crying, saying through his sobs, “Mom! You should have cared more about me! I hurt my arm! All you care about is the crayons!”
6. Best of all, these. Mick’s very first words of the day: “You’re the best mommy. I love you, Mommy.” Chip, as he’s trotting down the driveway to the bus this morning, ”I love you! I’ll miss you! Stay at the door! I’ll wave to you when I get on the bus!” (Who was crying all morning? You guessed it.)
