Then I had a baby and started staying home. And discovered it’s not quite as much fun without a group of people around you to “interact” with. (Let’s be honest, I’m competitive and like joining the bracket pools. It’s not as much fun when you’re the only one filling out the bracket.) But, the one advantage to not working is that I can watch ALL The games on Thursday and Friday! So, I started taking it upon myself to train up our children well.  The picture below  is Will’s first NCAA Tournament, back in 2004.

Six years later, it was time. This week I helped Will fill out his first NCAA Bracket.  This has created some fun and funny moments.

While filling it out, he picked Wisconsin (4) over Wofford (12) “because that’s where Laura and Mary lived in Little House in the Big Woods.” As we worked our way down the list, he also picked Missouri (10) over Clemson (7) because Laura and Mary later moved or traveled through Missouri (I don’t remember).

We had fun watching a few games yesterday and we’re going to watch Purdue today. (He picked them to go to the Final Four–even after I told them their best player is hurt and no one expects them to do well.)  Alex watched a bit with us and at one point said “Mommy, the game is over when they start jumping on each other, right?”  Can you tell we had an exciting day of buzzer beaters? He was sad when Butler won that they didn’t jump on each other.

At the end of the day (well, yesterday), Will was beating me in the bracket, by 1 selection. We’ll see how it’s going by the end of the weekend.

He wasn’t very happy at first. He does NOT like being cold and undressing him always makes him unhappy.

Once he got in the water though, he really did calm down. And that’s not a tear drop but a water drop on his cheek. He enjoyed the rest of his bath.

Then I took him out and he wasn’t very happy again.  But he was fine once he got dressed–and then he was awake for the longest stretch of the afternoon yet.

Will–answered April 18, 2008

What are you good at doing? Sharing, playing football with my brother, building train tracks 
If you had ten dollars, how would you spend it? A toy–a toy dump truck like my backhoe
What are you afraid of?  scary monsters and my shadow, but sometimes I’m not
Who are your friends? Preschool: Madi, Emma, and Garrett and at church: Davis and Lucus and Ethan 
What is important to you? Sharing
What is your favorite book? Trains
What is your favorite food? psaghetti and meatballs and cheese pizza
What is your favorite thing about school? playtime
What is your favorite thing to do? play at preschool
How do you show your family you love them? by hugging
What do you want to be when you grow up? a firefighter
Why? because Alex wants to be one too
What are you thankful for? my friends
Tell me something about God. Um….nope, I don’t know anything about God. Umm…he loves me and protects me (ok, so that got some prompting from Mommy)

Will–answered Oct. 6, 2009

What are you good at doing? playing basketball outside, playing Carcassone, doing the out of space puzzle at school, soccer 
If you had ten dollars, how would you spend it?  Put it in my piggy bank and  save it for later, maybe I could buy something! A few little cars.
What are you afraid of?  scary dreams
Who are your friends? Ethan & Issac (neighbors), Church: Ethan B.
What is important to you? Being fair
What is your favorite book? Train book I got at the school libarary.
What is your favorite food? cheese pizza and pepperoine pizza
What is your favorite thing about school? gym class, free time when I can do the outer space puzzle
What is your favorite thing to do? ‘nuggling you
How do you show your family you love them? by hugging
What do you want to be when you grow up? a NASCAR Driver
Why? I just want to
What are you thankful for? Mommy & Daddy, Alex
Tell me something about God. He loves us.

And to include younger brother, here are Alex’s answers  (asked April, 2008 when he was not quite 2 and a half, some are blank because I guess I didn’t think he’d understand them):

What are you good at doing? playing with piano bench.
If you had ten dollars, how would you spend it? I wan money! Wan money! (So we changed the topic) 
What are you afraid of?  
Who are your friends?  No
What is important to you?  Mommy, Daddy, Will
What is your favorite book? Goodnight Moon (Mommy assumes)
What is your favorite food? hot dog and peanut butter and jelly
What is your favorite thing about school? 
What is your favorite thing to do? 
How do you show your family you love them?
What do you want to be when you grow up? a firefighter
Why?  ‘cause I do
What are you thankful for?  Cars and trucks
Tell me something about God. Nope

Alex, Answered Oct. 6, 2009

What are you good at doing? Playing, ‘nuggling You
If you had ten dollars, how would you spend it? By getting a few toys like a tractor, a car and a tow truck and a few, 3 cars
What are you afraid of?  Scary dreams and lions and bears
Who are your friends? Ethan & Isaac, Preschool: Andrew, Church:
Isaac S.
What is important to you? You (Mommy)
What is your favorite book? Bob the Builder & Clifford
What is your favorite food? Chili 
 What is your favorite thing about school? Recess
What is your favorite thing to do? Play here at home
How do you show your family you love them? by ‘nuggling them
What do you want to be when you grow up? a firefighter
Why? because that’s fun, When I’m 8 or 9 I’ll play baseball and tennis
What are you thankful for? toys
Tell me something about God. He loves us.

A(3.5yr): 2?

W: no

A: 5

W: no

A: 7

W: No, count to 10 and then count 10 more.

A: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 — 61?

W: No, 10 plus 10 is 20.

A: Oh, right!

Will: Yes, you’ve had it before.

Alex: Well I didn’t eat it.

So, we ran to the store Thursday looking for cupcakes. And they didn’t have any!!! Until, our ever helpful Alex said “here they are, Mommy!” and pointed to the newest trend, cupcake cakes. No idea what I’m talking about?

See, it’s made of cupcakes–just clumped together to look like something. And they were green!

So I gave in and got them. After we’d gotten it, we found the other cupcakes (on the OTHER side of the display, of course!). Turns out they would only be a dollar or two cheaper to get 2 packages for his class, so I wasn’t being too extravagant–for buying cupcakes.

Will was excited to take his crocodile cake and share it with his friends. And there were enough left over to share with us afterward. (Sorry, I didn’t realize how poorly it’d show through the plastic lid. I also didn’t know they use frosting to keep the cupcakes in place on the tray so I didn’t have to worry about them sliding around–how nice!) (I will add, in my defense, that most schools want store-bought items, not homemade now, for food allergy issues. And this is Will’s last year for a half-birthday. After this school will start and he’ll have his birthday 2 weeks in, and not know anyone yet. So I was up for one last hurrah.)

Today Alex asked me when he’d have his 2nd birthday. I told him he already had it and his 3rd birthday, his next one was his 4th. Then I realized he wanted to know when he’d have his HALF birthday…Shesh, spoiled kids…I told him July. If we do cupcakes, we’ll make them at home!

"I want half!….Act-ua-lly, I want a whole piece!" (It's funnier if you hear how he says it, but I wanted to remember it.)

* * *   

Today we were having leftovers and we were all eating turkey standwiches. I notied Alex had eaten the bread and the cheese, but not his turkey. I asked Alex "Don't you want to eat your turkey?" He replied "No, I don't like turkey, it takes too much like meat."

* * *

Driving up to Grandma's House we hear lots of "When's Grandma's house?" and "When's the exit?" I try to help the kids know by looking at the mile markers, but Alex has no concepts of numbers, so I tried to tell him the cities we'd go through or past. I mentioned Anderson and Munice. Later he asked, "Mommy, are we at Mon-kee yet?"

* * *

Alex was sucking his thumb. Grandma asked him if she could have it. He looked down at it and then said "No, you can't have it 'cause it's stuck right here!" and pointed to his palm.

We got to Teri & Rachel's and one of the first thing Alex says is "Mommy, where are deir doys?" (Where are their toys?). Um, sorry bud, that's why we brought our own–unless you want to play with dog toys!

* * *

Will: Freeways are called Freeways because you're FREE to go FAST on them, there are no stop lights. You can go fast unless there's road construction, the you have to slow down.

* * *

Alex has taken to calling his blanket "Blankie Miles".