I promised fabulous tales of our fabulous vacation, didn’t I? As it turns out, I don’t have that many. It was fabulous, but it can also pretty much be summed up with : One house, seven kids, seven adults, lots of laughs, lots of whining, Scrabble at night.
My girls were obviously affected, however, by spending a week with their four boy cousins. For example, one morning a few days after we came home, Chris told Phoebe that it was time to get dressed. She looked him over, pointed to his boxer shorts, and said, “You dress your butt, Daddy!” Which was certainly an unprecedented turn of phrase.
As for Mallory – well, once we got to my mom’s house, she decided quite quickly that cousin Rhett was her new boyfriend. (This makes sense – her school boyfriend has reddish hair and glasses just like Rhett does.) She spent a full morning chasing Rhett around declaring her love for him, to his utter mortification. The day Aimee and the boys left, she and Rhett entered a negotiation over the ownership of the balloons left over from Phoebe’s party: they both wanted the blue one. After a brief skirmish, Rhett said: “I’ll let you be my girlfriend if you give me the blue balloon.” Mallory immediately acquiesced.
I guess that wasn’t the end of the story, though. Last week Mallory told me that she absolutely had to call Rhett on the phone, she had something terribly important to tell him. I dialed; they spoke; I think all Mallory said was, “Hi, I miss you.” Later she came to me and said, “I have a problem. Rhett asked me if I wanted to break up with him and I said yes because I didn’t know what it meant. But now I do know what it means, so I should’ve said no!” Which, you know, is a bit heart-breaking. I said that perhaps breaking up was the best course of action, since they are, after all, cousins. She said okay. But then she requested a picture of Rhett to hang by her bedside, so the flame, it is still burning.
Recent reads:
Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz
The Music Lesson by Katharine Weber
Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (excellent!)
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (loved this book)
My girls were obviously affected, however, by spending a week with their four boy cousins. For example, one morning a few days after we came home, Chris told Phoebe that it was time to get dressed. She looked him over, pointed to his boxer shorts, and said, “You dress your butt, Daddy!” Which was certainly an unprecedented turn of phrase.
As for Mallory – well, once we got to my mom’s house, she decided quite quickly that cousin Rhett was her new boyfriend. (This makes sense – her school boyfriend has reddish hair and glasses just like Rhett does.) She spent a full morning chasing Rhett around declaring her love for him, to his utter mortification. The day Aimee and the boys left, she and Rhett entered a negotiation over the ownership of the balloons left over from Phoebe’s party: they both wanted the blue one. After a brief skirmish, Rhett said: “I’ll let you be my girlfriend if you give me the blue balloon.” Mallory immediately acquiesced.
I guess that wasn’t the end of the story, though. Last week Mallory told me that she absolutely had to call Rhett on the phone, she had something terribly important to tell him. I dialed; they spoke; I think all Mallory said was, “Hi, I miss you.” Later she came to me and said, “I have a problem. Rhett asked me if I wanted to break up with him and I said yes because I didn’t know what it meant. But now I do know what it means, so I should’ve said no!” Which, you know, is a bit heart-breaking. I said that perhaps breaking up was the best course of action, since they are, after all, cousins. She said okay. But then she requested a picture of Rhett to hang by her bedside, so the flame, it is still burning.
Recent reads:
Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz
The Music Lesson by Katharine Weber
Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (excellent!)
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (loved this book)
Comments
I asked Rhett if he really said the part about breaking up and he wouldn't tell me. I asked him how he even knew about it--he just said he heard it on a show.
Then he got all embarrassed because I knew and clammed up. I guess I know how future conversations about girls will be.
Seriously, Krista, when do you have time to read all of these books???
H
Mom