fly

Malachy: When I grow up I'm going to be an ice-skater and a scientist!

Mummy: Wow! What kind of scientist are you going to be?

Malachy: The kind that invents things. I'm going to invent a way to make human beings fly!

storybook life

Malachy: Do you think we’re in a story, Mummy?

Me: What do you mean?

Malachy: I mean do you think maybe we’re in a story and somebody is reading us?

Me: Well, I’ve never thought about that possibility…

Malachy: Well, if we are, I hope they don’t close the book and squash us!

tomorrow

Malachy: (while being tucked into bed the other night)... Mummy, I don't think I'm going to have any tantrums at all tomorrow.

Mummy just gives him a kiss and a smile and quietly thinks to herself: "at least his intentions are good..." :)

words *are* treats

Liam: Today is Friday. That means it's...

Malachy: Treat day!

Liam: Yeah. But I was going to say: Friday is spelling test day. And I love spelling tests!!

*He's not a geek. But he is a word-eating monster.

let 'em eat cake

We recently did some baking for a charity event in aid of a Dublin hospice. Malachy must have overheard me explaining to Liam what a "hospice" is, because later on that day, through a mouthful of red velvet chocolate cake, he declared:

When people are dying... you just give them cake.

marriage and babies

Liam: I love you so much, Mummy!

Mummy: I love you that much too, pet.

Liam: When I grow up, I’m going to marry you, Mummy.

Mummy: No, Liam. I’ve told you this before… you can’t marry me because I’m already married to Daddy.

Liam: Oh yeah. But if I can’t marry you, then who can I marry?... And if I can’t marry anyone, then how will I get a baby?!

Mummy: Liam, you don't have to worry about having babies just yet... or getting married -or not- for that matter. And, anyway, if you do get married, it'll probably be to someone you don’t even know yet. It's not going to happen for a long time.

Liam: Oh yeah because I have to be more than twenty, don't I?

Mummy: Yes. Or thirty even!

Liam: [tone of disbelief] Thirty?!!

Mummy: Yes, I was nearly thirty-one when I married Daddy.

Liam: [fits of laughter] Ha-ha-ha... thirty-one!!

Mummy: I don't see what's so funny about that!

Liam: [pulls himself together] Oh, nothing! [Pause] But Mummy, how do you know who you want to marry?

Mummy: You just know because you fall in love with them and you want to stay with them. Anyway, maybe you won’t want to get married at all. And that's ok. Lots of people don’t get married.

Liam: But then how can I get a baby?

Mummy: Well you don’t need to get married to have a baby. You just need to be grown up and with someone you really love and who really loves you. And the two of you have to really want a baby, and...

Liam: No, stop!... Actually. It’s ok, Mummy. Forget it! If I can’t marry you, I’ll just wait till I’ve grown up and then I’ll travel around the world looking for the people who don’t want their babies, and I'll get them and take care of them.

* * * * * * *

[two minutes later]

Malachy: Mummy, when I grow up I'm going to marry YOU!

Mummy: Oh, Malachy... you know you can't marry me... I'm you're Mummy and I'm already married to Daddy!

Malachy: OK. I'll marry Lorcan then.

Mummy: You can't marry him either. He's your brother.

Malachy: OK, then Liam!

Mummy: Um, Liam's your brother too!

Malachy: Oh yeah. [Pause] ...Well, Anna says she's going to marry Liam. Maybe I could marry Anna too!

Mummy: ¿¿???!!!

relaxation?

Last night before bed, we overheard the boys chatting:

Malachy: Liam, what happens when you're dead?

Liam: You just lie down and close your eyes, like you're asleep.

Malachy: But what happens?

Liam: Nothing! You just look like you're asleep. I think being dead is probably very... relaxing.

but why?

Liam: Mummy, you lied to me!

Mummy: ¿¿??!! What? No I didn't! What makes you think that?

Liam: You said the wishbone would make my wish come true!!!

Mummy: Oh, um... that's not exactly what I said, love. I said you can make a wish on the wishbone if you win... but there's never any guarantee it's going to come true. Some things are just impossible... and anyway, I don't even know what you wished for!

Malachy: [butting in enthusiastically] Huh! Liam wished for chocolate and we didn't get it!!!

Mummy: Oh! You never told me that!

Liam: Because you said you have to keep your wishes a secret!!

Mummy: Ah, yes, I did, didn't I?

Liam: Yes, you did. And now I have no wish! All I wished for was a chocolate bar for me and Malachy and Lorcan every afternoon... forever.

Mummy: Is that all?!

* * * * *

kissing

"Mummy, kissing you makes me tired"

forgetting again

Liam: Daddy's gone to Barcelona

Malachy: Yeah, Daddy 'don 'a 'Lalona

Liam: When are you going to Barcelona with Lorcan, Mummy?

Mummy: On Thursday.

Liam: When Mummy goes to Barcelona, you and me will sleep in Granny's house.

Malachy: Oh, wow!

Liam: And we'll take Nemo and Bob [the new goldfish] with us too

Malachy: Oh, wow!

Liam: Mummy?

Mummy: Yes, Liam?

Liam: And this time when you're all gone to Barcelona I think I'm going to forget the English words!!!

[See what I meant about awareness*]