Category Archives: Cute stories

Aren’t kids great?

by

Political calls, forgiveness, and a 400-degree door

Oh, and we have a 2-year-old who speaks in complete sentences. How often does that happen? I really don’t know, but it seems unique.

I mentioned this to mom and she said, “It only counts if she can be understood.”

“It can be understood,” I said. “Sarah’s the one who told the story.”

“Antee-tarah, my ponytayol come out. Can oo fih it, peas?” [Tell me that’s not the cutest thing you ever heard.] “Tank-oo.”

~~~

Yesterday Rae Ann came over and cleaned my house while I worked on the longer Obit for tonight’s memorial service. While I was working it out the phone rang and it was one of those political telemarketing calls (can something be exponentialy annoying?); Concerned Alaskans for something or other was calling.

“Mrs. Helmericks, did you know that at this moment in the State Legislature–”

“Did you know,” I interrupted with a voice not-quite-steady, “that at this moment I am writing my grandmother’s obituary, and this is not a good time.”

A gratifying amount of awkwardness ensued.

~~~

Last week Natasha came up to me while I was sitting in our big blue chair and asked in her gentle voice, “Mama, do you ever forgive me?” After a Do I ever! laugh, I answered, “Yes, I’ve forgiven you lots of times.”

She embraced my arm tenderly and said sincerely, “I forgive you lots of times too.”

~~~

Today I had Jay drop me off at the DMV to renew my months-expired driver’s license. I wanted to be dropped off in case I was asked (with my 4-months expired license) how I’d gotten there.

When I called to ask Jay to pick me up he said something (over our poor cell-phone connection) that sounded like “oven door came off.” I could hear the stress in his voice.

“You can’t be serious!” I said.

“I am, and I’m on my way,” he said.

As soon as I was in the car I pumped him for the story. It seems Natasha had left one of her shoes in the kitchen, and Jay, stepping back as he checked on a pizza in the oven, felt it under his foot. He thought he’d stepped on Maestro or Melody and immediately picked up the foot again. His weight had already shifted, and so he hung on to the door, trying to catch his balance– and found himself holding a 400-degree door, looking at a half-baked pizza in the open oven.

Thankfully, the door wasn’t actually broken; it’s designed to lift straight up once opened, and the angle Jay pulled it at just lifted it straight out. Discovering this it was easy enough to fix, but didn’t entirely remove the panting moment of adrenaline.

by

Al-i-guy-all

I was reading Dr Seuss’s ABC book to Melody this morning and on the A spread (which the text proclaims as “Aunt Annie’s Alligator”) Melody pointed to the critter and shouted, “Ridin’ an Alligile!” (Pronunciation above).

I loved it. She seemed to decide half-way through the word it was a crocodile instead of an alligator.

~~~

Everyone was playing together so nicely this morning. At one point the girls started tossing the cat’s dingle-ball back and forth (a situation with great potential, to begin with). After Natasha threw the ball over Melody’s head, and was waiting for her to fetch it and return the favor, she turned to me and giggled. “We’re playing throw!” she said. The ball went whizzing past her and she went after it, still laughing.

This is a very appropriate name. For obvious reasons you can’t call it catch yet.

As to be expected, Maestro finally dove in. When Melody went to get the ball from him she found a different toy and the game was over. Focus shifted to other things.

by

Hot food

At lunch today, both girls’ food was a little too hot to hold long. They set it on their plates and continued blowing on it, to speed the cooling. Then Melody had the great idea that she could maybe still eat it even if she couldn’t hold it, and began nibbling on the edges while it sat on the plate.

It must have worked, because the next I noticed it was half-gone, and she was still eating it straight off the plate.

by

When you listen…

Today during naptime Natasha was standing at the gate in her doorway, leaning on it despondently.

“My heart is broken,” she said in her ‘sad’ voice. This was one of the many moments I’ve felt my natural response (laughter) in conflict with my parenting instinct. “My heart is broken,” she said again. I couldn’t decide if she wanted to be sure I had heard her, or if she was just trying out the feel of the words. Continue reading →

by

At the Party

We got some sweet pictures of Melody with her first haircut and birthday party with Mom, Dad and Grandma.

Dad got a punch of “poppers” with paper streamers inside, and some of our pictures are of various people with streamers over their hair.

Mom asked Natasha, “Am I beautiful?” Colored paper piled all over.

“Almost,” said Natasha in a serious voice.

by

Sweet moment

During snuggle time last night Natasha kissed me, snuggled into my side and said, “Thank you for staying home with me.”

I still wonder if she understood what she was saying.

That was a thank-you about ten years earlier than I’d expected.

by

Details

Now, I know I have a mind for details. Once I input them I usually remember them (I’d like a word stronger than “usually,” but no one can say “always”). So it’s funny/weird to me when I get asked questions I know they know the answer to. Or, at least, I remember previously giving them the information. Continue reading →

by

Cute “Alaskan-child” story

I was watching Homeward Bound with my two girls Friday, and there were some mule deer in a scene. Three-year-old Natasha perked-up and said, “Look Mom! Caribou!” Now how many toddlers learn “caribou” before “deer” (or Bambi)? Very fun.

She likes how they taste too.