Who's Rocco Botta?

That's what Walker asked Carla one day a month or so ago. Carla eventually figured out what he was asking and said, "Oh, you mean Barack Obama. He's a guy that wants to be our president." To which Walker immediately replied, "What about John McCain?!?"

I had a dream last night that Obama came to our house for dinner and Carla and I and a few friends sat and talked with him for an hour or so. I eventually dream-told him that I didn't like McCain because he isn't conservative enough and then Obama wouldn't really talk to me anymore. That was too bad. He's a nice guy in a dream.

Last night when I got home, Ellie came running up to me with a big, very excited smile on her face and said, "Daddy, I took a nap today and I get to stay up but Walker didn't take a nap and he has to go to bed early. But I took a nap so I can stay up late! Hi."

Anderson's had one tooth for about 3 weeks now. Stuff he's eaten since (and maybe a little before) he got his first tooth: noodles, cheerios, mashed potatoes, bananas, baked apples, peas, pizza, meatloaf, chicken, quesadillas, stir fry . . . We keep giving him solid food and he keeps not choking so I guess he's doing ok. He can also say 'Dada' and 'hi' now (although 'hi' sounds more like 'ha') so that brings him up to 4 words that I know of, the other 2 being 'mama' (or mamamamamamama) and 'bye-bye' with a big wave. By Walker's count, though, I think he's at 96 words because Walker counts every time Anderson says anything that even resembles a word, even if it's a repeat.

Oh, big day. This is post 100.

Umm . . . Pimples and Jesus, I guess

Walker asked Carla what a little red bump on his hand was. Carla said it was probably just a pimple. Walker's response: "NO! I don't like pimples! Don't squeeze it, don't tweezer it, just let it go! It'll get better, Jesus will heal it!" That kid's in for a rough adolescence.

Last Friday, I took all 3 kids into church to drop something off or pick something up . . . I forget. Anyway, when we got there, the good Pastor got to talking with Walker.
Pastor: You like football, don't you?
Walker: Yeah.
Pastor (I'll have to paraphrase this): Well, I'll bet you're a really good football player. And you know, some day when you're grown up and you're playing for the Cleveland Browns, I just hope you can remember how much you love God and how much you love your church so that you can tell all your friends on your team. Do you think you can remember how much you love God and Jesus and tell them about it?
Walker, with a non-committal shrug: That's . . . a lot of words . . . And it's a long time.

Also, a big thank you to Duffy. Until I heard her for the first time, I wasn't sure who would be my least favorite singer of the decade. In case you're wondering, I'll go back a few decades for you:
2000's____Duffy
1990's____Cher
1980's____Cher
1970's____Cher
1960's____Sonny and Cher

Couch beds and mammalian moral codes

Walker's had a habit of waking up and coming downstairs in the middle of the night ever since Ellie was born. He used to try to get in bed with us or wake us up and we'd usually take him back up to his bed, which he never liked. Older and wiser, he now simply makes himself a bed on the couch so he doesn't have to go back up. The other morning, after he woke up from his self-made couch bed . . .
Me: What are you doing on the couch?
Walker: My bed was being a bad bed.
Me: Why?
Walker: It was making me uncomfortable.
Me: Well, did you put it in time out?
Walker: No . . . I can't carry it.

Sunday morning I was walking Walker and Ellie into church.
Walker: Daddy, why do you have to lock the door?
Me: So nobody can get in our car and steal it.
Walker: But they know they're not supposed to steal things.
Me: Well, sometimes people make bad choices and steal things anyway.
Ellie: Puppies don't steal things.

Anderson's first tooth finally popped through. Now he thinks he can eat anything - including the other babies in the nursery at church. He always crawls over to them and tries to swallow their faces. Such a little bully.