Right now I’m sitting in a corner of my local Barnes & Noble, trying (unsuccessfully) to figure out how to connect to their trusted wireless network, watching Alex play with a Thomas the Train set and counting down the minutes until my computer’s battery dies because strangely enough, the Barnes & Noble children’s section doesn’t come equipped with a large array of electrical outlets so that mamas can “write” during storytime.
Have you ever heard of such craziness?
I had planned to take a couple of hours before Alex got out of school today and hunker down at Panera so that I could try to catch up on email and “write” a little bit, but I won’t be able to tell you about that just yet, because Alex wants me to read him a book now, so if you don’t mind please excuse me for a moment.
(Thirty minutes later)
Back again. Reading one book turned into reading three, one of which was a Backyardigans book that was clearly written by five year-olds who been supplied with excessive amounts of Coke and chocolate until they cranked out the most nonsensical plot imaginable, not that I have room to criticize, of course, because I believe my limitations with fiction are well-documented.
Also: it can get a little interesting when watching the boy in group play-type situations, because as I have mentioned before he is essentially a four year-old camp counselor, a self-appointed Funtime Organizer. He can’t begin to enjoy whatever task is at hand (in this case, playing with trains) until he has found out the names of all the other children AND parents, facilitated all the necessary introductions, and then made sure that the toys have been evenly distributed.
Needless to say, he’s not quite to the point where he understands that perhaps the reason why the mothers have brought their children to B&N in the first place is because THEY WANT SOME QUIET, ALREADY and would prefer not to have Mama/Child Meet & Greet followed by a round of shuffleboard over on the Lido Deck.
Or at the train table, as it were.
(Four or seven hours later. I’ve lost all track of time. But we’re home again. And the child is asleep.)
So, um, somewhere way up toward the top of this post I mentioned that I thought I would spend a couple of hours at Panera today, but I ended up changing my plans because my friend NK called and asked me to lunch, and of course I said yes because eating Mexican food with a sweet friend and our young’uns trumps checking email and fighting through writer’s (QUOTATION MARKS!) block every single time.
At lunch we had a great time talking about everything and nothing, and we especially loved listening to Alex and AC talk about their day at school. Being able to see each other every day has really added a sweet new dimension to their friendship, and they talk in a shorthand that NK and I don’t always follow but that cracks us up just the same.
Anyway, as we were getting ready to leave the restaurant Alex and AC were giggling and chasing each other, and at some point Alex caught AC, wrapped his arms around her, hugged her tight and kissed her smack dab on the lips.
I gasped audibly.
NK and I looked at each other, both of us completely wide-eyed, and I proceeded to ask the most obvious question of my life: “Alex! Did you just KISS AC?”
“I DID, MAMA,” he replied, about four hundred different kinds of pleased with himself.
And just when I was about to tell him that he might be a little young to be kissing girls, AC leaned over and kissed him right back.
Then they cackled with laughter and started chasing each other again.
Oh, I do love those crazy kids.
And while NK and I couldn’t help but grin at all their silliness, I’m pretty positive that we both left that restaurant with at least one more wrinkle than we had when we arrived.
I’m sure you understand.
well, he’s quite the ladies man, isn’t he?! What a little charmer! And what girl could resist those big baby blues?!
By the way, the lido deck??? Laughing out loud!
The inner workings of a Boomama’s mind absolutely cracks me up!
A-Hem….When’s the wedding??? ;-)
Backyardigans books are my nemesis. In fact, any “famous character” themed books are my nemesis. Mind numbing torture.
I’ve banned them from read aloud time. I consider it motivation for learning how to read. “If you really want to know how Tinky Winky gets out of that conundrum, you’ll just have to read it yourself!”
And hopefully by that time, they’ll have forgotten. Hopefully.
Oh hon, I feel your pain. I was informed after Bible School that Sydney (age 5) was kissing her “boyfriend” during the Worship Rally. On the lips. Gah!
~Leslie
Too precious! I just love reading about your boy. You just crack me up every single time. :)
Never fear, m’dear. Speaking as one of great age and extremely limited wisdom (but lots of experience) I can tell you that the chances A and AC will still be locking lips twelve or fifteen years from now is slim, at best.
Caboose, my now 13-year-old, actually had a wedding ceremony with his “girlfriend” when he was four. His big sister was the officiant, and while we may or may not have been Baptist at that time and they may or may not have actually recognized women in the clergy role, even at the tender age of six, she did actually perform the ceremony. And for as long as we lived at that particular location he referred to his “wife” across the street. Of course, we moved that same year.
Still, it was sweet to see the ceremony. It was the first time I ever got to be the mother of the groom….
I don’t believe in your quotation marks :) I just don’t.
You write a book…I’ll buy it. K?
Your kiddos have made my day complete! They are just too precious…kisses and all. How could any little girl not kiss Alex? He’s quite a cutie pie!
Here’s my question…why do you write at Panera and B&N?
Um…have you had the birds and the bees talk with Howard, I mean Alex. ha ha. Seriously, that would have made me gasp too..but DANG aren’t those kiddos the cutest things you ever did see? (said in the most southern voice you can imagine!) They really are adorable!!! And the comment about shuffleboard on the Lido deck. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Too funny.
Your kiddo is quite a charmer it seems. He may have a career as a cruise director in his future!
My nearly-two-year-old daughter’s in the habit of kissing boys at story time at the library these days! ARGH!
oh my goodness- that picture is too cute!!!
Oh what a precious moment!!! Makes me tear up just thinking about it.
At least it was his *friend* he was kissing… last time WE were at storytime at B&N (yay for Thomas train sets, Startbucks coffee sold in the bookstore, storytime reading workers–no matter how boring they are to me, and 10 minutes of someone else keeping my child’s attention–bliss!), Troy was kissing a one year old little girl… and we had absolutely no clue who she was. Her mom thought it hilarious and proceeded to take about two dozen pictures… I think she was picturing the weddng day with each click.
They are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo stinkin’ cute!
My daughter got in trouble for kissing a boy on the playground when she was 4. Her teacher told her kisses were for family and hugs were for friends. We need to remind her of that, she’s 12 now!:)
Oh that picture is SO CUTE.
This story just made me smile….I had your whole day visualized in my head….and then SMACK! the kiss comes.
Just too cute booboy! Just too cute.
My daughter got in trouble in S.S. for kissing her friend-boy when they were 3. As parents, we were horrified until they explained to us that they weren’t kissing–they were just being cats and cleaning each other. I think I may have been more horrified then!
Your boy is adorable!
I have a very passionate boy, his name is Jackson. I describe him as passionate because when he is mad, he is stinkin mad, but when he is happy, lovey, excited, ________ you fill in the blank, he is so amazingly UP! He will put a smile on your face in an instant! And YES, he has been talked to about being overly affectionate…in our day and age, he could get thrown into the slammer for giving the WRONG girl a little smooch! (I am just kidding…. only not.)
I have gasped many a time while my boy (6) and his friends talk in the back of the car.
It is completely aging to listen to 6 year old boys talk about the girls chasing them.
It seems the girls are a bit “fast” at 6, in our parts.
Oh my, I think I just had a grey hair pop just talking about it!
How sweet! Both Alex & AC are absolutely cutie patooties!
It happened at church. A dinner social to be exact. It was my 18 month old daughter and the Pastor’s grandson of about the same age. They were playing on the floor. His dad and I were talking about them. Then, Ryan did it. He leaned right over, puckered up his babyson lips and laid them right on my daughter. Her lips, that is. All we could do was laugh, because we had started going to this church about a year previous and the kids had an immediately liking for each other. They aren’t still locking lips, but she is always thrilled to see him. And, how could she go wrong with the well behaved grandson of the Pastor? :)
Oh that Howard, he is such the charmer!
Howard and AC sitting in a tree…
I think I’d start looking for Mother of the Groom dresses if I were you, Sophie. And hey, if you buy it now, it will be back in style by the time they’ll be old enough to tie the knot!
I’m gasping – but not quite for the same reason as you. I mainly need air from all the giggling I’m doing here.
Oh, what a sweet picture. Yep, you’re in trouble if Alex is already kissing the ladies (and they’re kissing him back)!
Snuggle Bug had his first kiss last year when we walked out of a restaurant to find a family waiting for a seat. They had a little girl a bit older than Snuggle Bug and for some reason she thought Snuggle Bug was cute (I didn’t blame her, he IS cute) and so she grabbed him and kissed him! He just stood there and grinned.
It starts so young!
Boo-Mama…I understand completely!!! That is why in our family, we have decided that arranged marriage is the only way to go!!! :-)
Oh my word, I could just pinch those scrumptious cheeks!
Today is October 3 … and you have NOT posted yet, and really … I can no longer contain myself…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you… HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you… HAPPY BIRTHDAY Boomamaliciousness… HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!!!
And many mooooooooorrrrrreee….
Yeah. I’m in rare form.
And adorable picture!
HEY! It’s your birthday?! Our birthdays are only a FEW days apart then! (Well, a few days and several years, I would guess, since I just turned 40 and all, sigh.) Happy Birthday, you lovely sweet adorable young person! I hope it’s a special day full of happy surprises (if you’re into surprises) and reminders of how much you are loved.
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Your friends are all greeting.
May the year that’s just beginning
Bring gladness to you.
May it teach you to be happy
Kindhearted and loyal.
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to Boo!
(I didn’t write that myself, by the way, and the Teach You verses do not in any way indicate I believe you are less happy, kindhearted or loyal than you should be. It’s just a cute song I prefer over the leading brand’s Birthday Song®. Hope it makes you smile.)
Just remember: Alex is as likely to kiss you on the lips as he is to kiss a young female friend. So don’t put too much stock into it.
At least, that’s what I’m betting on, because my three-year-old son kisses me on the lips all day long. Should I be saving now for his therapist?!?
Here from Gibee’s to say Happy Birthday!
And I’m sure you also left smiles on the other patrons of the restaurant! :)
Oh yes, I do understand! Well, who could resist those two? What cuties!
Well, of course he kissed her! (Might I say good taste, A? She is a beauty!) and of course she kissed him back! (same reason!) And Happy Birthday!
Please tell me that when you go “write” at Panera you also get a French Toast bagel with cream cheese.
haha! how great! you are too funny…
“I’m pretty positive that we both left that restaurant with at least one more wrinkle than we had when we arrived.” :)
thanks for the laughs! ..and i’m with sunni…french toast or (who am i kidding) AND cinnamon crunch bagels are a must! :D
I found your site through Jackie Sue (elianajoy.blogspot.com ) and she said you were hilarious!
Too funny today! I have to say at least when reading Backyardigans, you may not get a song stuck in your head! Try leading a small group when the whole time your thoughts are singing, “The pirates, the pirates, the pirate says ‘Arg'”!
I love the kissing too! Not so secretly, I have my 3 year old matched up with my best friend’s little girl and we ask them all the time who they are going to marry, just to hear them declare each other!
Thanks for the laugh,
Brandi
seriously. Wonder Years. Nuff said :)
Wait, did I just see that it’s your birthday? Well then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Oh they are too cute!
sweet sweet blog entry and story!