Misunderstandings

It can be frustrating when you can't quite understand the important messages your kids are trying to tell you. Anders, for example, was yelling at the top of his lungs after 2 minutes of trying to kindly explain that he wanted to go to Eli's house. To Cam I and it sounded like, "I go wheels. I see Willy." (etc.) Cam and I were making accurate guesses. At least we thought we were. But everything we guessed just made Anders more and more frustrated, until we finally got it right. Then he calmly and politely said, "Yeah, Eli's house." Oh. Right. Got it.

So, we are all piled in the car, Matt, Cam, Jill, Ady, Anders and me. We are on our way to see the 'Christmas House', which is ridiculously cool. The people who live here are hard core when it comes to outdoor decorating. I didn't realize that this was the new standard of Christmas light decorating. It makes our house look like we are stuck in the stone age. There is even a projection of Santa Claus walking around, checking his list and waving in one of the windows. My kids really think it's Santa and ask to go see him daily. Cam and Anders also made it on the local news while we were checking out the lights. (To see the 'Christmas House' go here.)

OK, back to the point of my post, Jill, Ady and I are all squished together in the Suburban simply because Jill and I are too lazy to climb over the bench to the back seats. Anyway, if I did move to the way back then both of my kids would start arguing over who could sit in the back with mom. It would escalate to a large argument resulting in a tantrum. So, to avoid this Ady and I double buckle and squeeze together. Problem solved. (I realize I am going off on a lot of tangents. This post seems to need some explanation...)

As usual, Ady is chatting away. Talking, talking, talking. Most of the time I just nod my head and continually say, 'uh-huh', but that wasn't cutting it tonight. Lately Ady has been obsessed with her 'outfits'. She wants to plan out what she will be wearing the next day. This entails a thorough conversation about what she will be doing the next day and what clothes will be clean. Also, every night at bed time she has to lay her clothes out, not just in a pile, but lay them out like an actual person including a head band where the head should be. Did I mention she was obsessed?

So, as Cam is on the phone trying to get directions to the 'Christmas House' Ady and I are having one of these conversations. She has a favorite pair of black pants that are a little too small, but I let her wear anyway. She was describing to me the exact pair of pants she wanted to wear.

"Not my soft fluffy black pants, or my square (plaid) black pants, but I want to wear my black
black pants....what are they called mom?"

Now, I'm not really paying attention. I'm trying to help find the house. So I say, "Ummm...your
plain black pants?"

"Yes, that is what I want to wear, my plain black pants. With my Princess shirt. That would be so cute mommy. Don't you think? My black....my black pants? My airplane pants with my princess shirt. Right mom? That's what you said? My airplane pants?"

Because I was so carefully paying attention I said, "Airplane pants? What airplane pants? I don't think you have any airplane pants."

This didn't sit well with Ady. She continued to try to explain her airplane pants to me, getting more and more frustrated when I was still clueless. It wasn't until she grabbed my cheeks, pulling her face right up to mine, staring me directly in the eye stating, "My BLACK AIRPLANE PANTS, mommy, with my PRINCESS T-SHIRT," that I finally understood what she was talking about. Her plain black pants had become, in her mind, her airplane pants. Oh. Right. Got it.

It seemed to click at the same time with everyone in the car, and we all started laughing.

Ady and her black airplane pants, which is what they are lovingly called today.