S'ghetti

Tonight I was going to make grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner.  But Maxx told me he wanted s'ghetti.  Since we had been apart for 5 whole days, I obliged as best I could.  Spaghetti and canned pasta sauce with sauteed zucchini on the side.  He ate two helpings of spaghetti and almost 3 helpings of zucchini.  About halfway through his second helping of spaghetti, he said, "Hey, d'ere no meatbowls in here!"

Me: Uh, no, there are not.
Maxx: But s'ghettis always need meatbowls!

Point taken.  Guess I'm going to need a good recipe for meatballs.  Maybe I can find some good frozen ones...

I Say A Little Prayer

This past weekend Jedd and Maxx went to the Indy 500 with Poppy and Uncle Richard.  Since the boys were out of town, Kyla and I headed to Chelan to keep Nana company and have a little adventure of our own.  On the last day, as we were driving away from Nana's house, Kyla told me, "Mom, sometimes I pray in my head."

Me: Hey, I do that, too.  What do you pray about?
Kyla: Things I want. 
Me: Of course.
Kyla: And our family and my friends.  And, like, Abby, that she would feel better.  (Abby is the sister of one of her classmates, who has been having on-going medical issues for quite some time now.)
Me: Those are good things to pray for.
Kyla: But today is the first time that I prayed for Daddy AND Maxx together.
Me: What did you pray for?
Kyla: That they would make it home safe on the airplane and, um, that they have a fun day.
Me: Oh, me, too, Sweetie.

Fortunately, she was in the back seat and didn't see my tears.  My little sweetheart.

Good vs. Bad

Another great conversation in the car.  I'm noticing that Maxx instigates some really deep conversations in the car.  I'm not sure if it's just because we are both captive audiences to one another or if the car somehow evokes meaningful topics for him.  Regardless, it cracks me up and I love it.

Maxx: Ba'y Wuff Wuff no good boy.
Me: He's not a good boy?  Why not?
Maxx: 'Cause he a doggie.
Me: Oh, right.  Well, is he a good doggie?
Maxx:  Yah.  But sometimes he poops.  On cars.
Me: Why does he poop on cars?
Maxx: 'Cause 'dey bad guys.
Me: Oh, well, okay.
Maxx: And 'dey angry.  'Dey angry bad guys.

Maxx has a particularly strong "good guy/bad guy" imagination going on.  He's constantly talking about bad guys in other cars and wants me to pretend we are racing them.  Or he tells me he is going to "bew" (shoot) them with his "bew bew" (gun).  When I tell him that is not nice, he gets a slightly exasperated tone and says, "Mommm, I jus' 'tending."

Monster Truck

Driving home from dropping Kyla off at school, we passed a big, black F350 with big knobby tires.  It was jacked up and had a shiny chrome exhaust smoke stack.  In the back window, there was a single skull decal.

Maxx: Look, Mommy.  'Der monster truck.
Me: Yes, I see that.
Maxx: But why dat monster truck got a'gry (angry) bad guy on it?
Me: Hmmm, I don't know. Why do you think?
Maxx: Mmmm, maybe it a MONSTER monster truck.