Jim Bowie's Knife- A Tall Tale by Emanuel

Jim Bowie got mad a lot. One time he had a butcher knife in his hand when he lost his temper. Bang! Thwap! He slammed the knife against things destroying everything. The knife did not get

destroyed but it certainly changed. Out of all that thwanging and thwaping came a beauty. It was so evenly crooked. He decided to list it on eBay. Everyone loved his new Bowie knife. He was famous! Everyone came to him with their butcher knives and asked him to turn them into Bowie knives.

Later at the Alamo, everyone left Davy Crockett alone and went to Jim Bowie for his autograph. Now Davy Crockett was mad. He knew he could outrun, out-shoot, and out-holler about every critter, but he wasn't so sure about out-faming, particularly with Jim Bowie.

Bowie is pouting because Crockett out-famed him.

"I need something big," he thought. He found something big alright, discovered during the Battle of the Alamo. It was the Ring-Around-the-Rosie-Swing with his rifle butt. Before his execution by Santa Ana's soldiers, some of them secretly got his autograph. None of Jim Bowie's enemies had asked for his autograph, so Davy Crockett knew he had out-famed his rival.

Crockett celebrating his victory.

Emanuel's Quote of the Day

I haven't recorded one of these for awhile. At age 9, he's still full of awesome one-liners! 

Yesterday while riding in the car he said, "Let's discuss varieties of cheeses."

Love this kid. 

 

Emanuel's Quote of the Day

"Mom, don't look now, but we are surrounded by talking pickles. Are you strong enough to take them down?"

Emanuel and the Haunted House

Today we made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. We had a lot of fun doing all the usual things, but this year Ben wanted to try something new. He wanted to go through the haunted house. It's not a very scary haunted house- just a little shed with some black lights and animatronic ghouls making cackling sounds, but I knew even that would freak out my sheltered boys.

In the past I've been able to talk Ben out of going in, but not this year. I told him to go ahead and go through if he really thought he could handle it, but that I had to stay outside with Isabel and Emanuel. I thought it would be way too scary for Emanuel. If he even hears the word "ghost" he's spooked for days.

Ben stood outside and stared at the shack for a few minutes, then took a deep breath and walked through the entrance. After about 5 seconds I heard a yell and he came running out.

"Do you want to skip it?" I asked. "Were you too scared."

"No," he answered nonchalantly. "I just want Emanuel to go with me. Come on Emanuel."

"I'm not scared Mom. I can go with him," Emanuel said and bravely walked through the door with Ben.

I counted. As soon as I reached five, the yell came and Emanuel came tearing out the entrance of the little shed with his eyes wide and arms flailing. He nearly ran past me in his mad escape.

"That is too scary," he said. "That is too scary. I need to go back in."

In he went. About two minutes later he and Ben came out the exit, very proud that they had made it all the way through the haunted house!

Soccer- Emanuel

Emanuel's first ever soccer season just ended. The beginning was not promising... after only 15 minutes he was ready to go home. That was enough teamwork and listening to the coach for one day. A promise of a treat at the end was the only thing that kept him going for the whole 45 minutes!

  As time wore on and he had a few more practices, he was willing to play for the entire time. They played many games to learn ball handling, such as red light-green light, simon says and many others. Watching three-year-olds play soccer for the first time is alwasy entertaining! When they were finally set up into small teams to play a game, Emanuel got the soccer ball, dribbled all the way over to the next field, and scored a goal! His teammates ran behind him, and not one of them realized they were no longer on their own field! Emanuel is very, very proud that he scored a goal.

 

The only thing better than soccer with friends is treats.

Potty Humor

I was pretty lucky that Ben skipped this stage, though I didn't realize it at the time. Emanuel did not. This kid has enough potty humor in him for ten kids. It's been going on for awhile, and I've been doing my best to discourage it, with little luck. Up until today though, it wasn't really that bad. Again, I didn't realize that until today. Emanuel was laying on the couch looking at picture books when he started to sing. I am not going to repeat the song, but it included bottoms, poopy, and licking. GROSS. The worst part, though, was that Isabel was laughing hysterically at every word. Where does he pick up this stuff? Seriously.

A (theological?) Dialogue

Emanuel: When we get to Grandma's house, I am going to sit on Daniel and stink on him!

Ben: Emanuel, you can't do those kinds of things. It makes Jesus so sad when you stink people.

Emanuel: But God will laugh!

Emanuel's New Hat

He found it at a garage sale and wouldn't take it off. We're enjoying this new look!

A Dialogue at the Park

Stranger whose dog Emanuel was petting: Do you have a dog at your house?

Emanuel: No. I have a baby sister.

Game Day

Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Hi-Hi Cherry-O, Don't Spill the Beans- so many great kid games at our house. So what did Ben and Em choose to play this evening? Chess.

Emanuel's Quote of the Day

There is NOT delicious food inside this burrito.

Another Dialogue

Emanuel: I think girls are aliens.

Tito (thoughtfully): I think you're right.

A Dialogue (of sorts)

Emanuel: Mom, am I so strong and fast?

Isabel shakes her head no very enthusiastically.

Emanuel (crying): Mom, Isabel said no I'm not!

She can't even talk yet and already she is making her big brother cry.

Dancin' Fool

Emanuel's dancing really made me laugh. He put his whole heart and soul into it!

A Trip to Kohls

There were two police cruisers parked in front of the building.

Emanuel was very excited. "The police are here! They are really here! I am going to FIGHT them!"

"Emanuel you can't fight police. They are the good guys."

"Police are good guys? Oh." The disappointment in his voice was audible.

Ben chimed in, "Yeah, they keep us safe. So if giant monsters took over the city the police would get rid of them."

Um, actually, I think that job is for Will Smith and the military, but whatever.

Once we walked into the store, Emanuel started up again. Very loudly.

"Police?! Are you in here? Are the police here? I don't see them." A slight pause ensued as his voice echoed through the nearly empty store.

"Where are the police? I still want to fight them. ARE THEY IN THE GARBAGE?" (Yes, he yelled that last part.)

Thankfully, we saw no police. I think they heard Emanuel's threats and saw his scowl and stayed far away for their safety.

We will definitely be working on that attitude before our next encounter with law enforcement.


Dug this photo out of the archives. It's a year old, but still relevant. The scowl hasn't changed.

Ben's Book of the Week

Benedict's first ever pick for Book of the Week is...

Creating Clever Castles and Cars from Boxes and Other Stuff by Mari Rutz Mitchell

Ben's review:

I really like it because it shows me how to make so many things. We made a pirate ship and it was so fun to play in. Lots and lots of fun. Me and my uncles are saving milk jugs to make an igloo! I also want to make a sub in the bathtub.

Additional comments by Emanuel:

I want to make all the stuff!

Who needs a bathroom

when you've got the great outdoors and an audience?

At a playdate today, the kids were happily playing outside in the backyard while the moms chatted inside.

Everything was going so nicely until someone standing by a window said, "Your son is going to the bathroom out there." Then she turned and looked at ME.

I turned around... no one was behind me.

"Mine?"

"Yes, yours"

I ran outdoors in time to see Emanuel with his pants down around his ankles, chest puffed out proudly, and a crowd of kids standing around watching him. He turned and saw me.

"Mom! I went potty! I'm all done now" Then up went his pants and off he went to continue playing.

I'm wondering if I've prayed for humility recently and forgotten. This seems to have been "Humiliate Mommy as Much as Possible Week."

A dialogue

Ben: Yeah, Emanuel is just a baby still. He can't talk.
Emanuel: I'm not a baby. I can talk.
Ben: No, he can't talk. He's not a big boy, he doesn't know how.
Emanuel: YES I CAN TALK BEN!

Halloween

Emanuel and the Goats

Yes, the last picture is him chewing the goats out for chewing on his stroller.