Oh Those Uncles

Well, I haven't updated in a while...not because the kids haven't done anything amusing, but because it was the end of the semester and everything came crashing down on my head at once.  Never fear, though - I am back with Tales from the Land of Mommyhood. 

At some point, I shall regale you all with thrilling tales from the Bedtime Wars, a new phase in our house as Matthew has climbed out of the crib and is learning how to go to bed in a "big boy bed."  As I write this, he is pounding on the bedroom door, demanding to be set free.  A few minutes ago he was in his brother's bed, kicking him in the head.  It's exciting times in Mommyhood, but as it is still in process, I don't feel like I can give it it's proper due just yet.  Plus I'm tired and don't want to think that much. 

Instead, I will relate to you one of my favorite Anna stories from over the break, a conversation related to me from my brother, her Uncle John.  My kids have four uncles, two on each side of the family.  The two on my side are unmarried and childless.  This makes them the perfect uncles because they have absolutely no sense of "enough."  You think grandparents are big spoilers?  They ain't got nothin' on childless uncles.  Grandparents have the sense to say no after the third or fourth cookie.  Uncles will let them go right on ahead to number ten without batting an eye.  I should say, aunts are just as bad, they have an aunt and uncle pair on their father's side who pretty much let them get away with whatever they want!  (As it should be.)

Subsequently, the kids know who to go to for stuff when we are visiting family for the holidays.  Grandpa is a good bet, but Uncles John, Sam, Cory, or Aunt Suz are really where it's at.   So when Anna decided she wanted pizza for dinner, she knew who to hit up: Uncle John.

She climbed up into his lap, batted her big blue eyes, and said "Uncle John?  Can we have pizza for dinner?"

Now, as far as John is concerned, she can have pizza every night for dinner.  But he was smart enough to know that, in this instance, he was not in charge of dinner, so he'd better not make any promises he couldn't keep.  So he did what any logical uncle would do.  He threw the responsiblitiy to someone else.

"I think you have to ask your mom about that," answered Uncle John.  (Gee, thanks bro.)

Anna, who is not exactly dumb, smiled coyly at him and said "I think you should ask her."  Ha! Way to work it, Anna!

"No," John laughed in response, "I think you should ask her."

About this time Joshua realized there was a conversation going on about food.  He walked over and said "What?  Are we having pizza for dinner?"

Anna saw her opportunity and nabbed it.  "Uncle John said we were."

John panicked, seeing the trap.  "What?!  NO!  Anna, I said to go ask your MOM if you were having pizza!"

Anna smiled prettily and said "You said pizza." 

Now John was in full-on panicked uncle mode. "What?!  Anna, no, I said pizza because YOU said pizza!" 

I think the conversation went on for a while like that until something shiny distracted Anna.  And no, she did not get pizza that night, she got broccoli and ham.  Which she did not eat.  But that's another story. 

Gotta hand it to my daughter, though - she knows how to work a conversation!