Scalawag and Firemen

James has recently been calling upon a young lady named Amber.  Blake really likes Amber.  When she comes over he freaks out.  When she's not here, his first question to James is, "Where is Amber?"  The other day, Amber came over while we were babysitting Michelle's other brother’s (David) kids.  They, of course, already know Amber as well.  But when Amber came through the door, Blake did his, now normal, run-around-the-house-freak-out routine, yelling that Amber's here.  So, he grabs Amber's hand and pulls her into the room where his cousins are playing.  He walks her right up to his cousins and says, "Kaleb, Seth, you remember Amber right?"  A great introduction if I've ever heard one and what a well-mannered young man.  That's what I would have thought if I wasn't laughing as hard as I was.

Blake goes through phases with many things, but this story relates specifically to his phases with words. Michelle tries to teach him new words every few days.  Of course, he picks up new words all by himself at times.    

So, that same night, Amber and Blake were playing.  Amber got Blake down and was tickling him unmercifully.  He was playfully telling her to stop but she wouldn't relent.  So Blake says, "Okay, okay. Stop.  Stop you scalawag!"  We all, of course, got a big chuckle from that word, which was as you can guess a word he picked up all by himself.  And because he got that chuckle--big mistake--he now uses scalawag quite a bit.  

Earlier that same day we had all the boys (our two and the two cousins) out on a walk.  Blake leading this wild parade starts up a story with (and for those that have seen Blake tell a story, he uses his whole body, arms, hands, legs---his whole body).  

"Well, when I was at school…." this wouldn't give pause to many parents, however, we both know he isn't in school, so we paused.  Blake continued, "…you remember my teacher at school. Yeah, that teacher, she was crazy."  What made it crazier was the way his arms flung around as he said ‘crazy’. 

And for an encore....

Tonight, James walks into the kitchen while we were eating and Blake asks him, "James, you gonna eat with us?"

James replies that he is.

Blake then informs him very authoritatively, "Well, you can't eat it all, James.  You can eat one and then eat another."

"Oh, okay, "James replies with a smile.

I then turn to Blake and ask him, "Blake, when you grow up are you gonna be a policeman or a hall monitor?"

He responds with "No, I'm going to be a doctor...no a fireman.  That way I can spray people with water."  

Very heroic and noble huh?