We made a little progress towards a Christmas letter this year, but not enough. We also know that the quotes are the most anticipated portion each year, so we'll skip right to the fun stuff.
We arrived safe in Wenatchee today, for Christmas week, and we wish each of you a happy and peaceful Christmas.
Love,
the Smiths
2010 Kid Quotes
December 26th, 2009
Emma, while learning to ride her new motorbike:
“Second gear is WAY better than first gear!” ... “This thing’s gnarly!”
December 27th, 2009
Jessie: “I said, ‘Emma, I’m breakable,’ but she breaked my knee anyway.” Not sure what happened, but she had a small pink spot on her knee.
December 31st, 2009
Ryan, putting on his motorcycle armor-vest: “Here to answer the questions of the world: I’m Answer-Man!” When he was four, he would strip down to his boxers and declare himself Body Man. Thank goodness he’s matured a bit...Answer Man is more mature, right?
Long ago...
This next quote was not from this year, but there are times your very young children say something and you don’t realize until years later that the statement was truly indicative of their personality. The following occurred probably five years ago, when the boys were about seven and five, but it serves as a good illustration of their personalities. I discovered this day, years ago, that both my boys had already planned what they would name their children: Jake intended to have a boy and a girl: Sammy and Mary. Ryan, two boys whom he would name Caesar and Zeus.
January 17, 2010
Jessie, standing in the kitchen holding a tennis racket like a baseball bat: You better look out ‘cause I’m golfing!
February 1, 2010
Jessie puts on ear protectors (which look like giant headphones) and yells, “I DON’T WANT ANYBODY TO HEAR ME!”
March 9, 2010
Jessie, to Toby: Dad, are you getting old?
Toby: Why?
Jessie: because you have so many numbers...are you gonna die or something?
March 23, 2010
Jake: When does that happen, when you get the weird square hats?
Toby: Graduation?
Jake: Yeah, I can’t wait.
April 5, 2010
Jessie, who already has a baby named “Pink Baby,” said: I’ll call this baby “White Baby” since she has white clothes.
Carol, trying to encourage a little variety and creativity, said: You could give that baby a real name, like Julie.
Jessie, surpassing Carol’s creativity said: or SkyLove.
June 5, 2010
Jessie, to Toby: “Mom put this lotion [sunscreen] on me so I wouldn’t get a sun-bruise or something.”
June 7, 2010
Carol was reading a book aloud to the kids about the energy crisis. The book said, “Cars, trucks, and airplanes all run on fossil fuels. Electric plants mostly run on fossil fuels.” Ryan interrupted, “Electric plants??? What is that? ‘I’ve got a gasoline-powered daffodil, here!’” Carol: “No, Ryan…plants, like factories.” Ryan: “oh, right…of course.”
June 11, 2010
Carol brought home a book from 1927 she just bought at a second-hand store and shared the old-book smell with the kids, saying, “that’s one of the best smells there is.” Jake, without hardly a thought added, “except Sharpies, Windex, and gasoline!” Sigh…I’ve got my work cut out for me.
September 7, 2010
Jessie, holding up her piece of chicken, said, in an announcing sort of voice, “Mom, we like to eat dead animals.” Carol: “Oh?” Jessie: “yes, if it’s cooked.” Carol: “Yes, I guess that’s right.”
October 14, 2010
Ryan: I found your purse, Mom! It was on the floor of the garage, tossed down like it was Emma’s stuff.
Carol: Oh yeah, last night when I was coming in from the car, I dropped it there so I could run out into the trees to scare you on your way back from taking the garbage out to the road.
Ryan: Yeah, that’s real mature, Mom.
October 21, 2010
Watching the credits roll at the end of a documentary about Henry Ford…
Jake: Make-up? They made some of this stuff up?
December 5, 2010
Jake: These are words I like to say: smock, Satsuma, pathetic.
December 9, 2010
Reading from a card: Would you rather eat Doritos’ for breakfast every day or Oreos for dinner every day.
Emma: Oreo’s for dinner? Would I still get dessert?
December 10, 2010
Jessie, in a scared voice: Dad, did you know we have skeletons in our bodies?
December 20th, 2010
Jake, while doing Yoga with Dad: Dad, when would we ever use this in real life?
December 21st, 2010
Jessie, confusing classic rock, with beverages: Dad, I’m thirsty, can I have a Juice Box Hero?
