Lucianese, the answers

So you thought you could translate my language, did you? Haha!

Well, thanks to the brave few who were willing to make their attempts public! It was a valiant effort- and, in fact, I was surprised at how many right answers there were. For the win, there was a tie between Grandma R and Auntie Monica- way to go!

Here is the full list of answers, I hope you enjoy!

1. "Mo, Gacky!" = No, Macky!
   One of the most commonly heard phrases in this household, it still baffles me. Why does he choose to pronounce his brother's name with a 'G' while the word 'no' is pronounced with an 'M'? We know you can say your 'M' sound, Louie, just pick the right word!


2. "Yay-Yay, a-yelf." = Louie, by myself
   Mr. Independent whips this phrase out at least a handful of times each day. From buckling himself into his own carseast to crawling into his crib, there's nothing he won't try to do 'a-yelf'. But if he's unsuccessful, he's quick to ask for 'Elp, peas!'

3. "Uh-rul" = Cereal
   No morning is complete without a bowl of 'uh-rul' and 'goke'. I am careful to keep the pantry well stocked, because it's not a pretty morning if we're out of cheerios!

4. "Goke, peas" = Milk, please
  Another staple that causes chaos if we run out, milk is Lucian's beverage of choice. I have been known to make many runs to Jim's Market up the street for nothing but a gallon of milk.

5. "Uh Yum go?" = Where did Liam go?
  The name is interchangeable..."Uh Papa go?" is another favorite. But I just love how he says his uncle's name. Yum! It's perfect.

6. "Mee-mee!" = Excuse me!
   This phrase is most commonly heard when the boys are getting into the van. Lucian likes to climb in after his brother and politely say, "Mee-mee, Gax!" as he pushes past to his own carseat.

7. "Yuk-a-tah" = Liquor store
   So this is not actually a common phrase, but I couldn't resist adding it to the list! When we were out running errands one day, we stopped by the liquor store so Paul could run in and grab a bottle of wine. When we explained where Daddy was, Lucian picked up on it and started telling us about the "yuk-a-tah".

8. "Buss beef" = Brush teeth
   Lucian is obsessed with brushing his teeth. Any time he is in the bathroom, he asks to "buss" his "beef"; I think he'd do it ten times a day if I let him!

9. "You-yoff" = Shoes off
   Also commonly heard is the opposite, "you-yon". I really need to get him some Crocs so I can stop bending over to help him with his shoes. That's getting harder every day!

10. "Cookie"
   One of his first fully recognizable words. He's a little obsessed with cookies!

So there you have it, folks, a peek into the language of Lucian. I'm getting pretty good at understanding him myself, but there are still at least a handful of times each day that I stare at him blankly as he tries in vain to tell me something. Poor kid, but I'm doing my best!

Real Pirates: Aboard the Whydah

Months ago, it was brought to my attention that there would be a pirate exhibit at the Science Museum starting in February. Of course we marked it on our calendar right away, and soon we started to see Jolly Roger banners and posters finding their way into downtown St. Paul. The Red Balloon Bookstore hosted a pirate party a few weekends ago, and Max has been on pins and needles to visit the actual exhibit since then.

Thursday evening turned out to be the perfect time to go! We ate a quick, early dinner when Paul got home and  made it to the museum by 5:30. Apparently 5:30 on a Thursday is not prime museum visitation time, because we had the run of the place. Max got to spend as much time as he wanted at each piece of the exhibit, and we even backtracked to his favorite spots a couple of times.

And what an exhibit it was! I'm heartbroken that I forgot my camera, but I guess words will have to suffice. We started out in a dark room watching a short video on the history of Captain Sam Bellamy and the Pirate Ship Whydah, then the screen rose to reveal the actual ship's bell that rang as the ship sank into the sea three hundred years ago. It just got better from there. We learned how to load a cannon, make sailing rope and play "Sheep's Knuckles" - Max lost the game to a "real live" pirate and was told he'd have to be pressed into service on a ship til he could pay his debt. (Too bad it didn't really happen... it would have been a dream come true for our son!) The rope maker even gave Max a piece of the rope that he wound right in front of us... and that rope stayed tight in Max's fist for the remainder of the exhibit.

We also hoisted a Jolly Roger, learned about the different flags used by famous pirate captains, and touched actual pieces of eight-- real Spanish silver pieces recovered from the wreck of the Whydah. Interesting factoid: the treasure from this shipwreck is the only real pirate treasure ever discovered! And there were chests and bags full of it! Wow...

The crowning moments for Max were getting to step foot on a scale model of the Whydah's main deck, stand in the captain's cabin next to a model of Cap't Bellamy, and walk down into the hold of the ship. For the first time, all his imagining became totally real for him and he could stand among pirates on a ship! Unfortunately he wasn't allowed to climb the rigging (yes, he asked) but he still had a magical experience.

This was our first trip to the Science Museum, and we learned that they really know how to do things right! If we could, we'd go back again every day until the exhibit closes. Max certainly would never get bored, and honestly, there's plenty more I'd like to see again!

If ever his interest in pirates was in danger of waning (which I don't really believe it was), this trip to the museum was enough to solidify his passion for the foreseeable future. So shiver me timbers, mateys, we're off to sea!

Snow Day Baking

My mom's neighbor coined a phrase this morning that perfectly describes our current experience: we are "slushed-in"! West St. Paul is usually right on top of things when it comes to plowing, but I guess they decided it wasn't really worth it today. Our alley hasn't even been touched, and that's usually the first to be cleared! So it turned into a nice, quiet day at home, watching the pretty flakes fall... and then melt as they land... turning into messy slop on the roads. Well, at least the trees are beautiful!

One of my new favorite morning activities to do with the boys is baking. I love baked goods, and the boys love getting their hands dirty. Win-win. This morning, we decided on cinnamon-vanilla scones with vanilla glaze. (drooooool...) I gathered the ingredients and utensils on the kitchen table, and we went to town! Max has become quite a good little helper, and Lucian... well... he tries. As Max carefully measured flour into the bowl, Lucian scooped it right back out with a wooden spoon. After Max whisked an egg in a measuring cup, Lucian promptly knocked the cup over, spilling egg all over the table!

I tried to include him as much as I could, but it's a little bit of a wonder our batter turned out at all. I was helping him measure a teaspoon of baking powder, but he got so frustrated that I wouldn't let him do it himself that he flung the teaspoon up in the air, half of the powder landing in our already-measured flour and sugar. I estimated the correct amounts from there and attempted to keep him at arms length until the kneading began. That he was able to do just fine! The boys "smooshed" and "lumped" the dough, and I formed and cut it. We let the scones bake, glazed them, and my oh my were they good!

In case you want to try these yourself, we found the super easy recipe here. The glaze I added was just 1 cup of powdered sugar mixed with a couple tablespoons of milk (keep adding until it's the right consistency) and a splash of vanilla. We drizzled the scones with glaze after they cooled. Honestly, that was the hardest part of the whole process: waiting for the darn things to cool. But patience is a virtue... and they were worth the wait!

Got the Blues

When I became a parent, it changed me in many ways. I have learned about an entirely new level of selflessness, I have grown in my faith, I have felt an indescribable joy greater than I ever thought possible.

But one change has occurred that completely blindsided me. Never in my wildest dreams could I have seen this coming! You may find it hard (nay, impossible!) to believe, and yet, it's true.

I...don't...mind...Blues Clues.

Blues Clues. The kids television program about a little blue dog and her owner, Steve. Ever seen it? Ever laughed at it? Ever made fun of it mercilessly? Yes, yes, and yes for me. It came out around the time that my brothers and I were too cool for kids shows, and my dad had a very impressive Steve impersonation. Ask him about it sometime, I'm sure he'd indulge you! (right, Dad?)


So my entire experience with this show until now has consisted of mocking, sneering, laughing and pointing. Then we got Netflix. Under the kids 2-4 section of "Instant Watch" shows, up pops an adorable little blue dog. "I wanna watch that one!" says Max. Sigh. "Ok, Max, anything for you."

And honestly, it's not too bad! It teaches problem solving, drawing, music, puzzles of all kinds, and I actually don't cringe when I watch it. Ok, Steve is still a little over the top. (a little?) But now that I have a three year old, I realize how much he appreciates the over-the-top acting.

As is Max's way, as soon as we were done watching the show he wanted to play Blues Clues himself. So I came up with this fabulously genius idea to bring our game to the grocery store! We made a little notebook for our clues, then I told Blue (Max) that the puzzle we were trying to solve was "What's for dinner?"

We went to the store and I pointed out the three clues as I found them: tortillas, enchilada sauce and ground beef. We drew a picture of each clue in the notebook with a special red crayon before we put them in our cart. Then we puzzled and puzzled until we came up with the answer. Enchiladas!

It turned out to be a great way to keep Max occupied at the store, and Lucian did his part by chewing on the red crayon until we needed it. I never thought I'd say this, but... Thanks, Steve.

Easy as ABC

I decided it's high time Max learned his letters. He can recite his ABC's like a pro, but when we sit down to do flash cards, he only knows a handful of letters on sight. When in doubt, all letters are either 'M', 'A', or 'X'.

It's not that I think he's behind, or that he needs to be spending tons of time doing "school" stuff before even going to school. I just figure, hey, I'm home with him all day every day, why not throw in a little fun learning time? Plus, any combination of construction paper, crayons and scissors keeps him entertained for long stretches!

So, with those thoughts in mind, I came up with a little project to pass the time yesterday afternoon. I decided that the best way to work on visual recognition would be to have the alphabet posted in a prominent location in our home. I outlined each letter with black marker on construction paper, then Max got to color them in with crayons.



We then worked together to cut out all 26 letters


And attached them with sticky tack to the wall in his toy corner

Now when we sing the Alphabet Song, I can point to the letters as we go! As an added bonus, the letters spruce up the drab white walls of our living room a little bit. Until we get around to painting, maybe I'll just cover everything with colored construction paper...