Cute, Cute, Cute.

Here are a few quick stories of late from our house...

1.  I was snuggling with Alec a few days ago and said to him, "Alec, I love you so much. You're such a good boy and so handsome. I love you this much (opening my arms wide).  Do you love me a lot, too?"
"Ummm... I love you a little bit," he answered.
"A little bit?? Who do you love a lot?" I asked.
"Daddy," he answered.

2.  I was talking with Jenna about the upcoming Superbowl.  "It's going to be the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens in the game.  Who are you going to root for?"
"Hmmm... I think the Francanscisco 49ers then."

3.  Alec loves playing the Fisher Price line of Imaginext toys.  They have all kinds of boy-themed sets, from dinosaurs to fighter jets to pirates to knights and castles.  He loves them.  He came to me the other day after playing on the Imaginext website and said, "I want the new Imaginext toy... the Ballerina!"
"What? Ballerina?  I don't think that's an Imaginext toy, buddy."
"Yeth, yeth, it's a ballerina!  I want to get it!"
"Okay, show me on the computer."
And I go in and sure enough, there is the new Imaginext line: Battle Arena.

4.  Michaela spotted while walking through the mall a life-size stand up cardboard likeness of her fave One Direction band member "Don't pronounce the 'S'" Louis.  (I have been solemnly told that if you don't pronounce his name "Louie" then you are NOT A TRUE DIRECTIONER.)  She was hot to purchase it, so after Christmas, flush with cash, we returned to the mall and secured our Louis.

We brought it home and pieced it together.  And that started the Musical Rooms Game with Louis.
Turns out, when you have a life-sized cardboard cut out of a young man in your house, EVEN IF YOU KNOW IT'S THERE, you still jump when you enter that room.  Because there is a man in there.  So Louis started in Michaela's room, migrated down to Jenna's room (poor kid sister), then ended up face down on Jenna's floor for a few days.
"HE FREAKS ME OUT!!" said Michaela.
We moved him to the landing of the basement stairs, and after suffering several heart attacks opening the door to the basement and being confronted with a life-sized man I forgot was there, I had enough.  I called the store to see if they would return it.
The manager laughed and said sure. "When we have them set up in the back storeroom, they freak us out, too."
Before we returned him, I had Michaela strike a pose with the ill-fated Louis.
Goodbye, handsome.
You made our hearts pitter-patter with love AND fear.