what's up with danny?

One night when Grama Bama was here, we were sitting in the front room. It was right before bedtime. Danny said, "So, what do you know about Jesus?" And then he wanted us to all take turns telling things that we know about Jesus. That was kind of random but turned out to be a fun little game.

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I took Danny to the dentist in February. He was a gem for the lady who polished and flossed his teeth. Then the dentist came in. Danny's mouth shut tight and refused to open. All I can think is that it has a mind of its own. No way my precious boy would be so stubborn and defiant towards the nice dentist (although I'm tempted to do the same when I'm in the same chair).

I was embarrassed. I contemplated sitting on him and prying his mouth open. Eventually the dentist was able to pull Danny's lips open enough to get the pokey instrument in there.

When we got home I made Danny write an apology note to the dentist. I made him help me. I said, "Dear Dr. Gardner, sorry for..." and then Danny said, "not opening my mouth." Then I said, "Next time I will..." and Danny added, "open my mouth." Then me again, "Thank you for..." to which Danny replied, "keeping my teeth safe." And then Danny signed his name.

Maybe that's the first apology note Dr. Gardner's ever received. I'm hoping it's the last one Danny ever has to write.

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Cate enjoys tackling Danny. She grabs him and attempts to push him to the floor. Sometimes she even tortures him further by trying to smother his face with kisses. One day Danny responded by yelling, "Cate! You're no match for me!" He's right. She's not. But it's hilarious to watch.

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Aunt Judy had some cinder blocks sitting on her curb a few weeks ago. She was leaving them there in hopes that someone would just come take them. Danny saw them and wondered why they were there. "Maybe they're having a jam party." I asked him exactly what you do at a jam party. He said it's where you have music and everybody dances and eats sandwiches. Ummm. Ok. So cinder blocks on the curb is the signal to the neighborhood to get ready to dance and eat sandwiches.

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Danny asked for some wipes one day when I was in the kitchen. He wanted to clean the floor. Of course, I gave him some and he got busy wiping (heaven knows somebody should be cleaning that floor because it certainly hasn't been me). I asked him why he wanted to clean the floor and he said it was so we could have a dance party.

Danny said, "Ah ah ah ah chooo. I'm allergic to guh-wurls." You know, girls. They can have that effect on boys sometimes.

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Danny: Mom, did you know I actually have the force.

Me: Cool. How do you do that?

Danny: By squeezing my hands really hard.

Me: Cool.

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Danny hates it when Cate cries. I mean really really hates it. One day she was pitching a fit in the truck on the way home from somewhere. Danny was very frustrated and said, "She makes me have to plug my ears all the way to my eyeballs!"

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Danny was on the couch one night before bedtime. I told him it was time to go to bed. He wanted me to carry him. I told him I couldn't because I'm too old (it's a valid excuse...I am old). He replied, "But you're not ugly. Ugly is when you're old."

Another day he wanted me to do something (I can't remember what it was now because my memory is leaving...I am old). Again I told him I couldn't because I'm old. His reply this time (after examining my face) was, "I don't see different skin. Bumpy green polka dot is old skin."

It's nice to know that even though I feel old, I don't look it (at least not to my four-year-old).

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Danny has a version of sign language that he does sometimes. He just waves his fingers around and makes big movements with his mouth. It's quite amusing. Too bad I have no idea what he really wants.

Danny was the spotlight kid in Primary. I have no idea when it was. Of course he didn't say a word about it to me. This is the picture of him that was hanging in the hallway on the Primary bulletin board. Lovely, right? Would it kill him to just act like he's happy to be at church once in a while?



I love the picture but my favorite part is his answers to the spotlight questions. Dan and I read them and wondered if maybe they just put the wrong picture on some other kid's answers. I'm pretty sure Danny wouldn't talk when the teacher asked him the questions. He probably just sat there all grumpy and when the teacher suggested an answer, Danny probably shrugged and said I guess.

Favorite subject in school is recess? He doesn't have recess in preschool and I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know what recess means.

Favorite book is Batman? We don't even own a Batman book.

Favorite movie is Spiderman? I don't think so.

Favorite food is candy cane? No way.

Favorite game to play is army? I'm pretty sure he would have answered Star Wars to that one.

When I grow up I want to be a teacher? That's the first I've ever heard of that. I asked him just now and he said he wants to be a bad pirate when he grows up. Lovely.



Danny wanted me to draw a race track for him a few days ago. Then he wanted me to draw stuff on the track to get in the way. I drew some blue puddles of water, some green grass and some red bombs. He drew some blobs of red fire. Then he requested that I draw a tomp. After several times of repeating tomp and him getting really frustrated that I couldn't understand what he wanted I asked him to explain it to me. Where is it? What does it look like?

Here's what he said. "You know when R2D2 fell off Luke's spaceship and landed in the dirty water? The deen tomp!" Oh! The green swamp! Thank goodness for Star Wars.

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I sure love that kid. He's a keeper.