Slower and Louder.....

We have a phenomena at our house that we call "slower and louder." It occurs when our children are telling their ever-so-lame parents something and we don't respond immediately or say "what?" The children, because they are oh-so-smart, huf and say it again--S L O W E R A N D L O U D E R.........

This comes to mind because my youngest will be having his 8th birthday at the end of June. He has been throwing out birthday ideas since last July. His sister had her 10th b'day party at Embassy Suites, her b'day is in Feb. and she wanted a pool party. Rent a room and you get to use the pool, plus my middle child can totally get our money back on the breakfast buffet--he may be skinny but he can eat his weight in bacon.

But I digress, Magnuts wants a "hotel" birthday, with 7 of his closest friends. Now, he doesn't want them to come over just to swim, he wants them to shack up with us for the night. Oh yeah, those are gonna be some awkward calls....."Mr. Smith, I know we have not known you very long, but my husband and I would like to take your son to a hotel for the night *crickets chirping* " So this is fictitious phone call is running through my head when my son decides to repeat his request for his dense mother " M O M------- A -------- H O T E L,------ L I K E-------- W H E R E----------- P E O P L E-------- O N------ T R I P S----- S L E E P"


I would love to smack him in the back of the head, mid-sentence, and then dance circles around him while yelling "How You like Me Now!" But, I know that would just be wrong, damn.

Anyway, for now, talking over him LOUDER and MORE SLOWLY seems to get the job done.

About the b'day, I will invite the parents to bring their children to swim for the afternoon, I will be sweet, there will be cake and ice cream for all the little monkeys, presents for Magnuts, and when they all of them leave, there will be me and a very large cocktail.