Odds & Ends

Just a few Odd & Ends of note:

VJ's new thing is to "whistle" (please note the quotation marks). He doesn't actually whistle. He screeches. Imagine trying to have a conversation with a dolphin and you'll get an idea of what it sounds like. When we ask him to stop screeching, he tells us "No, I whistling!"

Katie definitely has my sense of humor. The bad part is, she's targets me in her efforts to be funny. For example, take last weekend when we were returning to the hotel from one of our practice runs to her school. As we were crossing the bridge over the Danube, I thought I would take the opportunity to teach the kids something. The conversation went as follows:
Me: "Did you guys know that Budapest is divided into two sides, the Buda side where Katie's school and our new house are and the Pest side were the hotel and Mommy's work is."
Katie: (without missing a beat) "Yes."
Me: "Really?" (I mean, I know she's smart but where had she picked this fact up already).
Katie: "No, of course not. Why are you listening to me?"
Anna and I laughed so hard I almost crashed the car.

VJ just likes to be contrary.
He & I were having a disagreement about something earlier this week (I can't even remember what). He said something was one way, and I explained that no, it wasn't. The conversation went like this:
VJ: "Yes it do."
Me: "No it doesn't."
VJ: "Yes it do."
Me: "No it doesn't."
VJ: "Yes it do."
Now at this point, I decided that I've banged my head against this wall long enough. Before moving on though, I felt that it was my parental duty to at least try and correct his grammar. So I say:
Me: "VJ, it's 'Yes it does.' "
To which he responds:
VJ: "No it don't."
That's when I realize, he doesn't really care about the issue at hand (whatever it was), he just wants to jerk me around by taking the opposite viewpoint. This theory was confirmed later in the week when I pulled a "Bugs Bunny" on him. We were having another one of our scintillating discussions that went something like this:
VJ: "Yes."
Me: "No."
VJ: "Yes."
Me: "No."
VJ: "Yes."
Me: "No."
I decide to test my theory on the next round.
VJ: "Yes."
Me: "Yes."
VJ: "No."
Success! I actually have tried this maneuver with Katie several times over the years, but she never fell for it. Which just proves that the boy is contrary.

Katie's new thing is an interest in time. Europe uses the 24 (military) clock and she's doing very well learning this new system. The bad part is that she is constantly asking what time is it. "What time is it Daddy?" "What time is it Daddy?" Argh! Sometimes, the first thing that pops into my head is "Half past the monkey's ass." (A little ditty from my youth on River Street). I haven't actually said it, but is it wrong that I even think it?

And to wrap things up, the blog has been a little light on pictures lately so here are a few from today:

I mentioned that a large part of the air shipment was their Christmas toys, but what does VJ like to play with? A string and 3 boxes. He says it's his "horsey."

Katie's was excited that Anna put her hair in braids today.

Here's VJ, staring at the TV this morning. I don't know where he gets this obsession with TV from (Anna's side, I'm sure).