Euphemism

[la_rainette]

My neighbour has a sign planted on his frontyard that reads: "(company name), Professional Wildlife Removal".

Ew.

In other news, we went to Centerville again today, with Joey (5, Froglet's friend) and Adorable Sam (2 1/2, Tadpole's sweetheart), and the Awww factor nearly killed me.

Whenever I see Adorable Sam, I want to grab him and run home and feed him chocolate and keep him forever. He's that adorable. Not that I would ever do it, of course: his mom is a very good friend of mine, and I wouldn't want to cause her any pain. Also, she is a wonderful mom and he would miss her very much. Still: it's tempting. If I ever had a son, I'd want an Adorable Sam.

Tadpole and Sam went on the fire engines together: they stayed in line, all the while holding hands, and when they made it onto the fire engines, Tadpole grabbed the steering wheel, Sam the rope that rings the bell, and they looked at each other and giggled and were off. The employee who had fastened their seatbelt turned to me and exclaimed "Awww!" They were that cute.

Lunch was... complicated.

la rainette: *buys large order of fries because the kids are hungry and supposed to share*
Friend (Joey and Sam's mom) *buys small order of fries because Sam isn't having any*
la rainette *grabs fries for Tadpole and hands over the container to Froglet*
Joey *notes that his fries container is smaller than Froglet's, and examines the situation. Clearly this is unfair: Froglet is smaller than he is, and should thus have the smaller container, shouldn't she?*
Joey *tries to convince Froglet that there must have been a mistake somewhere*
Froglet *determinedly holds on to her fries*
Joey *sulks*
Froglet *eats distractedly while watching Tadpole and Adorable Sam play*
Joey *surrepticiously exchanges containers and takes off with Froglet's larger order of fries*
Froglet: HEY!

(la rainette: :D Observes the whole thing with amusement. Joey is a wonderful little boy, and a very good friend of Froglet's. He is also, alas, unable to control his baser instincts when it comes to food. But then, neither am I.)

And then we went back to the fire engines.

Tadpole *tickles Sam's back*
Sam *frowns and wonders what's going on back there*
Sam *tries to unscrew his head enough to see his back and falls on his bum*
Tadpole *giggles and tickles Sam's ribs*
Sam *watches Tadpole and takes in situation, hear the little wheels go click-click-click in his head, then suddenly catches on and starts laughing uproariously*
Tadpole *is very happy*

Tadpole *makes face at Sam*: Buaaaaaaahhhhh!
Sam *makes face at Tadpole*: BUAAAAAHHHHHHH!
Tadpole *stick tongue out* hnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
Sam *sticks tongue out too* HNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
Tadpole: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sam: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Tadpole: grabs Sam and hugs tight
Sam: grabs Tadpole and hugs back
Both *giggle wildly*
Adults nearby, regardless of religion, age or gender: AWWWWWWWWW!

Tadpole *brings little bunch of lallydions to Sam*
Sam *looks at lallydions and laughs happily, then grabs Tadpole and hugs her*
Tadpole *is pleased*
Sam *grabs his mommy's hand, goes to grab Tadpole's hand, realizes that he has no hand left - because of the flowers -, drops the lallydions and takes hold of Tadpole's hand*
Tadpole *walks happily at Sam's side*
Sam *realizes he doesn't have Tadpole's flowers anymore and starts to cry*
Tadpole, Joey, Froglet and assorted adults *run to get dandelions for Sam*

Sam *gets whole bunch of dandelions and smiles his sunniest smile*
Sam: Fank you.

And the world goes Awwwwww!

And la rainette may never have to kidnap Adorable Sam, because hopefully one day he'll marry Tadpole and they'll live happily ever after.

ETA: I forgot to mention the tragic goodbyes. Sam, waving. And Tadpole, looking at me with huge puppy eyes: "Where's Sam going?"

la rainette: Well, he's going home with his mom.
Tadpole: Mais... et moi? (But... What about me?) *weeps*

Hum. Maybe I should kidnap him, after all.

ETA, step 2: new icon! :D With many thanks to the lovely Tai

Comments

[setissma.livejournal.com]

AWWWWWW!

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

:D Well, yes. *loves her kids*

[setissma.livejournal.com]

Dude, does anyone NOT love your kids?

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love your icon!

:D Thank you (and of course, anyone who loves my kids is my friend forever.)

[setissma.livejournal.com]

Well. That means the whole WORLD is your friend. (Also, probably the friend of Adorable Sam's mum.)

It is rather cute, isn't it? :D

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*points to icon* I used to have a pair of socks like that :D.

Well, erm, yes. But woe you don't invite our kids to your kid's birthday party. WOE. We never forget. (Mothers have elephant-like memory combined with wolfish instincts. Deadly combination, if there ever was one. Also, we bite. ;) )

[setissma.livejournal.com]

I love rainbow socks! And eek! It's good I don't have birthday parties, then. ;)

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

:D yes, but it takes a long time to get them on, doesn't it? One toe at a time.

But, well, I count among the more civilized parents: I've heard that some parents actually call the organizing parents to demand to know why their kid wasn't invited! I would never do that (also, I have a very sociable child, and I know how hard it is to get your kid to pick the 16-and-no-more friends she is allowed to invite). But it's funny how, as a parent, you tend to be more susceptible on your kid's behalf than you would be for yourself.

[setissma.livejournal.com]

So true, it takes FOREEEVER.

Yes. There's a limit to how many kids can be invited, people!

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*nods* yes, there is a limit. Last birthday party (a Froglet/Tadpole combined affair), we had 35 kids of assorted sizes. I swore I would NEVER do it again (not that many, anyways).

You know, the succession of icons you're using is a bit, er, disturbing. I keep picturing the socks with the high-heeled slippers, which is a very distressing concept. I may have to bleach my brain now.

[setissma.livejournal.com]

That is an insane amount of kids. Go check your f-list. :D *doubtful look on the icon succession!*

[bookwench31.livejournal.com]

I once worked a birthday party like that. Boy am I glad I was getting paid. It was insane.
Since the library paid so poorly I took side jobs as a birthday party entertainer. I got asked to do this quite a few times. That's when I began to see the insanity of children's birthdays. I admit that I had a snobby, rather rich crowd of moms, but what these people must have spent on birthday parties for their 2 year olds astounded me. I charged $50 and would do a half hour shtick and help serve cake. I always felt like I was charging too much, until I heard about people hiring a local band for 300/hour or the Pony rentals. Then I felt like I should up my prices. *grins*
You seem like a sane woman, don't ever spend 300 dollars on entertainment for your children's party. Or if you want, just buy me a plane ticket and I'll provide entertainment for free. *laughs*

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

:D Hey, that's a great idea! ;)

Although I certainly would not spend 300 US dollars on entertainment, I find that birthday parties are insanely expensive. It's not just the entertainment, you have to pay for the food and the drinks and the cakes and the loot bags and the venue...

(But then the kids are so happy you actually don't mind that much anymore...)

Next year, however, I'll keep it smaller, also because I vividly remember Froglet bursting inot tears at some point, because all her friends wanted to play with her at the same time and as much as she tried she just coudn't satisfy everyone...

[bookwench31.livejournal.com]

300 dollars total is perfectly acceptable. Parties are expensive. Children can eat like locus.

Is it wrong that I can't help but laugh a little at the problem of having too many playmates?

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

No, it's perfectly fine :D It made me laugh a little, too.

Froglet is like that: everywhere we go, she makes new friends, and then she's like, "I've made a new friend, his/her name is blankety-blank, can I invite him/her to my birthday party?" and it doesn't matter to her that she'll be 6 in March... :D

[fire-and-a-rose.livejournal.com]

If I lived in Canada, I would have to hunt you down and beg--quite possibly on my knees--to babysit your girls.

Because they are just that cute.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! That is such a nice thing to say! :D

It's funny, because I do get many volunteers to babysit the girls - and not just because we pay well ;) . We have babysitting exchanges with a couple of friends who have a five-year-old son, and they often tell us that their boy is easier to handle when our girls are around - you know, they play together and stuff, and they get along very well. Their son is an only child, so he depends on his parents for entertainment and is very demanding. Our girls play well together, and play well with him too, so the parents actually get a break when the girls are around ;)

[fire-and-a-rose.livejournal.com]

You pay well? Double curses! *makes note to move to Canada*

Oh, that's so sweet. And lucky for the babysitters. As much as I love the kids I watch, there are times I really wish there were other people around to entertain them, because I am, sadly, Not A Small Child, and just don't have that energy anymore. I need a Froglet and Tadpole here, dangit.

On the other hand, cautious about babysitting for more than one family at once. A family I worked for took me to a Bible study with them once to "help" with the kids. 19 kids. 2 babies. 1 other person to watch them.

That was not fun, no. ;)

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

19 kids. 2 babies. 1 other person to watch them.

Oh. My. God. You have all my sympathies.

Tadpole and Froglet are always happy to entertain other people, actually. They invent stories for their baby-sitters, and show them all their toys and dress-up dresses. :D But it's nice that they are so close in age (they're 23 months apart), because they can organize lots of games together, and they're happy to do so.

[sociofemme.livejournal.com]

AWWWWWWWW

I already knew your kids were adorable. When you add in the description of Adorable Sam (and I'm picturing in his place a Similarly Adorable Steven here, from home, whose cuteness I miss very much), I CAN'T BEAR IT FROM THE CUTE. AWWWW!

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you.

I thought I had this Very Special Thing going on with Sam, because I met him when he was just three days old and teeny- tiny, but my mom is just as taken with him as I am. He is just one of these positively irresistible children. Tadpole has great tastes in guys ;) :D

[sir-gareth.livejournal.com]

> Tadpole has great tastes in guys
She must take after her mom then *grin*... ummm... and hi... my proper lap top is back. Work is tough but things are going great. Will find time to update, comment and chat soon... but for now... need to relax in that 'bath'... or something close to it.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! You must be pleased. I'm looking forward to hearing all about your new job and, erm, other current affairs ;)

[l33tminion]

*tries to stop, but is unable to resist*
Awwwwwwwwww!

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

:D Yes, it's irresistible, I know... *sighs happily*

sir_gareth's icon creations: closed until further notice

[sir-gareth.livejournal.com]

*grumps at new icon* I guess my icon-making services are no longer required. *shakes bath-wet hair at you*

Re: sir_gareth's icon creations: closed until further notice

[setissma.livejournal.com]

Psst. :D She sent me oodles of chocolate. I felt guilty. So seduced her to the dark side of colorful borders. I am a mean and evil person, clearly, but don't blame Rainette. :D

Re: sir_gareth's icon creations: closed until further notice

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Nope, you're not off the hook yet :D. Wait til I get a scanner (or rather, til I get Husband to get our scanner to work again)

But I am always grateful when my friends make beautiful icons for me *blows kisses to Tai*.

[seshat1.livejournal.com]

AAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I hereby request the presence of your adorable kids in England so I can get them to play with my brother (nearly 3). They sound the most adorable kids ever, and I love little kids doing the boy and girl thing :D *dies of cuteness*

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*g* yes, the boy and girl thing with little ones is totally irresistible. When they hold hands, they look so serious and unselfconscious that I just melt away.

They'd love to play with your little brother - Tadpole, who is rather small for her age, likes younger kids she can play with without fearing that she will be bowled over, and Froglet just likes to play and make friends with other kids, regardless of age or gender.

[seshat1.livejournal.com]

*points at icon* Ben :D He's my baby XD

When they hold hands, they look so serious and unselfconscious that I just melt away.

Aw. Little kids can be soooooo cute *hugs them* Especially Tadpole and Froglet, they sound adorable.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Oh, but he's adorable! It's a beautiful picture! Thank you.

[terrylj.livejournal.com]

Awwww, sweet little babies! I think mommies of girls are especially susceptible to cute little boys. It's just such so adorable to see them together.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*nods* Oh yes. Tadpole and Sam both have huge, dark eyes and when they look at you together and go "again again again", because going on the ride together is just such good fun, I just can't resist.

And when they look at each other and giggle for no reason, it's just so cute.

[bookwench31.livejournal.com]

*drowns in cuteness*

I thought that stories about Tadpole and Froglet had reached the maximum cuteness level, but no...throw in Adorable Sam and Joey and you raise the cuteness bar.

I want to play with your children. I'd move to Canada but it gets so cold there. *shivers* Obviously y'all should move to the South, so that I can be amused by you and your children and not freeze during the winter. *grin*

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

We went to Florida last winter... If I'd known you by then, I would have stopped for a visit on the way! (We drove: the girls are pretty good in the car, and having Husband's laptop+DVD player helped, too ;) )

Yes, it's cold in Canada, but cold is fun! Snowball fights, and tobogganning, and making snowmen, and building igloos...

(Froglet on coming back from Florida: YAY! I love you! You're the BEST PARENTS IN THE WHOLE WORLD! SNOW! SNOW! I LOVE THE SNOW! :D )

Still not tempted? :D