A little less conversation, a little more action

I love the way he can direct conversations sometimes. After I guess one too many questions about what happened at school today:

Zach: You ask too much questions. Now I have a question for YOU.

Betsy: Great! What is it?

Zach: Would 'ja like to see my train?

Betsy: Sure!

Zach: Step right this way. I'll show you the ENGINE....

Nonsense!

Here's an uncharacteristic remark from Zach when he really wanted to get home from school.

Betsy: Well, I just have to stop at the bank first.

Zach: Why? I want to go home.

Betsy: I need money to pay the babysitter.

Zach: Nonsense! I'll give her money.

Wishes

Zach: I wish that nobody in the whole world would ever be scared. And I wish that there would be no more splinters. What do you wish?

Betsy: I wish that there were enough black bean burritos with extra cheese for everybody in the world.

Zach: Um, I won.

Reach for the Stars

Yesterday, I got to meet Greg Mortenson, who was just nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the amazing work he's done building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I was explaining to Zach about how Greg's failed attempt at climbing K-2 resulted in his achieving the far bigger mission of bringing schools to kids who didn't have them. But Zach was more interested in Greg the mountain climber:

Zach: Why didn't he get to the top?

Betsy: Well, it's really hard to climb a mountain. Your body has to be strong and healthy, the weather needs to be right...

Zach: Well, do you know what I'm going to build? I'm going to build something so the weather doesn't have to be perfect to climb to the top. It's a really, really, really, really, REALLY big ladder that goes past the sky. And it's for if you need to get to a cloud or if you miss your rocket ship, you miss the take-off time, or if you miss your plane. It's for going to all those stuff. Or climbing the mountain. It's HUMONGOUS! But it's really, really, really....tight. So anybody can carry it. Kids can carry it, grown-ups can carry it...

Betsy: Do you mean it's very, very light?

Zach: Yeah, light. And now I want to tell you about one more machine I'm going to build. But I'm definitely going to build that ladder...

Inauguration Day: Cut to the Chase

Betsy (after paragraphs of indoctrination aimed at my two under-age-5 kids who were just trying to eat breakfast): ...and he believes that everybody should get a fair chance - doesn't matter where you come from or what you look like...

Zach (interrupting): He's a busy dad.

Inaguration Day: Keeping it real

Betsy: Today is a very exciting day for America and for the whole world!

Zach: Well, not for me. I can't even find my dog.

Reflections of a big brother

I'm glad we got Katie. I'm really glad we got Kate. Because she's so cute. And she tickles.