Everett, Part II

I remembered some more things about Everett, and I thought I'd share them. Someday I'm going to make some of this blog into a book because these posts are so great for documenting little things the kids grow out of.

If you tell Everett something he'll get excited about, such as, "Guess what! I have a treat for you!" or "After you put your clothes in the laundry basket, we can make some muffins!" or lately, "Do you want to go out in the snow?" He will respond with widened, excited eyes and a mouth forming a tiny O, while he exhales a quiet little "oooooooohhhhhhhhhh" sound. It gets me every time.

Everett has recently started saying "wahoo!" all the time. You can guess where he got that one. I am here to tell you that he sounds a whole lot cuter saying it than I do. It sounds more like a quick "ooh-hooo", and he says it for the littlest things. It is very fun.

Also, if something comes apart or breaks, or even if something falls down, Everett breaks out into a mournful and urgent "No, no, no, no, no!" bringing it to me in his little hands as solemnly as a priest. Fortunately he still believes I can fix everything.

Recently I started a water fight with Joel. Well, technically Everett did it. Joel was asleep on the couch and it was time for him to be getting up, so I gave Everett a tiny bit of water in a cup to go dump on him. In order to ensure that he actually got Joel wet, I directed him to put the water on his nose. Well, he did, and it went right up Joel's nose, which gave him quite the wake-up call! Later Joel got me wet, much to Everett's amazement. I don't think it crossed Everett's mind that he could throw water on his momma. Then I got Joel wet. Then Joel got me wet. (We're talking small amounts of water here, people). Everett suffers from something called "having parents who both always have to have the last laugh." It's a terrible affliction.

Last night I gave Everett a little more water to put on Joel. He was ecstatic! He would start to get really excited and make a little noise, then I would hear him quiet himself and say "shhhh". He crept into the living room only to discover that at that very moment, Joel had left to go change his clothes in the bedroom. So the practical joke was ruined, and Joel ended up throwing the water on me. Everett was shocked and pointed out to me several times that Papa got me wet. He was equal parts disapproving and fascinated (and yes, he's right where I want him on this, thank you).

So. . .after all this, Everett asked for a drink this morning with a peculiar smile on his face. I gave it to him and when my attention was turned to Ashley, he took it in the bathroom and dumped it all on Joel, who was in the bath! It's just too bad Joel was already wet, or maybe Everett would have won the battle. Fortunately he always (except this once, go figure) drinks from a cup with a lid unless he is sitting with us at the dinner table. I can see all sorts of ways this scenario could get bigger and messier. I think we'll have to instigate a no-water-fights-unless-Mom-starts-it rule. Hah, as though that will work. This boy has too much Joel in him to heed a silly rule like that.