Mr. President

On Tuesday a history event took place and I was excited as the polls were to begin closing I was anxiously awaiting the rollup of delegate votes. I flipped on the TV and Akins was wondering what the buzz was all about. So, I began to explain to him that we were about to get a new president. The conversation and the following morning went like this...

Akins: What the President do?
Mommy: Well, he is the most important man.
Akins: Why?
Mommy: He runs our country and he makes all the decisions about our country. We are about to get a new president. There are two men trying to win right now. One is Obama and one is McCain and we want Obama to win.
Akins: Why?
Mommy: Because he is a good man that will do good things for our country.
Akins: The other man is a bad man?
Mommy: Well, kind of yes.
Akins: What did he do?
Mommy: He makes bad decisions.
Akins: Who will win?
Mommy: I don't know that's what we are waiting to see and when you wake up in the morning we will have a new president. It's really important and you know he is a black man like you.
Akins: Oh. He can come to my house?
Mommy: No, probably not.
Akins: Why?
Mommy: Because he is really important. When you wake up though we will know who won.


Morning - still in bed and barely awake...

Akins: Mommy, who is the new present?
Mommy: The President? Obama!
Akins: Yea!

After getting ready for school....

Akins: I want to see him.
Mommy: Who?
Akins: The present.
Mommy: Okay, come here let's turn on the TV.
Akins: Where is he? (commentator's tying up the airwaves)
Mommy: Oh, there is McCain.
Akins: He is the bad guy?
Mommy: Yeah?
Akins: I want to see Bama.
Mommy: Oh, there he is, there is Obama.
Akins: He's not BLACK!
Mommy: Yes he is.
Akins: No he's not he's not black.

Since then the past two nights have been riddled with a million more questions and a lot of discussion about blacks, whites etc. Who would have thought a four year old would be this interested in the presidential election! Now that is historic!

Last Name Woes

Okay, my last name is not the coolest name in the world and in fact it will for sure lead to some teasing. So, who better to set up the expectations than one who has already been through it and heard it all. Right? In trying to teach Akins how to spell his last name there is a very easy way to remember it - let's go through it.

Last name: KNUPP pronounced N-UP seems easy so far right.

Spelling: K N U P P - easy way to remember "can you pee pee".

Just try saying this to Akins. It is sure to send him off the deep end since pee pee has been a source of struggle and therefore trauma. The last thing he wants is this anywhere in his name. He insists it is NOT Pee Pee!

Today - he has been saying things like "Grandma Knupper" He also thinks Lorea's last name which he can barely say, don't even think of trying to spell it with him needs to match ours and therefore should be "Knupper". I guess adding the "er" on the end makes it all better.

In Search of the Great Pumpkin

Last year we found a pumpkin patch but not the greatest one in the world. This year we found one that had a whole lot of fun things to do! Here are the highlights.

This riding in the wagon business is for the birds I want to run!

How about this one?

Jumpin' Pumpkin'

Got to give Snoopy a hug


Popup Cat video


Wheel barrow mania ...wow this is hard

I don't like that big one...these are a little easier

Weeeeeeeeee

No Fear...Face First


Loads of determination!


Okay, maybe this one is a little too big

Of course no pumpkin patch is compelte without a hay or wagon ride

What's in there?


I can eat this?

A bumble bee pony...WHAT?

Oops! I ran over the cow!

And then....Lights Out!

From the Mouths of Babes

Three brief but really funny conversations with Lorea:

Akins: What is the white stuff in your hair?
Lorea: It's not white, it's grey.
Akins: No it's white. Where did it come from?
Lorea: When you get old you get grey hair.
Akins: It's not grey it's white.

Akins: I want a sister
Lorea: You want a sister?
Akins: Yeah
Lorea: Where are we supposed to get a sister from?
Akins: Same place you get your son!

Lorea: I'm still hungry I want to eat more.
Akins: You ate too much.
Lorea: What, I did not eat too much. Did you see me eat too much?
Akins: Yes, you always eat too much!

The Chicken Dance and The Hokey Pokey

Today we went to Oktoberfest in Tulsa. We have never gone before but it looked like fun with the usual food, rides, games and crafts. Well, some of these folks take it seriously getting all dressed up in German or Irish wear and the dancing and music is abundant. As you all have seen Akins loves to dance, and sing for that matter, but recently he has started to get a bit shy which I am disappointed about. Today I learned it is simple to bring him back to his roots of song and dance all we need to do is seek out an Irish or German festival. I had no idea that the Chicken Dance or the Hokey Pokey was such a big deal! Let's just say that after at least 42 times of doing each of these songs I think Akins almost has it and now I too am over being shy about dancing in public. Of course it is at moments like these I am both disappointed (for Akins) and grateful (for me) that we did not bring the camera. Ahhhh - next year!

Dr. Suess is Whacked!

A while back some friends sent Akins some Dr. Suess books and I read them of course thinking the whole while "what kind of drugs was this guy on"? Akins listened back then and never said a word. Now that he has a better grasp of English he is asking a lot more questions. The other night we made the fatal error of embarking down the Dr. Suess book road again. Here's kind of how it went...

Akins: What's him?
Mommy: A Whump.
Akins: What's a Whump do?
Mommy: Uummm - I'm not quite sure.
Akins: What are you talking about?
Mommy: Ummmm - I'm not quite sure.
Akins: Who's he?
Mommy: Mr. Fox Socks
Akins: He can blow the house down?
Mommy: Ummmm - No that is the Big Bad Wolf.
Akins: Oh. What's a Fox do?
Mommy: Well, he's smaller than a wolf, he's not mean and he lives in the woods.
Akins: Oh. Is he mad? (Pointing to the man in the book who Mr. Fox Socks is trying to get to say all of this nonesense).
Mommy: Yes.
Akins: Why?
Mommy: Because he is tired of Mr. Fox Socks trying to get him to say all those crazy words.
Akins: What's the beetle do?
Mommy: The Tweedle Beetle? Ummmm... he paddles. !$#!%@
Akins: Why?
Mommy: Ummmm....I don't have a clue.
Akins: Why he chunked the Fox into the bottle?
Mommy: Because he mad at him.
Akins: Why
Mommy: Because he doesn't want to say all these funny words.
Akins: How did he chunk him into the bottle?
Mommy: Ummmm...I guess through the little hole.
Akins: How?
Mommy: Ummmm...I don't know it's just a story.

Needless to say story time took a long time and included a few points where he was getting pretty frustrated with this nonesense. Now back to my original question, what kind of drugs was Dr.S uess on? Clearly very strong ones! I think for now we will table the Dr. Suess stories until Akins can understand fully the storyline of a "normal" book. Not to mention I can't get "Two Hump Whumps and Tweedle Beetles out of my head!

Junk Food

Today I needed to stop and get gas on the way home. Directly across the road was the "evil" Arby staring us in the face. Lorea says "Is it bad that I want Arby's". I told her to think about it while I was pumping the gas. I get back in the car and we are off for the 5 for $5.95 special. $12.91 later we are off to pick up Akins. When he gets in the car we show him the Arby's bags. The conversation then goes like this.

Akins: "What's that".
Mommy: "Junk food".
Lorea: "Smell it".
Akins: "That's not junk food"
Mommy: "Oh yes it is. It's bad for your body but tastes so good".
Akins: "You teasing"?

We get home and lay out our feast. The conversation continues...

Mommy: "Akins, you like junk food"?
Akins: "It's not junk".
Mommy: "What do you think junk is"?
Akins: "Trash".
Mommy: "Very good, so this is called junk food because it is bad for our bodies but it tastes soooo good". It's like putting trash in our bodies".
Akins: "Oh, I like junk food".



Mommy: