Cody and Carter, like most children, are collectors. It used to be mostly rocks and leaves, little pieces of nature that would end up on our bookshelves amidst the framed pictures, vases, and delicate glass candy dishes despite my best efforts to have them leave their treasures outside on the small shelf by our front door. We have an abandoned bird’s nest on our outdoor shelf that Carter found on one of our walks. It is filled with tiny red berries in various stages of decay. I very much like that nest, the berries not so much. Nowadays the focus of their collections mostly falls on buttons, pennies, and paperclips – a little less organic but still fun to collect I suppose.
I am a collector too. I collect words, phrases, and details. I am amused by the sound of certain words or combination of words. I love using words in atypical ways. Lately whenever I get out of the shower and shake my towel, something I have done for years since that one time I found a Hobo spider climbing on it while it was wrapped around me, I don’t just shake the towel to free it from Hobo spiders. No, I shake the possibility of a Hobo spider from my towel. The idea of shaking a possibility away, as if it was a tangible object intrigues me way more than I think it should.
I also enjoy jokes and sayings that involve play on words. As an example, my dad used to say that it was colder than a well digger’s ass when it was cold out. My dad was not one to use “bad words” so this expression really stood up and caught my attention as a child (and yes I know it is not an example of a play on words, wait for it.) Since I do not want my boys using this expression I have been trying out new ones that are more kid friendly. I have come up with one that I continue to snicker at no matter how many times I say it but it is not really kid friendly. I only say it to Husband when the boys can’t hear (then I snicker and Husband rolls his eyes.) I would like to think I am clever enough that my new expression is an original but I seriously doubt it. My expression? It is colder than a snowman’s balls (snicker, snicker.) When the kids are around I modify it in such a way that it is the snowman’s nose that it is colder than, but it just doesn’t flow as well in my opinion.
My collection of words, my interest in them and the many ways they can be used have rubbed off on Cody and Carter. They love rhyming and storytelling. They can hear a word once, not know what it really means and then several days later use that word in a sentence (although usually not correctly.) It amazes me the things they come up with and their ability to remember words that are foreign and rather meaningless to them.
Both boys have had speech delays and have been in speech therapy. You would never know it by talking to them today. One day when Carter was in his young threes his therapist asked me to write a list of words he had difficulty saying. I blew her away when Pileated (type of woodpecker) and Madrona (type of tree) were included in my list of words. In one of Cody’s speech sessions he was asked to name the pictures on flashcards, he got quite insistent that the bus on the card was not just a bus but a city bus. He was and continues to be all about details and observations.
Cody made a clever little observation during our weekly pizza and movie night a couple Fridays ago that caused the writer in me to smile with pride. We were watching Hoodwinked, a parody on Little Red Riding Hood. Red was sad and walking through the forest. The flowers were closing as she walked by. Cody asked me why all the flowers were closing and I told him it was because Red was sad. Red continued to walk, passing a waterfall as she went. Cody looked at me and said in a sad little voice the waterfall is Red’s tears, momma. Ah, how I love that he put that together.
I hope the boys continue to look at the world with wonder and to make collections of the things that interest them as time goes on. I hope they grow up to be kind and loving, to be happy and successful. I also hope that whatever they choose to do with their lives they have a love for writing. I hope they too will be collectors of words, phrases, and details.
Shoes On The Wrong Feet 
Thank you very much for sharing. What a great blog you have. Easy on the eyes and an excellent writing style. Nice job indeed!
I ‘ll let everyone know about it for sure. Have a wonderful day.
Thank you, I am glad you like it. May you have a great day as well.
Reblogged this on Photos That Inspire Words.
Thanks for the reblog – I appreciate it!
I like your future wishes for your sons
Thanks!
Kid friendly expressions!!! I must confess I swear and curse round my children FAR to much. I’ve tried to stop but it seems when I try it’s WORSE!!! AHGGGG So I joined a group called moms who drink and curse…
Oh dear! It was an adjustment for me to curb my language, although I was never was too bad with the swearing. I still slip up from time to time and without fail the boys pick up on it and parrot it back at some public and inappropriate time.
Oh isn’t that how it goes!!! Mine don’t curse in public but I HAVE to stop swearing… I grew up in a rough house.
Great post Shoes, Your boys are so adorable, with a mom like you there is no doubt your wishies for thier future will turn to reality.
I too collect things, words, quotes and tangible stuff too. I have this insane compulsion to collect boxes and containers but I have nothing to put in them… I guess I’m just collecting air… 😉
BTW I love your background, very bright and colorful!
We all need air so you may as well collect it in pretty boxes. 🙂
I put up the Christmas lights background for December. I am thinking of keeping it for a while and then maybe changing it every now and again.
Sorry for the above misspellings-I must be losing it.
Hehehe – no worries.
“the idea of shaking a possibility away “, I loved it 🙂
I am glad you find it an interesting idea as well. 🙂
It’s great that Cody is a lover of detail. I had a teacher who complained to my parents at a parents evening that I paid too much attention to detail. I hope Cody, is never discouraged by anyone like that (not that I took any notice). I hope he will always keep on doing his own thing. I love that he said the waterfall was her tears.
Cody is a very astute observer (his first grade teacher has even noted this and pointed it out to us) and I think it is from this that he sees the details in in life and remembers them. It is one of the many things I love about his special personality.
I think focusing on those little details is really the only way to enjoy and appreciate life – what a great life lesson!
It is indeed. It is the details that add texture and color to the day to day goings on.
You are setting your boys up with such a great base! I’m sure the world will see great things from them.
I snickered at Snowman’s balls. 🙂 I always say “colder than a witch’s tit.” It’s not original but whatev. 🙂
Hehehe – I am so glad you snickered at my Snowman’s balls.
If the world does not see great things from the boys at least the world will get a few more fart jokes from them!
Beautiful post – in so many different ways. You are an amazing collector of stories, and moments and words. I’m so thankful you share your collections with us!
Thank you! I sometimes wonder if I am just blabbering on about my life and it comes across as some random woman’s chatter. I guess even if it does, I am ok with that.
I am sure they are already collecting words .. from their fabulous mum.. and now i shall be shaking my towel out too, just because!! c
I don’t think you have Hobo spiders where you live but I there is the possibility of other little creepers on your towel…
We certainly do not have the poisonous spiders, however I shall flap my towel in sistership!! c
Flap on sister, flap that towel! 🙂
Laughter!! c