What we lack

No, I've not fully committed this blog to mirroring everything Tracey does and says on hers. Although I have to confess that such a move isn't completely out of the realm of possibility, considering that "You're copying me! Stop copying me!" has become a near-daily cry at the F5 household. Oh, the joy.

Also, on the off-chance that you haven't heard me giggling and shrieking about this from wherever you are, Tracey is coming to town this weekend for a rock-star celebrity visit and (this is big) is staying with us for the night. It's possible that Mr. F5 thinks I'm a wee bit off my rocker for opening our house up to a total stranger, but he's being a real sport about it. As if, you know, he had a say in the matter.

So tonight, as he is fully immersed in the challenge of recording his favorite songs (you can find his esoteric list here), and the kids are gleefully jumping along the length of the couch as I hack and cough and pray that the doctor prescribes me a large box of antibiotics tomorrow, I decided to launch Tracey's favorites game. Wherein I ask the children, separately, and with total disregard for their attention spans and levels of comprehension, what their favorie things happen to be. Here, with no editing, are their answers:

What's your favorite color?
Carter: Purple and blue
Katie: Brown
Spencer: DON. Yukit.

What's your favorite dessert?
Carter: Dreamsicle!
Katie: Pound cake (mumbled, with a mouthful of pound cake)
Spencer: Yellow (at which point I suggest: do you like ice cream? Ice cream, he repeats to me, with this incredibly hopeful expression and tone. D'oh.)

What's your favorite TV show?
Carter: Little Einsteins' Treasure (an episode with pirates and treasure that is watched with some regularity)
Katie: Little Einsteins' Treasure
Spencer: Green (What about Maisy? I suggest. He nods his head.)

What's your favorite princess?
Carter: I don't like princesses.
Katie: Katie (with a smile, and without skipping a beat)
Spencer: Green

What's your favorite food?
Carter: Pizza
Katie: Pound cake (still chewing)
Spencer: My mouth

What's your favorite story?
Carter: Racecars that talk! And My Truck is Stuck. (Two recent acquisitions from the library.) And Tintin. (Handed down with care and caution from his dad.)
Katie: Bee crocodile (Hmmm, I think. Do you mean Tumble Bumble? YES! she beams.)
Spencer: Red light

What's your favorite number?
Carter: One hundred!
Katie: Two
Spencer: Duddee (which I initially recorded as thirteen, until he pointed to Trey. Ah: Daddy.)

What's your favorite holiday?
Carter: I don't know. I don't like holidays either. (Really? I ask, and offer a brief definition with examples.) Oh, I like Christmas.
Katie: Halloween (after definition and examples are repeated)
Spencer: Green light

What's your favorite sport?
Carter: Football
Katie: Basketball
Spencer: Green light

What's your favorite kitty cat?
Carter: Marbit. A kind of cat we sing about at school.
Katie: John's cat
Spencer: Meow

What's your favorite doggy?
Carter: Muddy
Katie: Sarah's
Spencer: Ruf ruf ruf!

Who is your best friend?
Carter: SophiaandSauravandAubrie (breathlessly)
Katie: John
Spencer: Katie

Who is your favorite mom?
Carter: Aubrie's mommy (after interminable pause. What about me? I can't resist asking. Yeah, he allows; I try not to sulk.)
Katie: Nana
Spencer: Spencer (which I totally interpret as Spencer'S MOMMY.)

What is your favorite song?
Carter: Crazy Car
Katie: Peanut Butter and Jam
Spencer: Yellow

What's your favorite game?
Carter: Soccer (Is there a board game you like, too? I ask. He surveys the room and spies a box. Animal puzzle pieces! And begins spilling the contents across the kitchen floor.)
Katie: A chair game
Spencer: My jumping

What's your favorite movie?
Carter: Firefighter Dave
Katie: TV. I wike TV, Mom.
Spencer: A, B, C, D...

These three kids: I just love them so, so, so much. Even if I'm not their favorite mommy.