too funny

It's great having a live-in comedian. That's Gabe at our house - and I'm sure anyone else with a 3 or 4 year old knows what I'm talking about! Every night Eric and I have fun recalling all the things he has said during that day that had us laughing out loud (or more often than not, trying to hide a chuckle!) I never want to forget these moments. They are too precious! Tonight's report included:

Gabe noticed some flour on the counter and immediately became a little policeman...
G: "who made this mess?!"
me: "I did - I just made some breadsticks."
G: "you need to clean this up. We don't like messes. It's not nice to make a big mess. I'm going upstairs now and when I come down you need to clean it up...." and on and on and on!!

Am I really such a nag?! It's uncomfortable how much I hear what I tell him coming back to me! It's like he internalizes the things I say and then later tries to fit them in to his own experiences.

Here is another example:
me: "Lunch is ready, Gabe!"
G: (coming down the stairs) "I'm busy right now. It's not nice to say it's time for lunch to me when I'm busy. It's not nice."

I'm a little taken aback at this point and explain to him that when someone does something for you, like make you a yummy lunch, you stop what you're doing and say Thank you!! But this has me reviewing what I've said to him in the last few days... have I really told him I'm busy that much?! I know I tell him it's not nice to interrupt me on the phone...maybe I said I was busy. Oh dear. Well, it's a good thing to have this echo in my life - he's like a little red pen that goes back over my day and highlights a lot of things for me to review! :)

Eric's story was when he was tucking Gabe into bed, Gabe noticed a train that was still out - all lined up along the floor. He very seriously told Daddy that he better put it in the box or he was going to get out of bed and play with it! Thanks for the warning bud! :)

Lately Gabes loves hearing stories about when he was a "little boy". He also likes coming up with his own "memories" and tells us all kinds of stories from when he was a little boy - it is so cute. Especially because he tells his stories like they are the funniest things ever and that he was the silliest "little boy"! We love hearing about all the naughty things he supposedly did when he was a little boy. Haha! Tonight at dinner that is what he wanted to talk about. He told us he would take a turn, then we would take a turn ,telling stories about when he was a little boy. He listened delighted to my story...then his...then mine again... then when it came to Daddy, he listened indulgently to Eric's and at the end said matter-of-factly: "no, I didn't" and moved right on!! It was hilarious! Gabe hit it right on though because Eric was really teasing him with his story about how Gabe used to share his bb with Daddy and let Daddy suck on the tail - which of course rarely happened, if ever! (I know that sounds weird...click here if you're lost!) Anyway, we sure love talking with our big boy. :)