World Building

 Overheard in the Roebuck kitchen this morning:

Millie (10): Xander, will you help me with my world building for my book?

Xander (12): Sure. How about you make the main character die but then you bring him back at the end?

Millie:  XANDER! There are only two books that did that well: the Bible and Tolkien.

Xander: You could do it well!

Laws of Physics

 May 22, 2020

Overheard this morning from Millie (7): “WHAT WAS I THINKING?! I forgot about the laws of PHYSICS!!” 

Heartbreaker

 Mom: Millie, how was your day at school today?

Millie (9): Pretty good. Except there is this new boy, and he’s only been here two days and he already likes me. So I had to talk to Miss Richardson about it and told her that if he says anything about it she should just tell him we are only in elementary school and we don’t need boyfriends and girlfriends. I don’t want to break his heart. “ 

One Million Dollars

 Conversation tonight:

Xander: what if we suddenly had a million dollars?!?

Me: Well, I guess you would already have the book to help you know how to manage it. 

Millie: Oh, yeah!

Xander: Which book?

Me: The Millionaire Next Door

Millie: Oh. Huh. I was thinking about the B-i-b-l-e. 

Me: Good point. Much better choice.

Sunshine

Millie, First Week of First Grade: 8/22/19

Me: Millie, Did you know that *I* have homework for *your* class?!

Millie: What!?

Me: Yes! I have to write a letter that tells all the ways you are special. There’s only one problem: I have to keep it to under a million words. I’m not sure that’s enough space to tell all the special things about you!

Millie: Just say, “She is our Sunshine.” That should handle it.

Nailed it, Sunshine.

Tank after tank after tank

Brounion Colorado camping trip, July 2022, Millie zips out of the tent and asks Aunt Erin for any reading material consisting of anything other than heavy artillery:

“I just can’t read any more of Xander’s book. It’s just tank after tank after tank” 

Hotel California

 Me (frustrated and grumpy as our family was working to check out of our Disney Springs hotel in Florida): I HATE CHECKING OUT OF HOTELS! This is the worst part of traveling. UGghhh I HATE IT. 

Xander (10) : Then you would like the Hotel California. 

Rich for the Glory of God

 Roebuck Car Conversation:

Me: Maggie Mae, the comments about you at your logic school promotion ceremony today reminded me so much of the life prayer I’ve been praying for you since you were born. 

Xander(10): Do you have a life prayer for me? Is it that I will grow up to be Elon Musk and use all that money to bring glory to God?

First night as a 9-year-old

Bedtime tuck-in on the night of Millie’s 9th birthday:

 Millie: Mom, will you snuggle with me?

Me: ok, Scootch over.

Millie: I know what you’re thinking: You said yes because someday I might not ask you to snuggle with me anymore BUT I will always hug you, and a hug is a one-minute snuggle!!

Me: <squeezes her tight and wills her to stay little forever>

Millie: But don’t worry, I’m still on the snuggle bus. 

 *****

How could she be any more delightful?

On with the show

March 21, 2013

Enjoyed a really fun morning playdate. My highlight: the intermission act of the girl's "Fashion Show,"  featuring Maximus' musical rendition detailing his personal quest to find happiness through riches. He found platinum, jewels and other riches, but he was never really happy.... until he learned that sharing  what he had with others brought real happiness.

His production included props and he sang the entire story. Pretty sweet. Love, love, love that boy and (just about) everything that pours out of him. :-)

Metaphorically Speaking

Xander (7): Mom, am I Roebuck or Dees or both? 

You are both. 

X. Are you both?

Well, not genetically, but. I am both.... um, spiritually. 

X. Do you mean metaphorically?

The Bridge

Xander (7): You know, chemistry is the bridge between every different type of science. It’s like chemistry is the roots and trunk, and anatomy, astronomy and biology are the branches, and philosophy is a falling leaf.

Me: Which branch is philosophy falling from?

Xander: I’m not sure. I don’t really know all the factions of science yet. I only know a few so far. 

The 1,000,000 dollar question

Xander (7): Is Santa real?
Millie (5): OF COURSE he is! If he wasn’t real, who leaves the presents on Christmas Eve?!
Xander: Well, what if when it’s really late, the parents put out the gifts from Santa and write “from Santa” on those gifts. Is that one theory?

Toenails

I was downstairs working when I heard Xander (7) suddenly screaming from his bedroom. I went running to him. 

Me: Xander, what’s wrong? Are you ok?

Xander: (panicked voice) I don’t know! I don’t if this is an emergency!

Me: What happened?

Xander: I put my toenail in my NOSE!

Me: (Laughing)

Xander: What? Is it bad?? Oh, no! Is it BAD?

Me: It’s not an emergency. Just don’t do it again. 

Napkins

Xander (7), coming out of a public women’s restroom with me:

Mom, this bathroom has free napkins and a machine for napkins that cost 25 cents. Huh. 

Live TV

Overheard at the Roebuck house this week:

Millie (5) looking at the PBS Kids App: Xander, what does this say?

Xander (7): That says “Live TV.”

Millie: What does it mean?

Xander: It means that this show is playing right now somewhere in a hotel. 

We primarily use streaming and DVDs for the media our kids watch. The only time they see broadcast television is when we stay at hotels. Apparently Xander thinks that’s the only place you can watch live television. Funny!

Poetry with Xander

Xander (7) had a school assignment to pick out any poem and read it. The lesson plan suggested nursery rhymes, but Xander insisted on reading Shakespeare because he heard his poems were really good. So we looked up Shakespeare’s sonnet 106 and read it together. 

When we finished, Xander sat there silent for a minute and then took a deep breath. 

“Well, that wasn’t too catchy.”

Show Me The Money

October 25, 2016

Maggie (9): Mom, are you proud of me? Are you proud of my hard work?

Me: Maggie, I am SO proud of you. You worked so hard, and you did a great job.

Maggie (with an enormous, charming smile): Well, how 'bout you turn that pride into CASH.

‘O’ is for Obey

Oct. 18, 2011

Just overheard Maggie (4) singing an interesting variation on the song 'O is for Obey' from BSF: "O is for obey, O is for obey, do whatever you want to do, O is for obey." (To the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”)

Good Point

Millie (5): But Jesus wasn’t married. Why didn’t He get married?
Mom: That’s a good question. Why do you think He didn’t get married.
Xander (7): Probably because He was 100% God and 100% Man.
Mom: Good Point.