Conversations with Connor

In case you haven't noticed, my posts have been all about Connor lately. I figured it would be a good way to lead up to his big day next week -- his 5th birthday! And it just so happens that today's post about conversations with Connor coincides with my brand new blog look and title, "Conversations with the Courtrights." (Thanks Erin at Designer Blogs!) So enjoy the new look as well as the next couple posts all about Connor in honor of his upcoming milestone birthday.

These are some recent conversations with Connor that I couldn't resist posting:

I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes I become overly short or terse with my kids when I feel stressed or overwhelmed. Poor Connor usually bears the brunt of my frustrations because I tend to become impatient and raise my voice at him. After returning from our recent vacation, I was completely recharged and re-energized to handle the everyday challenges of raising small kids. Connor apparently noticed this and told me, "Mom, you know, you're much nicer after you go on vacation to the Bahamas."

Many nights when Jeff is working late, I will stick chicken nuggets or corn dogs in the oven as a quick fix for the kids for dinner. Apparently I've been doing this more often than I realized. Recently I was asking Connor what he'd like for dinner. I said, "Hey Connor, how about some dinosaur chicken nuggets for dinner tonight?" He pondered it for a moment and then replied, "Sure, if you wanna do it the easy way."

It's no secret that our baby girl LOVES puppies. "Puppa" was one of her very first words and she continues to be overjoyed anytime she sees a dog. There is no dog too big or scary for her. She absolutely loves, loves, loves anything and everything about dogs and never gets tired of seeing them or talking about them. A few months ago, we were all in the car and spotted a puppy walking on the sidewalk. Kaitlynn got excited and did her usual chant of "Puppies! Puppies!" like she always does when she sees one. We all talked about how much Kaitlynn loves puppies, and then Connor summed it up better than we ever could have, saying "I think Kaitlynn was born with puppies in her heart."

Recently I took Connor and Kaitlynn shopping with me to find a dress for a special occasion. I told Connor that I was looking for a red one because his Daddy really likes it when I wear red. I wasn't too enthusiastic about trying on dresses with the kids in tow, but I went ahead and picked out a black one, purple one, and a red one to try on. In the dressing room, I tried on the black dress and checked it out in the mirror. Connor piped up, "Mom! That dress looks so pretty on you, you should get it." I said, "Nah, I don't really like this one." Next I tried on the purple dress and looked in the mirror. "Mom, I love that dress, you look so pretty!" Connor said. "And purple is Dad's favorite color, so you should definitely get that one." I liked the dress but wasn't sold on it. So I said, "No, I'm not really sure about it. I'll just try on the red one and we'll get out of here." I slipped on the red dress and started tucking in the straps and straightening the fabric. Before I could even look in the mirror, Connor exclaims, "OH yeah! OH yeah! THAT'S the one!" (It was my favorite one, too.)

Recently Connor has been on a huge dinosaur kick. He loves learning about them and his new favorite TV show is Dino Dan on Nick Jr. The amount of knowledge he picks up from a single show is incredible to me. The other day he was saying how cool it would be to have a Compsognathus (yes, I had to look up the spelling of that) as a family pet because they are one of the smallest dinosaurs. I said to Connor, "Well, as cool as that is, we could never have a dinosaur as a pet because dinosaurs are extinct." He immediately asked, "What's extinct mean?" I explained that all the dinosaurs died a long time ago but left behind their bones and stuff. (I'm clearly not the scientific type, but I was trying.) I went on, "Archaeologists have discovered lots of dinosaur bones and that's how we have learned and know so much about the dinosaurs even though they have been extinct for a long time." To which Connor responded, "No, mom, they're called paleontologists. Not archaeologists." A-hem. I stand corrected.

The other day on our way home from school, Connor was his usual talkative self and he was asking me a lot of questions. I guess I was responding more than the usual "uh-huh, uh-huh" because he said to me, "Mom, today you are answering all of my questions and talking very nice to me. It makes my heart feel so happy!"

Lately Connor has a new favorite saying to express his joy over exciting moments. When I tell him about a certain fun event or activity coming up, he will immediately exclaim, "THIS is the BEST day of my LIFE!"

The other day I was with the kids outside while they were playing. Connor was bringing his bike out from the garage and was trying to manuever it through a tight space between the car and where Kaitlynn was standing. I asked him to be careful and make sure he didn't hurt his sister, and he said, "I would NOT hurt Kaitlynn, she is too beautiful."