Falling Down

So Chris and I haven’t lived in a home with stairs the whole time we were married…until last year when we bought this house. Now, we fall down or up the stairs at least once a month. Falling down the stairs is embarrassing and usually hurts quite a bit because you land flat on your keister. But falling up the stairs is completely humiliating. There’s no excuse. Falling down the stairs is at least explainable but I have no idea how I manage to fall going up. The stair is right in front of me. I can see it. I can see my foot heading toward it. And yet…

I think we even fall more often than the kids. Alexis sometimes takes a tumble but usually because she’s goofing off or trying to bring a very large comforter with her down the stairs (fortunately it helps cushion the fall). But Chris and I are neither goofing off nor carrying comforters. We just can’t walk on stairs.

The Falin Language Dictionary

So I’m assuming other families have a language of their own, just as we do…filled with words kids either make up or mispronounce that become part of the family lexicon. My sister made up a bunch of words that we still use in conversation with each other (my favorites are “fanny-wigglers” — hula dancers — and “spankabottom” which I’m pretty sure is self-explanatory. Especially if you knew Vicky. Bad Vicky.) Here are a few words and phrases from the Falin Language Dictionary:

(most of these are from Alexis because I didn’t have it together enough to write down Timothy’s when he was younger…)

Smoothie-Doobie: (n): A smoothie. Origin: Alexis

Us Bank: (proper noun): U.S. Bank. Origin: Timothy (when he was learning to read, he read the U.S. as a word. Now I’m afraid we’re going to use it when we go in the bank someday.)

Large/Small Intesticles: (n): As noted in an earlier blog — a part of the digestive system. Origin: Timothy

Phrase: “He’s wake up” — I’m going to wake up the baby now. Origin: Alexis

Phrase: “He’s so happy” — Look! I woke up the baby. Origin: Alexis

Phrase: “I hot” — I’m cold. Origin: Alexis

Phrase: “I cold” — I’m hot. Origin: Alexis

Phrase: “I fold clothes” — I’ve just taken four loads of laundry out of the hamper and thrown them on the floor. You’re welcome. Origin: Alexis

Phrase: “That’s not perfect!” — I’m not happy with the way things are progressing right now. Origin: Timothy

Say What?

Things That I Say to the Kids That Would Sound Funny in an Adult Conversation:

-”What’s wrong, Mr. Fussy?”

-”No stickers on your brother’s head.”

-”In this house, we always put on pants before we go outside. That’s the rule.”

-”Please stop petting your brother.”

-”Take that knife out of your mouth.”

-”Don’t bite the dog.”

-”Did you just rub snot on me?”