Hide and Seek

Sam runs into the room and darts behind the curtain. He wraps it around himself and spins until the curtain twists tightly around him and rises, revealing his body from the waist down. He freezes. Dad looks up from his book.

Dad: You alright pal?

Sam: (Whispers) Yep.

A few seconds pass, then Archie appears, he toddles up to the other curtain, mumbling 'Shhhhh' to himself over and over. He clambers behind the curtain and freezes.

Dad: You hiding Archie?

Archie: Shhhhhhhh.

A minute passes. Sam is still frozen and clearly visible (from the waist down), Archie has fallen onto his bum. Dad looks up from his book again.

Dad: So what are you both doing exactly?

Sam: (still whispering) Hiding!

Archie: Shhhhhhh. Hiding.

Dad: Ah! Hide and Seek.

Sam and Archie: Shhhhhhh.

A few more minutes pass. Mum wanders through the room with the washing. Slightly confused, Dad looks up from his book again.

Dad: Where's Emily?

Sam: She's hiding too.

Dad: What?

Sam: Shhhhh. She's hiding upstairs!

Dad: How can she find you if she's hiding too!

Archie: SHHHHHHH DADDY!

Sam: No, no, no. We're hiding from Mummy!

Dad: Ah!

Still more minutes pass. Mum wanders back through the room, this time with an empty washing basket. She glances curiously at Sam's exposed legs before disappearing on another errand.

Dad: Sammy, does Mum know she's playing hide and seek with you?

Sam: No.

Dad: But... How's she supposed to find you if she doesn't know to look?

Sam: Exactly! I'm so gonna win Hide and Seek!

Archie: Hide and Seek? Yay! Archie playing too! MUM, MUM, HIDE AND SEEK IN THE CURTAINS!

Sam: Archie! Archie! Shhhhhhhh.

Archie: HERE WE ARE! TA DA!

Archie clambers back out, his arms raised in triumph. Sam's shoulders sag, as victory disappears.

Sam: Aw, man.

Sharing

Archie 'Mind Games' Mallaghan

Dad is sat with Archie. Each has a mini packet of chocolate buttons:

Archie: Sharing Daddy?

Dad: We've got a packet each buddy.

Archie: Nooo. Sharing Daddy! Sharing is nice. One for you and one for me.

Dad: (laughing). Okay, I'll do a swap.

Archie: One for me...

Dad gives Archie a chocolate.

Archie: ...and one for you.

Archie hands Dad an imaginary chocolate.

Dad: Hey! That was just pretend! That's cheating.

Archie: Nooo. Sharing Daddy!

Dad: Give me a chocolate.

Archie: Okay. One for me...

Archie takes one of Dad's chocolates.

Archie: ...and one for you.

Archie hands Dad another pretend chocolate.

Dad: Archie! That's not sharing.

Archie: Sharing Daddy!

Dad: Give me a chocolate.

Archie: Nooo...  Sharing.

Dad: A real one.

Archie: Sharing?

Dad: (sighs) Okay...

Archie: One for me...

Dad: This is rubbish.

Archie: One for you. Say thank you Daddy?

Dad: No.

Archie: Oh look! Daddy's all gone. Archie's got chocolate.

Dad: Sharing?

Archie pulls his angry face and grabs his bag of buttons.

Archie: Archie's. No Daddy. Archie's chocolate. Naughty Daddy.

Dad: .......

The Spies

Was really excited to have a whole day with Emily and Sam the other week. Being the big Lego geeks we are (have been forced to become by me), we decided to go and see The Lego Movie. I sent them upstairs to get dressed...

Emily: What do we wear to a Lego movie Dad?

Me: Whatever you want to.

Emily: (thinks) Ah! Got it! I know we...

Me: You can't wear Lego, Milly.

Emily: Awwww... Come on Sam.

15 minutes pass, with much rustling and bustling from upstairs. Finally the pair come back down:

Agent Le and Agent Go

Me: (grinning) And who are you two?

Sam: Spies!

Emily: Secret Agents!

Me: More like the Thompson Twins.

Emily: No! I'm Agent Le and Sammy's Agent Go

Me: That's brilliant! You look ace.

Emily: See. It's Le-Go. Do you get it? I'm Agent Le and he's Agent Go. LE-GO

Me: I get it, Emily, you don't need to explain

Emily: Sammy, needed me to.

Me: I suppose he did.

Sam: Actually, I think I'm going to be Agent X

Emily: No, Sam. That doesn't work. There isn't any LE-X, you're Agent Go. Lego. Get it?

Sam: Yeah. No. Agent X sounds better.

Emily: (sighs) We spoke about this... Agent Le - Go. LEGO. Agent X doesn't work

Sam: Nor does Agent Go. What does Le-go even mean, silly. I'm gonna be Agent X

Emily: But Sam... Dad!

Me: I'll leave you to it

Emily: (sighs again). Alright, listen. you know Lego?

Sam: Yeah.

Emily: Right, so Agent Le and Agent Go...

At which point, I left Emily to her explanation, and went to make a cuppa.

Costumes Part 2

After the costume chat two days ago (probably worth reading the Costumes post for context), it seems as though something got through to Sam. Kind of...

Getting out of the bath:

Sammy: Mum, I just want to be myself today.

Mum: That's nice.

Sammy: No spies, no ninjas, no Batman. Just me.

Sam walks out the bathroom humming.

Mum: I think that's lovely. It'll  be great to spend the day with my Sammy.

Sammy: Sammy? I'm not Sammy I'm George the Mouse. Just George. Me.

Hums away.

The Meeting

Sat on the sofa watching the Rugby with Sam. Emily enters, dressed in her best clothes, looking very serious and important:

Emily: Sammy, we've been called to a meeting upstairs.
Sam: Aw man. Meetings are boring.
Emily: (whispers) It's the OSS Sam! I've been promoted!
Sam: But it's a meeting. It's boring...
Emily: It's important Sam.
Sam: I'm watching the cricket with Dad.
Dad: Rugby.
Sam: Rugby. Yeah. I love rugby.
Emily: Sam. They won't be impressed...
Sam: (sighs) okaaaay...
Emily: Get your jacket on Sam. We've got to make a good impression.

Sam, reluctantly, stands and puts on his jacket and Emily starts to fuss with his clothes.

Dad: What's the OSS?

Emily: Organisation of Super Spies.
Dad: Oh.
Sam: Can I take a pet?
Emily: No. It's a meeting Sam, not a trip to the park.
Sam: It's a dragon. Toothless, my pet Dragon.
Emily: Oh. That's okay. Dragons are allowed.
Sam: He breathes fire
Emily: Not at the meeting he doesn't

Sammy picks up a plastic pole.

Emily: What's that?
Sam: My sword.
Emily: Sam! This is an important meeting, with important people, you can't take swords.
Sam: But we might meet some baddies on the way.
Emily: We won't
Dad: What's this meeting about?
Emily: If I tell you Dad, I'll have to kill you. Come on Sam.

Sam follows Emily out the room, still holding his sword and their conversation slowly fades away as they go up stairs.

Sam: Look! Emily! Baddies!
Emily: No, there isn't. Come on we're late for the meeting.
Sam: But meeting are boring, I just want to fight baddies.
Emily: Well not today.
Sam: Look! Behind the door, baddies!
Emily: No
Sam: Ghost zombie baddies?
Emily: No
Sam: Aw man.
Emily: I've made an agenda, it's upstairs.
Sam: Agenda! I remember when being a spy was fun
Emily: I know. But times change Sam. Times change.
Sam: This is gonna be a long day....

The Radio

Cooking in the kitchen with the kids and the radio playing in the background:

Radio: Let's go to the phone lines and our first caller is Sam. Hello Sam...

Sammy: (Gasps) ARRGGGHHH!

Dad: (panicked) What? What's the matter?

Sammy is speechless. He just starts jabbing his finger at the radio.

Dad: What? What is it Sammy?

Sammy: Dad! I'm on the radio. What do I do?

Dad: What?

Sammy: (whispering) The radio dad! They just said I'm on it. I don't know what to say!

Emily: You're not the only Sam in the world, you know?

Sam: Quick (Starting to panic) Please dad! What shall I do?

Dad: Are you serious? Sam... I...

Emily: (sighs) Sam! It's. A. Different. Sam.

Sam: Really? Phew! I didn't know what I was gonna do then. That, was a close one.

Dad: You are being serious.

Sam: Things almost got crazy then dad. Ph-ew.

Dad: Almost?

A New Level of Quiet

Emily and Sam: Night time explorers.

Overheard last night, creeping down the stairs:

Emily:(loudly whispering) Shhhhhhhh, Sam. We've got to be quiet.
Sam: Okay
Emily: Really quiet Sam.
Sam:Okay
Emily: The quietest you've ever been
Sam: Okay
Emily: Quieter than a mouse
Sam: Okay
Emily: Quieter than a REALLY quiet mouse, Sam
Sam: Okay
Emily: On ice
Sam: On ice?
Emily: Yes Sam. A mouse on ice. Ice. That quiet.
Sam: Okay
Mum: BED!
Sam and Emily: Awwwwwwww.

Feet clomp back upsatirs.

Slow-Motion

Sammy in spy mode.

 Slow Motion has become a bit of a buzz word in our house when it comes to Sammy. We were at the pool a few days ago watching Emily's swimming lesson. Me (Dad), Archie and Sam were sat beside the pool, it was very busy, and the boys were getting restless:

Sam: Dad, can I go for a run?

Me: No Sam. Look how busy it is. Why don't we read your book?

Sam: But I'm a spy dad! I've got to do running. Just to the other end of the pool and back? Please?

Me: No Sam! There's too many people here. Besides it says no running. Look. See.

Sam: What about slow motion running? Spies run in slow motion on TV.

Archie starts to crawl in the other direction and I go to get him.

Sam: Please dad, please!

Me: Okay, okay. Super slow mo though, okay and don't run!

Sam: I promise. (talking to his wrist) Okay. Let's do this! Go. go .go.

I manage to retrieve Archie and turn back around to see Sammy set off on the slowest, slow motion run I have ever seen. Each step must take him about 6 or 7 seconds to complete and he has the whole pool and back to cover!

As he passes each of the adults sat down there is a beautiful moment where their expressions turn from confusion to comical and then sheer delight. Sammy is oblivious to everyone around him - just concentrating purely on his super slow-mo running; following his arms and legs with his eyes to ensure they are in sync, and his movement is perfect! Every now and again he raises his wrist to his mouth (in slow motion) and speaks:

Sam: Ruuuuuuunnnnnn. Coooonnntaaaaccct maaaaade...

It takes him almost 6 minutes to cover the whole distance and by the end of it every eye in the room is watching his epic run and every mouth is grinning from ear to ear. There is even a ripple of applause when he finishes. Sam is oblivious to it all though. I have never seen him so concentrated, controlled or as disciplined as he was on that run. And for Sammy, as soon as it was over it was as though nothing ever happened:

Me: (amazed) Sammy. That was incredible.

Sam: Thanks Dad. He got away though, I was too slow. Have you got any crisps?

Anything you wish for.

This is the earliest 'kid conversation' I can find once we started to write them down and share them with friends, so it seems appropriate to be the first post here. It's from March 2012:

Sat having lunch when Mummy decides to ask the kids a question:

Mum: Okay, Emily, Sam. If you could have anything you wish for in the whole world what would it be?. 

Emily: A light bulb in my head!

Dad: You mean, an idea? You want to have ideas?

Emily: No. I mean actually a light bulb in my head. A proper one that lights up.

Mum: Okay... er... Sammy?

Sammy: Um... er... hmmm....

Dad: There must be something?

Sammy: Well... Um... (looks across table) Oh! Could I have Emily's sandwich?

Emily: Sure, here you go.

Sammy: Yes!! Thank you

Emily: So do I got a light bulb then? Sammy did get his sandwich

Mum & Dad: ........