Gosh.  My last post on Raines-isms was back in May.  He’s changed so much in the last five months that some of these no longer sound like him.  There are very few baby-ish pronunciations anymore.  Sob!  Happily, there’s really no shortage of funny from that kid.

After taking a picture of him and his brother:  You gonna Facebook that, Mom?

His latest bedtime stall tactic (said to Mike):  But I want to give you and Mom a hug AT THE SAME TIME.

When I’m peppering him with (apparently) too many questions:  MOO!  You’re breaking my questions!

Counting (back in June):  nine, ten, firteen, fifteen, secondteen…

After watching Star Wars:  “Mom, I fink Luke Skywalker’s hand is a powerful magnet.  It’s how he gets his light saber.  UHHHHHH”  (trying)

Slumped over his bike, halfway up the hill:  Mom, I lost my fast.

On eyeing my piece of chocolate:  Mom, since you only have one piece of chocolate…I’ll give you a hundred dollars so I can eat it.

On a bowl of cereal that Mike poured for him:  Mom, I think I need some help from you.  One man can’t eat this cereal.  It’s more than one man can eat.

On picking through his Hot Wheels cars, deciding which one to use:  Mom, this car is so dammit because it always crashes.

After watching Imagine, the John Lennon tribute in London Olympic’s closing ceremonies:  Not the people, Mom, but Planet Earth?  Was Planet Earth sad after John Lennon died?

On discussing what we’ll do on Friday, where I propose a trip to the zoo:  I’m jus’ not a zoo guy, Mum.

After getting hurt:  Mom, I feel like I need a new leg.

On his new-found friend, his penis:  THIS BIG PEEPEE IS GONNA EXPLODE THE WHOLE TOWN!!!

And sometimes he’s just like Mike:  A few weeks ago, Pax was climbing up onto his chair, and somehow completely fell off.  The poor thing hit his head so hard.  I scooped him up, and was “rocking it out” in the rocker while he sobbed.  R rushed over.  “Pax?” says Raines.  “Here.  I brought you two boat books, two babies and – WAIT!”  He rushes to the freezer.  “Here’s the boo-boo frog, Pax!”  (The boo-boo frog is an icepack that Raines is all-too familiar with.)  I put the icepack to Pax’s forehead, but it’s too cold and makes him cry harder.  “Oh, buddy” I say.  “We need something to put over it…like a tshirt, maybe.”  Without hesitation, Raines whips off his shirt.  “Here you go, Mum!  Right now, it’s better if I’m cold, not Pax.”  I stare at him in disbelief.  “Wow, Raines…” I finally say.  “That was really nice of you.”  Raines is nonchalant.  “It was my pleasure Mom.”

Also?  When I ask him to take out the trash:  “Of course, Mom!  I’d love to.”  That’s all Mike.  That right there.

Yet sometimes….he’s so much like me:  Tonight, we walked to Carlinos for bread, just Raines and I.  He spotted a plane and wanted to know where it was going so late at night.  I told him that some places are so far away, you have to fly all night long…like London, where the Olympics were, or Paris or Scotland or- then Raines interrupted me:  “Do they speak Spanish Mom?”  I explained that they do speak Spanish in Spain, and that they speak French in Paris and-  and then he interrupts again:  “Mom…you know all the worlds out there you talk about?”  I nod.  He’s thoughtful for a second.  “I wanna see each one.”  And that little heartfelt wish was so familiar, that pull to unfamiliar places so strong that my heart stopped for a moment.  I fell to my knees, scooping Raines up in a huge hug.  We stared at each other, small smiles on our faces.  Kindred spirits to the core.  “Baby….someday, we’ll go to those places together” I told him.  He smiled at me.  I smiled back.  And then hand in hand, we went home for dinner.