Surprises Big and Small

My children never cease to surprise me in big and small ways.

Let's start with small. I purchased a week or so ago a box of the new Yogurt-Cluster Life cereal. It's regular old Life, which my kids love, with what are described as "yogurt-dipped oat clusters" interspersed. I assume the oat clusters are just recycled, smashed-up Life cereal, but what do I know?

After the first time I served the kids this stuff for breakfast, I found two little mounds of clusters on the table next to where their bowls had been. They were not fans.

Now, over the weekend, my mom came down to bail out my sick, sorry self, and she stopped at the grocery store on the way, picking up a box of Yogurt Burst Cheerios. I smiled to myself when I saw them, thinking how much I'd be enjoying them (since the kids surely wouldn't).

But wouldn't you know it--when I opened those Cheerios this morning to pour myself a bowl, the tykes both asked for some and then couldn't get enough. "Can we have Yogurt Burst Cheerios for our morning snack, Mama?" they asked. And while I made dinner, they said, "We'd like some Yogurt Burst Cheerios as an appetizer."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Cheerios made of oats? So wouldn't Cheerios covered in yogurt basically be "yogurt-dipped oat clusters?" I was, as the opening line of this post suggested, surprised.

Now for the big surprise. It was just after lunch when I took a big gulp and decided to tell the kids about my new job. (I may be telling some of you about it for the first time here.)

"Guess what, kids? Mommy's going to be starting a new job soon," I said.

"What are you going to do, Mama?" my son asked.

"Well, I'm going to be a writer and an editor," I replied.

"What does an editor do?" he asked.

"An editor sort of makes a magazine. So that's what I'm going to be doing," I said.

The boy grinned like mad and literally fell off his stool. He seemed genuinely excited. Then he said, "I think you should be a writer, editor, and FIRE FIGHTER!"

And our little girl added, "And a rock climber!"

With things going well so far, I went on, saying, "My new job means I'll be working in an office like Daddy, but not the same office. And I'll be working at the same time that Daddy is working."

Then the concern swept in. "Who's going to stay with us?" big brother asked.

That's when I told them about their new school.

"I don't want to go," he responded.

But then I told him and his sister about the new school, about how they'd get to be with friends all day, go to the park, play at Adventure Alley, do art projects, and even eat lunch there.

"We get to eat lunch there?!" he shouted, smiling again.

"Yes," I said. "And you're going to be a Bear, and your sister is going to be a Little Pal. And you won't be in the same room, but your rooms will be right next to each other, so if you want to see each other, you can just ask your teacher."

Now they were both smiling. And the big guy said, "What if we smash into each other like this (clap!) because we like each other so much?"

What if. You could have knocked me over with a feather. They were pleased about this. So I can be, too.