During a recent family visit, I volunteered to take charge of six kids, ages 5 to 16. How could I pass this up? It was the perfect kid-lit writer’s research project and a chance to see what it’s like to be a mother of six children. (It is exhausting.)
I took pictures and notes, especially the chatter of the 5-year-old boy. He’s Hollywood cute and creative, too. His charm takes over a room. And his lips never quit moving.
This boy spouts random observations, sometimes expressed in a conversation but usually just tossed into the mix with no context at all.
These are my favorite quotes. (Maybe they’ll turn up in a future novel.) No need to wonder about context because often there wasn’t any.
He’s a comedian AND a golfer. A two-for-one cutie.
That dog was so freaky it made my eyes throw up.
(About his cold.) Everyone’s always telling me, “help, help, help” with our chickens. That’s how I got the sinuses.
On TV I heard if you eat glue you get laser eyes and turn into a monster.
(About those monsters.) Superheroes are not real, but monsters are.
Bigfoot only eats s’mores. (Looks around at amused adults.) What? A s’more is a sandwich!
(At Dairy Queen.) If you mix strawberry ice cream with vanilla, it gives you the color chocolate.
Your chest doesn’t have a brain. That’s it. That’s all I know.
shelley tougas 