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This is an ongoing series that could really be an entire blog in and of itself as there are so many insightful, moment-making and just flat out hysterical things that come out of my children’s mouths.

I’m a busy woman trying to do it all. Admittedly, certain chores fall off my priority list now and again. Like cutting my children’s nails. Unfortunately, with my schedule of late, it’s not until there is a major injury - bordering on an inadvertent disembowelment during a tickling episode – before I realize how long I’ve let things go in the kids’ mani/pedi department. Last night, after noticing that both of my daughters could be stand-ins for Johnny Depp in a remake of Edward Scissorhands (no hand props necessary), I knew that it was time to break out the clippers.

“Who’s going first?” I asked, expecting the usual reaction I receive to questions posed after 8pm when all plug-in distractions are going full force in the living room (i.e., TV at full volume, 2 laptops, a Game Boy and my son’s cell phone that keeps announcing new texts every 30 seconds with the “I’m A Gummy Bear” song). I guess the fingernail situation was worse than usual because Lily immediately jumped up from the couch and ran over to me screaming, “I’ll go first. I should go before Sammi because my nails are HEROCIOUS!!!” I paused for half a second…did she just say herocious? What exactly was that word a combination of? Hideous and ferocious? Horrible and atrocious? Horrific and horrendous? Heinous and vicious?

I’ve been known to make up words now and again myself when I can’t quite put my brain on the one that gets it right. Apparently, Lily inherited that skill. Sometimes inventing vocabulary is necessary when there are just no known words to describe what you are looking at. Ya know, like Lily’s fingernails. She was right…totally herocious!

At 6:50am yesterday morning, Lily – my 5 yr. old – lightly padded into our room and woke Ken and I up. She then proceeded (as is her usual style) to chatter incessantly about what’s on her mind. She went on for several minutes about her favorite new book and how cute our dog, Maisy, looked snuggled in her chair – all while Ken and I were still dozing, barely acknowledging her every once in a while with half open, unfocused, sleepy eyes.

Suddenly, her eyes wide with wonder, she changed topics. “Did you know my friend Casey’s Nanny lives on an island?” she said. “Isn’t that cool?” I was now awake as I had a feeling I knew where she was going with this conversation, as my favorite show is Lost and my kids have become obsessed with Flight 29 Down – a series on the Discovery Channel with a similar premise of an airplane crashing in the middle of the Pacific, but focused on more age appropriate subject matter.

“Lily, Casey’s Nanny doesn’t live on a tropical island”, I explained. “She lives on Long Island.” “Wow”, Lily replied, “a long island. It must be hard to survive there”. Before correcting her I chuckled inwardly as I thought that many of us New Jersey natives have often wondered the same thing – how do people actually live on Long Island?!?!

Last night, I snuggled in bed with my 5 year old and read ‘Purplicious’ to her for the bazillionth time. As we neared the end of the book I let out a huge sneeze and my daughter looked me straight in the eye and said, “Mom, sneezes are like farts out of your nose, right?” Her question obviously did not require any response as neither one of us could catch our breath to give or even hear an answer. Is there any better way to end a day than with an all out giggle-fest with your kids?

Laughing is one of the best (and most natural!) stress relievers out there so I offer you this story…my niece comes home from day camp and announces to my sister and brother-in-law that she is so excited because she has been chosen for the summer production of The Wizard of Oz. My sister excitedly asked her what role she was given. My niece looked at her with a grinning wide-eyed enthusiasm and said, “Mommy, I’m going to be a donut!” My sister, confused at the idea that the drama department had added “food part extras” to fluff the cast list, asked again, “What part are you going to be?” Once again, my niece replied proudly, “A donut!” Suddenly it all made sense. My sister looked at her and said, “Emma, do you mean you are going to be a munchkin?” “OOH, yes,” she said…”a munchkin!!!!!!!!!!”