Reflections from the Backseat

We have good days and bad days during carpool. Some days we laugh and play the whole way. Other days Maiya and Devin fight, yell, cry and say nasty mean things to each other and I arrive at work very grumpy. But most days they alternate between getting along, laughing a lot, with little flare-ups in between. Today was one of them, but I consider it a good day because I didn’t yell at anyone and I'm feeling pretty chipper, despite the 4 hours of sleep.  Maiya and Devin were drawing pictures on their magnetic Doodle Art boards this morning.

Somewhere in Culver City:
M:  Devin, how do you write your name?
D:  D-E-V-I-N.
M: Look Devin. I wrote “I love you Devin.”
(Devin’s response is sort of a chuckle/grunt.)
M:  Devin, if you want to copy it, you could change the last part to Maiya. If you want to.
D:  No, thank you.

On the freeway:
M:  Look Devin. I made a drawing of me giving you a dog.
D:  That’s not a dog!
M:  Yes it is! It is a dog!
D:  Well it doesn’t look like one.
M:  Devin. It’s not about fighting. It’s about peace. Right Mommy?
J:   Yes, it is about peace.
M:  Devin we are very baddest friends. Why do we always have ploblems?
D:  We don’t always have problems. Some times we are very good friends to each other.
M:  That’s true. But sometimes we fight.

Still later on San Pedro Street:
M:  Mommy, what are you doing?
J:    Exercising (to Rockett & Zoe's CD - Black Eyed Peas).
M:  It looks like you’re dancing. Devin, let’s dance.
D:   I don’t want to dance. Maiya, stop it! Don’t pin me! (Teasing him with hair clip.)
J:    Maiya, Devin says he doesn’t want to dance, please don’t bother him with your hairclip. He doesn’t have to dance if he doesn’t want to.
M:  But I saw him dance in his seat a little bit twice.

On First Street:
D:  Maiya, I think the shop owners will think that we are brother and sister.
M:  No! They can’t see us. The windows are (unintelligible).
D:   No they’re not. They can see us.
M:  Oh no, not another ploblem.

Turning in to parking lot:
M:  Devin, what do you think Ms. Yumiko will say about my sparkly headband?
D:  (Unintelligible)  Jenni, look at my fighter plane. It has fire coming out the back!
J:   Wow, that’s a great fighter plane. Ok, here we are. Everyone get your things together. Let’s take a picture of your drawings.  (See above.)