Who's on First?

I generally give the kids a rundown of what we're headed off to do for the day.  It usually gives them something to look forward to doing or at least helps them know what to expect.  However, sometimes that goes hilariously awry. 

"Alright everybody, let's get your shoes and sock on your feet so we can go to the doctor's office and then you can come with Mommy to vote."

Lex perked up and exclaimed, "Sissy!  We're going on a boat!"  I quickly tried to quell that rumor before I found myself dealing with missed expectations, (i.e. temper tantrums and limp limbs),

"No, no, not a boat... we're going to VOTE."

Caly piped in, "A boat!  Like da pirate boat?  They were scare-wee!"

"No, honey...  not a boat.  Vote!  Can you say V-V-V-VOTE?"

Too late.  The girls were off and running with their little boat dreams,

"Ohhh, maybe it'll be a big boat with LOTS of pirates!"

"I don't yike pirates!  But I yike boats!"

"Maybe it'll be a boat without pirates!  And we'll sail to Hawaii!"

"I want to go there!  Momma, where's da boat?  I want to get on da boat!" 

"Yeah, Momma!  Do we need our bathing suits?"

They peered at me expectantly. 

"Um...  girls?  We're not going on a BOAT.  We're going to VOTE! Voting is when you tell what you--"  One of the girls interrupted,

"Momma?  Do you vote on a BOAT?  I wanna go on a boat!"

Cue the two of them dancing around and chanting, "A boat!  Vote on a boat!"

Imagine their surprise when the voting happened in a high school gymnasium.  Yeah, talk about underwhelmed. 

(Thankfully, some skillfully produced lollipops assuaged any residual disappointments over the missed boat.  But now that I think about it...  maybe we should have a family vote about boating to Hawaii.  I think that's a cause I could get wholeheartedly behind).