(Nothing)

Sam:  Cheerio!!  Get. The. Ball!

(Nada)

Sam:  Don’t make me come down there!

Me: Ummmm… ’cause they’re always there?

Thankfully he was looking at his, not mine, when he said this.

He came up to me and asked, “Mom?  One day can we take a blimp to South America?”

Me:  “Ummmmmm…. No.”

I hate to be a party pooper, but I don’t want him planning on it, ya know?  Where, or where does a 5-year-old come up with an idea like this?

“It’s a good thing Santa has a naughty list!

…For Maria!”

Get dressed!  Now.

You’re not dressed yet?

What are you doing?!?

Leave your brother alone.

Go potty.  On the potty.

Get off the dog.

No, you can’t have candy for breakfast. Or cookie dough.

Get that bead out of your nose.

I changed my mind!  I don’t want that!

No toys at the table.

Uh-ohhhhhh….

Get off the floor and eat!

Mom, I’m mad at you! [Always said with arms crossed in front and furrowed brows.]

Stop spitting.  And screaming.  And hitting.

I want the blue cup.

If you’re finished go out of the kitchen.

[loudly] ha-na, dul, set, net, da-sul, yuh-seot, il-gop, yuh-deol, ah-hop, yeol*

Mom!  He hit me!

Get off of your brother and go find your shoes!

Come back and finish your juice.

We have to leave. Now.  RIGHT now.

Take the clip off your nose and put your shoes on.

I’m not going.

So… anyone want to come for breakfast tomorrow?

*Bonus points if you can translate.

Dan and I started a “discussion” last night in front of the fire.  (What fire?  You ask, since we have not a fireplace in Casa Amarilla.  To answer your question, it was an outdoor fire.  We borrowed a neighbor’s pit and burned some of our ever-present yard debris.)  Beautiful night.  Coupla beers.

Somehow, the term “accomplished” came up when discussing various people we knew.  I pointed out several people I thought were accomplished, but Dan argued against them.

It quickly became apparent (in my humble opinion) that Dan has some extreme criteria for what counts as “accomplished.”  For example, a straight-A student from a well-known university or college is not accomplished.  Only a Valedictorian from an Ivy League institution passes muster with Dan.  Maybe.  If there was a lot of competition.

PhD’s, Master’s degrees, the number of degrees a person holds… none of those make a person accomplished.  Medical school or law school?  Yes.  Doctors and lawyers are most definitely accomplished people if you ask Dan.

A successful writer?  No.  A writer that wins a Pulitzer?  Yes.

A priest?  No.  The Pope?  Probably.

Are you getting the picture here?

By the time our discussion concluded, I was seething.  I still am this morning. I’m not sure exactly why I let it get so far under my skin, but I feel like Dan is failing to recognize many, many worthy accomplishments and the people who have achieved them.

I believe you do not have to earn a ton of money, attend an Ivy League school or be the president to be accomplished.  Teachers, mothers, scientists, nurses, software developers, sales people… it doesn’t matter what your chosen profession is… anyone can be accomplished in a number of ways.  My 6-year-old is an accomplished track builder, for example.

In my opinion, catching a bad guy is an accomplishment.  In Dan’s opinion it’s only an accomplishment if it’s Al Capone.

What are your thoughts?  Who are some people you think of as accomplished and why?  Here is Dictionary.com’s definition of the word “accomplished.”

ac·com·plished /??k?mpl??t/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-kom-plisht] –adjective

Luke:  I got in trouble once.

Maria: What did you do?

Luke: I ate a tree.

Maria: You ate a tree?

Luke: Yeah.

Maria: You got into trouble because you ate part of a tree?

Luke:  No.  I ate the whole thing.

Maria: Really?!?

Luke:  Yeah.

Maria:  Is this some kinda joke or something?

Luke: No.

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?