Cotton

Sullivan and I have shared a long-time "joke" since he was just a few years old. When teasing one another, we will say,

"Have you lost your cotton-pickin', ever-lovin' mind?"

It's usually said in mock horror.

Like in response to me asking for a kiss, or to him, when he asks for a softdrink in the middle of the afternoon.

When he was little, before he could say the entire sentence, our exchange would go something like this:

Mom: "Have you lost your ..."

Sullivan: "cotton"

Mom: "pickin"

Sullivan: "ever"

Mom: "lovin'"

Sullivan: "MIND?!?"

I'm not really sure how this exchange first originated, but it's been carried out through many a year -- he is EIGHT, afterall.

And it never fails to bring some giggles on his part, and a big smile on mine.

Well, not to be outdone, Oakley has apparently decided that she wants in on the inside joke.

I was placing her in her car seat this morning and noted to her that we're going to have to ask Daddy to raise the straps on her seat.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because," I said, "they're getting too tight."

"They're not too tight." she responded.

"Well, they're a little bit too tight, because you've grown so much taller," I said.

Her response:

"Have you lost your mind? Or cotton?"