Alone on an island

Can you roll your R's? I have tried and tried all my life and I still cannot roll my R's. I managed to come up with a way to kind of fake it that helped me get through three years of high school Spanish. But, alas, no matter how hard I try, it just ain't happenin'.

Jonathan, on the other hand, can not only roll his R's, but he can also make every other possible sound effect known to man, at least the ones that sound like some kind of weapon. He has quite of range of destructive combat devices in his arsenal. In the course of less than a minute of listening to him play, even this non-weapon savvy mommy can identify machine guns, rifles, shot guns, grenades, light sabers, laser blasters, and that's just what I hear while we're sitting in church! (It's so embarrassing when you have to tell your 8 year old that he's not allowed to shoot anyone else during mass.) I think Jonathan has some extra gene that gives him these abilities.

At least I have Elizabeth who is equally inept in the sound creation department. She can't roll her R's either and her attempts at gun noises are... amusing.

During our recent holiday travels we had some long drives. As in 10 hour long drives. The kids did really well entertaining themselves, making up games. The following exchange left Eric and I absolutely rolling.

Jonathan: Let's try to shoot everything. We need to blast every car and truck and train. You get the ones out your window and I'll get the ones out of mine.

Elizabeth: Ok.

Jonathan: Rat-tat-tat-tat. Pow! Bang! Pi-too, pi-too. Bang. Bang-bang. Cabloowie! (Jonathan's actual sounds are much more impressive, but I don't know how to spell them. Imagine a combination of a high speed car chase, a shootout between gangsters and a battle scene in Star Wars.)

Elizabeth: (in the most girlie of little girl voices) Pam, pam. Pam, pam.

Jonathan: Boom! Boom! Rat-tat-tat. Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat. Pi-too. Bam, bam!

Elizabeth: Pam, pam. Pam, pam. (I've never heard a gun that goes, "Pam, pam," either.)

Jonathan: Elizabeth, there's a train! Throw some bombs! (Imagine the sound of a bomb flying through the air and exploding impressively when it hits its target.) Throw your bombs, Elizabeth!!

Elizabeth: Throw, throw! Throw, throw!

This is the point where Eric and I couldn't hold it in anymore. We burst out laughing. Poor girl. She doesn't have the right genes for that kind of play, but she tries!

Later that same trip, Elizabeth suddenly cries out, "Mama! I can roll my R's! Listen to this! Rrrrrrrrrrr!"

And, she was right! She did suddenly figure out how to roll her R's. Now it's just me, the sole member of the sound-effect-inept club. Both Clara and Gustin have already proved that they can out perform their mother. Here's a picture to demonstrate Gustin's ability to roll his R's:

"Look, Mama! I can roll my arms!"

So, I'm left here all alone, on an island. A blessedly quiet one.