AS WITH MANY grand endeavors, this one started out as a mother's suggestion.
"We used to just tell family members the funny things our kids would say," says Bill Ross, who works in marketing for Hewlett-Packard in Boise. "Then my mother gave me the idea of keeping track of everything and writing things down."The result was the "Small Talk" segment of the family's annual Christmas newsletter. That led to stapled collections of "Small Talk" and, eventually, to the family's new book, "Small Talk: Words of Wisdom out of the Mouths of Babes."
Up around the bend there may be theater scripts and syndicated columns waiting.
"We've been writing down what the kids say for 12 years now," says wife Terry. "The way each one thinks is so unique. They all say amazing things, and they never say the same things."
"Small Talk" - a mom and pop publishing venture - sells for $12.95 ($11.95 through the mail; call 208-378-7633). And the approach the Ross family takes hits somewhere between Bil Keane's daily "Family Circus" cartoon and the old Art Linkletter segment, "Kids Say the Darndest Things." The book is divided into 11 sections - ranging from "Chapel Talk" to "Bathroom Talk" - with introductory essays at the head of each section to add continuity. And though the one-liners get a bit relentless, many of them do ignite and have that "wise beyond their years" quality.
A group of performing Young Ambassadors came through Boise and the family had the privilege of housing a young couple, Kerilyn and Olin, for the weekend.
On Sunday morning William politely offered Kerilyn a mint and she said yes, she would like one.
"Did you brush your teeth?" asked William.
"Yes," Kerilyn replied.
"OK, you can have one mint," explained William.
"William, did you brush your teeth?" Mom asked.
"No," replied William, as he stuffed two mints in his mouth. "That's why I need two."
"We kind of hope other people will read our book and start doing the same thing with their families," says Ross. "Some of our own relatives have started."
The four Ross children - Melissa, 13; Michael, 11; Jonathan, 9; and William, 5 - have had fun with the whole enterprise as well. As they grow they wince at some of their youthful silliness. ("I wish I'd never said `the toast is almost ripe,' says Michael today.") But for the most part they play along.
"If any of them says something because they think it might get in the book, we drop it," says Ross. "If it's not spontaneous, we don't use it."
Right now the Ross family is testing the water for the future. Television is a possibility. And, interestingly enough, so is serious research.
"One woman wrote to say that the book is a perfect example of the developmental cycle of children," says Ross. But for now, the goal is entertainment.
Says Terry Ross: "Bill has always loved to write. And this gives him a chance not only to write, but to `capture the moment' as we raise our children."