Thrift Store Dust

Thrift stores can have allergens that irritate my sinuses, so I offer to stay in the car while Laura goes shopping:
Laura: Yeah, don't go in the store because of the dust.
Sophia: Pixie dust.

Barney Sanders

Laura's Post:

Surreal conversation at breakfast:
S: Mama, you know that man on the TV, Bernie?
Me: Yes.
S: The purple one.
Me: Purple one?
S: The one who comes from the kids' imaginations.
Me: Ummm.
S: He's a dinosaur.
Me: I wouldn't say that...Oh! You mean BARNEY.
S: Yes, Bernie. He lives with two other dinosaurs. They sing.

Farmer Boy

Me: Tell Mommy what we're reading together.
S: We reading Farmer Boy.
Laura: I haven't read Farmer Boy.
S: Did you know that Laura [Ingalls] marries the farmer boy when they grow up.
Me: The farmer boy's name is Almanzo. He's a nice boy and a really hard worker who works in the barn a lot with the animals.
Laura: I want you to grow up some day and marry a nice boy who's a really hard worker.
S: I don't know any hard workers.
Laura: Daddy's a hard worker!
S: But I can't marry Daddy. He's already married to you.
Laura: Maybe some day Daddy will find a nice boy for you to marry. Right, Daddy?
Me: Don't put that kind of pressure on me right now!...

Star Sandwiches

Laura's Post:

I'm trying to teach Sophia the value of honesty.
S: Mama will you cut my sandwich into a star shape for my lunch like E--'s mummy does?
Me: No.

An Only Child Moment

Sitting down to lunch as a family, minus 1 sleeping baby:

S: It is so much easier without a baby here!
Me: Haha, we could say the same thing about you, honey, but we prefer to have you here. We prefer to have baby here, too.
S: But now you have more time to take care of me...

Ah!

Sophia not very happy with me about something:

S: Daddy-ah!
Me: My name is Daddy, not Daddy-ah.
S: Daddy-ah!
Me: Why do you keep saying "ah"?
S: That's what I say when I'm angry with you.
Me: Ah...

Barnyard Masterpiece

Sophia was playing by herself with her barnyard set. Baby Thalia wanted to join her:

Me: Sophia, open the gate so she can play with you.
S: No.
Me: Why not?
S: Because I don't want her to ruin my masterpiece...

Parenting Fail

Laura's Post:

"Parenting Fail"

Went to 7/11. 

After 9 PM. 

With two young children. 

To get chocolate. 

On a school night. 

The End. 

Also, the baby had no socks.

Northern Exposure

Laura's Post:

You know you live in Northern Michigan when...

Sophia: (running in from the front porch with wide eyes) Mama! Guess what I just saw? It was a man, WITHOUT HIS SHIRT ON! I could see his BELLY and his BELLY BUTTON. I saw all his parts! His ARMS and BACK. He was naked, but he was wearing pants!!

(I think we need to acclimatize her gradually. Summer downtown beach attire might fry her little circuits. Although, I do feel a little exposed without my sleeping bag coat.)

The Cinderella Syndrome

Laura's Post:

Sophia: I am SO frustrated. This is like the story where you are the evil stepmother and I am the girl who has to work ALL day and never go to the ball!
Me: (trying not too laugh to hard) Yes, in that you have to clean up for five minutes, I have to clean up all night, and NOBODY is going to the ball!
Sophia: (frustrated scream) I am REALLY frustrated right now!
Me: Me, too.

(Does anyone else have the worst time coming home from Meijer?)

"I Love Mamo!"

Laura's Post:

Sophia and Thalia have been working on a special birthday card for my mom while they were out and about today. Many happy returns of the day! "I love Mamo!"

Big Sister Love

At breakfast this morning, the sweetest excuse to skip school I've ever heard:
"I can't afford not to look at Thalia because she's sooo cute!...I don't want to go to school today because I would miss her too much..."

The Broccoli Conspiracy

S: Daddy, you're so heavy! I tried to pick you up, but I can't. I'm telling you this because I ate broccoli yesterday.
Me: What's broccoli have to do with it?
S: Broccoli is supposed to make me stronger, but it's not working!...

I try explaining how broccoli does make her stronger, but I don't think she's buying it at the moment...

Laura told me later that Sophia had been chowing down on broccoli at lunch: "I'm feeling stronger already!"