Things the Kids Have Said

I've been trying to record some of the enjoyable things the kids have said. For posterity:

Wren, probably sometime in March

Me:  "Did somebody just toot?"
Wren:  "No.... Yes, I did. Do you love my toots?"
Me (after I laughed): "Yes."
Wren:  "Daddy does, too."

Ever, probably sometime in May

It's been a while, so the best I can remember, it went like this: We were driving by Eternal Hills Mortuary and Crematorium on the way to school. One of the girls noticed smoke coming up and asked about it. I think at first I may have said something about their having a fire going. Then I realized what it must be, glanced at the sign to confirm it said "crematorium," and went, "Oh." Ever said, "Oh, I know." Leela asked again what it was, and Ever said, "It's not appropriate." Talking to her about it later, it seems she did, indeed, have some understanding of what was going on. She remembered being at Eternal Hills with Tutu and Papa (looking for the grave of Uncle Lane and Aunt Robin's daughter, Melissa) and discussing why some of the graves/burial sites were so small.

Arden sometime in June

I was helping Tiny say a prayer. I told her to say something, and instead of repeating what I said, she went, "Bless Mommy. Bless Daddy. Bless Wren. Bless Ever."

Wren 6/21/18

Ever was talking about a digging-for-dinosaurs S.T.E.M. camp she was doing at the library. She said they don't let the kids drink from the water fountain. Wren asked, "Why? Is there a stop sign or yellow tape around it or something?"

Arden 6/25/18

We stopped at the grocery store to pick up some oyster sauce for dinner. I was holding Tiny as I looked for it, and I said I was scared of oyster sauce (because oysters). Tiny said, "You scared, Mommy?" Then she put her arms around my neck, squeezed me tight, and said, "I saving you."

Arden 7/8/18

Me:  "Tiny, how old are you?  Are you two?"
Arden:  "I'm two. Happy birthday for me."

Arden 7/11/18

"I turned two years. I blowed the top off [the candles]. I can eat ice cream."

Ever 7/12/18

Ever said she wants to be Princess Buttercup or Fraulein Maria for Halloween. Then she asked if Buttercup was the prettiest girl in the world. I said I think in the movie she's considered to be. Wrenzy said, "But is she bootiful?" Then:

Me: "What we should be asking is, 'Is she kind?'"
Ever: "Yes."
Me: "Is she generous?"
Ever: "Yes."
Me: "Is she loving?"
Ever: "Yes. She loooves Wesley. She looooooves Wesley."
Me: "Is she smart?"
Ever: "No. She is not smart in that she didn't drop and roll when she had fire on her."

Arden 7/15/18

Jim and I were in the kitchen. Tiny came in from the playroom, hugged Jim's leg, and said, "I love you, Daddy." He said, "I love you, Tiny! Do you want a hug?" She said "No," and padded back into the playroom.

Arden 7/16/18

Tiny was in the playroom. I was in the kitchen and heard her say, "I love Mommy. I love Daddy. I love Mommy and Daddy."

Wren, sometime in July

"You have to wear a skirt to be bootiful. Sometimes Ever wears pants, and she is not bootiful. Sometimes she wears a skirt and is bootiful."

She is talking a lot these days about being bootiful, wondering what Halloween costume would be bootiful, asking if I'm bootiful, etc.

Wren 7/27/18

While eating edamame at lunch, Wren said, "Mommy has to make edamame because it says "mom" - edaMOMe. Daddy makes other things."

Arden 8/3/18

"You married, and Daddy married, and I not married. OK, Mommy?"

Arden  8/9/18

"Can I have watermilk? Just a lot of them, OK?"

(Tiny calls milk "watermilk," and she is OBSESSED with it.)

Wren 8/11/18

To Ever, in the car:  "I want you to be everywhere I go because you're my sister and I love you."

Arden 8/12/18

Jim:  "I love you so much, Tiny.
Arden:  "I like Mommy."
(Then Tiny asked me for watermilk. Thinking that maybe if Jim were her watermilk provider, she would like him, I asked, "What if Daddy gets your watermilk?")
Arden, to Jim:  "Can you get me watermilk?"
Jim:  "If you tell me you love me, I'll get you watermilk."
Arden, to me:  "Daddy's not getting my watermilk."

Within an hour ...
Jim:  "I love you, Tiny."
Arden:  "I don't like you."

Then during sacrament meeting, I threatened to take Tiny out. She said, "Take me out." I said, "If I take you out, you're going to just sit on my lap, and you won't be able to hear the speakers or see your sisters or see daddy." Tiny said, "I don't want to see my daddy," repeated two or three times.

After church ...

Jim:  "I love you, Tiny."

Arden:  "No. I love Mommy."

Arden probably sometime in 8/18

We were talking about the lizards that like to sun themselves on our fence, and she started saying that they couldn't come into the house because they're too little. "When they got two [i.e., turn two], the lizards can go in the house."

Arden  8/24/18

I was trying to work out consistently three times a week. If I didn't get to the gym, then I was doing a 20-minute video. When I did the ab portion on the floor, Tiny said, "Can I lay on you?" and wanted to lie on my belly. Every time. So cute, but it also made it hard to get through the workout.

Arden 8/29/18

After Wrenny left for preschool, I was telling Tiny that it will be so fun when she gets to go to preschool with her next year. Tiny said, "I get to go to school with Paula Bear?" I said, "Yeah, with Miss Paula." She said, "With Miss Paula Bear?"  Turns out "Paula" sounds like "polar" to a two-year-old.

While I was talking to the dishwasher repair man, Tiny got into my chapstick, which we call "chapper." She got it all over her face and hands and all over the chapper itself. It was destroyed. I was telling her afterward how she ruined my chapper, and after asking, "Why?" a few times, she said, "It's OK, Mom. It's not my fault."

Arden 9/24/18

Me: "Did you know we're going to see Coco and Dun Dun and Anson?"
Tiny:  "Are we going to their houses?"
Me: "Yeah, we're going to sleep at their house."
Tiny: "I'm going to sleep in the middle-size bed."

Arden 10/6/18

When we went on the plane to D.C., Tiny kept calling it a rocket ship. She saw the extra bag of cookies from the plane on the counter after we got home and asked, "Can I eat my cookies because they're special from the rocket ship?"

Wren 10/6/18

Upon seeing the ironing board for the first time (clearly I never iron): "Why do you have that, Mom?" I said it was an ironing board. She responded, "Can we lie on the ironing board? Because there's a bed on there?"

Arden 10/19/18

While I was doing an exercise video and she sat on the couch watching, I said, "Tiny, I just love you too much! What do I do?" She answered, "You gonna snuggle me after the exercise," pointing at the T.V.

Many of the littles' clothes are hand-me-downs from Amelie Oddou. Tiny thinks that everything we have - anything "new" - is from Amelie. When Wren and I talk about reading a new book (by which I just mean one that we haven't read or at least haven't read for a long time), Tiny thinks we're talking about "a new book from Amelie." (Amelie has not given us any books.)  With that background, as I was changing a dirty diaper that appeared possibly to have been dirty for a while, I said, "Tiny, when did you do this?  Is this new?" She answered, "No, it's not new from Amelie or anything."

Arden 10/31/18

Arden:  "When I turn four, I'm going to get presents."
Me:  "You are? Who's going to give you presents?"
Arden:  "The happy birthday kids is going to give me presents."

Ever 11/1/18

While we were cuddling in bed this morning, Jim said, "I have to get up. I can't be late to work."
Ever corrected him: "You may not be late to work."

Wrenzy Loves "I Love to See the Temple" - Flashback to Feb. 2017

I just found this draft post that I wrote in February 2017, when Wrenzy was 22 months old. I never published it and forgot about it. I guess I'll post it now, even though it's so old I don't even remember Wrenzy this little...

When I put Wren to bed, I read to her, and then she turns off the light and I sing to her before putting her in bed. I generally offer her "I Love to See the Temple," "I Am a Child of God," and "Families Can Be Together Forever." She always wants "I Love to See the Temple." Always. On 2/6, I asked, "Should we do 'I Am a Child of God?'" She said, "God" (because she often just repeats the last word you say). I started singing it, and she put both hands on my neck and got right in my face and said, in the cutest, raspiest voice, "I want 'Temple.'" I thought she was going to kiss me because sometimes she does that before I put her down. She grabs my face and pulls it to her and kisses me over and over again. But this time she just repeated "I want 'Temple'" about three times. So I switched songs.

Virginia: Harper's Ferry & Going Home

Thursday, October 4, we went to Harper's Ferry. It's quite a quaint, lovely place, and John Brown is fascinating.

Ever tries to climb everything.

I got this shot before Tiny started trying to climb up the side (guess it runs in the family):

It was unseasonably warm, so the little ladies were red-faced.

Jefferson Rock.

More climbing.

Wrenzy and Tiny got into a deep conversation, and then something really shocking happened.

Jim loved this picture in the John Brown Museum:

We had the museum to ourselves for the first little while, and it was really nice to be able to let the kids run free.

We crossed the bridge and walked briefly on the Appalachian Trail by the river.

I wished we could keep going and going, but we were short on time and had to hurry back. As we returned to the car, the clouds rolled in and created a fun sky that my phone did not capture.

Friday we traveled home. Coco, of course, sent us off with bellies full of Nutella waffles. Tiny was a big fan (as was everyone else, but I only got pictures of Tiny).

Big E played some Solitaire on the plane.

Good travelers, all. Love that they can haul their own stuff now.

Tiny is our happy-go-lucky lunatic.

It was a wonderful week that went way too quickly!

Virginia: George Washington University

On Wednesday morning, the littles caught up on their reading. 

We met Lucy for lunch and a brief tour of GW. George and Wren hit it off.

Lucy had to rush to class, but the rest of us enjoyed ice cream sandwiches at the famed Captain Cookie.

Virginia: Philadelphia (That's a Confusing Title)

On Tuesday, October 2, Coco took us to Philadelphia. Some of us were very tired.

We went straight for cheesesteaks since we got there at lunchtime. We ordered at Pat's, and then Coco ran over to grab one from Geno's so we could compare and opine. We unanimously voted for Pat's. It was amazing. I really, really enjoyed my first Philly cheesesteak experience.

After lunch, we went to the visitor center to try to get tickets to the room where the Constitution was signed. Coco was overwhelmed with frustration and sadness when we were told they were sold out for the day. She had to step away from the desk and let Jim and me talk to the visitor center lady. She had tried to take people there before and had the same problem. For our visit, she tried to purchase tickets online the day before but was unable. She said it's a really special experience being in that room and was super sad we couldn't go. We really didn't mind, though. There was plenty of other stuff to do, and we'll go back someday.

First historical stop was the Liberty Bell, which Ever had recently learned about at school. Coco tried to get a family photo for us, but the littles were uncooperative.

We walked over to Independence Hall. 

We saw copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution, along with the silver inkstand that was supposedly used during the signing of the Declaration and Constitution.

Coco was at her wit's end with an exhausted Anson who refused to sleep, despite her best efforts at rocking and bouncing.

We took a tour of Congress Hall and saw rooms where things happened. I worried a lot about the movements and noises of the littles during the talk.

On the field across from Independence Hall, Tony took off crawling. Tiny went after him and tried desperately to convince him to go back to us.

We tried to be fun by going to a bakery and buying a ton of treats. As is generally the case at such places - even those that are highly reviewed - most of the treats were incredibly disappointing. Why can nobody make something that looks fancy and tastes great?

We made it to the Benjamin Franklin museum less than 30 minutes before it closed, and the young people had to hit the bathroom before we could start looking around. Wrenzy threw a tantrum over something as we finished in the bathroom, so I had to deal with that for a while. Needless to say, I didn't end up having enough time in the museum but enjoyed what I saw. Tiny was all over Anson, as usual.

Outside, the kids had the time of their lives putting leaves and rocks into the top of a cone. Never has there been a more entertaining game.

The last stop on the Philly tour was the Museum of Art. Jim played the theme song from Rocky as we approached. We explained the movie to Ever and promised to show her a clip later. We posed by the statue.

Then we ran up the steps to the museum and enjoyed the view of the city at dusk. I love this sequence of pictures - Jim and Ever photobombing and then joining:

We showed Ever the training montage from Rocky after we got home. Since that day, she has been totally obsessed with the movie. She talks about it all the time. She begs to watch it. She searched Pandora for "Rocky" and now plays Rocky music (and other 80's rock, mostly from movie soundtracks) all the time. She seems to have my addictive personality.