31 May 2015

Alyson walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth with her slippers on her hands.

Me: Those don't go there.
Alyson, smiling: I know that.

30 May 2015

First

When it was time to go up for a bath, which Madelyn really needed to get the hair spray out of her hair, she didn't want to stop playing.

Madelyn: I don't wanna take a bath! Why do I have to take a bath?
Alyson: Because you're meshy!

Second

While waiting for their dinner at Silver Diner, Madelyn was coloring on the kids menu. Alyson was being silly as usual and trying to show off whatever random thing she was doing.

Alyson: Madelyn, look!
Madelyn, focused on her coloring and not looking at Alyson at all: I am.
Alyson: Noooo....

29 May 2015

As Alyson and I were walking home from the park this evening, we saw one of our neighbors walking his dog. He stopped to wait for us as we walked across the street so that we could say hi.

Alyson, as we walked up to him and his dog: Me pet doggie?
Neighbor: You want to pet him? Okay, let me pick him up so you can pet him.

He picked up the little dog since I was holding Alyson and also to try to contain some of the dog's energy for her. Alyson pet the dog and pulled away a little as the dog licked her. He put the dog back down.

Alyson: Me pet doggie again?
Neighbor: You can pet him again.

He picked the dog back up and this cycle continued another two or three times until we parted ways. We saw them again when we got to our house.

Alyson, excitedly: Me pet doggie?!

The neighbor and I both said no because we all had to get inside and it was starting to rain a little.

28 May 2015

When we were getting ready to leave Mom's, I could see the toy baby bottle Alyson had brought this morning on the dining room table. We were in the living room.

Me: Aly, where's your baby bottle?
Alyson: I don't know.
Dad: It's on the table.

Alyson at first looked like she was going to run and get it. Instead, she lunged and reached forward as if she was trying to grab it from where she was. She couldn't even see the dining room table from where she was in the living room.

Alyson, sounding like she's trying so hard and struggling: Can't reach it!

27 May 2015

Alyson stayed with Mom and Dad during Madelyn's ballet rehearsal. When Tony was done helping with some set work before the rehearsal started, I checked with Mom to see if Tony should go ahead and pick Alyson up.

Mom to Alyson: Do you want Daddy to come get you now?
Alyson: NO!

26 May 2015

We had breakfast for dinner tonight. As I was finishing cooking, Tony held up some bacon for the girls to see and waited for them to notice. When Alyson saw it, she excitedly exclaimed, "Oh! Bacon!" (And then she didn't eat it. Crazy girl.)

25 May 2015

Madelyn used to do the same thing when she was little:

After a busy morning watching the Memorial Day Parade, going to the fire station open house, and getting lunch out, Alyson went down for a late nap. That meant that she woke up later than usual. Bedtime was still at about the same time. As expected, she babbled and babbled instead of going right off to sleep. She quieted down after about an hour of not sleeping. Suddenly, she started belting out the Alphabet Song at the top of her lungs. I looked on the video monitor and she was still laying down, but was dancing with dramatic arm movements and all. Just as quickly, the monitor went silent. I looked again, and she was fast asleep.

24 May 2015

Tony, Madelyn, and Alyson went up to the room the girls slept in last night at Aunt Gina's to make sure nothing was left in the room.

Alyson, pointing to the adult sized pillow in the pack and play she had slept in: That pillow too big for me.

23 May 2015

Like most mornings, Alyson woke up this morning and yelled,"Mommy! Daddy! Me wake!"

22 May 2015

We had been planning on going out for dinner tonight, but some whiny children made I change those plans. Instead, we were going to order dinner in, but no one really could decide on anything to eat.

Tony to Alyson: What type of Chinese food do you want?
Alyson: Mac and cheese.

21 May 2015

While I was changing her diaper, Alyson was looking at a book. She pointed to the book and asked me, "You show me how to read book?"

20 May 2015

I don't remember how this came up in conversation, but the girls were coloring while I was fixing dinner, and Alyson and I started talking:

Me: Aly, what's your full name?
Alyson: Um, Downs.
Me: No, that's your last name. What's your full first name? What is "Aly" short for?
Madelyn, whispering to her: Alyson.
Alyson, repeating what Madelyn said: Ah-son.

19 May 2015

When Tony got home today, Alyson rushed to show him the Bandaid on her thumb.

Tony: Why do you have a Bandaid?
Alyson: Thumb bleeding.
Tony: Why was your thumb bleeding?
Alyson: Want to.

Ummmm.... Her thumb wanted to bleed? If she wanted her thumb bleeding, why did she let me put a Bandaid on it? The world will never know.

18 May 2015

When I got to Mom and Dad's to pick up the girls today, Madelyn and her grandma were playing a game at the dining room table. Alyson decided to join them, so I sat down on the living room couch to wait for them to be done. They could not see me from where I was sitting. I yawned.

Alyson: Mommy tired?
Me: Yes, Mommy's tired.
Alyson: Mommy take a nap?
Me: I wish!

17 May 2015

First

After eating her breakfast, Alyson crawled up next to me on the bench at the dining room table and started to cuddle with me while sucking her thumb.

Me to Alyson: What's up?
Alyson: My thumb.

Second

When Madelyn got her award at the Healthy Kids Running Series today:

Coordinator (paraphrased): And now we have our spirit award. This award goes to one of our pre-K runners who always helped her little sister at the start line while her parents were busy helping as volunteers. She always is excited to race and is ready to go. The award goes to Madelyn Downs!

Madelyn got up to get her award, and like a good little sister, Alyson got up with her and followed her to the front of the group of kids.

16 May 2015

The girls were in the front yard with Tony. Madelyn was riding her scooter, and Alyson was on her tricycle. I was in the backyard working in the garden.

Tony to me after he came around back: Madelyn fell and scraped her knee a little. I'm going inside to get her a Bandaid. The girls are sitting on the porch.
Me: I think it's going to rain. They need to clean up the water table.
Tony, turning to go back to the front yard: Okay.

Tony and the girls came to the backyard after he got Madelyn a Bandaid.

Alyson, seeing me and very concerned: Mommy! Madelyn fell down!

15 May 2015

On the way home from dinner, everyone was singing along to "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" by Fall Out Boy.

Tony, Madelyn, and Me along with the song: I'm on fiiiirrrre!
Alyson in a perfect high pitched cute baby voice to go along with the song: Fire!

14 May 2015

I was helping Alyson with the tricycle this afternoon while Tony was helping Madelyn with her bike. Alyson was having problems peddling, so I was pushing her from behind using the cross plate on the back of the tricycle as a place to stand like on a scooter. I pushed us down a hill, and Alyson kept laughing and cheering and yelling, "Go fast!!!" This was the exact opposite of Madelyn's attitude on her bike as she was trying to brake and go really slowly down the hill.

13 May 2015

As I was laying Alyson down in her crib for bed:

Alyson: Guess what.
Me: What?
Alyson: Go Grandma's again.
Me: Yeah, you'll go to Grandma's tomorrow.
Alyson: Tomorrow Saturday?
Me: No, tomorrow is Thursday.
Alyson: Shurshday?
Me: Yeah, Thursday.
Alyson: That's so silly!

12 May 2015

When I asked Alyson if she wanted cheese on her BLT:

Me: Aly, do you want American, provolone, or cheddar?
Alyson: Cheese. 
Me: Yes, they are all cheese. Which do you want?
Alyson: Cheddar.
Me: Cheddar?
Alyson: No, no like cheddar.
Me: Okay, do you want American or provolone?
Alyson: 'Merican.
Me: American? You want American cheese.
Alyson: No, no 'Merican.
Me: Okay, so you want provolone cheese on your sandwich?
Alyson: Yeah, provolone.

The good thing is that she ate the cheese.

11 May 2015

Alyson came out from the playroom with a play baby powder container.

Alyson holding the container up to me: Open this?
Me: Twist it.

She tried to twist it open, but couldn't do it, so she handed me the container and I did it for her.

Alyson: Oh, like that!

10 May 2015

When saying good night to Alyson, Tony was singing "Rock-a-bye, Baby" to her.

Tony: ...And down will come Aly, cradle and all.
Alyson: No. Baby.
Tony, after humming the beginning of the song: ...And down will come Baby Aly, cradle and all.
Alyson: No Aly! Baby! Daddy, sing it right!

09 May 2015

First

While playing inside this morning, Alyson was spinning around and dancing. She proclaimed, "Me bawena!" (Me ballerina!)

Second

Outside walking through the grass, Alyson yelled, "Grass-a tickle me!"

Third

When we were sitting in the rocking chair cuddling before she went to bed, Alyson started listing as she was looking around her room:

"I love you! I love Daddy! I love Madelyn! I love me! I love Grandma! I love Grandpa! I love Poppop! I love Nana! I love me lotion! I love shoes! I love books!"

08 May 2015

Alyson got into the car this morning and sat in her seat with her sunglasses in her hand, not on her face. The sun was shining perfectly in her face.

Alyson squinting and trying to look away from the sun: Bright!

Tony, taking her sunglasses and putting them on her: Well, put your sunglasses on. That's what they're for!

07 May 2015

While on our family walk this evening, Alyson was being a typical toddler and hanging behind to explore everything. She picked a dandelion that had completely gone to seed. I showed her what happens when you blow on the puffball. She got really excited and blew all of the seeds off. Then, she decided that she had to go give her daddy a flower: the stem with all of the seeds blown off. She went running and yelling for him so that she could give it to him.

06 May 2015

When it was time to go upstairs to get ready for bed:

Me to Alyson: Aly, time for bath.
Alyson: No! No bath!
Me: But you need to get clean.
Alyson, almost starting to cry: Nooooo!!!!
Me: Would you want to take a shower instead of a bath?
Alyson, suddenly cheerful: Yeah! Shower!
Madelyn from the other room: Can I take a shower, too?!?!

Yes, they did take showers and there were no tears. Whatever works, right?

05 May 2015

I took Alyson upstairs until Tony could come up to get her ready for bed. When we got to her room, and I was still holding her:

Me: Are you ready for bed?
Alyson: Yeah.

I playfully threw her into her crib.

Alyson, surprised: Me clothes still on!

04 May 2015

We had roasted broccoli with dinner tonight and had to ask Alyson to eat it. After she was cleaned up and out of her chair, she saw me putting away the leftover broccoli and asked, "More brocky, please?" She happily ate two more pieces. 

03 May 2015

While the rest of us were all running some type of race this morning, Alyson was staying with Mom and Dad. Mom and Alyson were playing with some alphabet magnets and a magnetic board. Then, they were just playing with the magnets. Alyson had them between her legs while sitting on the bed. Mom kept teasing her and taking them. Alyson would laugh about it. Eventually, she put her head down to try to stop her silly grandma. When that didn't work, Alyson rolled over on top of the magnets, put her thumb in her mouth, and pretended to go to sleep right on top of the magnets so that her grandma couldn't get them.

02 May 2015

While we were outside today, Alyson was going around the yard pushing the toy lawn mower since Tony was also cutting grass. As she was pushing the mower, she kept saying, "Cut! Cut! Cut!" She also at times would "cut" the grass by pulling some out and throwing it in the trashcan I was using for weeding. Luckily, it was in an area of grass that I don't care about.

01 May 2015

First

I was sitting at the dining room table talking to Mom and Dad before the girls and I left this afternoon. Mom started coughing. Alyson pointed to Mom's cup of water on the table and ordered, "Drink that!"

Second

We went to the mall tonight for dinner and some shopping. On the way there:

Alyson: Where going, Madelyn?

Madelyn didn't answer her so she repeated the question a couple of times. After Madelyn still didn't answer her:

Me: We're going to the mall.
Alyson, sounding offended that I butted in: Talking to Madelyn!