31 August 2015

While waiting for the bus this morning:

Madelyn: What color will my bus be?
Me: Yellow.
Alyson: Yay! Me love yellow!

30 August 2015

While we were waiting to line of for the kids fun run today, Alyson kept inching forward.

Me: Alyson, step back out of the way.
Alyson: I NEED to run!

29 August 2015

This afternoon, we went to a pool party for Madelyn's school. We were only going to be gone for a couple of hours, but as we drove away from the house, Alyson announced, "Me gonna miss home."

28 August 2015

The girls today were pretending that their G.G.'s cane was a microphone. Alyson was standing at it while Madelyn was "swimming" across the floor.

Alyson: Swimming race is over!
Mom: Aly, why don't you sing something?
Alyson started humming.
Mom: That's humming, not singing.
Alyson kept humming.

27 August 2015

With dinner, we had extremely healthy veggie straws with our even healthier hot dogs and baked beans.

Alyson, after eating her veggie straws first: Me want more straws!
Me: You need to eat the rest of the food on your plate before you get more veggie straws.
Alyson, after eating everything else: Me done! Me want LOTS more straws! 

26 August 2015

As we were going up for bed, we were telling the girls that their bath tonight was going to be quick.

Me: Aly, you need to go to bed. You've been whiny all day.
Alyson: Me a toddler. And whiny, suuuuuper whiny.

25 August 2015

During dinner tonight, I was asking the girls what they wanted to do for lunch tomorrow since they'll be with me.

Me: Do you want leftover Chinese that we can eat at my work or do you want to go out for lunch?
Madelyn: Go out!
Me: Okay, what do you want?
Alyson: Me want mac a moni and cheese!

24 August 2015

After dinner tonight, Madelyn and I were looking at the school lunch menu for September to decide when she was buying lunch each week. We were highlighting the meals she wanted to buy.
Alyson, jealous that she wasn't involved: Me want to do it, too!
Me: Sorry, Aly, this is for Madelyn for school.
Alyson, getting really mad and trying to grab the highlighter: But me want to do it, too!
Tony, after Alyson started crying: Aly, can you come here? I need your help.
Alyson walked over and Tony picked her up.Tony, pointing to the dirty dishes in the sink: I need you to tell me when I have everything clean. Okay?

The distraction worked for a few minutes, and then Alyson was back to wanting to color the lunch menu, too. So, Tony grabbed a produce availability list for a local orchard that was handy and put Alyson in her seat at the table. I gave her the highlighter, and the "picked" the produce she wanted.

23 August 2015

While driving past a Kmart:
Madelyn: There's Kmart.
Alyson: No, it isn't.
Madelyn: The sign says "Kmart".
Alyson: No, it says "ABCs".

Then, they argued for a few minutes about what the sign said.

22 August 2015

When we got ice cream on the boardwalk, Alyson was exhausted so I tried helping her.
Me: Aly, do you want help?
Alyson: No. Me no need help!
Me: Okay, fine.

A little while later, Alyson was still "struggling" with her ice cream.
Me, taking the spoon: Here, let me help you.
Alyson: I SAID "NO!"

21 August 2015

While Tony was putting lotion on Alyson before bed tonight he had her upside down over his lap. Alyson yelled, "Me no see evything! Me backward!"

20 August 2015

Just as the girls were going to bed, a thunderstorm could be heard in the distance. About fifteen minutes after they were in bed, a roll of thunder was so close that it shook the house. Alyson cried, and Tony went up to her.

Tony: You know what you should do?
Alyson: What?
Tony: If it thunders again, turn to the window and tell it [putting his finger up to his mouth] "shhh!!!"
Alyson: Okay.

Alyson laid back down, and Tony left the room. It thundered again, and Alyson turned toward her window and went "Ssshhhhh!!!". She rolled back over and went to sleep.

19 August 2015

With our BLTs for dinner, we had veggie straws. Madelyn kept breathing through hers like an actual straw. After about the third time I told her to stop, I also told her that if she did it again, the veggie straws she had left were going to be taken away. Well, of course she did it again, and Tony took the two veggie straws she had left away. Tears ensued followed by intermittent sobbing. The entire time Madelyn was sobbing at the table, Alyson was sitting there very sweetly saying, "Oh, Madelyn. Oh, Madelyn." trying to comfort her sister.

18 August 2015

First

When I put Alyson's spaghetti squash and meatballs on her plate for dinner, it just happened to look like a smily face, so I added the extra sauce to exaggerate the mouth.

Tony, trying to get Alyson to say that the squash and sauce looked like a smile: What does that look like?
Alyson: Mato sauce.

Second

Before bed, Alyson and I were talking about how things will be different for her when Madelyn starts school.

Me: You'll get to be by yourself with Grandma and Grandpa all day.
Alyson: Me gonna miss Madelyn.
Me: Yeah, but you'll get to play by yourself and do what you want.
Alyson: Me like playing by myself, but I'm gonna miss Madelyn, too.

Awww....

17 August 2015

During dinner:

Alyson: Me have a napkin, please?
I handed her a napkin and she wiped her hands with it.
Alyson: Me just warming me hands up.

16 August 2015

While looking at the large window into the Blacktip Reef Exhibit at the National Aquarium today, Alyson was blowing kisses at the sharks and rays as they swam past her.

15 August 2015

When Alyson got up from her nap, I told Madelyn to come upstairs and get in her bathing suit. The girls didn't know that we were surprising them by taking them to play in the fountain in the center of Rockville. Alyson heard me downstairs and was yelling that she wanted to get in her bathing suit, too. I took her out of the the crib, and she guessed that we were taking them to a "swimming park" and started doing her "swimming park" dance of excitement. The dance was her jumping up and down while moving her arms up and down in front of her body.

Madelyn: Why is that your swimming dance?
Alyson: Because me swimming!
Madelyn: Swimming standing? No, this is swimming.

Madelyn got down on the floor on her stomach and started moving her arms and legs like she was swimming. Alyson got down next to her and copied every move.

14 August 2015

While in the car on the way to get their hair cut, I noticed Alyson was staring out the window sucking her thumb, which is not a rare occurrence.

Me: Why are you sucking your thumb?
Alyson: Me taste good.
Me: You need to stop sucking your thumb. 
Alyson: Why?
Me: It's going to hurt your teeth.
Madelyn: And your thumb!
Alyson: Okay, me stop.
Me, in disbelief: Really? You can still suck it when you go to sleep if you want.
Alyson: Okay.

Alyson, a few minutes later: Oopsie!
Me: What? Did you suck your thumb?
Alyson: Yes, but me stop!

(I will actually be surprised if she stops. She loves her thumb.)

13 August 2015

Alyson has graduated from a diaper bag to take her stuff to Mom and Dad's to a backpack. She carries her change of clothes, a wetbag, some first aid stuff, sunscreen, and her daily toys in the backpack. Today, when I was trying to get them packed up to leave Mom and Dad's, Alyson didn't want to put the little toys she brought in her backpack because "Me no want to lose me toys!"

12 August 2015

After I gave Alyson her cup of milk at dinner tonight, she grabbed it, hugged it, and yelled, "Me love you, mmm....ilk!"

11 August 2015

While fixing dinner I heard Alyson in the playroom.

Alyson, chanting: Peanut butter! Uh! Peanut butter! Uh! Peanut butter! Uh! 

She ran into the kitchen and evilly yelled at me: Peanut butter make me really hungry!
Me, trying not to laugh at Alyson just staring at me: Peanut butter makes you really hungry?
Alyson, turning to run back to the playroom: Yeah!

Toddlers really are tiny drunk adults.

10 August 2015

Alyson was playing with some toys and in the two seconds that she put the toys down to look at something else, Madelyn grabbed them. Alyson understandably got upset.

Madelyn, acting like she didn't do anything wrong: Aly, I just wanted to play with you!
Alyson, completely seriously: No, Madelyn. I don't want to play with you. Me want to play by myself.

09 August 2015

We had hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill tonight and ate dinner outside. When we do that, we usually use the grill for s'mores for dessert. Tonight was no exception.

Alyson, while eating her s'more: Dat [points to marshmallow] too hot so me just eat me animal cracker [points to graham cracker].

(Yes, she ate it all, or at least all of it that didn't end up on her face.)

08 August 2015

After Madelyn brushed her hair out of her face at dinner, Alyson had to copy. As a result, Alyson ended up with parmesan cheese and other food all over her hair.

Me: Alyson, don't do that. Your hands are messy.
Madelyn, showing her hands: My hands aren't messy. See? All clean.
Alyson, shaking her hands: Not clean!

07 August 2015

Apparently, Noodles and Co. now has kids meals on their menu. It's an entree (from a limited list), two sides, and a drink. The choices are actually pretty good and healthy. Madelyn had macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and fruit. Alyson had macaroni and cheese, carrots, and applesauce.

Me, admiring the girls' dinners: I want that!
Alyson, sighing: Oh, mommy....

06 August 2015

On the way home today, Alyson randomly told me, "You need to teach me how to go work because me no know how." Oh, sweetie, you have a long time before you have to go to work.

05 August 2015

First

Toddlers have no filter. After she farted while getting dressed this morning, Alyson announced, "I just fart! Excuse my butt!"

Second

When we got to Mom and Dad's this morning, Dad was sitting alone in the living room. Alyson ran straight to him, plopped down on him to hug him, and yelled, "Appy birfay, Bampa!"

04 August 2015

Before dinner, the girls were playing "Harry Potter" yet again. Madelyn was pretending to be Hermione and Alyson was Harry, which are their usual characters. Alyson was messing with Madelyn and refusing to what Madelyn wanted.

Madelyn: No, Aly! Not like that!
Alyson: Me not Aly now. Me 'Arry Dotter.

(For the record, Tony and I were in the kitchen and both busted out laughing.)

03 August 2015

Alyson after pushing her half-full dinner plate away from herself: Me still hungry.
Me: You have food in front of you.
Alyson: That's not food, that's dinner!

02 August 2015

When we got out of the car today, Alyson threw her "car toy" out of the car. I took it and put it in the front seat so that she couldn't have it. She noticed it in the front seat when we got back in the car and was not happy at first: "Me don't have a toy right now! Oh! Me use me fingers like a toy!"

01 August 2015

The girls had already watched all four "Baby Signing Time" DVDs in the car. Madelyn was watching another movie, but Alyson wanted to play.

Alyson: Me wanna play "Baby Signing Time."
Me: How exactly are you going to play "Baby Signing Time?"
Alyson, making the sign for "play": Me use this finger and this finger to play!