31 August 2016

We had salmon tonight, which the girls like, but I fixed it a slightly different way this time because I was tired of having it the same way every time.

Alyson, after taking a bite: Thumbs down because I don't like this on top. [She pointed to the seasoning.]
Me: It's just seasoning with sweet red bell peppers and...
Madelyn: Does it have herbs like pizza plant?
Me: Yup!
Alyson: I love pizza plant! [She excitedly tried another bite.] Double thumbs up!

She then went on to eat all of it, go figure.

30 August 2016

During dinner:

Madelyn: I like strawberry dressing and salad and chicken.

Alyson: I like nature.

Huh? What?

29 August 2016

Profound thoughts from a three-year-old: "I know that when I'm as big as Madelyn I'll still be Alyson, right? I'll just be bigger."

28 August 2016

When we were walking through a parking lot:

Alyson: Why do the cars have fake crabs on them?
Me: The Maryland Crab magnets? Because Marylanders like crabs.
Alyson: I don't like fake crabs. I only like the kind you get eat because they're yummy.

27 August 2016

The dress Alyson was wearing today was a little too big on her. While she was playing, she told us, "This is a little big on me. That's why it keeps falling off my elbows [pointing to her shoulders]. But, it's okay because I'll grow into it!"

26 August 2016

The girls spent the night and Mom and Dad's last night and are spending the night again tonight. They must be having lots of fun because around 4pm, Alyson asked her grandma, "Is it time to go to bed yet?"

25 August 2016

I stayed home today for Madelyn's Open House for school this afternoon. Before lunch, we went to the park and then for a walk on a path through the woods. I had Pokemon Go open on my phone to track the distance, but wasn't actually playing. The battery saving mode was on and my screen was black. Suddenly, Alyson yelled, "I just saw a pokie ball!" I was so confused about what she was referring to because she said it exactly like "Pokeball".  Turns out she was talking about the seed pods from a Sweet Gum Tree.

24 August 2016

When I got to Mom and Dad's to pick up the girls, they were dressed up and having a Halloween party. Madelyn was wearing a super hero cape and a mask. Alyson was wearing a tutu.

Madelyn: Do you recognize who I am? Did you know it's me? What about her?
Alyson: Yeah, do you know who I am?

Um, yes, kiddos.

23 August 2016

When we were outside this afternoon, I picked a raspberry for each girl. A few minutes later:

Me, near the raspberries: I have another one here. Who is it for?
Alyson, who was standing right next to me: For me because I'm right here!

22 August 2016

When we were deciding on what to have for dinner with Mom and Dad tonight.

Me: Didn't you guys have spaghetti today for lunch? Do you really want Noodles & Co.?
Madelyn: They have other stuff like salads and sandwiches.
Alyson: They have company stuff!

21 August 2016

Alyson was sitting on my lap and cuddling with me during Mass this morning. She lifted her head off of my shoulder, looked me straight in the face, and whispered, "I love..." She paused slightly, and I thought she was going to say "you, Mommy" because she does that often and she was saying it the same way. Instead she finished the sentence with, "... Jesus."

20 August 2016

A couple of weeks ago, the girls went to DC with Aunt Gina and Uncle Matt. While there, they were at Union Station. As we pulled up to the arrivals at BWI to drop off Tony this afternoon:

Alyson: This is where we went with Aunt Gina and Uncle Matt!
Me: No, you went to Union Station in DC. That has trains, not planes.
Alyson, as a bus went by: There's a train!

19 August 2016

Alyson was questioning lyrics in "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten when it came on in the car.

Alyson: What's a brain?
Me: It's what's in your head that you use to think.
Alyson: Like think of what you want to do and think of where you want to go and think of what you want to eat like pancakes because I like pancakes. 

18 August 2016

As a reward for not sucking her thumb since Sunday or Monday, I painted Alyson's nails today. I told her that if the polish on her thumb got messed up from her sucking it, I would take the nail polish off and not put anymore on. While they were playing, Alyson scratched some of the polish off of one of her nails. She came running to me to tell me, "I messed up my thumb, but I wasn't sucking on it!"

17 August 2016

Alyson was in our closet with me this morning while I was picking out a shirt. 

Alyson: I want to see what type of panties you have on.

Before I could say or do anything, she reached out and pulled my pajama pants down a little.

Alyson: Oh! I like those!

16 August 2016

During dinner:

Alyson: I love everyone in the family, even Aunt Gina and Aunt Becca and Uncle Matt.
Tony: What about Evan?
Alyson, thinking: Evan? Who?

15 August 2016

After I picked them up, the girls and I went to Carter's to get some new school clothes and take advantage of sales. While we were there, Madelyn found a shirt she wanted that said, "BEST BIG SIS". 

Madelyn, in typical of course this is true fashion: Hey, Aly! Do you think I'm the best big sister?
Alyson, confused and not sure how to answer: Why?

14 August 2016

As we were putting the girls down for bed, a thunderstorm started. 

Alyson: What if the thunder is too loud an scary?
Me: You can just tell that thunder that if it's hungry, it should eat something and not be so angry.
Alyson, laughing hysterically at me: Mommy, that's so silly! Thunder can't eat!

13 August 2016

Madelyn asked why a house had the sign for an alarm company outside of it. I explained that it was to keep away people breaking into the house. After the entire conversation:

Me: Now, don't you go trying to break into a house!
Madelyn: I won't because that 's wrong.
Alyson: I'm not either because I'm not strong enough!

11 August 2016

During Madelyn's VBS program this evening, Alyson was intently watching. One of the characters in the skit left the stage. After the kids sang a song, he came back. Alyson was thrilled and blurted out, "Oh! He's coming back!"

10 August 2016

Tony and I were discussing what food was available for the kids for lunch tomorrow.

Me: The cantaloupe is all gone, right?
Tony: I gave them the rest yesterday, so it's gone if they ate it all.

Me: I'm not sure how much they finished.

Alyson: I know how much. A lot was finished.

09 August 2016

While playing, Alyson had to use the bathroom. She came running into the living room.

Alyson: Mommy, I have to go potty!
Me: Well, get in the bathroom and go.

She ran into the bathroom, and then started laughing after a couple minutes.

Me: What are you doing in there? Did you go potty?
Alyson, coming out of the bathroom holding her shirt with her shorts still pulled up: Mommy, I got carried away and accidentally took off my shirt!

08 August 2016

We had salmon for dinner tonight, which we have every couple of weeks or so.

Alyson, looking at her plate: What's that?
Me: Salmon.
Alyson: What's salmon? Do I like salmon?
Me: Yes, you like salmon.
Alyson: Oh, okay.

07 August 2016

While the girls were out today having fun with Aunt Gina and Uncle Matt, Tony and I put up white vinyl lattice over the chicken wire fence around the garden. After the girls got home:

Tony, walking with Alyson to the porch to look at the garden: Can you see what we did today?
Alyson: Yeah. 
Tony: What did we do?
Alyson: It looks like you... watered the garden?

06 August 2016

Alyson can't pronounce leading "f" sounds properly. While we were in the car:

Madelyn: Say "fish".
Alyson: I'm a wishy. Blub, blub!

05 August 2016

Alyson had been dancing over and Mom and Dad's today.

Mom: I asked her were she learned it and she said ballet, but that she hasn't taken ballet in a long time.
Alyson: That's because I'm taking a break for summer.
Me: Do you want to take ballet again? You didn't seem to like it before.
Alyson: Yeah!
Me: Do you want to do ballet or "all the sports"? ("All the sports" refers to a class that covers a different sport every two weeks.)
Alyson: Why can't I do both ballet and "all the sports"?

04 August 2016

Alyson: We had muffins today!
Madelyn: They were banana chocolate chip.
Alyson: They were mmmmm and tasted mmmmmm!

03 August 2016

The girls were upstairs getting changed into their pajamas. As I came up the stairs, I hear Alyson yell from her room, "I'M A WOMAN!" I go to her room to see her with her shirt stuck on her head like a veil and her skort still on.

02 August 2016

Before bed, Tony and I put some saline in Alyson's nose to help clear it out a bit since it's stuffy from her cold. At first she fought us.

Me, after Alyson calmed down and was fine with the saline in her nose: Do you need some more?
Alyson, perfectly calm and content and even smiling a little: Yeah.

01 August 2016

This morning Alyson noticed a dress that Madelyn put in her closet yesterday. The dress was too small for Madelyn, but we weren't sure if it fit Alyson yet.

Alyson, excited about the dress: I want to wear that one!
Tony: You can wear it if it fits you.

Tony went to get dressed while Alyson started getting dressed.

Alyson, running through the hall to our room with the dress on: DADDY! IT FITS! I CAN WEAR IT!