31 December 2016

We were in a toy store looking for birthday gifts for friends. Alyson wanted to show me something in the next aisle. She grabbed my coat and started pulling. When she saw her daddy she told him, "I'm pulling Mommy because she's slow...."

30 December 2016

When the girls were playing, they were pretending to be Wonder Woman and Batgirl and to be fighting a bad guy. It was an epic battle.

Madelyn: Let's pretend he hit both of us.

Alyson: He hit me in both the heart and the butt!

29 December 2016

I just happen to notice on Facebook that tomorrow (30 Dec 2016) is National Bacon Day.

Me: Huh, tomorrow is National Bacon Day.
Alyson: Is tomorrow the next day?
Madelyn: Yes!
Alyson: I just wanted to know because I can't wait for bacon day!

28 December 2016

While eating lunch, Alyson observed, "If I was a grown up, and I wanted this, I would make it my own way, and I wouldn't need to tell anyone."

27 December 2016

We were stopping at Starbucks for lunch today so we were figuring out the girl's orders.

Tony: Aly, do you want the protein box with the egg and stuff you normally get?
Alyson: And apple and peanut butter and SALT!

26 December 2016

Tony took the girls to Target to return Alyson's slippers that were too small to the elves stationed there.

Alyson: Daddy, where are the elves?
Tony: They're working in the store and are dressed like the Target employees. They have red shirts and tan pants. There's one.

The entire rest of the way through the store, the girls kept pointing out Target "elves" by saying, "There's one!" every time they saw an employee.

Alyson seeing a Target employee as they were leaving: Is that a Target elf?
Tony: I don't know. It might be.
Madelyn: How will Santa get the slippers?
Tony: Don't worry. Santa and the elves will use their magic to make sure they get where they need to go.

25 December 2016

One of Alyson's Christmas presents was a Cinderella doll with a magic wand that makes the doll sing and the dress light up different colors.

Cinderella doll: Are you my fairy godmother? Wave your magic wand and my dress twinkles and glows!
Alyson: No.... I'm not your fairy godmother.
Doll: I've always dreamed of going to a royal ball. Have you?
Alyson: Um, no....

24 December 2016

While Alyson was opening a Christmas present this evening, she exclaimed, "If this present is great, I'll thank whoever gave it to me!" 

23 December 2016

Alyson was playing random "songs" for us on a toy piano.

Me, clapping when she finished a song: Yay!
Alyson: Why'd you say "yay"?

22 December 2016

As Tony left to go run some errands, Alyson yelled after him, "And don't get lost at the stores! You don't want to live there!"

21 December 2016

Alyson was looking at a picture on the back of a book of children holding presents.

Alyson, pretending to be the children: Thanks, Santa!
Alyson, in a deep voice pretending to be (pirate) Santa: Yo ho ho welcome!

20 December 2016

Alyson and I stopped in the grocery store to pick up a few things, including coffee creamer. While we were deciding which one to get, Alyson grabbed the purple bottle of Bailey's Macadamia Brittle and said, "I'm going to get Daddy the purple one! He has to have it!"

19 December 2016

First

As we drove past Guitar Center:

Alyson: Is that Target?
Me: No, it's Guitar Center.
Alyson: Can you buy guitars there?
Me: Yup and other instruments and music things.
Alyson: Like drums?
Me: I think so.
Alyson: Can you buy batons there?
Me: Like what conductors use?
Alyson: It's the thing conductors use to make people who use instruments go.

Second

During lunch Alyson must have been thinking about her "Princess in Black" books (which are awesome by the way).

Alyson: Is there a leader for the bunnies in the Princess in Black?
Me: I don't know.
Alyson: I think the cutest bunny is the leader, but they're all cute, so they're all the leader!

18 December 2016

Alyson went to a birthday party today at a My Gym. She had lots of fun. During one of the games they played, they were pretending that the Nerf balls they had were snowballs, and they were having a snowball fight. Instead of throwing the balls at other people, Alyson threw them at her own forehead multiple times.

17 December 2016

In the book Tony read Alyson for her bedtime story, the daddy bear was teaching the baby bear how to run fast to dodge rain drops and not get wet.

Tony: Do you think you can dodge raindrops like that?
Alyson: Not yet. I need to practice standing on one foot.

16 December 2016

Today was another very cold day, but not as cold as yesterday. Yesterday, Alyson and I sat in the car at the bus stop waiting for Madelyn. Today, before going to the bus stop:

Me: Aly, do you want to walk to the bus stop or drive and sit in the car?
Alyson: Walk!
Me: You just don't want to sit in your car seat, do you?
Alyson: Yup!

15 December 2016

Alyson got sick this morning, so we kept her home from school to rest and still be able to attend her preschool Christmas program this evening. (Her teacher agreed with this plan.) She went to Mom's for a bit, and then I left work early to have her home for lunch and a nap. I decided to take a nap as well. After Alyson woke up, she came into my bedroom.

Alyson: Do I have to sleep more?
Me, knowing it was almost when I would let her get up anyway: No, but what are you going to do?
Alyson: I'm going to play quietly in my room because I know you would like to get more sleep, so I'll let you. 

14 December 2016

While I was fixing dinner, I had the girls help me out by stuffing Christmas cards.

Madelyn, to Alyson: We're elves!
Alyson: Why?
Madelyn: We're helping Santa-Mommy with Christmas!

Madelyn went on and on about being elves and helping "Santa-Mommy". Eventually, Alyson got annoyed.

Alyson: Why do you keep calling her "Santa-Mommy"? She isn't Santa!

13 December 2016

When I came into her room to say goodnight, Alyson was hiding under her covers. I was pretending to cry because she ran away.

Alyson: Why are you sad?
Me: Because you ran away and I'll miss you.
Alyson: I'll never leave you. I'm not even old enough to live by myself yet.

12 December 2016

We had cous cous with dinner tonight. Alyson was very confused by it and asked, "Why is it called 'cous cous'? Is it made of duck?" We figured out that she thought we were saying "goose goose".

11 December 2016

Madelyn and Alyson were arguing about something in the playroom when we heard Alyson ask Madelyn, "Can you please be a good big sister?"

10 December 2016

First

This morning I was telling Alyson the plan for the day.

Me: Madelyn's birthday party is this afternoon.
Alyson, confused: I thought Madelyn's birthday was yesterday.

Second

During lunch, we were talking about punishments for some reason. I don't remember how we got on the topic.

Me, teasing Alyson: Do you need to be punished?
Alyson: No, I don't need to be punished! ...I don't actually know what that means.

09 December 2016

As we were finishing up dinner, Alyson decided it was everyone's birthday and went around saying, "Happy birthday, Madelyn! Happy birthday, Daddy! Happy birthday, Mommy!"

08 December 2016

During dinner we were talking about Christmas Eve dinner.

Tony: We're going to have lasagna.
Alyson: Do I like that?
Me: Yeah, it's pasta and sauce and cheese.
Alyson: I'm gong to wait and see what Paisanos looks like.
Tony: Wait. Did you just say "Paisanos"? It's "lasagna".

07 December 2016

When I got to Alyson's preschool to pick her up, the woman at the front desk told me, "I love you little one! She came around my desk today to tell me 'You have the same coat as my mommy!'" We actually had just realized this a few days ago.

06 December 2016

Give a little kid chocolate cake, and she will make a mess.

Mom: I think you've got something on your hand, Aly.
Alyson: It's probably just chocolate.

05 December 2016

When Alyson gets in the car, I take off her heavy coat before buckling her into her carseat. Once she's buckled I put the coat over her lap like a blanket. Lately, Alyson has been taking the hood and putting it backward up on her face while we're driving. She did that on the way home.

Me, after Alyson had been quiet for a few minutes: Did you fall asleep under there?
Alyson: No! Not yet!

04 December 2016

We went to the Maryland Women's Basketball game today. Here is a sampling of what Alyson said.

During the pregame warm-ups, one of the other team's players made a basket. Alyson got excited and exclaimed, "It went in!"

During the other team's player introductions, "Scary" Testudo was shown on the score board looking around. After it was off the board, Alyson wanted Scary Testudo back. (The was the basically the nose up of this.)

All throughout the game Alyson was looking and keeping an eye out for Testudo because she wanted to say hi every chance she got. She yelled to him whenever she saw him, which he couldn't hear.

After one of the foul shots, I teased Alyson because she didn't put her hands up and our player missed. She made sure to tell me, "Make sure I put my hands up when I need to!"

03 December 2016

While we were working on a grocery store list:

Tony, yelling back to the girls in the playroom: Are you guys going to want cucumbers for lunch this week?
Madelyn: Yes!
Alyson: Yes!
Me: Are you really going to eat them, Aly?
Alyson: No.
Tony: Then why'd you say you wanted them?
Alyson: I dunno.

01 December 2016

The girls started their Advent calendars today. I fill them every year with things we buy. Alyson's has multiple items that are too big for the compartments. In stead she has a note that says "See Mommy." Today was one of those notes.

Alyson: A piece of paper?
Madelyn: Open it up!
Alyson, trying to open it: A sticky note?
Me: What does it say inside?
Alyson: But I can't read!

30 November 2016

We got a delivery today in a box that was much larger than it needed to be. Alyson was playing inside it and told me, "I want to stay here forever."