31 March 2017

After dinner I laid down on the floor next to the girls. During dinner I had mentioned that my shoulder hurts and asked them to massage it since they actually like doing that.

Madelyn: What are you doing?
Me: I thought you were going to massage my shoulder.
Madelyn: Oh yeah!

The girls got the massager thing, Alyson walked around me, sat on my back, and started using the massager on the top of my head.

30 March 2017

During Madelyn's piano lesson today, Alyson decided she wanted to play piano as well. Right before Mrs. Rackey left:

Me: Alyson, did you have something you wanted to ask Mrs. Rackey?
Alyson: Yeah. Can I play piano, too?
Mrs. Rackey: Sure you can.

Mrs. Rackey, Madelyn, and Alyson then discussed how Madelyn can get her first piano book and start teaching it to Alyson.

After Mrs. Rackey left, Madelyn and Alyson came excitedly into the kitchen.

Madelyn: Alyson and I came up with a plan! In the mornings, I'll go practice piano and then I'll teach Aly! She'll get to learn piano, too!

29 March 2017

While we were out running, we took an out and back route. On the way back, we passed a woman we passed on the way out.

Alyson: Why are we passing her again?
Me: She probably did like we did and turned around.
Alyson: She's probably going back home, but her home is back behind us, not in the direction we're going to our home.

28 March 2017

While we were eating dinner:

Alyson: Do I have to eat any more?
Me: Why don't you want to eat?
Alyson: I'm full.
Tony, dividing her broccoli in half (about three pieces per pile): You haven't eaten any broccoli. Eat this much.
Madelyn, done with dinner: Can I have a cookie for dessert?
Me: Okay.

Madelyn got a cookie. Alyson ate her broccoli and then all of the rest of her food.

Alyson: I'm done! Can I have a cookie?
Me: You just finished all of your food so that you could have a cookie, didn't you?
Alyson: And I was really hungry!

Right, kiddo....

27 March 2017

Alyson and I went for a walk before heading to the bus stop. On the way, she picked a dandelion.

Alyson: Dandelions are my favorite flowers.
Me: Why are they your favorite?
Alyson, smelling the dandelion and practically pushing it up her nose: Because they smell so beautiful!
Me: Your nose is all yellow now.
Alyson: How do you know? I can't see it.
Me: Well, I can.

26 March 2017

I was away Friday and Saturday. Originally, I was going to come back today, but I decided to come back last night. The girls didn't know. I expected them to find out this morning when they woke up. Alyson came into our room after she woke up and walked right to my side of the bed like she knew I was going to be there.

Alyson: Can I play? My clock says that it's morning.

Me: Are you surprised to see me?
Alyson: No. When my clock said morning, I got up and looked out my window to see if it was really morning. I saw your car, so I knew you were here.

25 March 2017

Madelyn: Are we having dinner at Grandma's?
Tony: Nope.
Madelyn: What are we having for dinner?
Tony: Surprise.
Alyson: Yay! I love surprise dinner!

24 March 2017

When Alyson was leaving today to go to Grandma's, I was saying good bye to her since I won't see her until Sunday.
Me: I love you. Have fun!
Alyson: You have fun at the place wherever you are going with Aunt Becca!

23 March 2017

While FaceTiming Aunt Becca:
Alyson: I can't wait for your wedding!
Becca: I can't wait either! Well, actually, I can wait.
Madelyn: Well, you're going to have to wait because the wedding isn't for a while.

21 March 2017

When I got to Mom and Dad's after work to pick up Alyson, they were playing in the living room bouncing a balloon around. Alyson was running around hitting the balloon to them while laughing hysterically. She yelled to me, "This is good EXERCISE!"

20 March 2017

Me: Okay, Aly, time to go up for bed.
Alyson, sounding disappointed: Really? Already?
Me: Yup. I just need to finish putting this bowl away.
Alyson, suddenly happy and excited: Okay! Let me go get my things and go upstairs!

Wait? What?

19 March 2017

Alyson got to see her "boyfriend" twice this weekend. His family came to Mass this morning and sat right behind us. They don't come every week, but are trying to, and were there for Christmas. (The kids know each other because they both go to the preschool associated with our church.) The poor kids, especially the "boyfriend" were upset that they couldn't sit together. Later in the day, Alyson asked me, "Why did [boyfriend] and his family come to our church? Do they go to our church? Have you seen them there before?"

18 March 2017

While in the car:

Alyson: Mama, what toys did you have when you were little?
Me: Dolls, LEGO, balls, bikes, stuff like that.
Alyson: Did you have a car seat?
Me: Yeah, when I was really little.
Alyson: What color was it?
Me: I don't remember. Grandma might remember.
Alyson: We'll have to ask Grandma when we see her next time since we can't just go to her house right now to ask her. But, we could text her!

She forgot about it by the time we got home, and we never texted Grandma the question.

17 March 2017

During dinner, we were talking about plans for tomorrow. Madelyn is going out with her godfather (and still doesn't know what the surprise outing is) and Alyson has a playdate with her "boyfriend".

Madelyn, teasing: Aly and [boyfriend] are going on a date to plan their wedding!
Me: People don't go on dates to plan their wedding.
Madelyn: Then what do they do?
Me: Get to know each other better.
Alyson: Yeah! We're too little! Kids can't marry each other!

16 March 2017

When we got home, Alyson ran up to the porch and didn't see me get a huge empty box out of the back of my SUV. When I got to the porch with it, she was so confused and asked in disbelief, "Where DID you GET that HUGE box?"

15 March 2017

Before we left Mom's today, Alyson was complaining that she was hot. Mom was teasing her and told "Hot" that it was nice to meet her

Due to the cold temperatures, wind, and snow and ice everywhere, we drove to the bus stop this afternoon to wait for Madelyn's bus instead of walking. I had the car off because it was plenty warm enough in the car, but it wasn't too warm.

Alyson: I'm hot.
Me: I'm not.
Alyson: Really? That's not your name? What's your name?

14 March 2017

While watching "Beauty and the Beast" today, Alyson made a very astute observation about Gaston: "That boy isn't very nice."

13 March 2017

Alyson was being in an ornery mood this afternoon. When we were getting ready to go up to meet Madelyn at the bus stop, I held her coat for her to put it on, trying to get her to do what she was supposed to do. I briefly caught a mischievous look on her face as she was about put her arms in the wrong sleeves so that her coat would be on backward. 

Me, cutting her off from putting her arms in wrong: No, put it on the right way.

Alyson gave me a look that said "How did you know that's what I was going to do?" and put her coat on the right way.

Me: You were going to put your coat on the wrong way, weren't you?
Alyson: Yeah.
Me: I thought so. I saw that little brain working.
Alyson: I have a little brain because I'm little.

12 March 2017

Alyson was being a whiny pain in the butt this morning. She was whining as we walked to Target.

Tony to Alyson: Whine, whine, whine.
Me, making a joke for Tony's sake: Aly, you're too young for wine.
Alyson: No! I'm not too young to whine!

11 March 2017

Before a local high school's performance of "All Shook Up" this afternoon, the musicians were warming up. Alyson was asking me about the instruments.

Alyson: I want to play the trumpet and drums at the same time!
Me, joking: You want to invent a drum trumpet?
Alyson: I don't even know how!

10 March 2017

Madelyn and Alyson were playing on the iPad and iPhone, respectively, after school today. They were both playing the same game, but it's a little advanced for Alyson. Just about every 5 seconds, Alyson would say, "Madelyn, can you help me with this?" or "Madelyn, how do I do this?" or "Madelyn, can you do this for me?"

09 March 2017

While out running today with Alyson in the jogging stroller, Alyson got mad and Madelyn and me for not running faster and having walking intervals. At one point I purposely started running faster, and Alyson put her hands up and yelled, "I'm on a rollercoaster!"

08 March 2017

A 7th grade boy who meets his brother at the bus stop wasn't at the bus stop today. Alyson loves this boy because he's actually really good with her and plays with her while we wait for the school bus. One thing he does every once in a while is sit on the split rail fence of the house at the bus stop. Since he wasn't there today, Alyson decided to sit on the bottom rail of the fence herself and said, "I'm trying to be like [boy]!"

06 March 2017

I asked Alyson to move her preschool bag from where it was on the floor to where it is kept in the corner. She started pushing it along the floor with her feet and explained, "I'm using my feet as a bulldozer."

05 March 2017

While Tony and Alyson were walking to a store from where they parked:

Alyson as they passed a wall with square bricks and bricks with the corners cut off so that they were something between octagons and squares: These are squares and... some other shape.

As they walked in a crosswalk with bricks in a Herringbone pattern: These are rectangles!

As they walked on the sidewalk: These are squares!

When they came to a walk like the first: It's squares and that other shape again!

04 March 2017

As we were sitting down to dinner at Julie's today, Alyson looked at her plate and declared, "This is probably going to fill up my tummy for good."

03 March 2017

The girls were supposed to be cleaning the playroom, but it sounded like there was more playing going on than cleaning. Tony went back to check on their progress.

Tony: Are you cleaning or playing?
Alyson: Madelyn's not cleaning.
Madelyn: You do't always have to stick the blame on me.

02 March 2017

Alyson's entire preschool class received copies of The Cat in the Hat today for Dr. Seuss's birthday. After she got home today, Madelyn was reading it to Alyson but being silly about it. Alyson was getting tired and fed up with Madelyn and very sternly said, "It's time to close the book now, Madelyn! I want to do something different!"