30 June 2017

Four-year-olds, okay, people, can be so random. 

Alyson, yelling to Grandpa immediately upon entering their house this morning: Don't mess with Maui when he's on a breakaway!
Grandpa: What???

29 June 2017

Typical four-year-old?

When Madelyn's piano teacher was leaving, Alyson went up to her, hugged her, and then clucked like a chicken while flapping her "wings". She then proceeded to go around the house for a minute acting like a chicken.

27 June 2017

This afternoon, I was trying to motivate myself to go outside and water the gardens.

Me: I need to go outside and water.
Alyson, very matter-of-factly: Then go outside and water.

26 June 2017

During dinner of chicken, noodles, and edamame:

Me: Guess what was released in the UK twenty years ago today?
Madelyn, looking at me like she knew she was being silly: Chicken?
Alyson, following her sister's lead: Noodles?
Me: Um, no. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone!

25 June 2017

On the way to Home Depot, we were listening to the "Moana" soundtrack in the car. While "How Far I'll Go" was playing:

Alyson: What does "that voice inside me" mean again?
Me: Moana kept having a nagging feeling that she should go out to sea.
Alyson: What does "nagging" mean?
Me: It's when someone asks you over and over again to do something because you don't do it.
Alyson: That doesn't sound very nice, and it sounds bossy.

24 June 2017

Before heading downstairs this afternoon when the sun was shining in her room:

Me, seeing light coming from Alyson's room: Is your light off?
Alyson, looking in her room: I can't tell if my light is on because it's so bright in my room!

23 June 2017

For dinner tonight, we had left over tacos. The girls had quesadillas with black beans on the side. Alyson likes having plain Greek yogurt to dip her quesadilla in. At one point, she started putting a little yogurt on her spoon and then getting some beans. Suddenly, she realized, "Oh, I know! I can put my beans in the yogurt and make them yogurt beans!" Whatever it takes for her to eat it, right?

21 June 2017

The first time we met Brian Biggs, Headmaster of Hogwarts Running Club, we met him at a Starbucks. Today, we were helping him deliver socks to homeless shelters. When Tony was buckling Alyson into her car seat, she asked, "Are we going to meet Brian at Starbucks?"

20 June 2017

During dinner, Alyson observed, "We're having a very carroty dinner! There are carrots in our salad and as a side!"

19 June 2017

It always surprises me when the four-year-old remembers something the seven-year-old can't for the life of her.

Me, after a neighbor texted saying she was going to stop by and return a drill she borrowed last Friday: Keep an eye out for Ms. Lindsey for me.

Madelyn: Who?
Alyson, with the "I can't believe you don't remember" tone: You know! Ms. Lindsey! She borrowed Daddy's drill!

18 June 2017

This morning:
Alyson, to me: Happy Father's Day!
Madelyn: But she's Mommy, not Daddy.
Alyson: I know, but I can still wish her a happy Father's Day.

A little later:
Alyson, running up to her grandma: Even though I know you are not a daddy, I can still wish you a happy Father's Day, so happy Father's Day!

17 June 2017

We had crab cakes during dinner:

Tony: Yummy crab, right, Aly?
Alyson: Uh huh! How I know is because I cleaned my fork off!

16 June 2017

On the way to "Grandma's second house" today:
Alyson: How much longer until we get to Delaware?
Me: I don't know, but we'll be at Grandma's second house in about two hours.

After we crossed into Delaware:

Tony: Hey Aly! We made it to Delaware.
Alyson: But where is Grandma's second house? I don't see it.

15 June 2017

Alyson was being very stubborn about packing for the weekend. She only wanted to pack what she wanted and not the things I told her to pack. She had packed a blue and white dress and was arguing over which shoes she was going to wear with it.

Me: Pack your white sandals to go with that dress.
Alyson: But my dress shoes are black and black is close to blue!

13 June 2017

In the car on the way home after I picked up Alyson this afternoon:

Me: What did you do today? Did you go outside this morning?
Alyson: No. Grandpa said it was too hot, but he was WRONG.

Well then. The four-year-old has spoken.

12 June 2017

Alyson had painted a picture in school of a sunflower. She requested that I take it to work and hang it on my desk so that it looked like it was growing from the floor. I took the picture in today, hung it up, and texted a photo of it to Tony to get her approval. Tony showed it to her and asked if she approved. Alyson responded, "Uh huh! Yup!" while enthusiastically nodding her head.

11 June 2017

Random dinner conversation:

Alyson, to me completely out of the blue: We have a boss. It's you and Daddy.
Madelyn: Our boss is whichever adults we're with. Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Julie, Aunt Gina, Uncle Matt....

The conversation continued about who would be their boss depending on who they were with at the time.

10 June 2017

While we were at the grocery store today, Alyson was telling me something when an announcement came on over the loudspeaker. When the announcement was done, Alyson angrily told me, "Mommy, whoever was talking, he just interrupted me!"

09 June 2017

This afternoon, Tony and Alyson went to the library and just happened to see Aly's boyfriend playing in the fountain outside.

While in the library, Alyson kept asking, "Can I go back outside and talk to [boyfriend]?"

Once they were back outside:
Alyson: I really wish I could play in the sprinkler.
Tony: Do you have your bathing suit on?
Alyson: No, but I still wish I could.

She played in puddles on the outside of the fountain while her boyfriend played in the fountain.

08 June 2017

After I got home from chaperoning Madelyn's field trip, Alyson and I went for a run. It was hilly and pushing 35+ lbs in a jogging stroller is no joke. We got home, and I took a shower. Before we went to get Madelyn from the bus stop, Alyson and I were talking about going to Habit Burger for dinner and walking there. Alyson told me, "Good thing you won't be exhausted from the run because you took a shower to get the exhausted off." If only it worked that way.

07 June 2017

Before Tony's plane left the airport, I had Aly record and send a message to him that simply said, "Bye, Daddy!"

Text message Tony sent back: Buhbye Aly-boo.
Me, showing Aly the message: Daddy said, "Buh bye, Aly-boo." Do you see the work "Aly" in there?
Alyson, reminding me of the song "Oh Yeah" by Yello: Oh yeah!

06 June 2017

After dinner, the girls came outside to "help" me plant the last flowers. They ended up playing instead. Alyson was running away from Madelyn and laughing and screaming when Madelyn tagged her. Madelyn yelled, "Freeze! Now you have to stay frozen." How exactly does freeze tag work with only two people?

05 June 2017

Today was Alyson's last day of school. They had a little awards ceremony before pickup, which is around lunchtime. Immediately after I walked into the classroom and over to where she was sitting, Alyson said, "Mommy! Where's Madelyn?"

04 June 2017

Alyson put her breakfast dishes in the sink and then came to me with a very concerned look on her face.

Alyson: Why did you take the sink apart?
Me: It's just the stopper for the drain. It's out so that the strawberry scraps could go in the disposal.
Alyson: And then the strawberries can go to the ocean!

03 June 2017

We had to stop at Mom and Dad's before heading to the grocery store. The girls didn't know this part of the plan.

Madelyn, realizing we were a couple blocks away from their house: Are we going to Grandma and Grandpa's?
Me: Yeah, we need to do something for them real quick.
Alyson, excitedly recognizing where we were: Yeah! We are going to Grandma and Grandpa's because I recognize that this is the way to go!

02 June 2017

We had burgers and salad for dinner tonight. The salad was a mix of things we had around and included baby spinach, mushrooms, cucumbers, strawberries, and feta cheese.

Me, calling to the girls: Come get silverware and whatever dressing you want.
Madelyn, upon seeing the salad: FETA!!!!
Alyson, also looking at the salad: STRAWBERRIES!!!!

Glad I could please.

01 June 2017

We had pancakes for dinner tonight. The girls know that if we have pancakes, they shouldn't even bother asking for dessert because they won't get it.

Alyson: Let me guess. I shouldn't even bother asking for dessert because we're having pancakes and pancakes aren't even healthy!
Madelyn: The pancakes aren't so bad. It's the syrup. If we were having just plain pancakes, that would be healthier, but not healthy healthy.