(Claire waits at the top of the garage steps while Daddy helps Alex down the steps.)
Claire: I waiting! I waiting, Daddy!
Alex: Look Daddy, I’m pulling Mommy’s arm like a puppet!
Alex: ‘Cause I like tying things. It’s my favorite thing to do.
Claire: I got a happy stamp.
Mommy: You did? What did you do?
Claire: For sitting down nicely.
(Claire is trying to roll down her sleeves after washing her hands.)
Mommy: Do you need help?
Claire: Yeah. It too hard.
(dinner)
Claire: He a dog, Daddy. Grommie is a dog.
Daddy: Oh, yeah. Grommie is a dog.
Claire: Yeah. Him not a girl.
Claire: I eat all my pasta.
Daddy: Yeah?
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: And I gonna eat all of my carrots.
Daddy: Okay.
Mommy: What was your favorite thing about the zoo?
Claire: Um, I feed giraffizz. Two giraffizz.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Nero Bleat.
(Claire waits at the top of the garage steps while Daddy helps Alex down the steps.)
Claire: I waiting! I waiting!
(Alex and Daddy are talking about when Alex becomes a daddy.)
Alex: Hey Daddy? My girl’s gonna be Nero. (Pause.) Bleat. (Pause.) Nero Bleat.
Mommy: Claire, how old are you?
Claire: Happy!
(Daddy talks about going to the dentist today.)
Claire (excitedly): Alex go to the dentist, and I going to the dentist! And Dora go to the dentist!
Alex: But what does mac and cheese do when you bite your head?
Mommy: I don’t know.
Alex: It makes a funny joke!
Claire (describing her picture): Claire in a pretty dress.
Claire (erasing her picture): Bye bye, Claire!
Alex: Now there’s not hot air coming out of my mouth.
Alex: Did I say them all?
Daddy: I think so.
Alex: Oh. And I have three more. And I’ll be mad don’t close your door don’t turn off your light.
Daddy: Okay. I love you.
Alex: I love you too.
Claire: I waiting! I waiting!
(Alex and Daddy are talking about when Alex becomes a daddy.)
Alex: Hey Daddy? My girl’s gonna be Nero. (Pause.) Bleat. (Pause.) Nero Bleat.
Mommy: Claire, how old are you?
Claire: Happy!
(Daddy talks about going to the dentist today.)
Claire (excitedly): Alex go to the dentist, and I going to the dentist! And Dora go to the dentist!
Alex: But what does mac and cheese do when you bite your head?
Mommy: I don’t know.
Alex: It makes a funny joke!
Claire (describing her picture): Claire in a pretty dress.
Claire (erasing her picture): Bye bye, Claire!
Alex: Now there’s not hot air coming out of my mouth.
Alex: Did I say them all?
Daddy: I think so.
Alex: Oh. And I have three more. And I’ll be mad don’t close your door don’t turn off your light.
Daddy: Okay. I love you.
Alex: I love you too.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Mommy. I love you.
Claire (to Daddy): Will you run? I’m-a catch you.
Claire (to Daddy): I have a pink shirt, you have a blue shirt.
Daddy: That’s right.
(Claire and Daddy are pushing strollers.)
Claire: Can you go to Grandma’s house with me?
Claire: I going to Grandma’s house!
Claire: I at Grandma’s house. I inside.
Daddy: Oh, say hi to Grandma for me. Is Grandpa there?
Claire: No. They at work.
(Claire climbs into Mommy’s lap while Mommy is reading.)
Claire: Mommy. I love you.
(Claire gives Mommy a hug.)
Alex: I had to pee, Daddy.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I was a long way from the potty, so I had to hurry up so my pee wouldn’t come out when I was not at the potty.
Sir Topham Hatt: You must take those things to the workmen, and they will fix the shed. And a hammer and a saw.
Alex: And a screwdriver.
Sir Topham Hatt: That’s right. Can you take those to the workmen?
Toby: Yes, but first, Alex might need to go poop.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I need to poop, so he said that. That’s silly.
Alex: I pooped.
Alex: I pooped. I pooped. I pooped. I pooped.
Daddy: Okay, I heard you.
Alex: I’m singing a song about pooping.
Alex: If I point the bucket to you, you have to run and sit on the thinking chair, and I’ll see if you get to win. Okay?
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: That’s the game.
Claire (shouting from other room): I’m in this room, Alex! I’m in this room eating with my baby.
(Alex has scattered pillows and books and toys around the family room into some kind of obstacle course. He then explains the rules of the “game”.)
Alex: If you walk across these, I will try, I – you don’t go on these first, I go on them first. Then Claire goes on them first, then Daddy goes on them first. First I, then Claire, then Daddy, okay? First this. Okay? Okay. And now, wait for me to go! And I go down, and I’m sliding, and I go down the bridge, and I get off here. And I roll across – there – and I put down here, and I walk across the bridge. Step to step to step. And then I go – I’m showing you how to do the pattern. And then I crawl across these books. And then you fall into the river, and you hide in the blankets, so Daddy doesn’t see you. And if Daddy sees you, you don’t win the game, you won’t have no candy, so, so, you won’t do the book game, you won’t do the book game.
Alex: Claire do you wanna play the game?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Well then hurry up!
Claire: ‘Kay.
Alex: We’re ready to play the game! But we need a baseball too.
Alex: I need to write down the pen, so I can get a, get another dinner game for us!
Daddy: Okay.
(Alex takes a pen and pretends to write on a coaster.)
Claire: We’re doing a game, Daddy! Right here.
Daddy: Yeah?
Claire: Yeah. Sit here with me. Sit on there. No – on the baseball.
Daddy: Sit on the baseball?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex (to Daddy): You’re not following the decorations! You’re not… following the – durations.
Alex: And then you fall down. And then, you lie down and sleep. But then! You wake up and say, “What’s that?!”
Alex: But then, you, climb across this, and reach tall! Grab to the big (otters?) and crack, you down. And fall. But then, you fall across it. Then – hey Claire, I’ll show you how to do this. You roll, you roll across this.
Claire: Can I do it?
Alex: Not yet. Not yet, Claire. But then… you jump onto the chair very hard! And then, you win the game.
Claire: Let’s do a game what you –
Alex: We’re not gonna do it yet, Claire, but first, you squirt this.
Claire: No get on my baby, no!
Alex: And you sit on the lunch bag. And you know what comes next? You read this, and then, you dance around!
Alex (playing with refrigerator magnets): Cat! I spelled cat!
Mommy: You did! Good job!
Alex: And then – and then you finally win the game!
(Claire takes off her jacket by herself.)
Claire (proudly): I got my jacket – my jacket by myself!
Daddy: Oh, good job, Claire!
Claire: I got my jacket by myself, Mommy. I got my jacket by myself.
Mommy: You what?
Claire: I got my jacket by myself!
Mommy: Good job.
Alex: Why is that flower hanging down?
Daddy: Looks like it died.
Alex: What does “die” mean?
(Claire does a very good somersault.)
Daddy: That was perfect!
(Claire smiles.)
Daddy: Is that a roll or a flip? What do you call that?
Claire: That a flip.
Daddy: Oh, I like it.
Claire: I do that at ‘chool!
Daddy: You do that at school? What class did you learn that in?
Claire: Um… in gymnastics.
Claire: Daddy, let’s sing Twinkle Little Star.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Come on! Sing with me.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I’m singing!
Daddy: You’re doing great!
Claire: You didn’t sing, Daddy! You didn’t sing! With me! Twinkle little star! You didn’t sing!
Daddy: Okay, I’ll sing this time.
Claire: No you didn’t sing.
Claire (drawing): I’m makin’ a big big circle!
Claire (to Daddy): I have a pink shirt, you have a blue shirt.
Daddy: That’s right.
(Claire and Daddy are pushing strollers.)
Claire: Can you go to Grandma’s house with me?
Claire: I going to Grandma’s house!
Claire: I at Grandma’s house. I inside.
Daddy: Oh, say hi to Grandma for me. Is Grandpa there?
Claire: No. They at work.
(Claire climbs into Mommy’s lap while Mommy is reading.)
Claire: Mommy. I love you.
(Claire gives Mommy a hug.)
Alex: I had to pee, Daddy.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I was a long way from the potty, so I had to hurry up so my pee wouldn’t come out when I was not at the potty.
Sir Topham Hatt: You must take those things to the workmen, and they will fix the shed. And a hammer and a saw.
Alex: And a screwdriver.
Sir Topham Hatt: That’s right. Can you take those to the workmen?
Toby: Yes, but first, Alex might need to go poop.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I need to poop, so he said that. That’s silly.
Alex: I pooped.
Alex: I pooped. I pooped. I pooped. I pooped.
Daddy: Okay, I heard you.
Alex: I’m singing a song about pooping.
Alex: If I point the bucket to you, you have to run and sit on the thinking chair, and I’ll see if you get to win. Okay?
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: That’s the game.
Claire (shouting from other room): I’m in this room, Alex! I’m in this room eating with my baby.
(Alex has scattered pillows and books and toys around the family room into some kind of obstacle course. He then explains the rules of the “game”.)
Alex: If you walk across these, I will try, I – you don’t go on these first, I go on them first. Then Claire goes on them first, then Daddy goes on them first. First I, then Claire, then Daddy, okay? First this. Okay? Okay. And now, wait for me to go! And I go down, and I’m sliding, and I go down the bridge, and I get off here. And I roll across – there – and I put down here, and I walk across the bridge. Step to step to step. And then I go – I’m showing you how to do the pattern. And then I crawl across these books. And then you fall into the river, and you hide in the blankets, so Daddy doesn’t see you. And if Daddy sees you, you don’t win the game, you won’t have no candy, so, so, you won’t do the book game, you won’t do the book game.
Alex: Claire do you wanna play the game?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Well then hurry up!
Claire: ‘Kay.
Alex: We’re ready to play the game! But we need a baseball too.
Alex: I need to write down the pen, so I can get a, get another dinner game for us!
Daddy: Okay.
(Alex takes a pen and pretends to write on a coaster.)
Claire: We’re doing a game, Daddy! Right here.
Daddy: Yeah?
Claire: Yeah. Sit here with me. Sit on there. No – on the baseball.
Daddy: Sit on the baseball?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex (to Daddy): You’re not following the decorations! You’re not… following the – durations.
Alex: And then you fall down. And then, you lie down and sleep. But then! You wake up and say, “What’s that?!”
Alex: But then, you, climb across this, and reach tall! Grab to the big (otters?) and crack, you down. And fall. But then, you fall across it. Then – hey Claire, I’ll show you how to do this. You roll, you roll across this.
Claire: Can I do it?
Alex: Not yet. Not yet, Claire. But then… you jump onto the chair very hard! And then, you win the game.
Claire: Let’s do a game what you –
Alex: We’re not gonna do it yet, Claire, but first, you squirt this.
Claire: No get on my baby, no!
Alex: And you sit on the lunch bag. And you know what comes next? You read this, and then, you dance around!
Alex (playing with refrigerator magnets): Cat! I spelled cat!
Mommy: You did! Good job!
Alex: And then – and then you finally win the game!
(Claire takes off her jacket by herself.)
Claire (proudly): I got my jacket – my jacket by myself!
Daddy: Oh, good job, Claire!
Claire: I got my jacket by myself, Mommy. I got my jacket by myself.
Mommy: You what?
Claire: I got my jacket by myself!
Mommy: Good job.
Alex: Why is that flower hanging down?
Daddy: Looks like it died.
Alex: What does “die” mean?
(Claire does a very good somersault.)
Daddy: That was perfect!
(Claire smiles.)
Daddy: Is that a roll or a flip? What do you call that?
Claire: That a flip.
Daddy: Oh, I like it.
Claire: I do that at ‘chool!
Daddy: You do that at school? What class did you learn that in?
Claire: Um… in gymnastics.
Claire: Daddy, let’s sing Twinkle Little Star.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Come on! Sing with me.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I’m singing!
Daddy: You’re doing great!
Claire: You didn’t sing, Daddy! You didn’t sing! With me! Twinkle little star! You didn’t sing!
Daddy: Okay, I’ll sing this time.
Claire: No you didn’t sing.
Claire (drawing): I’m makin’ a big big circle!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I know all my colors. Brown… black… grey… anyone.
(Alex and Claire watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas. At the end, the words “THE END” appear on the screen.)
Alex (to Claire): See those words? That means that’s the end.
(On the way to the zoo, Alex and Claire talk about the animals they will see.)
Claire: I don't want the monkey to get me and eat me.
Claire: They 'care me.
(At the zoo, Alex sees a monkey eating something.)
Alex (loudly): Is it yummy, monkey?!
Claire (to Daddy): Watch me, my eyes closed.
(Claire closes her eyes.)
Alex: Thanks for sharing with me, Claire.
Claire: You’re welcome.
Alex: I know all my colors. Brown… black… grey… anyone.
Claire (rolling across the kitchen floor): I am rolling, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah, you’re rolling.
Claire (swimming across the kitchen floor): Now I’m swimming. Now I’m swimming!
Daddy: Yeah, you’re swimming!
(Alex is naming things that are yucky.)
Alex: Trash… yucky water… pears that are brown.
Alex: If there’s poop on the wall.
Daddy: Yeah, that’s yucky.
Alex: If you touch the poop, and your hand’s yucky.
Alex: And if you touch your bottom, and your bottom’s yucky.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: But I scratch my bottom a lot, at last nap time.
(Alex and Claire are looking at pictures on Mommy’s computer.)
Alex: Snow, everywhere!
Claire: Snow everywhere!
Alex: I love snow!
Claire: I love snow!
Alex: Let’s make some snow, Claire!
Alex (to Claire): You say “this is a nice pillow” and I’ll say “hi” and you say “aaaaahh!”
Alex (to Claire): See those words? That means that’s the end.
(On the way to the zoo, Alex and Claire talk about the animals they will see.)
Claire: I don't want the monkey to get me and eat me.
Claire: They 'care me.
(At the zoo, Alex sees a monkey eating something.)
Alex (loudly): Is it yummy, monkey?!
Claire (to Daddy): Watch me, my eyes closed.
(Claire closes her eyes.)
Alex: Thanks for sharing with me, Claire.
Claire: You’re welcome.
Alex: I know all my colors. Brown… black… grey… anyone.
Claire (rolling across the kitchen floor): I am rolling, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah, you’re rolling.
Claire (swimming across the kitchen floor): Now I’m swimming. Now I’m swimming!
Daddy: Yeah, you’re swimming!
(Alex is naming things that are yucky.)
Alex: Trash… yucky water… pears that are brown.
Alex: If there’s poop on the wall.
Daddy: Yeah, that’s yucky.
Alex: If you touch the poop, and your hand’s yucky.
Alex: And if you touch your bottom, and your bottom’s yucky.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: But I scratch my bottom a lot, at last nap time.
(Alex and Claire are looking at pictures on Mommy’s computer.)
Alex: Snow, everywhere!
Claire: Snow everywhere!
Alex: I love snow!
Claire: I love snow!
Alex: Let’s make some snow, Claire!
Alex (to Claire): You say “this is a nice pillow” and I’ll say “hi” and you say “aaaaahh!”
Friday, November 26, 2010
Well, I always wanna be this big.
(Mommy has brought down the Christmas tree and decorations.)
Claire: Daddy! Christmas! It’s Christmas stuff!
(Mommy is setting up the tree.)
Alex: Merry Christmas, everybody!
Claire: Merry Christmas, everybody!
Alex: Will you read the Christmas book to me?
Daddy: Um, I will.
Alex: ‘Cause it’s Christmas.
Claire (jumping up and down): It’s! Christ! Mas!
Alex (out of the blue): Who says “quack quack”?
Mommy: A duck!
Alex: No, a cow!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I was being silly.
Daddy (to Claire): I love you.
Claire (to Daddy): I love you, too.
(Mommy, Alex, and Claire are putting up Christmas decorations.)
Alex (to Claire) Santa Claus’s coming, that’s Santa, but, it’s gonna be a couple more days, Claire.
Alex (very loudly): Merry Christmas, to, everybody!
Alex: I talked out the window.
(Alex stands in front of the reindeer.)
Alex: Santa’s on his sleigh, with a reindeer!
Daddy: Where?
Alex: It’s behind him.
Daddy: Oh, are you Santa?
Alex: Yeah, I was pretending. I like to be Santa.
Daddy: You’re cute.
Alex: Daddy saw me being Santa.
Mommy: He did?
Alex: Yeah I was cute, and I told him.
Alex: Oooh, that -- this is a fun Christmas! It’s very, very fun!
Alex: Is Santa gonna come at night?
(Alex hangs up the UVa nutcracker ornament.)
Alex: I like it! I like this one!
(Claire hangs up the soft snowman ornament.)
Claire: I like him. Him pretty.
Daddy: Yeah.
(Claire kisses the snowman ornament.)
Claire: I love this one.
Alex: Now it’s Christmas, and not Thanksgiving.
Alex: This is the last holiday.
Alex: And the last holiday after this one is my birthday, and I’m gonna be four.
Alex: I might not be ready to be four, yet.
Mommy: How is three different from four?
Alex: Well, I always wanna be this big.
Mommy: Yeah, you don’t wanna get bigger?
Alex: Yeah, I wanna be this big. Like I am already.
Alex: Claire, do you have a cough? Tell Mommy you have a cough.
(Alex comes out of the bathroom.)
Claire: Did you pee?
Alex: Yeah but, I don’t want you to see it. Oh no, sorry, I locked the door.
(Claire and Alex get their prizes for doing jobs.)
Claire: It a puzzle!! What you got?
Alex: I got a fairy.
Claire: Oh. This is a puzzle!
(dinner)
Alex: Hey, Claire. Why did the W say, P, why are you in the glass? Say “I don’t know.”
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Because… there was water in it!
Claire: I tell you a joke.
Claire: (Mumble mumble) fall down in the rain?
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: Oh. When there’s water!
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: When there’s a cat!
Alex: Well that’s the end of the joke, right?
(Alex laughs and then laughs even harder.)
Alex: That’s a funny joke, Claire.
Alex: Why was the table on the dinosaur’s back?
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Because the fairy was walking on his neck!
Claire: Oh!
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: Tell me a joke.
Alex: You tell me a joke.
Claire: You tell me a joke.
Alex: I already did.
Claire: (Mumble mumble) fall down when there’s rain?
Alex: Well, you already said that joke. Say a different joke.
Claire: Where, there’s, water.
Alex: Tell me a joke, Claire
Claire: When the, weh, got in the water?
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: When there’s rain!
Claire: Tell me a joke.
Alex: Well that’s not very a joke. That’s the same joke.
Alex: Why was there a chair on the snowman?
Claire: There was… rain coming!
Alex: Why was there a flower on top of the computer?
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Because there was flowers!
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Now, that’s all the jokes we can say.
Claire: Eat your dinner, Alex.
Alex: Tell me a joke, Claire.
Claire: When the – when the water (mumble mumble).
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: When there’s – more water!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: You keep saying that. But, I want you to tell me another joke.
Claire: When there’s a rain. When there’s snowman? When there’s Daddy.
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: Oh. When there’s rain! In the water.
Alex: Oh.
Claire: May I have some more rollings please?
Claire: Daddy! Christmas! It’s Christmas stuff!
(Mommy is setting up the tree.)
Alex: Merry Christmas, everybody!
Claire: Merry Christmas, everybody!
Alex: Will you read the Christmas book to me?
Daddy: Um, I will.
Alex: ‘Cause it’s Christmas.
Claire (jumping up and down): It’s! Christ! Mas!
Alex (out of the blue): Who says “quack quack”?
Mommy: A duck!
Alex: No, a cow!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I was being silly.
Daddy (to Claire): I love you.
Claire (to Daddy): I love you, too.
(Mommy, Alex, and Claire are putting up Christmas decorations.)
Alex (to Claire) Santa Claus’s coming, that’s Santa, but, it’s gonna be a couple more days, Claire.
Alex (very loudly): Merry Christmas, to, everybody!
Alex: I talked out the window.
(Alex stands in front of the reindeer.)
Alex: Santa’s on his sleigh, with a reindeer!
Daddy: Where?
Alex: It’s behind him.
Daddy: Oh, are you Santa?
Alex: Yeah, I was pretending. I like to be Santa.
Daddy: You’re cute.
Alex: Daddy saw me being Santa.
Mommy: He did?
Alex: Yeah I was cute, and I told him.
Alex: Oooh, that -- this is a fun Christmas! It’s very, very fun!
Alex: Is Santa gonna come at night?
(Alex hangs up the UVa nutcracker ornament.)
Alex: I like it! I like this one!
(Claire hangs up the soft snowman ornament.)
Claire: I like him. Him pretty.
Daddy: Yeah.
(Claire kisses the snowman ornament.)
Claire: I love this one.
Alex: Now it’s Christmas, and not Thanksgiving.
Alex: This is the last holiday.
Alex: And the last holiday after this one is my birthday, and I’m gonna be four.
Alex: I might not be ready to be four, yet.
Mommy: How is three different from four?
Alex: Well, I always wanna be this big.
Mommy: Yeah, you don’t wanna get bigger?
Alex: Yeah, I wanna be this big. Like I am already.
Alex: Claire, do you have a cough? Tell Mommy you have a cough.
(Alex comes out of the bathroom.)
Claire: Did you pee?
Alex: Yeah but, I don’t want you to see it. Oh no, sorry, I locked the door.
(Claire and Alex get their prizes for doing jobs.)
Claire: It a puzzle!! What you got?
Alex: I got a fairy.
Claire: Oh. This is a puzzle!
(dinner)
Alex: Hey, Claire. Why did the W say, P, why are you in the glass? Say “I don’t know.”
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Because… there was water in it!
Claire: I tell you a joke.
Claire: (Mumble mumble) fall down in the rain?
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: Oh. When there’s water!
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: When there’s a cat!
Alex: Well that’s the end of the joke, right?
(Alex laughs and then laughs even harder.)
Alex: That’s a funny joke, Claire.
Alex: Why was the table on the dinosaur’s back?
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Because the fairy was walking on his neck!
Claire: Oh!
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: Tell me a joke.
Alex: You tell me a joke.
Claire: You tell me a joke.
Alex: I already did.
Claire: (Mumble mumble) fall down when there’s rain?
Alex: Well, you already said that joke. Say a different joke.
Claire: Where, there’s, water.
Alex: Tell me a joke, Claire
Claire: When the, weh, got in the water?
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: When there’s rain!
Claire: Tell me a joke.
Alex: Well that’s not very a joke. That’s the same joke.
Alex: Why was there a chair on the snowman?
Claire: There was… rain coming!
Alex: Why was there a flower on top of the computer?
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Because there was flowers!
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Now, that’s all the jokes we can say.
Claire: Eat your dinner, Alex.
Alex: Tell me a joke, Claire.
Claire: When the – when the water (mumble mumble).
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: When there’s – more water!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: You keep saying that. But, I want you to tell me another joke.
Claire: When there’s a rain. When there’s snowman? When there’s Daddy.
Alex: I don’t know.
Claire: Oh. When there’s rain! In the water.
Alex: Oh.
Claire: May I have some more rollings please?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
If it snows on Christmas, it very snows.
(Daddy is pushing Alex and Claire on the swings.)
(Alex complains that it’s cold.)
Daddy: Yeah, winter’s coming.
Claire: Christmas coming too!
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: First it’s gonna be cold, then it’s Christmas, then it’s gonna snow.
Alex: If it snows on Christmas, it very snows.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: But it’s not quite Christmas yet.
Alex: I like to be silly on Thanksgiving.
Alex: Claire looks pretty. Claire’s cute.
(Alex complains that it’s cold.)
Daddy: Yeah, winter’s coming.
Claire: Christmas coming too!
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: First it’s gonna be cold, then it’s Christmas, then it’s gonna snow.
Alex: If it snows on Christmas, it very snows.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: But it’s not quite Christmas yet.
Alex: I like to be silly on Thanksgiving.
Alex: Claire looks pretty. Claire’s cute.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Well I'm thankful for my Grandma.
(Claire comes home from school.)
Claire: Daddy! I ate cheese, with a sandwich.
Daddy: What did you eat?
Claire: I ate cheese, with a sandwich. Turkey.
Alex: There was turkey in it. Under it.
(Daddy isn’t playing the way Alex wants him to.)
Alex (to Daddy): I want you to do what I want you to do.
Alex: Well, someone’s thankful for Soorya.
Daddy: Oh.
Alex: And Angelina’s thankful for Thomas the train.
Daddy: And what are you thankful for?
Alex: Well I’m thankful for my Grandma.
Daddy: That’s sweet.
(Daddy is hugging Mommy.)
Alex: May someone pick me up so I can be in there too?
Alex: Pick me up so I can be in there.
(Mommy and Daddy are talking about a stuffed animal with a suction cup on it.)
Daddy: What are you supposed to stick it to?
Alex (to Daddy): Are you gonna stick it to somebody? I’m gonna stick it to Daddy.
Claire: I like chocolate.
Mommy: Who doesn’t like chocolate?
Alex: Nobody doesn’t like chocolate.
Claire (semi-singing as she reads a Curious George book): Every single letter is getting a cat.
Claire (reading the last page of Curious George and the Puppies): I love you, doggy! I said to you, the end.
(dinner)
(Claire has the monkey cup.)
Claire: Him has a runny nose!
Mommy: He does?
Claire: Him – him needs a tissue!
Mommy: A tissue?
Claire: Yeah.
Mommy: What is he?
Claire: Him a monkey!
Daddy: He… is a monkey. Can you say “He is a monkey”?
Claire: He is a monkey.
Claire: Daddy! I ate cheese, with a sandwich.
Daddy: What did you eat?
Claire: I ate cheese, with a sandwich. Turkey.
Alex: There was turkey in it. Under it.
(Daddy isn’t playing the way Alex wants him to.)
Alex (to Daddy): I want you to do what I want you to do.
Alex: Well, someone’s thankful for Soorya.
Daddy: Oh.
Alex: And Angelina’s thankful for Thomas the train.
Daddy: And what are you thankful for?
Alex: Well I’m thankful for my Grandma.
Daddy: That’s sweet.
(Daddy is hugging Mommy.)
Alex: May someone pick me up so I can be in there too?
Alex: Pick me up so I can be in there.
(Mommy and Daddy are talking about a stuffed animal with a suction cup on it.)
Daddy: What are you supposed to stick it to?
Alex (to Daddy): Are you gonna stick it to somebody? I’m gonna stick it to Daddy.
Claire: I like chocolate.
Mommy: Who doesn’t like chocolate?
Alex: Nobody doesn’t like chocolate.
Claire (semi-singing as she reads a Curious George book): Every single letter is getting a cat.
Claire (reading the last page of Curious George and the Puppies): I love you, doggy! I said to you, the end.
(dinner)
(Claire has the monkey cup.)
Claire: Him has a runny nose!
Mommy: He does?
Claire: Him – him needs a tissue!
Mommy: A tissue?
Claire: Yeah.
Mommy: What is he?
Claire: Him a monkey!
Daddy: He… is a monkey. Can you say “He is a monkey”?
Claire: He is a monkey.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Oh. You must be a big girl.
(Claire is leaving to go to school.)
Claire: I don’t wanna take my baby. Her stay home and rest with Juju and Mallory.
(In the car, Alex is kicking the back of Daddy’s seat, and Daddy tells him to stop.)
Claire (wanting to kick the passenger seat): Can I kick this chair? Nobody in there.
Alex: I was pretending the banana was – that was – was a telephone.
Alex (admiringly): Claire, did you do that puzzle?
Daddy: Yeah, all by herself.
Alex (sounding impressed): Oh. You must be a big girl.
Claire: I don’t wanna take my baby. Her stay home and rest with Juju and Mallory.
(In the car, Alex is kicking the back of Daddy’s seat, and Daddy tells him to stop.)
Claire (wanting to kick the passenger seat): Can I kick this chair? Nobody in there.
Alex: I was pretending the banana was – that was – was a telephone.
Alex (admiringly): Claire, did you do that puzzle?
Daddy: Yeah, all by herself.
Alex (sounding impressed): Oh. You must be a big girl.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Who's putting mac & cheese all over the rug?
(Daddy is carrying Claire down the hallway at school, when they pass by a man walking the other direction.)
Claire: Dat not my daddy. Dis my daddy.
Claire (to Mommy): We go home. We walk home to our house.
(Daddy carries Claire on a walk home from school.)
Claire: It's warm outside.
Claire: We go under that tree.
Claire: We go under that red tree.
Claire: There another one! We go under it.
Claire: That Oakley's house.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: There it is. That our house!
(Claire rings the doorbell.)
Daddy: You pushin’ that button?
Claire: Yeah. I make Grommie bark.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: For us.
Claire: I need to get Home Juju.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Here you go.
(Claire hands School Juju to Daddy.)
Daddy: Thank you.
Claire: I gonna get Juju and Mallory.
Daddy: Okay.
(Claire sets out the doodle pad in front of Daddy.)
Claire: You do it and I watch you.
(Claire waits expectantly.)
Claire: Uh gonna make letters.
Daddy: Okay, you make letters.
(Claire draws a scribble.)
Claire: What that say?
Daddy: I don’t know, what do you think it says?
Claire: Um, "Claire".
(snack)
(Alex talks nonsense to his muffin.)
Alex (laughing): I talked to my muffin! They don't very talk!
Claire (laughing): They don't have a mouth!
(dinner)
(Mommy, Claire, and Alex are talking about what they will eat on Thanksgiving.)
Mommy: And pie for dessert?
Claire: I like pie!
Alex: Me gusta!
(Mommy laughs.)
Alex: Me gusta pie!
Alex: No me gusta dressing.
(Claire is eating apple pie. Alex hasn't decided yet if he wants any.)
Alex: Apple pie? What's it taste like, Claire?
Claire: It's good.
(Alex finds yet another piece of mac & cheese on the floor near where he is playing.)
Alex: Ano -- another piece of mac & cheese! What's happening to all this stuff? Who's putting mac & cheese all over the rug?
(Claire is sad, so Alex sets her up on the couch with pillows, a blanket, and Juju and Mallory.)
Alex: I like taking care of my sister!
Claire (to Alex): Sh! I'm reading a story, be quiet.
(Alex and Claire are playing trains.)
Claire: There's another storm!
Claire: Boom!
Claire (slowly and dramatically): Drip! Drop!
(Alex picks up the toy phone.)
Alex: I have a emergency! I don't have any pumpkin bread! They might have some at the store!
(Pause.)
Alex: That's all right.
(Pause.)
Alex: No problem.
Claire (singing): Happy birthday to Alex…
Claire (singing): Happy birthday to Alex…
(Claire gives Alex a birthday cupcake.)
Claire: Foo on it.
(Alex blows on it.)
Alex: I made a wish. I wish, I would hug you.
Alex: Stand up!
(She does. Alex gives her a hug.)
Alex: I can cut your hair, Claire.
Claire: I don't want you to cut my hair.
Alex: You want me, now?
Claire: No.
Alex: Now?
Claire: No.
Alex: Now?
Claire: Where's my baby?
Alex: Now?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Claire, if a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?
Claire: No.
Daddy: Claire, what’s the square root of sixty-three?
Claire (smiling): It’s ups and downs.
(Daddy dresses Claire in her PJs with the sheep pictured on the front.)
Claire (saying “baa baa” in a growling monster voice): I say “baa baa”. And Alex talk to me.
Claire: Baaa! I'm a sheep. Baaaa!
Alex: Hey Claire, that's my stelecope.
Claire: Dat not my daddy. Dis my daddy.
Claire (to Mommy): We go home. We walk home to our house.
(Daddy carries Claire on a walk home from school.)
Claire: It's warm outside.
Claire: We go under that tree.
Claire: We go under that red tree.
Claire: There another one! We go under it.
Claire: That Oakley's house.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: There it is. That our house!
(Claire rings the doorbell.)
Daddy: You pushin’ that button?
Claire: Yeah. I make Grommie bark.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: For us.
Claire: I need to get Home Juju.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Here you go.
(Claire hands School Juju to Daddy.)
Daddy: Thank you.
Claire: I gonna get Juju and Mallory.
Daddy: Okay.
(Claire sets out the doodle pad in front of Daddy.)
Claire: You do it and I watch you.
(Claire waits expectantly.)
Claire: Uh gonna make letters.
Daddy: Okay, you make letters.
(Claire draws a scribble.)
Claire: What that say?
Daddy: I don’t know, what do you think it says?
Claire: Um, "Claire".
(snack)
(Alex talks nonsense to his muffin.)
Alex (laughing): I talked to my muffin! They don't very talk!
Claire (laughing): They don't have a mouth!
(dinner)
(Mommy, Claire, and Alex are talking about what they will eat on Thanksgiving.)
Mommy: And pie for dessert?
Claire: I like pie!
Alex: Me gusta!
(Mommy laughs.)
Alex: Me gusta pie!
Alex: No me gusta dressing.
(Claire is eating apple pie. Alex hasn't decided yet if he wants any.)
Alex: Apple pie? What's it taste like, Claire?
Claire: It's good.
(Alex finds yet another piece of mac & cheese on the floor near where he is playing.)
Alex: Ano -- another piece of mac & cheese! What's happening to all this stuff? Who's putting mac & cheese all over the rug?
(Claire is sad, so Alex sets her up on the couch with pillows, a blanket, and Juju and Mallory.)
Alex: I like taking care of my sister!
Claire (to Alex): Sh! I'm reading a story, be quiet.
(Alex and Claire are playing trains.)
Claire: There's another storm!
Claire: Boom!
Claire (slowly and dramatically): Drip! Drop!
(Alex picks up the toy phone.)
Alex: I have a emergency! I don't have any pumpkin bread! They might have some at the store!
(Pause.)
Alex: That's all right.
(Pause.)
Alex: No problem.
Claire (singing): Happy birthday to Alex…
Claire (singing): Happy birthday to Alex…
(Claire gives Alex a birthday cupcake.)
Claire: Foo on it.
(Alex blows on it.)
Alex: I made a wish. I wish, I would hug you.
Alex: Stand up!
(She does. Alex gives her a hug.)
Alex: I can cut your hair, Claire.
Claire: I don't want you to cut my hair.
Alex: You want me, now?
Claire: No.
Alex: Now?
Claire: No.
Alex: Now?
Claire: Where's my baby?
Alex: Now?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Claire, if a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?
Claire: No.
Daddy: Claire, what’s the square root of sixty-three?
Claire (smiling): It’s ups and downs.
(Daddy dresses Claire in her PJs with the sheep pictured on the front.)
Claire (saying “baa baa” in a growling monster voice): I say “baa baa”. And Alex talk to me.
Claire: Baaa! I'm a sheep. Baaaa!
Alex: Hey Claire, that's my stelecope.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
What does "kill" mean?
Alex: Look at my sweater, Claire!
Claire: Wow, that pretty!
Daddy: I guess I’m gonna have to rake up those leaves again, or they’re gonna kill the grass.
Alex: What does “kill” mean?
(Daddy wakes up from a nap on the sofa.)
Alex: Daddy, I was saying “nnn”, while you were snoring. I liked it! It was funny!
(Alex is reminiscing about one time that he was sick and had to stay home.)
Alex: Well, watching the show was my favorite part, but – I was too sick, and I didn’t like the rest.
Claire (crawling across the kitchen floor, away from Mommy): Try to catch me! Try to catch me!
Alex (out of the blue): I love snow, but – maybe at the end of Christmas, I want it to snow, but, I’ll get a little cold.
Claire: Wow, that pretty!
Daddy: I guess I’m gonna have to rake up those leaves again, or they’re gonna kill the grass.
Alex: What does “kill” mean?
(Daddy wakes up from a nap on the sofa.)
Alex: Daddy, I was saying “nnn”, while you were snoring. I liked it! It was funny!
(Alex is reminiscing about one time that he was sick and had to stay home.)
Alex: Well, watching the show was my favorite part, but – I was too sick, and I didn’t like the rest.
Claire (crawling across the kitchen floor, away from Mommy): Try to catch me! Try to catch me!
Alex (out of the blue): I love snow, but – maybe at the end of Christmas, I want it to snow, but, I’ll get a little cold.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
“No,” said Linus. “I am done with this.”
(Daddy and Claire come downstairs; Alex is already downstairs.)
Claire: Grommie not go downstairs. Him not sleeping. Him a doggie. Him not a girl. Him a doggie.
Claire (showing Alex her skirt): Look, Alex!
Alex (giving Claire a big hug): Happy Thanksgiving, Claire!
Claire: Grandpa will say “ho ho ho”.
Alex: No, Santa’s not gonna be here. He likes to say that.
Claire: What will Grandpa say?
Alex: Maybe he’ll say the prayer. You said the prayer yesterday.
(Alex reads “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”.)
Alex: Charlie Brown tried to rake the leaves. Lucy said, “Charlie Brown, do you wanna kick the football?”
Alex: Peppermint Patty called and he said “Nothing is wrong?” “No,” said Linus. “I am done with this.”
Alex: And he ran, Snoopy was already there at the table to get the bow ready.
Alex: Linus got some toast, and a leaf was in! A chair was on the cooler!
Alex: And Sally was sitting in a little chair. Marcy started to laugh.
Alex: Look, she’s sitting on the table! A little Sally!
Alex: And he has a chef’s hat on.
Alex: Snoopy says, where’s the turkey? Where’s anything? Where’s the pretzel sticks?
Alex: He said “Aaaahhh!” Ooh, get up from that table. He already got it. Snoopy’s mailbox was inside. It was supposed to be outside. I gotta check the mail. Snoopy was mad about that. He spilled food, and there was food outside. He couldn’t even get in the car and he (mumble). Woodstock said, “You (mumble)”.
Alex (to Grandpa): Do it again.
Alex (after Thanksgiving brunch): That was a nice Thanksgiving, wasn’t it, Daddy?
(Mommy is brushing Claire’s teeth, and Alex his brushing his own teeth.)
Alex (to Mommy): After you brush Claire’s teeth, may you – may I hug you?
Mommy: Yes.
(Mommy finishes brushing Claire’s teeth, and gives Alex a hug.)
Mommy: My boy.
(Mommy walks out of the bathroom.)
Alex (to Daddy): Mommy’s a nice mommy.
Alex (sitting in a pile of leaves, as he throws leaves into the air): Happy holidays to everyone!
(Everyone comes inside after playing in the leaves.)
Claire: That was really fun.
(The following are selected quotes from Alex’s reading of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.)
Alex: You don’t serve grapes for Thanksgiving!
Alex: Thanksgiving is a good thing, right?
Alex: Peppermint Patty spilled her juice.
Alex: And Woodstock had a bad day.
Alex: The rest of them started to sneeze.
Alex: So Peppermint Patty, and, and, and Franklin went for a walk.
Alex: You find cat? You find cat?
Alex: And Linus cooked toast.
(Alex reads another book.)
Alex: Bear said, “I’m not allergic to monkeys; I don’t know if you can eat them.”
Alex: Good grief, it’s four o’clock!
(Mommy laughs.)
Mommy: I’m supposed to be at Grandmother’s house!
Daddy (singing): Over the river and through the woods…
(Long pause.)
Claire: To Grandmother’s house!
Claire: Rahhhh. I a scary monster. Rahhhh.
Alex (to Daddy, out of the blue): You have a cranberry muffin on your head.
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: Grommie not go downstairs. Him not sleeping. Him a doggie. Him not a girl. Him a doggie.
Claire (showing Alex her skirt): Look, Alex!
Alex (giving Claire a big hug): Happy Thanksgiving, Claire!
Claire: Grandpa will say “ho ho ho”.
Alex: No, Santa’s not gonna be here. He likes to say that.
Claire: What will Grandpa say?
Alex: Maybe he’ll say the prayer. You said the prayer yesterday.
(Alex reads “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”.)
Alex: Charlie Brown tried to rake the leaves. Lucy said, “Charlie Brown, do you wanna kick the football?”
Alex: Peppermint Patty called and he said “Nothing is wrong?” “No,” said Linus. “I am done with this.”
Alex: And he ran, Snoopy was already there at the table to get the bow ready.
Alex: Linus got some toast, and a leaf was in! A chair was on the cooler!
Alex: And Sally was sitting in a little chair. Marcy started to laugh.
Alex: Look, she’s sitting on the table! A little Sally!
Alex: And he has a chef’s hat on.
Alex: Snoopy says, where’s the turkey? Where’s anything? Where’s the pretzel sticks?
Alex: He said “Aaaahhh!” Ooh, get up from that table. He already got it. Snoopy’s mailbox was inside. It was supposed to be outside. I gotta check the mail. Snoopy was mad about that. He spilled food, and there was food outside. He couldn’t even get in the car and he (mumble). Woodstock said, “You (mumble)”.
Alex (to Grandpa): Do it again.
Alex (after Thanksgiving brunch): That was a nice Thanksgiving, wasn’t it, Daddy?
(Mommy is brushing Claire’s teeth, and Alex his brushing his own teeth.)
Alex (to Mommy): After you brush Claire’s teeth, may you – may I hug you?
Mommy: Yes.
(Mommy finishes brushing Claire’s teeth, and gives Alex a hug.)
Mommy: My boy.
(Mommy walks out of the bathroom.)
Alex (to Daddy): Mommy’s a nice mommy.
Alex (sitting in a pile of leaves, as he throws leaves into the air): Happy holidays to everyone!
(Everyone comes inside after playing in the leaves.)
Claire: That was really fun.
(The following are selected quotes from Alex’s reading of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.)
Alex: You don’t serve grapes for Thanksgiving!
Alex: Thanksgiving is a good thing, right?
Alex: Peppermint Patty spilled her juice.
Alex: And Woodstock had a bad day.
Alex: The rest of them started to sneeze.
Alex: So Peppermint Patty, and, and, and Franklin went for a walk.
Alex: You find cat? You find cat?
Alex: And Linus cooked toast.
(Alex reads another book.)
Alex: Bear said, “I’m not allergic to monkeys; I don’t know if you can eat them.”
Alex: Good grief, it’s four o’clock!
(Mommy laughs.)
Mommy: I’m supposed to be at Grandmother’s house!
Daddy (singing): Over the river and through the woods…
(Long pause.)
Claire: To Grandmother’s house!
Claire: Rahhhh. I a scary monster. Rahhhh.
Alex (to Daddy, out of the blue): You have a cranberry muffin on your head.
(Alex laughs.)
Friday, November 19, 2010
I'm gonna count to H.
Alex: I’m gonna count to H. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, H!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: P… A… P… T… W.
Alex: I was doing the alphabet backwards.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I was being silly.
(breakfast)
Alex: Why do you have a flower on your shirt?
Claire: This – this not a shirt! This a bib!
(Claire comes home from school.)
Claire: I ate pasta.
Daddy: You ate pasta?
Claire: Yeah. It was really yummy.
Daddy: It was really yummy?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: You’re really cute.
Claire: I like pasta.
Alex: Can I read a book to you, Claire? Pleeease?
Claire: No.
Alex: Please, Claire? I don’t get to. I don’t very get to.
(Claire is crying. Alex is trying to read.)
Alex: You’re giving me a headache, Claire.
(Alex walks through the kitchen carrying a picture he just drew.)
Daddy: Wow, look at that!
Alex: Sh. It’s for Mommy.
(Alex finds Mommy in the dining room.)
Alex: Look what I made for you, Mommy.
Mommy: Oh I like it! What is it?
Alex: It’s Mommy, and Grommie, and Alex going for a walk.
Alex: But Mommy has a boo-boo.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: P… A… P… T… W.
Alex: I was doing the alphabet backwards.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I was being silly.
(breakfast)
Alex: Why do you have a flower on your shirt?
Claire: This – this not a shirt! This a bib!
(Claire comes home from school.)
Claire: I ate pasta.
Daddy: You ate pasta?
Claire: Yeah. It was really yummy.
Daddy: It was really yummy?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: You’re really cute.
Claire: I like pasta.
Alex: Can I read a book to you, Claire? Pleeease?
Claire: No.
Alex: Please, Claire? I don’t get to. I don’t very get to.
(Claire is crying. Alex is trying to read.)
Alex: You’re giving me a headache, Claire.
(Alex walks through the kitchen carrying a picture he just drew.)
Daddy: Wow, look at that!
Alex: Sh. It’s for Mommy.
(Alex finds Mommy in the dining room.)
Alex: Look what I made for you, Mommy.
Mommy: Oh I like it! What is it?
Alex: It’s Mommy, and Grommie, and Alex going for a walk.
Alex: But Mommy has a boo-boo.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Stop saying strawberries!
(Daddy is getting Alex out of bed.)
Alex: Can I go tell Claire what she wants to watch downstairs?
(Alex and Claire are watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.)
Claire: Him mad at her.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Well, hi -- his name is Charlie Brown, and her name is Lucy.
(Alex finds chocolate muffin crumbs in his bib, from a prior meal, and begins eating them. Claire searches her own bib, in vain.)
Daddy (to Claire): It’s just a crumb. You’re not missing anything, Claire.
Alex: But there was a big piece, and it was called chocolate muffin.
Alex: Daddy, one day can I ride a fast boat, like this?
(Alex shows Daddy his waffle.)
(Alex and Claire are playing the “time out” game.)
Alex: You’re supposed to be in bed!
Claire: No!
Alex: Go upstairs!
Claire: No!
Alex: Time out!
Claire: No!
Alex: Pretend time out!
Claire: No!
Mommy (making sure it’s really just a game): Claire, do you want to go to pretend time out?
Claire: Yeah.
Mommy: Okay.
Alex (pretending): I got a big giant sandwich to eat.
Claire (sounding extremely impressed): Wooooow!!
Alex (to Claire): I’m gonna read you a book.
Alex (beginning to read a book to Claire): Cinderella’s Time.
Claire (observing correctly): It upside down!
(Alex reads an ABC picture book to Claire.)
Alex: Apples and Pears.
Alex: Airplane is for A. Airport is for A. Ambulance for A. Ant for A. Apple for A.
Claire: That’s a shirt.
Alex: No that’s a apron.
Claire: Oh that apron.
Alex: Apron for A. And eggplant for A.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Bear for B. Boat for B. Bread for B. Baby for B. Button for B. Banana for B. Books for B. Ball for B. Bicycle for B. And… butterfly for B. Boat for B. Bowl for B. Bracelet for B. Beads for B. And… that’s all.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: C for camera. C for clown. C for cake. C for crown. C for car. C for camel. C for cucumber. C for cactus. C for crab. C for comb. C for crown.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Elephant for E. Egg for E. Envelope for E. D for dog. D for Dress. D for drum. D for dog. D for flower. D for…
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: G for um, grapes. Guh. Guh. Gorilla. Guh. G for, guh, guitar. Um, water. Fire engine. Ladder. Fox. Fan. Frog. And, fish. And… fire ladder. And fork.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Ice cream. For I. Doctor. Eye doctor. I. Ice, jelly. Hat. Brush. Horse. Helicopter.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Leg. Giraffe. Jelly. Juice. Pants. (Inaudible.)
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Motorcycle. Acorn.
Alex (to Claire): Hey don't! Don't touch the book!
Alex: Ladybug, and… light. Lion. Lemon. Leaves. Lamb. Mask. Motorcycle. Milk. Butterfly. Mushroom. Mouse.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Oranges. Octopus. Um, no. Ostrich. Owl. Crab. Nest. Acorns. And, beads. Nail. And, strings.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Um, O. Brush. Penguin. And -- peach -- um -- um -- um -- um… what is this, Daddy?
Daddy: Pineapple.
Alex: Pineapple. And what is this, I don't really know it.
Daddy: Potatoes.
Alex: Potatoes. Train. Peas. Pig. Pencil.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Bunny rabbit. Crown. Flower. Measure. Measure. Measure foot thing. Um rocket ship.
Claire: Rocket ship.
Alex: Um, well then. Um bracelet. Queen. Queen. And -- and bed.
Claire: And bed.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Um, socks. Slide.
Claire: Slide. Strawberries.
Alex: And measuring suit -- spoon.
Claire: Strawberries. Strawberries. Strawberries. Strawberries.
Alex: Stop saying strawberries.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex (annoyed): Can you stop please?
Claire: No.
Alex: Sunglasses.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: (inaudible)
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Snail.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Snake.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Shovel.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Strawberries.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Stop, I said strawberries now.
Claire: Okay.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Train.
Claire: Choo choo train.
Alex: Can you not say everything I say?!
Claire: Choo choo train. Choo choo train.
Alex: I know Claire, so listen to the book!
Claire: Choo choo train.
Alex: Stop!
Mommy: Claire. Stop doing that.
Claire: No.
Alex: Listen to the book!
Claire: No!
Alex: Claire's not listening to the book!
Claire: No.
Alex: Well then I'm putting it down.
Claire (upset): No! No!
Alex: Well then, listen to the book. Are you listening?
Mommy: Guys, it's time to wash hands.
Alex: I don't wanna wash hands.
Claire (running into the kitchen): Uh wash hands!
Alex (upset): I wanna go on that stool!
(Alex throws the book aside and runs into the kitchen.)
(Mommy explains that the "popular" step stool has been stashed away because Alex and Claire always fight over it.)
Alex (whining): We never whine!
(dinner)
Claire (excited): New plates! New plates! New plates, Alex!
Mommy: And new bowls too.
Claire: New bowls! New bowls!
Alex (jumping up and down): Yayyyy! New bowls!!
Claire: I like ketchup! You like ketchup?
Daddy: I like ketchup. Do you like ketchup?
Claire: Yeah, I like ketchup.
Daddy: Alex, do you like ketchup?
Alex: Yeah. Ketchup is my favorite thing to eat.
Alex: I have something stuck in my teeth.
Mommy: Well, we’ll get it all out when we’re done.
Alex: Well, I want dental floss.
Alex: I like french fries.
Alex (talking to his french fry): Hi, french fry. Are you talking to me?
(Alex laughs.)
(The dinner game is to name words starting with specific letters. Alex decides to start with “A”.)
Daddy: A is for… acrobat.
Alex: No. That’s not a word. A for… ax.
Daddy: What is an ax?
Alex: Ax is kind of like a hammer.
(Daddy nods.)
Alex: It looks like a hammer.
Alex: Let’s do E. Eggplant.
Daddy: Ed.
Alex: That’s not a word, Daddy!
Daddy: Oh.
Alex: Egg!
Claire (eating french fries with ketchup): Yummy! Yummy more, more, more, more, more, more.
Claire (reaching toward the ketchup bottle): Uh touch it. Uh touch it.
(Mommy moves the ketchup bottle closer to Claire.)
Claire (turning the bottle slightly): No this way!
Mommy: Okay, Mr. Monk.
Claire (smiling): Don’t say Mr. Monk. Don’t say Mr. Monk.
Alex: Can I go tell Claire what she wants to watch downstairs?
(Alex and Claire are watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.)
Claire: Him mad at her.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Well, hi -- his name is Charlie Brown, and her name is Lucy.
(Alex finds chocolate muffin crumbs in his bib, from a prior meal, and begins eating them. Claire searches her own bib, in vain.)
Daddy (to Claire): It’s just a crumb. You’re not missing anything, Claire.
Alex: But there was a big piece, and it was called chocolate muffin.
Alex: Daddy, one day can I ride a fast boat, like this?
(Alex shows Daddy his waffle.)
(Alex and Claire are playing the “time out” game.)
Alex: You’re supposed to be in bed!
Claire: No!
Alex: Go upstairs!
Claire: No!
Alex: Time out!
Claire: No!
Alex: Pretend time out!
Claire: No!
Mommy (making sure it’s really just a game): Claire, do you want to go to pretend time out?
Claire: Yeah.
Mommy: Okay.
Alex (pretending): I got a big giant sandwich to eat.
Claire (sounding extremely impressed): Wooooow!!
Alex (to Claire): I’m gonna read you a book.
Alex (beginning to read a book to Claire): Cinderella’s Time.
Claire (observing correctly): It upside down!
(Alex reads an ABC picture book to Claire.)
Alex: Apples and Pears.
Alex: Airplane is for A. Airport is for A. Ambulance for A. Ant for A. Apple for A.
Claire: That’s a shirt.
Alex: No that’s a apron.
Claire: Oh that apron.
Alex: Apron for A. And eggplant for A.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Bear for B. Boat for B. Bread for B. Baby for B. Button for B. Banana for B. Books for B. Ball for B. Bicycle for B. And… butterfly for B. Boat for B. Bowl for B. Bracelet for B. Beads for B. And… that’s all.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: C for camera. C for clown. C for cake. C for crown. C for car. C for camel. C for cucumber. C for cactus. C for crab. C for comb. C for crown.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Elephant for E. Egg for E. Envelope for E. D for dog. D for Dress. D for drum. D for dog. D for flower. D for…
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: G for um, grapes. Guh. Guh. Gorilla. Guh. G for, guh, guitar. Um, water. Fire engine. Ladder. Fox. Fan. Frog. And, fish. And… fire ladder. And fork.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Ice cream. For I. Doctor. Eye doctor. I. Ice, jelly. Hat. Brush. Horse. Helicopter.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Leg. Giraffe. Jelly. Juice. Pants. (Inaudible.)
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Motorcycle. Acorn.
Alex (to Claire): Hey don't! Don't touch the book!
Alex: Ladybug, and… light. Lion. Lemon. Leaves. Lamb. Mask. Motorcycle. Milk. Butterfly. Mushroom. Mouse.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Oranges. Octopus. Um, no. Ostrich. Owl. Crab. Nest. Acorns. And, beads. Nail. And, strings.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Um, O. Brush. Penguin. And -- peach -- um -- um -- um -- um… what is this, Daddy?
Daddy: Pineapple.
Alex: Pineapple. And what is this, I don't really know it.
Daddy: Potatoes.
Alex: Potatoes. Train. Peas. Pig. Pencil.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Bunny rabbit. Crown. Flower. Measure. Measure. Measure foot thing. Um rocket ship.
Claire: Rocket ship.
Alex: Um, well then. Um bracelet. Queen. Queen. And -- and bed.
Claire: And bed.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Um, socks. Slide.
Claire: Slide. Strawberries.
Alex: And measuring suit -- spoon.
Claire: Strawberries. Strawberries. Strawberries. Strawberries.
Alex: Stop saying strawberries.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex (annoyed): Can you stop please?
Claire: No.
Alex: Sunglasses.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: (inaudible)
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Snail.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Snake.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Shovel.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Strawberries.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Stop, I said strawberries now.
Claire: Okay.
(Alex turns the page.)
Alex: Train.
Claire: Choo choo train.
Alex: Can you not say everything I say?!
Claire: Choo choo train. Choo choo train.
Alex: I know Claire, so listen to the book!
Claire: Choo choo train.
Alex: Stop!
Mommy: Claire. Stop doing that.
Claire: No.
Alex: Listen to the book!
Claire: No!
Alex: Claire's not listening to the book!
Claire: No.
Alex: Well then I'm putting it down.
Claire (upset): No! No!
Alex: Well then, listen to the book. Are you listening?
Mommy: Guys, it's time to wash hands.
Alex: I don't wanna wash hands.
Claire (running into the kitchen): Uh wash hands!
Alex (upset): I wanna go on that stool!
(Alex throws the book aside and runs into the kitchen.)
(Mommy explains that the "popular" step stool has been stashed away because Alex and Claire always fight over it.)
Alex (whining): We never whine!
(dinner)
Claire (excited): New plates! New plates! New plates, Alex!
Mommy: And new bowls too.
Claire: New bowls! New bowls!
Alex (jumping up and down): Yayyyy! New bowls!!
Claire: I like ketchup! You like ketchup?
Daddy: I like ketchup. Do you like ketchup?
Claire: Yeah, I like ketchup.
Daddy: Alex, do you like ketchup?
Alex: Yeah. Ketchup is my favorite thing to eat.
Alex: I have something stuck in my teeth.
Mommy: Well, we’ll get it all out when we’re done.
Alex: Well, I want dental floss.
Alex: I like french fries.
Alex (talking to his french fry): Hi, french fry. Are you talking to me?
(Alex laughs.)
(The dinner game is to name words starting with specific letters. Alex decides to start with “A”.)
Daddy: A is for… acrobat.
Alex: No. That’s not a word. A for… ax.
Daddy: What is an ax?
Alex: Ax is kind of like a hammer.
(Daddy nods.)
Alex: It looks like a hammer.
Alex: Let’s do E. Eggplant.
Daddy: Ed.
Alex: That’s not a word, Daddy!
Daddy: Oh.
Alex: Egg!
Claire (eating french fries with ketchup): Yummy! Yummy more, more, more, more, more, more.
Claire (reaching toward the ketchup bottle): Uh touch it. Uh touch it.
(Mommy moves the ketchup bottle closer to Claire.)
Claire (turning the bottle slightly): No this way!
Mommy: Okay, Mr. Monk.
Claire (smiling): Don’t say Mr. Monk. Don’t say Mr. Monk.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
But ants are more tiny than spiders.
(Daddy sighs.)
Claire: Why you say “nnn”?
(Daddy points to Peppermint Patty.)
Daddy: Claire, do you know who this is?
(Claire stares blankly.)
Alex (to Claire): It starts with P.
Claire: The leaves are gone.
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: Yeah, they fell down. The wind blew all them down on the grass.
(Daddy comes home from work.)
Alex (running to Daddy): Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!
(Daddy picks up Alex and gives him a big squeeze.)
Alex: Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! I missed you, Daddy!
Daddy: I missed you too!
Alex: I had fun with Nana.
Daddy: You did? Good!
Claire: I like Nana!
(Alex is playing at the toy kitchen.)
Alex: Who wants apple pie?
Claire and Mommy: Me!
(Alex walks around wearing Mommy's shoes.)
Alex: I'm a Mommy.
Alex (to Daddy): You have a boo boo, let's take you to the hospital.
Alex: Hey Claire, do you wanna help me drop this soup off, for Grandma?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Okay.
(Alex and Claire walk down the hallway together.)
Alex: Now, which way do we hafta go: left, right, or straight?
Alex: [unintelligible] green beans. That's how you say "I like green beans" in Spanish!
(Claire asks Alex to play with her.)
Alex: But I'm not doing that, I'm gonna eat pretend food.
Daddy: And I'm gonna get you some real food in a little bit.
Alex: Yeah you are.
(Pause.)
Claire: I gonna I go to sleep by myself.
(Alex and Claire are preparing pretend dinner.)
Alex: Feast, feast! Feast, feast! Turkey Day! Thanksgiving!
Claire: Chanksgiving! Sanksgiving! Chanksgiving!
(dinner)
(Everyone is playing “the dinner game.”)
Mommy: What's something you like about Daddy?
Alex: Um… I like Daddy… to take care of me when… when I have a booboo and I'm sad!
Daddy: Aw… I like that too.
Claire: I like you get my Juju!
Daddy: Aw… thanks, Claire.
Daddy: What's something that you like about Mommy?
Claire: Um… bye-bye train.
Alex: I like about Mommy…
Daddy: What'd you say, Claire?
Claire: I like about Mommy, uh carry me.
Alex: I like about Mommy, um, to make me dinner.
Mommy: That's very sweet, guys.
Daddy: Now, what's something that you like about Claire?
Alex: I like about Claire… to help me when I crash and pre -- and to pretend, things when my stroller crashes, and Claire helps me. I like that.
Daddy: That's nice. And Claire? What do you like about Claire?
(Long pause.)
Daddy: Claire Bear? What do you like about Claire Bear?
(Long pause.)
Alex: Claire must be too tired.
Daddy (to Claire): Do you wanna say something you like about yourself?
Claire: No.
Daddy: Okay, you don't have to answer it.
Alex: Can you do one about me?
Daddy: Yeah. Just a minute.
Alex: Okay.
Daddy: Okay. What's something that you like about Alex?
Alex: Can Claire go first?
Claire: I wanna go first!
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I wanna do about Alex, uh help me run into his stroller.
Daddy: You like for Alex to help you run into his stroller?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: That's nice.
Claire: Like him help me.
Alex (mumbling to himself): I haven't seen -- I haven’t -- Claire haven't seen me do that. I didn't do it. I didn't do it before.
Daddy: Okay Alex. What's something that you like about Alex?
Alex: Um… I like about Alex, to always be healthy.
Daddy: That's a great answer.
Claire: May I have more peaches please, Daddy?
(Alex's cup squeals when he drinks out of it.)
Claire (smiling): Why you say, "ehhh"?
Alex (being silly): Who's in our house, who did that?!
Claire (being silly): Meg!!
Alex (being silly): Meg! Stop doing that!
Daddy: We forgot Grommie.
Alex: Oh.
Daddy: Okay. What’s something you like about Grommie?
Alex: I like about Grommie -- I like to play with Grommie. And he catches the ball.
Claire: I like about Grommie, uh how, pet him.
Daddy: Aw, that's nice, guys.
Alex (to Claire): You like to play with Grommie? Grommie's a good dog to play.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Grommie loves playing ball.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Know he does, he catches it… rolls it… give it back to you… everything.
Alex: Except we don’t do it. Daddies always do it.
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: I don’t like honey mustard. I like barbecue sauce.
Alex: That says: No me gusta!
Alex (talking to no one in particular): Always David’s mom says: “No David! Be quiet!”
Alex: What’s in the big big – what’s in the bag at the store? Peanuts, yuck, yuck! I’m allergic. Some others can eat peanuts.
Alex: Um, Daddy. Spiders are very tiny.
Daddy: Yeah, they’re tiny.
Alex: But ants are more tiny than spiders.
Daddy: Yeah.
(Daddy is playing trains with Alex.)
Daddy’s train: Chhhhhh.
Alex: No, don't say chhh, cause he didn't stop.
Alex (jumping on his bed with its new Toy Story blanket): I like Toy Store!
Alex (about Woody): Where’s he going?
Daddy: I don’t know. To infinity?
Alex: Maybe he's going to a baseball game!! I llllooove baseball games!
Alex: My blanket’s lotsa comfier, Mommy!
Claire: Why you say “nnn”?
(Daddy points to Peppermint Patty.)
Daddy: Claire, do you know who this is?
(Claire stares blankly.)
Alex (to Claire): It starts with P.
Claire: The leaves are gone.
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: Yeah, they fell down. The wind blew all them down on the grass.
(Daddy comes home from work.)
Alex (running to Daddy): Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!
(Daddy picks up Alex and gives him a big squeeze.)
Alex: Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! I missed you, Daddy!
Daddy: I missed you too!
Alex: I had fun with Nana.
Daddy: You did? Good!
Claire: I like Nana!
(Alex is playing at the toy kitchen.)
Alex: Who wants apple pie?
Claire and Mommy: Me!
(Alex walks around wearing Mommy's shoes.)
Alex: I'm a Mommy.
Alex (to Daddy): You have a boo boo, let's take you to the hospital.
Alex: Hey Claire, do you wanna help me drop this soup off, for Grandma?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Okay.
(Alex and Claire walk down the hallway together.)
Alex: Now, which way do we hafta go: left, right, or straight?
Alex: [unintelligible] green beans. That's how you say "I like green beans" in Spanish!
(Claire asks Alex to play with her.)
Alex: But I'm not doing that, I'm gonna eat pretend food.
Daddy: And I'm gonna get you some real food in a little bit.
Alex: Yeah you are.
(Pause.)
Claire: I gonna I go to sleep by myself.
(Alex and Claire are preparing pretend dinner.)
Alex: Feast, feast! Feast, feast! Turkey Day! Thanksgiving!
Claire: Chanksgiving! Sanksgiving! Chanksgiving!
(dinner)
(Everyone is playing “the dinner game.”)
Mommy: What's something you like about Daddy?
Alex: Um… I like Daddy… to take care of me when… when I have a booboo and I'm sad!
Daddy: Aw… I like that too.
Claire: I like you get my Juju!
Daddy: Aw… thanks, Claire.
Daddy: What's something that you like about Mommy?
Claire: Um… bye-bye train.
Alex: I like about Mommy…
Daddy: What'd you say, Claire?
Claire: I like about Mommy, uh carry me.
Alex: I like about Mommy, um, to make me dinner.
Mommy: That's very sweet, guys.
Daddy: Now, what's something that you like about Claire?
Alex: I like about Claire… to help me when I crash and pre -- and to pretend, things when my stroller crashes, and Claire helps me. I like that.
Daddy: That's nice. And Claire? What do you like about Claire?
(Long pause.)
Daddy: Claire Bear? What do you like about Claire Bear?
(Long pause.)
Alex: Claire must be too tired.
Daddy (to Claire): Do you wanna say something you like about yourself?
Claire: No.
Daddy: Okay, you don't have to answer it.
Alex: Can you do one about me?
Daddy: Yeah. Just a minute.
Alex: Okay.
Daddy: Okay. What's something that you like about Alex?
Alex: Can Claire go first?
Claire: I wanna go first!
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I wanna do about Alex, uh help me run into his stroller.
Daddy: You like for Alex to help you run into his stroller?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: That's nice.
Claire: Like him help me.
Alex (mumbling to himself): I haven't seen -- I haven’t -- Claire haven't seen me do that. I didn't do it. I didn't do it before.
Daddy: Okay Alex. What's something that you like about Alex?
Alex: Um… I like about Alex, to always be healthy.
Daddy: That's a great answer.
Claire: May I have more peaches please, Daddy?
(Alex's cup squeals when he drinks out of it.)
Claire (smiling): Why you say, "ehhh"?
Alex (being silly): Who's in our house, who did that?!
Claire (being silly): Meg!!
Alex (being silly): Meg! Stop doing that!
Daddy: We forgot Grommie.
Alex: Oh.
Daddy: Okay. What’s something you like about Grommie?
Alex: I like about Grommie -- I like to play with Grommie. And he catches the ball.
Claire: I like about Grommie, uh how, pet him.
Daddy: Aw, that's nice, guys.
Alex (to Claire): You like to play with Grommie? Grommie's a good dog to play.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Grommie loves playing ball.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Know he does, he catches it… rolls it… give it back to you… everything.
Alex: Except we don’t do it. Daddies always do it.
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: I don’t like honey mustard. I like barbecue sauce.
Alex: That says: No me gusta!
Alex (talking to no one in particular): Always David’s mom says: “No David! Be quiet!”
Alex: What’s in the big big – what’s in the bag at the store? Peanuts, yuck, yuck! I’m allergic. Some others can eat peanuts.
Alex: Um, Daddy. Spiders are very tiny.
Daddy: Yeah, they’re tiny.
Alex: But ants are more tiny than spiders.
Daddy: Yeah.
(Daddy is playing trains with Alex.)
Daddy’s train: Chhhhhh.
Alex: No, don't say chhh, cause he didn't stop.
Alex (jumping on his bed with its new Toy Story blanket): I like Toy Store!
Alex (about Woody): Where’s he going?
Daddy: I don’t know. To infinity?
Alex: Maybe he's going to a baseball game!! I llllooove baseball games!
Alex: My blanket’s lotsa comfier, Mommy!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Dog eating his bone. Dogs eat bones. No biting!
(Claire is reading a book.)
Claire (indicating her book): They on a train.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: I went on a train at the museum yesterday. Uh Mommy.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: It really fun.
(Claire reads “Teeth Are Not For Biting” to her doll.)
Claire: Dog eating his bone. Dogs eat bones. No biting!
Claire: Uh – no biting!
Claire: No biting. No biting! Boy.
Claire: No biting, Daddy.
Claire: No biting!
Claire: "No biting," said boy.
Claire: Get a hug.
(After a brief interruption, Claire returns to her book.)
Claire: When no biting! Said, uh, on a gate.
Claire: No biting! No biting, no biting! I get a hug.
Claire: No biting! A bird! Look Daddy, a bird, right there!
Daddy (from the breakfast table): Yeah.
Alex (from the breakfast table): Show me! Show me! Show me!
Claire: No biting.
Alex: I wanna see!
Claire: Okay.
Claire: It’s right… here.
Alex: There?
Alex: I can’t see when you move.
Alex: I’ll have to look at it after I’m done.
Claire (reading again): Wuh no biting, no biting!
Claire: Smile!
(Claire grins.)
Claire: The end.
(Claire reads a Thomas book.)
Claire: Thomas book. Thomas on a train.
Alex: Thomas is the train. Thomas doesn’t ride the train, silly!
Claire: People ride trains.
Claire: I like trains.
Alex: I like trains, too!
Claire: Yeah.
(After a brief interruption, Claire continues.)
Claire: When I was on a train with Thomas.
Claire: Uh train is Thomas.
Alex: The train was broken, Claire.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: So, that’s part of the words, so say it.
Claire: “The train is broken,” said Thomas.
Claire: Uh train is broken!
Claire: Uh go fix him.
Claire: When I go fix Thomas? Aday. [Today.]
Claire: Him – he – him really long.
Alex: Yep, because he has lots of coaches.
Claire: When him got really long.
Claire: A cow right there!
Claire: When a cow right there. A cow was gone.
Claire: Thomas was sad.
Claire: Thomas was sad aday.
Claire: When Thomas was happy aday! Dat was Topham Hatt right there. The End.
(Claire comes home from school.)
Claire: I ate my sandwich, Daddy.
Daddy: You ate your sandwich?
Claire: Yeah. There was no food in it.
Daddy: There was no food in it?
Claire: Yeah.
(According to the school menu, Claire ate a dinner roll at lunch.)
(Claire gets her baby stroller.)
Claire (to Daddy): Can you go with me to… a cupcake store?
(Claire and Daddy go to the cupcake store, aka the laundry room.)
Claire: Uh go to another cupcake store.
Alex (to Claire, trying to affect a deep voice): Ho ho ho. I’m Grandpa. You be Grandma?
Claire (trying to affect a deep voice): I’m not Grandma.
Alex: You be Grandma, okay?
Claire: No.
Alex: Let’s eat our dinner.
Claire: No!
(Alex learned about baby teeth at school.)
Alex (to Daddy): I don’t want my teeth to fall out.
(Daddy is clarifying some things about the Tooth Fairy.)
Daddy: You put your tooth under the pillow, and then the Tooth Fairy comes and gives you a present.
Alex (sounding concerned): And then I still have my pillow?
Daddy: Yeah, you still have your pillow. The Tooth Fairy doesn’t take your pillow.
Alex: Pretend – pretend fairies take pillows?
Daddy: No, nobody takes pillows.
Alex: I like building with blocks.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: It’s my favorite thing to do.
(Alex retrieves some blocks that rolled behind the sofa.)
Alex: Now they’re all hairy. They’re all dirty, and they’re all hairy. It’s dirty back there.
(Grommie licks Claire.)
Claire: Him love me.
Alex: You need to shave, Daddy! To get the sprinkles off. They’re prickly.
Claire: Can you play with us, Daddy? Can you play with me?
Alex: Did you open these, Claire? Did you open these?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: You’re not apposed to open these, they get all messed up.
Claire: Okay.
Claire: I won’t open it again.
(After pretending to talk on the phone, Alex runs into the train room.)
Alex (alarmed): I told Grandma! That the green beans were baking! And then steam came outta the oven! And there was a fire!
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Alex: And the firemen had to come!
Alex: Hey Claire? It’s almost twenty so we have to hurry up.
(Claire is trying to get Daddy to come eat the birthday dinner she made for him.)
Claire: You better eat, Daddy!
Claire: You better eat!
Daddy: Okay.
(Daddy sits at the table.)
Claire (apologetically): I ate a little bit of your water.
(bed time)
(The following remarks occurred during Daddy’s reading of The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog.)
Claire: They takin’ a bath. They dirty.
Daddy: What do they see?
Claire: A fox!
Alex: It’s not a fox, Claire, it’s a skunk.
(Alex asks several clarifying questions about what precisely the substance is that the skunk sprays on Big Dog and Little Dog.)
Daddy: They are very dirty.
Claire: Her dirty too.
Daddy: Uh-oh. Big Dog is in big trouble. Little Dog is in big trouble, too.
Claire: They got a big mess. They need to clean it up!
Alex: Why do they need a new couch?
Daddy: Now Little Dog has a sweater. And Big Dog has a sweater.
Alex: Yay!
(The following new additions appeared unexpectedly in the middle of Alex’s bedtime “words”.)
Alex: …And play coffee… and play X-ray… and play ball…
(Alex’s words also included the following, which were introduced to the litany about a week or two earlier.)
Alex: … And play A, and play Z, and play W, and play X.
Claire (indicating her book): They on a train.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: I went on a train at the museum yesterday. Uh Mommy.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: It really fun.
(Claire reads “Teeth Are Not For Biting” to her doll.)
Claire: Dog eating his bone. Dogs eat bones. No biting!
Claire: Uh – no biting!
Claire: No biting. No biting! Boy.
Claire: No biting, Daddy.
Claire: No biting!
Claire: "No biting," said boy.
Claire: Get a hug.
(After a brief interruption, Claire returns to her book.)
Claire: When no biting! Said, uh, on a gate.
Claire: No biting! No biting, no biting! I get a hug.
Claire: No biting! A bird! Look Daddy, a bird, right there!
Daddy (from the breakfast table): Yeah.
Alex (from the breakfast table): Show me! Show me! Show me!
Claire: No biting.
Alex: I wanna see!
Claire: Okay.
Claire: It’s right… here.
Alex: There?
Alex: I can’t see when you move.
Alex: I’ll have to look at it after I’m done.
Claire (reading again): Wuh no biting, no biting!
Claire: Smile!
(Claire grins.)
Claire: The end.
(Claire reads a Thomas book.)
Claire: Thomas book. Thomas on a train.
Alex: Thomas is the train. Thomas doesn’t ride the train, silly!
Claire: People ride trains.
Claire: I like trains.
Alex: I like trains, too!
Claire: Yeah.
(After a brief interruption, Claire continues.)
Claire: When I was on a train with Thomas.
Claire: Uh train is Thomas.
Alex: The train was broken, Claire.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: So, that’s part of the words, so say it.
Claire: “The train is broken,” said Thomas.
Claire: Uh train is broken!
Claire: Uh go fix him.
Claire: When I go fix Thomas? Aday. [Today.]
Claire: Him – he – him really long.
Alex: Yep, because he has lots of coaches.
Claire: When him got really long.
Claire: A cow right there!
Claire: When a cow right there. A cow was gone.
Claire: Thomas was sad.
Claire: Thomas was sad aday.
Claire: When Thomas was happy aday! Dat was Topham Hatt right there. The End.
(Claire comes home from school.)
Claire: I ate my sandwich, Daddy.
Daddy: You ate your sandwich?
Claire: Yeah. There was no food in it.
Daddy: There was no food in it?
Claire: Yeah.
(According to the school menu, Claire ate a dinner roll at lunch.)
(Claire gets her baby stroller.)
Claire (to Daddy): Can you go with me to… a cupcake store?
(Claire and Daddy go to the cupcake store, aka the laundry room.)
Claire: Uh go to another cupcake store.
Alex (to Claire, trying to affect a deep voice): Ho ho ho. I’m Grandpa. You be Grandma?
Claire (trying to affect a deep voice): I’m not Grandma.
Alex: You be Grandma, okay?
Claire: No.
Alex: Let’s eat our dinner.
Claire: No!
(Alex learned about baby teeth at school.)
Alex (to Daddy): I don’t want my teeth to fall out.
(Daddy is clarifying some things about the Tooth Fairy.)
Daddy: You put your tooth under the pillow, and then the Tooth Fairy comes and gives you a present.
Alex (sounding concerned): And then I still have my pillow?
Daddy: Yeah, you still have your pillow. The Tooth Fairy doesn’t take your pillow.
Alex: Pretend – pretend fairies take pillows?
Daddy: No, nobody takes pillows.
Alex: I like building with blocks.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: It’s my favorite thing to do.
(Alex retrieves some blocks that rolled behind the sofa.)
Alex: Now they’re all hairy. They’re all dirty, and they’re all hairy. It’s dirty back there.
(Grommie licks Claire.)
Claire: Him love me.
Alex: You need to shave, Daddy! To get the sprinkles off. They’re prickly.
Claire: Can you play with us, Daddy? Can you play with me?
Alex: Did you open these, Claire? Did you open these?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: You’re not apposed to open these, they get all messed up.
Claire: Okay.
Claire: I won’t open it again.
(After pretending to talk on the phone, Alex runs into the train room.)
Alex (alarmed): I told Grandma! That the green beans were baking! And then steam came outta the oven! And there was a fire!
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Alex: And the firemen had to come!
Alex: Hey Claire? It’s almost twenty so we have to hurry up.
(Claire is trying to get Daddy to come eat the birthday dinner she made for him.)
Claire: You better eat, Daddy!
Claire: You better eat!
Daddy: Okay.
(Daddy sits at the table.)
Claire (apologetically): I ate a little bit of your water.
(bed time)
(The following remarks occurred during Daddy’s reading of The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog.)
Claire: They takin’ a bath. They dirty.
Daddy: What do they see?
Claire: A fox!
Alex: It’s not a fox, Claire, it’s a skunk.
(Alex asks several clarifying questions about what precisely the substance is that the skunk sprays on Big Dog and Little Dog.)
Daddy: They are very dirty.
Claire: Her dirty too.
Daddy: Uh-oh. Big Dog is in big trouble. Little Dog is in big trouble, too.
Claire: They got a big mess. They need to clean it up!
Alex: Why do they need a new couch?
Daddy: Now Little Dog has a sweater. And Big Dog has a sweater.
Alex: Yay!
(The following new additions appeared unexpectedly in the middle of Alex’s bedtime “words”.)
Alex: …And play coffee… and play X-ray… and play ball…
(Alex’s words also included the following, which were introduced to the litany about a week or two earlier.)
Alex: … And play A, and play Z, and play W, and play X.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Chug chug! Chug chug, choo choo!
(Claire is pushing trains across the floor.)
Claire: I’m going to this station!
Claire: Chug chug! Chug chug, choo choo!
Claire: Clicky clack! Clicky clack!
Claire: Clicky-a-clack! Clicky-a-clack!
(Alex is eating chocolate-covered pretzels.)
Daddy: Is your pretzels yummy?
Alex: It sure is, but I don’t like the inside.
Claire: I’m going to this station!
Claire: Chug chug! Chug chug, choo choo!
Claire: Clicky clack! Clicky clack!
Claire: Clicky-a-clack! Clicky-a-clack!
(Alex is eating chocolate-covered pretzels.)
Daddy: Is your pretzels yummy?
Alex: It sure is, but I don’t like the inside.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Why is it very dark out? On this day?
(Alex observes the overcrowded goldfish tank at Petsmart.)
Alex: This is a lotta fish. It's like circle time.
Alex: Why is it very dark out? On this day?
Alex: This is a lotta fish. It's like circle time.
Alex: Why is it very dark out? On this day?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
That was hard work, wasn't it, Mommy?
(Mommy finishes vacuuming.)
Alex: That was hard work, wasn't it, Mommy?
Mommy: What did you guys do?
Claire: We got new books, at the library!
Mommy: You got new books?
Claire: We go on the playground, too!
Mommy: What story did you hear?
Claire: Um, the owl.
Mommy: The animals?
(Claire nods.)
Alex: About the owls, and the bats.
Daddy (singing): Football, football, football!
Alex: That's the whole song, it must be from a commercial.
(Claire sees a monkey in a book.)
Claire: Monkeys climb up trees.
Alex: That was hard work, wasn't it, Mommy?
Mommy: What did you guys do?
Claire: We got new books, at the library!
Mommy: You got new books?
Claire: We go on the playground, too!
Mommy: What story did you hear?
Claire: Um, the owl.
Mommy: The animals?
(Claire nods.)
Alex: About the owls, and the bats.
Daddy (singing): Football, football, football!
Alex: That's the whole song, it must be from a commercial.
(Claire sees a monkey in a book.)
Claire: Monkeys climb up trees.
Friday, November 12, 2010
I'm Mommy.
Claire: I want Home Juju, you put 'Chool Juju away.
(Claire has a play book.)
Claire: It really fun.
Claire: Can you open it for me, Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: It too hard. I can't open it uh me.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I'm not big for it.
(Claire takes off her favorite socks: one has stripes, the other has polka dots.)
Claire: I like these socks.
Claire: Bye-bye stripes. Bye-bye polka dots. They going away.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I putting my shoes away.
Alex: May I eat a healthy dinner so I can be healthy?
Mommy: You wanna be healthy?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: We're gonna have fish sticks and carrots.
Alex: Yeah, those make me healthy.
(Alex and Claire walk around with blankets over their heads.)
Alex: I'm a bear.
Claire: I'm Mommy.
(dinner)
Alex: A dog and a cat is my favorite animals. I mean a dog and a duck.
(Claire has something stuck in her teeth.)
Claire: With dental floss. We'll get it out with dental floss.
(Claire has a play book.)
Claire: It really fun.
Claire: Can you open it for me, Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: It too hard. I can't open it uh me.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I'm not big for it.
(Claire takes off her favorite socks: one has stripes, the other has polka dots.)
Claire: I like these socks.
Claire: Bye-bye stripes. Bye-bye polka dots. They going away.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I putting my shoes away.
Alex: May I eat a healthy dinner so I can be healthy?
Mommy: You wanna be healthy?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: We're gonna have fish sticks and carrots.
Alex: Yeah, those make me healthy.
(Alex and Claire walk around with blankets over their heads.)
Alex: I'm a bear.
Claire: I'm Mommy.
(dinner)
Alex: A dog and a cat is my favorite animals. I mean a dog and a duck.
(Claire has something stuck in her teeth.)
Claire: With dental floss. We'll get it out with dental floss.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Give me a big squeeze.
(Mommy brings Alex and Claire home from school.)
Daddy: Hi Claire Bear!
Claire: I ate my sandwich.
Daddy: You ate your sandwich?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Oh good!
Daddy: Can I give you a hug?
Claire: Yeah.
(Daddy gives Claire a hug.)
Claire: Give me a big squeeze.
Daddy: Okay.
(Daddy gives Claire a big squeeze.)
Claire: Do it again, a big big big one!
(Daddy gives Claire another big squeeze.)
(Alex is having a lollipop while Claire still naps.)
Alex: Daddy, when Claire wakes up, can you open her a lollipop?
Daddy: Yes. I will.
Mommy: You lookin’ out for your sister?
Alex: Mm-hm.
Claire: I love taking pictures.
Daddy: You love taking pictures?
Claire: Yeah, I was crying.
Daddy: You were crying?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Why?
Claire: I was crying (mumble) pictures.
(Alex and Claire are shouting out the side window. There’s nobody out there.)
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: It's not going outside. Why is it not going outside?
Daddy: What's not going outside?
Alex: My voice.
Daddy: It's going outside.
Alex: Oh.
Daddy: Hi Claire Bear!
Claire: I ate my sandwich.
Daddy: You ate your sandwich?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Oh good!
Daddy: Can I give you a hug?
Claire: Yeah.
(Daddy gives Claire a hug.)
Claire: Give me a big squeeze.
Daddy: Okay.
(Daddy gives Claire a big squeeze.)
Claire: Do it again, a big big big one!
(Daddy gives Claire another big squeeze.)
(Alex is having a lollipop while Claire still naps.)
Alex: Daddy, when Claire wakes up, can you open her a lollipop?
Daddy: Yes. I will.
Mommy: You lookin’ out for your sister?
Alex: Mm-hm.
Claire: I love taking pictures.
Daddy: You love taking pictures?
Claire: Yeah, I was crying.
Daddy: You were crying?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Why?
Claire: I was crying (mumble) pictures.
(Alex and Claire are shouting out the side window. There’s nobody out there.)
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: Hi!
Claire: Hi!
Alex: It's not going outside. Why is it not going outside?
Daddy: What's not going outside?
Alex: My voice.
Daddy: It's going outside.
Alex: Oh.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
By the signs of the 'Nited States.
Claire: May you help me get down please, Daddy?
Claire: I move this chair. It really in the way.
Alex (to Claire): You don't wanna go to school, Claire?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: You want to play with your cow?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: But we have to, we learn lotsa new things there.
(Pause.)
Alex: And it makes you smart!
(snack time)
Alex: Is it my birthday today?
Mommy: Nn-nn.
Alex: Why?
Mommy: Remember your birthday is after Thanksgiving.
Alex: Oh.
Daddy: How do you know Mommy's a girl?
Alex: By the signs of the 'Nited States.
Mommy: By the signs of the United States?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: What does that mean?
Alex: Jet planes.
Daddy: Alex, is Daddy a boy or a girl?
Alex: Girl.
Daddy: How can you tell I'm a girl?
Alex: Boy.
Daddy: How can you tell I'm a boy?
Alex: Jet planes.
(Claire and Mommy are playing "BJ!" on the sofa.)
Alex (to Daddy): Can you get me down? So I can play the game with Mommy and Claire?
Claire (to Mommy): I don't want Alex to play.
(dinner)
Alex (referring to his beef Stroganoff): I don’t like this.
Daddy: Did you taste it?
(Alex touches it.)
Alex: I touched it and then saw I didn't like it.
Mommy: May I have your pasta, Alex?
Alex: Uh, no, I -- I wanna put it in the sink after dinner.
(Alex, Claire, Daddy, and Grandma are getting ready to go for a walk.)
Alex: Let's go for a walk with Daddy!
Claire: Let's go for a walk with Daddy!
Daddy: Let's go for a walk with Daddy!
Alex: Not too long and get lost!
Grandma: I don't wanna get lost.
Alex: Daddy does that when he walks.
Claire (pointing at a Halloween decoration): That the moon!
Claire: A cat on that moon! That orange moon!
Claire: Bye bye cat! Bye bye cat!
(Claire sees a car of the same model and color as Mommy’s.)
Claire: That like Mommy’s car. That someone else's car.
Daddy: I like going for walks.
Claire: Yeah I like going for walks too!
(Claire and Alex play at the picnic tables under the trees. There is a big picnic table and a little picnic table.)
Claire: C’mon, you are big! You can sit on this big one!
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I little, I sit on this one.
Claire: We’re over here, Alex! Whoa!
Alex: What are you doing?
Claire: I just sitting. I'm tired.
Alex (touching a leaf on a tree trunk): Will this make you itch?
Alex: Can we get a rocket ship and fly up to the moon?
Claire: I move this chair. It really in the way.
Alex (to Claire): You don't wanna go to school, Claire?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: You want to play with your cow?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: But we have to, we learn lotsa new things there.
(Pause.)
Alex: And it makes you smart!
(snack time)
Alex: Is it my birthday today?
Mommy: Nn-nn.
Alex: Why?
Mommy: Remember your birthday is after Thanksgiving.
Alex: Oh.
Daddy: How do you know Mommy's a girl?
Alex: By the signs of the 'Nited States.
Mommy: By the signs of the United States?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: What does that mean?
Alex: Jet planes.
Daddy: Alex, is Daddy a boy or a girl?
Alex: Girl.
Daddy: How can you tell I'm a girl?
Alex: Boy.
Daddy: How can you tell I'm a boy?
Alex: Jet planes.
(Claire and Mommy are playing "BJ!" on the sofa.)
Alex (to Daddy): Can you get me down? So I can play the game with Mommy and Claire?
Claire (to Mommy): I don't want Alex to play.
(dinner)
Alex (referring to his beef Stroganoff): I don’t like this.
Daddy: Did you taste it?
(Alex touches it.)
Alex: I touched it and then saw I didn't like it.
Mommy: May I have your pasta, Alex?
Alex: Uh, no, I -- I wanna put it in the sink after dinner.
(Alex, Claire, Daddy, and Grandma are getting ready to go for a walk.)
Alex: Let's go for a walk with Daddy!
Claire: Let's go for a walk with Daddy!
Daddy: Let's go for a walk with Daddy!
Alex: Not too long and get lost!
Grandma: I don't wanna get lost.
Alex: Daddy does that when he walks.
Claire (pointing at a Halloween decoration): That the moon!
Claire: A cat on that moon! That orange moon!
Claire: Bye bye cat! Bye bye cat!
(Claire sees a car of the same model and color as Mommy’s.)
Claire: That like Mommy’s car. That someone else's car.
Daddy: I like going for walks.
Claire: Yeah I like going for walks too!
(Claire and Alex play at the picnic tables under the trees. There is a big picnic table and a little picnic table.)
Claire: C’mon, you are big! You can sit on this big one!
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I little, I sit on this one.
Claire: We’re over here, Alex! Whoa!
Alex: What are you doing?
Claire: I just sitting. I'm tired.
Alex (touching a leaf on a tree trunk): Will this make you itch?
Alex: Can we get a rocket ship and fly up to the moon?
Monday, November 8, 2010
I have a nose. Right beside my mouth.
(Daddy wakes up Claire.)
Claire: Mommy, I play – Daddy, I playing cars.
Daddy: You’re playing cars?
Claire: Yeah. Dey in timeout. Dey was pushing.
Claire: Dere a monkey on my PJ shirt. I like my PJ shirt.
(Daddy opens Claire’s diaper to change it.)
Claire: Dat big poop!
(Daddy is changing Claire’s diaper.)
Claire: You can’t eat poop.
(After Claire’s diaper has been changed.)
Claire (to Daddy): You need wash your hands, dey have poop on dem.
Claire: Dat my shirt. I pick out it.
Claire: Put those up uh I don’t trip on them.
Daddy (rolling up Claire’s pant cuffs): There you go.
Claire: Thank you.
Claire: I choked yesterday. I choked yesterday.
Alex: What did you choke on?
Claire: I choked on a grape yesterday.
(Alex says something inaudible in response.)
Claire: I choked on a grape at dinner.
(Alex says something silly in response.)
Claire: When I eat it, when I eat it, and I choked on it.
Alex: And then it fell out.
Claire: Yeah, it fell out.
Alex: It got stuck in your throat?
Claire: Yeah, it was in my tummy.
Alex: Did it hurt?
Claire: No.
Alex: Did it hurt when it was in your throat?
Claire: No, it (mumble) was in my tummy, it was in my mouth, and, I choked on it, the grape!
Alex: And it popped out!
Claire: Yeah. I choked on it, I choke on a grape, I choke yesterday, I choke yesterday, I choked on it, at dinner.
(Daddy makes Juju talk to Claire.)
Claire: Her talk with her mouth.
Daddy: She doesn’t have a mouth.
Claire: Juju doesn’t have a mouth. Mallory doesn’t have mouth either.
Daddy: No.
Claire: Mallory have a nose.
Daddy: Yeah, she has a nose.
Claire: I have a nose too.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: I have a nose. Right beside my mouth.
Claire: And I have teeth. Teethies.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: And I have eyes.
(Claire plays with Matchbox cars.)
Claire: I’m pretending to be Alex, and drop him off. I’m pretending to be Alex, with my cars.
Daddy: Oh!
Claire: This is Alex. The green car is Alex. The black car is Claire. And the green car is Alex.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Claire: Let’s go.
(After nap, Claire runs into Alex’s room.)
Claire: What is you doing?
Alex: I’m reading this book.
Claire: Oh.
Daddy: Claire, how many chuckles are in a chucklehead?
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Two!
Claire: Two.
Daddy (to Claire): How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Claire: I don’t know.
Daddy: Alex, what’s the biggest number you know?
Alex: Sandal.
Daddy: Sandal?
Alex: No. Uh, sanzo.
Daddy: What?
Alex: Sanzo.
Daddy: That’s not a number.
Alex: Uhhhh… two? Is that a number?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Is it big?
Daddy: It’s not very big, no.
Alex: Uhhhh… one?
Daddy: That’s a number.
Alex: Is it big?
Daddy: No, it’s not very big.
Alex: Uh, three? That’s a number.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Is it big?
Daddy: Yeah, that’s pretty big.
Alex: A thousand. That’s big.
Claire: Mommy, I play – Daddy, I playing cars.
Daddy: You’re playing cars?
Claire: Yeah. Dey in timeout. Dey was pushing.
Claire: Dere a monkey on my PJ shirt. I like my PJ shirt.
(Daddy opens Claire’s diaper to change it.)
Claire: Dat big poop!
(Daddy is changing Claire’s diaper.)
Claire: You can’t eat poop.
(After Claire’s diaper has been changed.)
Claire (to Daddy): You need wash your hands, dey have poop on dem.
Claire: Dat my shirt. I pick out it.
Claire: Put those up uh I don’t trip on them.
Daddy (rolling up Claire’s pant cuffs): There you go.
Claire: Thank you.
Claire: I choked yesterday. I choked yesterday.
Alex: What did you choke on?
Claire: I choked on a grape yesterday.
(Alex says something inaudible in response.)
Claire: I choked on a grape at dinner.
(Alex says something silly in response.)
Claire: When I eat it, when I eat it, and I choked on it.
Alex: And then it fell out.
Claire: Yeah, it fell out.
Alex: It got stuck in your throat?
Claire: Yeah, it was in my tummy.
Alex: Did it hurt?
Claire: No.
Alex: Did it hurt when it was in your throat?
Claire: No, it (mumble) was in my tummy, it was in my mouth, and, I choked on it, the grape!
Alex: And it popped out!
Claire: Yeah. I choked on it, I choke on a grape, I choke yesterday, I choke yesterday, I choked on it, at dinner.
(Daddy makes Juju talk to Claire.)
Claire: Her talk with her mouth.
Daddy: She doesn’t have a mouth.
Claire: Juju doesn’t have a mouth. Mallory doesn’t have mouth either.
Daddy: No.
Claire: Mallory have a nose.
Daddy: Yeah, she has a nose.
Claire: I have a nose too.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: I have a nose. Right beside my mouth.
Claire: And I have teeth. Teethies.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: And I have eyes.
(Claire plays with Matchbox cars.)
Claire: I’m pretending to be Alex, and drop him off. I’m pretending to be Alex, with my cars.
Daddy: Oh!
Claire: This is Alex. The green car is Alex. The black car is Claire. And the green car is Alex.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Claire: Let’s go.
(After nap, Claire runs into Alex’s room.)
Claire: What is you doing?
Alex: I’m reading this book.
Claire: Oh.
Daddy: Claire, how many chuckles are in a chucklehead?
Claire: I don’t know.
Alex: Two!
Claire: Two.
Daddy (to Claire): How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Claire: I don’t know.
Daddy: Alex, what’s the biggest number you know?
Alex: Sandal.
Daddy: Sandal?
Alex: No. Uh, sanzo.
Daddy: What?
Alex: Sanzo.
Daddy: That’s not a number.
Alex: Uhhhh… two? Is that a number?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Is it big?
Daddy: It’s not very big, no.
Alex: Uhhhh… one?
Daddy: That’s a number.
Alex: Is it big?
Daddy: No, it’s not very big.
Alex: Uh, three? That’s a number.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Is it big?
Daddy: Yeah, that’s pretty big.
Alex: A thousand. That’s big.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Here you go, Alex, a baby. A baby feel you better.
(Alex hurts himself. Claire hands him a baby.)
Claire: Here you go, Alex, a baby. A baby feel you better.
(Alex is reading a book to Claire.)
Alex: Oh, you wanna see the phone number?
Alex: 9, 1 1 1.
Alex: Oh, there’s not a fire. Oh there is a fire!
Alex: Well, soon, I’ll go away.
(Daddy is reading a Clifford book to Alex and Claire. Claire interrupts.)
Claire: We go ride the train! It gonna be really fun!
(Daddy helps Claire put on her socks and shoes. Claire helps put on the socks.)
Claire: I did my socks, Mommy! I did my socks!
Mommy: Good job.
Claire: I’m really, really, big. Do my socks.
Mommy: When are you gonna stop growing?
(Pause.)
Alex: I don’t know. When I’m a daddy I’m gonna stop growing.
Claire (to Alex): Say ah-cuse me. You burped.
Alex: Excuse me. I had gas.
(Alex is playing with his balloon.)
Mommy: Don’t pop it, Buddy.
Alex: Don’t pop it, Buddy.
Claire: Don’t pop it, Buddy.
Claire: Don’t pop it – don’t pop it – pop it, Buddy!
Mommy: Alex, I don’t think you should play with it. Play with yours.
Alex: Okay. Don’t pop it, Buddy!
Claire: Don’t pop it, Buddy!
Alex: Woody, do you wanna go to cowboy camp?
Daddy: Woody, do you wanna go to cowboy camp?
Alex: I like saying “cowboy camp”. Cowboy camp!
(dinner)
Alex: Beans?! Why do I have beans?
Mommy: Because you do.
Alex: But I don’t like beans.
Mommy: Well you don’t have to eat them. You can just look at them.
Alex (sounding skeptical): Okay.
Claire: Get your spoon. Not your hand. Your spoon.
Alex: I want it. I wanted to touch it, and see how it is.
Alex: The only thing I don’t like in our dinner, is the beans.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: But I like the rice, the broccoli, and the fish. And the peaches.
(Daddy takes a bite of his dinner.)
Claire: It have tomatoes. It have fuh-matoes in it.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Yeah. And no carrots.
Alex: It’s a very healthy dinner.
Claire (sounding incredulous): We have chicken fries?!
Mommy: We don’t have chicken fries.
Claire: I like broccoli. I like broccoli. I like broccoli, Mommy.
Mommy: Me too.
(Alex sees a picture on Claire’s wall, with the letter G beside a picture of a giraffe.)
Alex: Guh. Giraffe. Guh. Giraffe.
Alex (confused): G doesn’t start with “giraffe”.
(Daddy puts Alex to bed. Alex says his words, and then Daddy starts to leave.)
Alex: Daddy, can I tell you something?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Tomorrow there’s gonna be other ones. There’s gonna be play X, play – play W, and… play Z.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Here you go, Alex, a baby. A baby feel you better.
(Alex is reading a book to Claire.)
Alex: Oh, you wanna see the phone number?
Alex: 9, 1 1 1.
Alex: Oh, there’s not a fire. Oh there is a fire!
Alex: Well, soon, I’ll go away.
(Daddy is reading a Clifford book to Alex and Claire. Claire interrupts.)
Claire: We go ride the train! It gonna be really fun!
(Daddy helps Claire put on her socks and shoes. Claire helps put on the socks.)
Claire: I did my socks, Mommy! I did my socks!
Mommy: Good job.
Claire: I’m really, really, big. Do my socks.
Mommy: When are you gonna stop growing?
(Pause.)
Alex: I don’t know. When I’m a daddy I’m gonna stop growing.
Claire (to Alex): Say ah-cuse me. You burped.
Alex: Excuse me. I had gas.
(Alex is playing with his balloon.)
Mommy: Don’t pop it, Buddy.
Alex: Don’t pop it, Buddy.
Claire: Don’t pop it, Buddy.
Claire: Don’t pop it – don’t pop it – pop it, Buddy!
Mommy: Alex, I don’t think you should play with it. Play with yours.
Alex: Okay. Don’t pop it, Buddy!
Claire: Don’t pop it, Buddy!
Alex: Woody, do you wanna go to cowboy camp?
Daddy: Woody, do you wanna go to cowboy camp?
Alex: I like saying “cowboy camp”. Cowboy camp!
(dinner)
Alex: Beans?! Why do I have beans?
Mommy: Because you do.
Alex: But I don’t like beans.
Mommy: Well you don’t have to eat them. You can just look at them.
Alex (sounding skeptical): Okay.
Claire: Get your spoon. Not your hand. Your spoon.
Alex: I want it. I wanted to touch it, and see how it is.
Alex: The only thing I don’t like in our dinner, is the beans.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: But I like the rice, the broccoli, and the fish. And the peaches.
(Daddy takes a bite of his dinner.)
Claire: It have tomatoes. It have fuh-matoes in it.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Yeah. And no carrots.
Alex: It’s a very healthy dinner.
Claire (sounding incredulous): We have chicken fries?!
Mommy: We don’t have chicken fries.
Claire: I like broccoli. I like broccoli. I like broccoli, Mommy.
Mommy: Me too.
(Alex sees a picture on Claire’s wall, with the letter G beside a picture of a giraffe.)
Alex: Guh. Giraffe. Guh. Giraffe.
Alex (confused): G doesn’t start with “giraffe”.
(Daddy puts Alex to bed. Alex says his words, and then Daddy starts to leave.)
Alex: Daddy, can I tell you something?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Tomorrow there’s gonna be other ones. There’s gonna be play X, play – play W, and… play Z.
Daddy: Okay.
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