We um, kicked balls into the goal, and I got four goals.

(Daddy is driving Alex and Claire to the cooking class at Romp 'n' Roll.)

Alex: Why are you going this way?
Daddy: I'm going to Romp 'n' Roll..
Alex: Hey! Silly Daddy!
Daddy: What, am I being silly?
Alex: You went wrong way!
Daddy: Oh no! Mommy doesn't go this way?
Alex: No!
(Pause.)
Alex: Can you go the right way, where Mommy goes?
Daddy: Okay, I'll go the right way where Mommy goes.
(Pause.)
Alex: Is this the right way?
Daddy: Yes.
Alex: Is this the way where Mommy goes?
Daddy: No, but it's... gonna get us there.
Alex: But I don't want to go this way.
Claire: I like you to drive, um, this, Daddy.
Daddy: You like to drive this way?
Claire: Yeah.
(Alex recognizes where he is.)
Alex: Hey.
Alex (laughing): That's funny! That's funny, it gets to this road!
Claire: What is this road called, Daddy?
Daddy: It's called Nuckols Road.
(Pause.)
Daddy: Are we going the right way now?
Alex: Yeahhh.
Daddy: Good.
Alex: That's funny. Because Mommy doesn't really go that way. She goes... this way.
Daddy: Right.
(Alex laughs.)

Claire: I like cooking class.
Daddy: Yeah?
Claire: I love cooking class, Daddy.

Claire: Daddy, if the girl where the, cooking class? Somethings are gonna, gon -- cook -- tell something, she, and us, we're gonna...

Daddy: What?
Claire: Um, uh, that girl, um, tells something, um... um -- we're gonna make, Daddy.
Daddy: That girl, tells something we're gonna make?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: That -- that woman --
Claire: But you're not gonna be with me.
Daddy: No I'm not gonna be with you.
Claire: Are you gonna go in the grocery store?
Daddy: Yes.
Claire: Oh.
(Pause.)
Alex: Um. It's a woman, Claire.
Claire: Woman?
Alex: Yeah. Grown-up girls are called -- are called womans. Womans.
Claire: Oh.
Daddy: And what are grown-up boys called?
Alex: Mans.
Daddy: Good.
(Pause.)
Alex: So Claire, wo -- the woman tells us, what we're gonna make.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: So, can you say, "Wo -- the woman, Daddy, um, tells us to make." Tell that to Daddy, okay Claire?
Claire: Okay. The woman, um --
Alex: The woman.
Claire: -- will tell us to make.
Daddy: Oh!
(Claire giggles.)
Claire: We're not gonna turn, Daddy. Right?
Daddy: No. No, we're not turning.
Claire: No.
Alex: I thought I saw some wood in a big truck.
Daddy: Oh yeah?
Alex: I saw some wood stickin' out of a big truck, and I saw a big truck.
Daddy: Neat!
(Pause.)
Alex: I don't think it was a dump truck.
(Long pause.)
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex.
Alex: I don't think it was a dump truck.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
(Pause.)
Alex: What's that in there?
Claire: I don't know, Alex.
Daddy: Well, what's that right there?
Alex: Maybe it's just... muddy water. Do you smell somebody smoking?
Daddy: I don't smell it.
Claire: Daddy, it's Costco!
Daddy: Yeah, it's Costco.
Alex: I smell smoke.
Daddy: Maybe somebody's smoking.
Claire: I don't smell any smoke.
Alex: Let's see. I'll look at, I'll look around for somebody spo -- smoking. And maybe I'll, maybe I'll see 'em smoke. And maybe, and maybe that's why there'll be smoke, um, smelling.

Daddy: Okay.
Alex: Maybe that person's going to the grocery store, and that one's going to Romp 'n' Roll.
Claire: I wanna make something. I wanna go on, um, um --
Alex: Daddy?
Claire: -- make class?
Alex: Can you go to the ca -- um, um... get some, can you go to um... um, can you um, buy, can you buy um... um, more waffles?

Daddy: Buy more waffles?
Alex: Yeah, do we need any?
Daddy: No we have lotsa waffles. But if we run low, then I'll get some more, okay?
Alex: "Run low" may -- means, um we only have two more waffles left.
Daddy: Right. Or not -- not very many left.
Alex: Oh. Yeah.
(At this point, Daddy has just parked the car.)
Daddy: Are you guys ready to go? To your class?
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: Can we go to the may -- making class?
Daddy: Yeah we'll go to the making class.
Claire: I really like -- like -- to make.



Alex: And the North Pole. It’s too cold, no one wants to live there. It’s snow all the time.
Alex: No soccer.
Daddy: No soccer.
Alex: No basketball.
Daddy: No basketball.
Alex: No baseball.
Daddy: No baseball at the North Pole.
Alex: But hockey!
(Daddy laughs.)
Daddy: Yeah, they have hockey at the North Pole.



(Daddy, Claire, and Alex are driving home from cooking class.)

Alex: A real lawnmower.
Daddy: Yeah, a real one.
Alex: What are they doing over there? Mowing the grass?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: What is that man doing?
Daddy: I don’t know, he’s looking up in that tree. I don’t know why. I don’t know what he’s doing.
Alex: Maybe he went to get on his tractor, and, his tractor doesn’t work anymore, so he’s just, waiting for someone to come fix it.
Daddy: Maybe.
Alex: Maybe he really doesn’t want to do it – hey! There’s my soccer yard!
Daddy: You see a soccer yard?
Alex: But it was mine? Was it mine?
Daddy: No, yours is a different way.
Alex: Straight, left, or right?
Claire: Are you gonna take Alex to soccer now?
Daddy: Um, we’re gonna go home and have some lunch. And then, Claire will have some nap time, and Alex will go to soccer, and then, we’re all gonna go to Pop’s. For the work party.
Alex: Maybe Uncle Doug will be there.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: But. We’re gonna eat lunch first.
Alex: And – and her new work friends. He has, Jackson…and, some other kids. No – one of ‘em are six, and he might have luh, loo, lee, lose some teeth. So, when I get to Pop’s birthday, I can show Dana and Cam, that’s, that my, I can tell Dana and Cam, that my mommy has um, has a work --
Daddy: Yeah!
Alex: Who’s that?
Daddy: Who’s what?
Alex: Is that Miss Jeannine?
Daddy: Is it? I don’t know Miss Jeannine. I think that’s just a stranger driving that car.
Claire: It’s has a watch – it has a watch – it has a watch like Mommy.
Daddy: Oh yeah, she – she has a watch, just like Mommy’s.
Alex: A watch just like Mommy’s?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Huh?
Alex: It’s not Mommy.
Daddy: No, but her watch is like Mommy’s watch.

Alex: I can’t wait – I can’t wait for um – um – Pop’s birthday.
Daddy: I know. Exciting.
Claire: I won’t wake up Mommy and Daddy today.
Daddy: Good.

Alex: Am I big for Romp ‘n’ Roll now?
Daddy: Are you what?
Alex: Am I really big for parties at Romp ‘n’ Roll now?
Daddy: Yeah, I think you are.
Alex: But I’m, I like that place though.
Daddy: I know, well we can still go there for classes and things like that.
Daddy: But – can we go for parties, though?
Alex: Well if one of your friends has a party there, yeah. But now that your friends are bigger, they – there are other places they might want to have their parties.
Claire: Maybe mine, too.
Alex: Claire wants to have it at home.
Daddy: You wanna have a party at home?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: What about Chuck E. Cheese’s, it’s more fun.
Claire: Yeah. I wanna do that too.
Alex: Okay. We can have your party at Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Claire: Yeah. I have my party at Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Daddy: I think we’re gonna have your party at home.
Alex: Why?
Daddy: Because that’s what we decided when we talked to Claire about it. But it’ll be fun ausebec you’ll have Nana and Pop and Grandma and Grandpa there.
Alex: But Pop’s party will be more fun.
Daddy: Pop’s party’s gonna be fun?
Alex: Yeah. Don’t worry about Claire’s party. Worry about Pop’s party.
Daddy: Okay.

Alex: Is Chuck E. Cheese’s not for Claire, because it’s for bigger kids?
Daddy: Yes.
Alex: Oh.
Claire: But I like Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Daddy: Well we can still go some time, just not for your party. We’re gonna go, um, one day Mommy and Daddy and Alex and Claire are gonna go.
Claire: And, can I go too?
Daddy: Yes.
Alex: When – on my next birthday can we go – um – um – to Chuck E. Cheese’s? And then, um, Neer, I want Callum and Neer, so we can play in, um, that big tunnel?
Daddy: Yeah. If that’s what you still want to do when your birthday comes, yeah.
Claire: When my birthday comes, I wanna play, with my other birthday comes, um, I can play with Morgan and Ashley.
Daddy: Yeah, you wanna play with Morgan and Ashley?
Alex: We can invite them to our house.
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: We’ll have to talk about it some more to figure out how we wanna do that, then.
Claire: But are – are we gonna turn on – on this road, Daddy?
Alex: We can invite some of my friends, too!
Daddy: What’d you say Claire?
Claire: What are – are we gonna turn on this road?
Daddy: Yeah we’re gonna turn on this road.
Claire: What is – no what is – (mumble) – that way?
Daddy: We’re gonna turn on this road.
Claire: Turn on that road?
Daddy: This road, right here.
Claire: No what is, that road called?
Daddy: Um, Hickory Park Drive.
(Pause.)
Alex: Hickory, um, um, Hickory means it’s really wide. Right, Daddy?
Daddy: No that’s what broad means.
Alex: Oh.

Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes.
(Very long pause.)
Alex: Um –
(Long pause.)
Alex: Um –
(Extremely long pause.)
Alex: Never mind.
Daddy: Okay.

Daddy: What did you put in your cannoli?
Claire: Um..
Alex: Strawberries.
Claire: Strawberries.
Alex: Put strawberries on top, and we put, color cheese inside… we had flour inside but we mixed it up. So we can eat it. We can’t eat the flour, but, we ate the strawberries!
Daddy: Yeah, you ate the strawberries while you were cooking?
Alex: We could take – we could take one bite out of it, so I took a bite out of the strawberries. I took a whooole little bite.
Claire: I took, one bite.
Alex: We got chocolate chips in it!
Claire: Yeah!
Alex: We got a little to eat, too.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: And they were yummy.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: One day, can we eat a little of chocolate chips?
Daddy: Yes.
Daddy: You want me to put that on your bucket list?
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: I want, put that on my bucket list, too.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: But we already did our bucket list.
Daddy: You can always put more things on your bucket list.
Alex: How can you write down lots of things on pieces, on a piece of paper? Because there, there is, pieces of paper are not really big!
Daddy: Well, you could always get another piece of paper, and your list could, keep writing some more, on the next piece of paper.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Yeah. And then you could tape the paper together. Have a nice big one.


(Grommie is eating a carrot.)
Alex: That’s not a bone! That’s not a bone, that’s a carrot!


(Alex comes home from soccer practice.)
Mommy: How was it?
Alex: Good. I got a crayon popsicle!
Mommy: You did?
Alex: Yeah.

Alex: We um, kicked balls into the goal, and I got four goals.


Alex: Can you put this on my bucket list? One day can we watch Bob? Put that on my bucket list.



Alex (playing in Pop's yard): Daddy, look, a big pile of dirt! Can we go see it?

But I'm -- make -- keeping -- you smile.

(Claire and Alex are sitting side by side on the sofa, watching Busytown. During the show, for no apparent reason, Claire turns and looks at Alex for a moment. Then she leans over and gently kisses him on the cheek.)
(Alex absentmindedly wipes his face, his eyes still fixed on the screen.)
(Claire gently kisses him again.)
(Alex again wipes it off.)
(Claire gently kisses him again.)
(Alex again wipes it off.)
Claire: Why are you, keep -- um -- wiping your kisses away, Alex?
Alex: I just want to.
Claire: But I'm -- make -- keeping -- you smile.

I don’t know just watch the show.

(Alex and Claire are watching Busytown.)
Claire: The missing hat.
Alex: The Mystery of the Missing Pink.
Claire: The Mystery of the Missing Pink.
Alex: I don’t know just watch the show.
Claire: I don’t know just watch the show.

Alex: The Mystery of the Lost Pans.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: I don’t know just watch the show.
Claire: I don’t know just watch the show.


Alex: Daddy, in the morning, can you still be asleep, and we can do a sleepover, ‘cause I was thinking I’d like to do a sleepover with Claire.

I guess when we were born, someone made a lot of raisins.

(Mommy and Daddy wake up to find that Claire and Alex are playing together in Alex's bed.)
Alex: We slept together!


(Mommy has a new dress on.)
Claire: I like your… clothes.


(breakfast)

Alex: I guess when we were born, someone made a lot of raisins.

Alex: Mommy?
Mommy: What?
Alex: How do you make breakfast with a dessert?
Mommy: I don't know.
Alex: You use a bunny!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I thought that joke up.


(Dora's credits play.)
Alex: They never click on Dora!
Claire: They never click on Dora!

Alex: Do we have time for another show?
Daddy: No, we don't have time for another show, but we have some time to play.
Claire: I got -- those toys beside the sofa, we can play with.




Claire: I'm scared of the rain because I hope the trees fall down.

Daddy: Alex, does Grandma have any kids?
Alex: No.
Daddy: Who are her kids?
Alex: Alex and Claire are her kids!
Daddy: What happened to her kids?
Alex: They died.


Claire: Where's Mommy's favorite kid?
Mommy: What did you say, Claire?
Claire: Where's Mommy's favorite kid?
Mommy: What?
Claire: Where's Mommy's favorite kid?


Claire: I didn't spill.
Claire: I didn't spill.
Claire: I didn't spill, Mommy.
Mommy: Good job.
Claire: Daddy, I didn't spill.
Daddy: Good job, Claire Bear.


Mommy: What does a three-year-old boy want for his birthday?
Alex: I don't know.
Daddy: Is he about to turn four?
Mommy: No, he's about to turn three.
Alex: What boy?
Daddy: Claire has a friend who's about to turn three.
Alex: A boy. Mommy said a boy, not a girl!


Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes Alex?
Alex: I want to go to Vince's party because I like eating cake.


(Alex picks up the phone.)
Alex: What's Grandma's phone number?


Claire (to Alex, angrily): I'm gonna go play by myself. Because you threw my car.


(Alex and Claire are playing.)
Alex: So let's go get that gingerbread person! He ate all the candy. The kids are supposed to eat it.



Alex: Sorry Mommy.
Mommy: What.
Alex: I didn’t mean to not eat my broccoli.



Alex: Daddy is that your book light?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: When I'm a daddy, can you make me a Kindle, so I can have a book light?

But on this Easter Day, I'm a little sick.

Alex (to Claire, whispering): The Easter Bunny's coming.
Alex (to Claire): But on this Easter Day, I'm a little sick.

You sit down on the floor, Daddy, and I'm gonna read books to you.

Claire: You sit down on the floor, Daddy, and I'm gonna read books to you.

(Claire is reading a book to Daddy.)
Alex: I've got a game you might like, Claire. You read a book to Daddy, and I'll be a bad guy and take the book!
Daddy: No, I don't think she'll like that game.



Claire (talking about an airplane): When it’s tired – when it’s, when it’s, when it’s tired of flying? It can land.


Alex: Claire can I tell you something? Please.
Claire (doing her own thing): Peekaboo.
Alex (whiny): No. Please? Uh. Claire?! Claire?!
(Claire laughs while she continues to do her own thing.)
Alex: Claire, Claire this is gonna be a fun game. Let’s build a town out of pillows, so we can walk in it, and live in some houses!
Claire: Okay!
Alex: Okay!
Alex: She listened, Daddy!!
Daddy: Oh good!
Alex: Let’s go in – let’s go in the family room, so we can get lots of stuff, and build the town!
(Alex and Claire run into the family room.)

Alex: And then we pull them out! So we can build a house!
Claire: Uh-huh!
Alex: We need a town, whoa!
Claire: We need a town, whoa!
Alex: We need to get all this stuff, the materials we need for the town. So let’s get it, let’s put it, in a big pile!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: One more.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Another roof I’ve got!
Claire: Can I put this in?
Alex: No, that’s a hard thing. We want a soft house. So no people get hurt.
Claire: I can get a soft toy.
Alex: No, I think this is enough materials, Claire. So let’s go to work. Whoa!! Ouch, ouch, ouch. I fell in all these materials. Calire, I like this pile. Claire, can you pull me out? I’m stuck.
Alex: Oooh! Ugh! My foot’s stuck in the plastic! Ooh! Ugh!
Alex: Pull me out! Please! One, two, three pull! Help me, Claire! My foot’s stuck! See!
Alex: Ugh! Ugh! Uh!
Claire: There!
Alex: Pulled me out of the plastic! That was so dirty! So I had to get out again!
Alex: Ah! Ah! There’s a crab (mumble).
Alex: Claire! Can we use Juju and Mallory! (Unintelligible)! Just like Elly and Bobo are in the pile! Claire! Let’s get to work, and start building our town!
Alex: C’mon, Claire! Ugh!
Claire: I need this to draw the town. I need this –
Alex: That can be our constructions!
Claire: No I need to draw this town.
Alex: Claire. Let – let’s draw all the things we need to – to draw the whole town. The – the – so we can – have – the basement. I can – I don’t think that looks like a town, but I can make one. Can I? Can I? Can I draw?
(Claire draws on her own and ignores Alex.)
Claire: (Unintelligible). And then do this. There, now, you can draw. There.
Alex: Now. I get the crayon. Can I turn it around? And…
Claire: Then I can, smooth it up, Alex.
Alex: Now the next thing, our construction… I, I drew a window, Claire. Now, Claire!
Claire: There.
Alex: Claire, you put black all over my building!
Daddy: Oh, Claire. Can you say you’re sorry?
Alex: I didn’t need that! Let me try again.
Alex: Stop it, Claire!
Daddy: Hey Claire, let him do some too.

Alex: No. I’m trying to draw, and – I’m not working it out. Because of you, Claire.
(Pause.)
Alex: Stop this! No rectangle, just a square!
(Pause.)
Alex: Stop this! I can’t build this house like this!
(Pause.)
Alex: This is not letting me draw what I want to draw!
Daddy: Oh. I’m sorry. Maybe you should just build your house.
Alex: But – what if I don’t know how to build it? I need constructions.
Daddy: Oh.
Alex: So this is gonna be our construction.
(Alex tries again to draw his instructions.)
Alex (angry at his picture): Stop this! Stop it! Don’t do it that again!!
Daddy: Are you gonna put the pad in time out, Alex?
Alex: No. I don’t like it.
(Alex tries again.)
Alex: Stop it! I don’t like it.
(Alex fusses.)
Daddy: All right, let’s do something else.
Alex: I need to do the constructions, so I can know how to do the house.
Daddy: Maybe you could just do them in your head, you could think about –
Alex: No! Noooooo!
(Alex fusses.)
Daddy: What’s wrong, Alex? What’s happening?
Alex: This building’s not working!
Daddy: It’s not drawing the way you want it to?
AlexL Yeah.
Daddy: It looks great to me. Would you rather do it on paper?
Claire: Can I –
Alex: No!
Daddy: Do you wanna get some paper and do it?
Alex: No.
Claire: Can I – can you get some paper and I do it?
Daddy: Yes.
(Daddy and Claire go to get some paper.)
Alex: I wanna do it on paper. This is part of it.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: If I want to see how to do the rest for the first part, I’ll just go to that one.

Alex: So we know how to bake this house. So we’ll have to draw a town, and a house, so we’ll know how.

Alex (angry at his new picture): I don’t like it! It’s not straight lines like these!

Claire: Look, Daddy! It’s a book!
Daddy: Oh I like it!
Claire: It has lots of pictures on it. It has Alex, and Claire, and Daddy, and Mommy, and Grommie.
Daddy: I like it, Claire.
Alex: I don’t see Alex.
Claire: That’s Alex. No – no that’s Alex.
Alex: No – no – those are not called people. They’re just pictures.
Claire: But I just draw everything, those, those are pictures. I’m gonna draw, a balloon.
Alex: So then, we, make a, biiiiiig… rectangle… then we make a roof up top…
Claire: There! It’s a straight line, it’s a – that’s a road, and that’s a road, and that’s a balloon!
Daddy: Oh!
Alex: And then… we make a door… oops… and then have a doorknob. And then…
Claire: There! Now, I need another color.
Alex: We put the piece together, and make more houses… And then we put that line there… put this line here… put this line here…
Claire: There! Now it’s a circle!
Alex: And now…
Claire: I made a circle!
Alex: Put this here…
Claire: I made a balloon…
Alex: Put this here…
Claire: ..and a star, circle, and a book, *and another circle. Everything I made!
Daddy: Oh good, I like it!
Claire: I make something else on this one. Yellow.
Alex (frustrated): Awwwww!
Daddy: Do you feel frustrated?
Alex: I’m feeling frustrated because I’m not putting, the – the – coloring isn’t helping me make the constructions.
Daddy: May I take a look?
Alex: Yes.
Alex: Look at this window! All… look, it just has lines, lines, lines, lines.
Daddy: But you can tell it’s a window.
Alex: No it’s not.
Daddy: So it’s good for constructions.
Alex: No!
Daddy: Ohh. You don’t like it?
Alex: I don’t like it. Can you help me build one?
Daddy: Where do you want there to be a window?
Alex: Um –
Daddy: You know, if I drew it, I think it would look like that too.
Alex: It would look like this!
Daddy: It’s hard to make the lines straight – really really straight like that. You did a good job on that one. I’m not sure I could do it.
Alex: It has to go like this.
Alex: Like that.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: See that small square? That’s what it’s supposed to look like.
Daddy: Well that looks good!
Claire: There! I really did – really – it’s a party with all the toys.
Daddy: Oh!
Claire: And the balloon needs to be in the sky, and the book needs to be inside, and the circle needs to be outside, that circle needs to be outside, that circle needs to be outside, that circle needs to be outside. Put all the changing tables.
Daddy: Oh, all the changing tables? Okay.
Claire: It’s gonna be a house.

Claire: There! Now it’s a house!
Claire: Where’s Alex?
Claire: He’s drinking some water.
Claire: Now I need some red. I need red.
(Alex returns.)
Daddy: Sometimes when I get frustrated I just need to take a break.
Claire: Why did Alex need to take a break?
Alex: Watch, Daddy! I wanna show you how I got o – get over there a different way!
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: Jump!
Alex: Now.
Alex: See?
Alex: Now…
Alex: That’s not really how to get over there, but…
Alex: Like this… push… this…
Daddy: That looks like it’s gonna be hard.
Alex: Then pull… I got over there, see?
Daddy: Good job!
Alex: I jumped on the chair, jumped on there, and I puuuuuuullledid myself over to the sofa. That’s how I got over here.
Daddy: Good work.
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex?
Alex: Can you help me make constructions?
Alex: Maybe I should just go ahead and build my house.
Daddy: I think that’s a good idea.
Alex: Claire? Can you help me build my town?
Claire: But.
Alex: It’s ready. It’s ready, it’s ready!
Claire: But I need to draw, one of the house. There.
Alex: The deer cross. The deer cross sign. The deer cross. Whoa. The deer cross sign.
Claire: There. It’s all finished.
Alex: Look, Daddy!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I’m upside-down!
Alex: Honk honk honk honk honk honk.
Alex: Honk honk, honk honk. Whoa! Claire? Are you ready for the house?
Claire: I’m gonna be upside-down.
(cross-talk)
Claire: I’m upside-down!
Daddy: You’re upside-down? Look at you, silly.
(Claire laughs.)
Claire: Woww, howww!
(Alex runs off and comes back.)
Alex: I got the constructions, hats. Here’s your construction hat!
Claire: Thank youuuuuuuu.
Claire: I have my construction hat.
Alex: Let’s get to work. Oh, it’s hot in here. Whew. Whew.
Claire: It’s hot in here. Whew. Whew.
Alex: I don’t need that hat.
Claire: I don’t need that hat.
Claire: I need it, because, my head is cold.
Alex: No no no no.
Alex: It’s hot in here, Daddy. Can you turn on the heat? I’m getting thirsty because it’s really hot in here.
Claire: I’m getting thirsty because I need some water.
Alex: Daddy, can you turn on the heat? We’re getting really thirsty because it’s really hot in here.
Daddy: Well, it’s already on, buddy. It should get better in a little bit. It’s mostly ‘cause you’ve been running around that makes you hot.
Alex: And thirsty?
Daddy: Yeah, and thirsty.
Claire: I need to clean up my mess!
Daddy: What mess did you make, sweetie?
Alex: She spilled.
Daddy: How much water did you spill?
Alex: Mommy! Your hair looks funny!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: We were trying to build a town, and all the ‘structions are not letting me, draw how I want to draw. So I’m gonna go ahead and build my house! But Claire’s not – Claire’s not helping!
Mommy: She’s not?
Alex: Would you like to help?
Mommy: Um, I need to do my hair first.
Alex: Okay.
(Alex laughs.)
Daddy: Mommy was playing a joke.
Alex: Yes she was. She was playing a joke!
Alex: Daddy, I’m putting my house over here.
Daddy: Oh! Good work!
Alex: I put – I put the little side, like, this! It’s like, this part, see?
(cross-talk)
Mommy (to Claire): You cleaned it all up?
Claire: And Daddy helped!
Alex: Next! We have to put on this little big, big rectangle… where’s the big rectangle? Oh! One of those pillows! But I wanna go over there but I can’t, whoa! Uh. Uh. Uh. Straight one and straight one and straight one and straight! Straight. Straight. Straight. Straight. Straight. Straight. Straight. Straight. Straight. Whoa. Oh no! Whoooaa! Daddy.
Daddy: Oh, what happened?
Alex: I just fell right down into the, pile of stuff.

Alex: Oh. Thanks for helping me get out.
Alex: Whoaaa!!!!

I’m gonna play tea party, and you’re gonna play tea party, Daddy.

(Mommy pulls into the Walgreen's parking lot.)
Claire: Look! That store has the medicine!
Mommy (laughing): That's right!
Claire: Are we gonna buy my medicine?


Claire: Who's gonna play tea party with me?
Claire: I’m gonna play tea party, and who else is gonna play tea party?
Claire: I’m gonna play tea party, and you’re gonna play tea party, Daddy.
Claire: I’m gonna play tea party, and you’re gonna play tea party, Daddy.
Claire: I’m gonna play tea party, and you’re gonna play tea party too, Daddy.

Alex: Daddy, I had a flower hunt and we had to find the flowers. I got three.
Claire: I had a flower hunt and I found one.

If I could put it here, that'd be okay.

Daddy: Alex, how many fingers do you have?
Alex: Five.
Daddy: And how many fingers would you like to have?
Alex: Five.
Daddy: If you could have as many as you wanted, you'd still just want five?
Alex: Yeah.
Daddy: You wouldn't want six?
Alex: No. Too many.
(Pause.)
Alex (indicating a spot right next to his pinkie): If I could put it here, that'd be okay.
(Mommy, Daddy, and Alex laugh.)

We learned not to touch the prickly ones.

Mommy: Alex had a bad dream.
Claire: What was it?
Alex: I was on the stair, and I was gonna pretend to rawr, and then a picture did it.



(Daddy comes home from work. Alex and Claire are digging in Mommy's garden.)
Alex: Daddy! We're digging holes for our garden!
Claire: Mommy -- Daddy, I'm doing very good, of this hole!
Daddy: Claire, what are you doing?
Claire: I'm doing very good job, of this hole.

Claire: I'm digging very good.

Claire: We learned not to touch the prickly ones.
Claire: We learned a lesson!

Claire: I'm sitting on the mulch. Daddy, I'm sitting on the mulch.

Claire: You're not digging with me!
Daddy: Oh, I'm pulling some weeds in the grass for a minute.
Claire: Okay, after you pull weeds, can you dig with me?
Daddy: Yes.

Claire (to Daddy): You don't have strap shoes, you have tied shoes.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire (to Daddy): You don't have strap shoes, you have tied shoes.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: We don't have tied shoes, we have strap shoes.
Daddy: That’s right.


(Alex, Claire and Daddy come inside from riding Alex's tricycle and Claire's car.)

Claire: Can I ride Alex's bike one day?

Alex: I like the bike bell, because I love to ring it. It's very noisy.


Mommy (to Claire): Did you tell Daddy what happened to you at school today?

Claire: Jahee bumped my tummy on the fence.

Mommy: And Claire said, "No pushing me!"




(Dinner. Daddy is serving up thirds on peaches.)
Alex: Don't give me any more.
Daddy: You don't want any more?
Alex: Because my tummy, said he was hurting, so he said that's enough.

Not me Thomas, 'cause I'm allergic.

(Alex's butter melted on his waffle.)
Alex: Hey! It melted!
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: It's a gas!
Daddy: It's a liquid.
Alex: A liquid?
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: We talked about that at dinner!


Alex: Mommy?
Mommy: Yeah?
Alex: Daddy got a um -- Daddy was gonna get a waffle -- and it popped up and fell right on the counter!



(Claire comes home from school and proudly displays her bead necklace.)
Claire: I sat down criss-cross applesauce.

(Claire drew a picture of a purple sheep.)
Daddy: And purple's your favorite color!
Claire: Yeah. And black.
Mommy: What are your favorite colors, Alex?
Alex: Green, red, and pink!
Alex: And my favorite letters are A, L, and E, and X!


Alex: Daddy, do you wanna play butterflies? In our butterfly house, eating oranges, and flowers?


(Mommy and Daddy are talking about investments.)
Alex: What's investments?
Daddy: Investments are what you put your money in when you're not using it.
Alex: Oh. We need a piggy bank!
Claire (to Daddy): When you go to work, you get money!


(Claire and Alex are playing trains.)
Claire: But Thomas, gave something a peanut! Gave a people a peanut!
Alex: Not me Thomas, 'cause I'm allergic.

I want to help Claire, and I’m gonna be a big brother every day!

Alex: Daddy, let’s have so much fun today.

Alex: Claire, do you know Spanish?
(Claire ignores Alex.)
Alex: I know some Spanish. Because I have a puppet at school that teaches us Spanish. But, it’s not a real puppet, it’s a pretend puppet. It doesn’t really talk.


(Alex is drawing a picture.)
Alex: Oops! I forgot in rainbows, after red comes orange.
Daddy: Oh.
Alex: Daddy, I need a new picture.


(lunch)

(Daddy has been teaching Alex and Claire about solids, liquids, and gases.)
Alex: Santa is a solid.
Daddy: What?
Alex: Santa is a solid.
Daddy: That’s right, Santa is a solid.
Alex: Because he… he, is hard.
Claire: Teachers are hard. Daddy, teachers are hard.
Alex: Daddy? Bones are hard. Is that a good one?

Alex: Daddy, can I drink some oil?
(Alex laughs.)
Daddy: Silly.
Alex: Coffee’s a – coffee’s a… liquid.
Daddy: That’s right.

Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes.
Alex: The wall is a solid.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes Claire?
Claire: The lights are a solid.
Daddy: What’s a solid?
Claire: The floor is a solid, Daddy.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: Gas is a gas.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: And bananas are a solid.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: And breads are a solid.
Daddy: Legs?
Claire: No, breads.
Daddy: Bread.
Alex: Bread is a solid.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Bread is a solid, not a gas.
Daddy: Claire said solid.
Alex: No Claire said liquid.
Daddy: She said solid.
Alex: Solid’s not a word!
(Alex laughs.)

(Daddy had also been teaching Alex and Claire about transparency.)
Alex: You know what’s not a color?
Daddy: What’s that?
Alex: The glass. On the window.
Daddy: That’s right.


Claire: I like to play in our yard. Because I like to play giants.
Mommy: Okay.
Claire: After nap, I want to play giants outside.
Mommy: Okay.


(after nap)

(With Daddy’s permission, Alex wakes Claire up from nap all by himself.)
Alex (sounding proud and excited): I’m taking care of my sister!

Alex: I want to help Claire, and I’m gonna be a big brother every day!


(snack time)

Alex: I like when I help my – when I help my little sister.
Daddy: Yeah. I do too.
Alex: It’s fun.

Alex (to Mommy): Can I – one day can I drink milk like you are?
Alex (to Mommy): Are you drinking coffee or hot chocolate?

Claire: I need more water, Alex. I need more water.
Mommy: Claire needs something.
Alex: Oh, okay, I’ll get it for you.
(Alex refills Claire’s water cup for her.)

Mommy: You’re a big help.
Alex: Yep. And I am a big brother.
Mommy: Yep.

Claire: Daddy, you talk about that joke on our yogurt.
Alex: Talk about the joke on our yogurt.

Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
Claire: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know, Claire.
Claire: Moo-stard!
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
Claire: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Claire: Moo-stard!
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
Claire: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Claire: Moo-stard!
Claire: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Claire: Moo-stard!
Claire: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Claire: Moo-stard!


(Claire puts her crocs on by herself, then runs over to Mommy.)
Claire: I put them on the right feet!
Mommy: Oh, you did!
(Claire runs over to Daddy.)
Claire: I put them on the right feet!
Daddy: Oh, you did, good job!


Mommy (reading All By Myself): I can get out of bed all by myself.
Claire: I can get out of my bed too. Because I have a big girl bed.

What do cows put on their sandwich?

(Saturday morning. Daddy is sleeping late. Alex comes into his room.)
Alex: Daddy, Claire hurt her lip really bad, and it's bleeding.

(After ice and TLC, Claire is finally feeling better.)
Claire: I'm ready to play now, Alex.

Claire (to Alex): What are you doing, Alex?
Alex: I'm getting a sticker for being very brave.


(Alex and Claire are playing.)
Alex: Claire. You're not apposed to be the giant. You're 'posed to be floating over the sea!
(Pause.)
Alex: Float over the sea.
(Pause.)
Alex: Float over the sea.
(Pause.)
Alex: Claire! Float over the sea!

Alex (to Daddy): When you were fast asleep, I was playing and I said, "Claire will you play with me?", and she said yes and I said "Yaaay!", but she didn't play with me. And I'm very sad.

Alex: Claire, please, float over the sea!
Claire: But I'm waiting, for you to find, the sea.
Alex: It's right here! Claire, it's right here!

Alex: Get on the boat and I'll pull you through the water.
(Claire is on the couch-cushion boat. Alex tries to pull her.)
Alex: You're so heavy. How 'bout you make the boat go?
(Claire makes the boat go.)
Claire: I'm doing it! I'm float over the sea.

Alex: Claire, come play!
Claire: I wanna play this game!
(Pause.)
Alex: I've got a game you really like. You like baby dolls!

Claire: Yeah. Let's play baby dolls!
Alex (to Daddy): I've got a game Claire and Alex really like to do now. Baby dolls!
Daddy: Good!

Alex: But I'm Daddy, okay Claire? I'm going to work with my baby doll.

(Alex and Claire march off with their baby dolls in their shopping carts. Alex is wearing Daddy's work shoes.)
Alex: Here we go shopping!
Claire: Here we go shopping!
Alex: I'm Daddy!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Look at my big feet!
(Alex kicks off Daddy's shoes.)
Alex: That's not what Daddy does. He doesn't.. Flew his shoes off! Hahaha. Wouldn't that be funny Claire? Stop it! You almost ran over me!

(Alex and Claire are pretending to go get more baby dolls.)
Alex: I think there's some in Germany, Claire. I think there's some in Germany.

Alex: Whoooaaa! Daddy always falls down. Sometimes.

Alex: My baby got a toy that she likes! Hello Kitty!
Daddy: Oh, Hello Kitty!
Alex: She just wanted to get a toy from the store. So I let her pick something that she likes!

Alex: I want it to be the other Saturday, with Meg's birthday.
Daddy: Yeah, you had so much fun.
Claire (shouting from the other room): It's baby's birthday!

Claire (shouting from the other room): Cupcakes are ready!

Claire: You can each have one. You can have, um…
Claire: Daddy, which one do you want? This one is for Alex.
Claire (singing): Somebody loves the cupcakes…
Claire (to Alex): Your cupcake's right there, right there.

(Claire is holding two cupcakes and a baby doll.)
Claire (showing Daddy the two cupcakes): Daddy, which one do you want? This one or this one?
Daddy: Can I have the yellow one?
Claire: No, this one's for her.
Daddy: Oh, can I have the brown one?
Claire: No I want this one. This one's for me and this one's for her.

Claire: I want a chair! I want a chair!
(Daddy brings her a chair. Alex is sitting in a chair looking out the window.)
Alex: I'm watching the rain.
Claire: I wanna watch the rain. While I eat.


(After cooking class.)
Claire: We made sushi!


(Alex is worried about the ants living in our wall.)
Alex: I've got a great idea! But I've gotta think about it first.

Alex: We could knock on the wall, and make them come out.


(snack time)

Claire: Daddy, why -- why did the cow go over the road?
Daddy: I don't know, why?
Claire: Um, because he crashed into a truck!

Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Mommy: You remembered that one!
Mommy: Did Daddy laugh?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: That's a good one.

Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)

Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)

Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Go-keek!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)

Alex: What do cows pack when they're goin' a trip?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Trick! Trick! I tricked! I tricked!
(Alex laughs.)

Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex.
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Alex: Even, it's a rainy day, we're still having fun.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Claire: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Claire: Moo-stard!
(Claire and Daddy laugh.)

Alex: What do cows pack when they're goin' to the -- beach house?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Mookee! Mookee!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: It's sorta like milk.

Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
(Long pause, as Alex appears to be trying to think up a good punchline.)
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Daddy laughs.)
Alex: What do pigs put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
(Pause.)
Alex: Hough-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Alex: What do horses put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Hot-stard!
Daddy: Oh.
Alex: What do sheep put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Alex-stard!
(Pause.)
Alex: But why aren't you laughing?
Daddy: Oh, I think I've heard that one before.

Alex: What do um, um -- what do frogs put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Frog-stard!
Daddy: Frog-stard?
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Alex: Do you know another funny joke like that?

(A little later.)
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex and Daddy laugh.)
Mommy: Alex. It's not funny if you keep asking.
Alex: Why? Why not?
Mommy: It's just not.
Alex: What do cows put on their sandwich?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stard!
(Alex laughs.)
(Pause.)
Alex: Am I not supposed to do this?
Daddy: What are you doing?
Alex: Am I not supposed to do the joke anymore?
Daddy: Well, it's not as funny now that I've heard it a lot of times.
Alex: Why isn't it more funny?
Daddy: I guess because I know what you're gonna say.

(A little later.)
Alex: What do cows get out of the mailbox?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-stock.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: What do cows put on their feet?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Moo-socks!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: It's sorta like socks, but it has a moo in it!
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: What do cows eat?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Milky!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: What do we eat?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Water-y!
(Alex laughs.)

(A little later.)
Alex: What do -- what do cows eat?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Daddy-up.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: What do -- what do kids eat?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: Popsickuh!

I got a idea! I could play by myself!

(Alex and Claire are watching Letter Factory.)
Alex: Listen to the sounds, okay Claire? I want you to know your letters.



Alex: We let our butterflies go. And one of them was on the other playground. Callum saw it.


Claire (crying): Nobody's gonna play with me!
Daddy: Ohh!
Claire: I got a idea! I could play by myself!


Alex: Mommy, I made a robot! I made a robot!
Mommy: You did?!
Alex: Come look!

Mommy was there for a minute, but she was in a really weird car.

Alex: I had a bad dream. Somebody was trying to cut some of my skin off.

Alex: Mommy was there for a minute, but she was in a really weird car.


(Claire and Alex just got home from school.)

Daddy (to Alex): Who did you play with?
Alex: Me and Jaap and Callum and Neer.
Daddy: Oh, good!
Daddy: Claire, who did you play with?
Claire: (mumble) and Edward.
Daddy: Edward and who?
Claire: Ashley.
Daddy: You played with Edward and Ashley?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Fun! I’m glad you guys have good friends to play with.
Alex: We played hospital!
Daddy: Oh!
Claire: And we played monsters!
Daddy: Oh!
Alex: We ran around until we broke our bones and then we went to the hospital.

(Claire has an invitation to a birthday party.)
Alex (whining): I want to go to Vince’s party!
Claire: No! I didn’t go to any parties you went to, Alex.



Alex: Today at school, I went to the Primrose Patch.

Alex: I planted a flower, but it’s not ready yet.


Alex: Tomorrow’s Friday!
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: Then Saturday and Sunday. Then Monday, and Romp ‘n’ Roll!

Notebook!

Alex: Is it Wednesday?
Daddy: Um… yeah, it's Wednesday.
Alex: Soccer! And play date!
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: No school?
Daddy: We have school.
Alex: Claire, on Sunday and Saturday, we don't have school, and on Wednesday and Tuesday we do have school. And on Thursday we have school. And, um, Friday we have school. So those are the days we don't have school, and those are the days we do have school.


(Claire is watching Blue's Clues.)

Claire: A clue, a clue!

Claire: A clue, a clue!

Steve: You know what we need? Our handy-dandy, supery-dupery --
Claire: Notebook!

Alex: Steve is a real person, but not Blue.
Daddy: That's right.


Alex (singing): It's a cloudy day, sweeping sun away!
(Alex laughs.)

Alex (singing): It's a sunny day, sweeping gummi bears away!
(Alex laughs.)


Alex: I know something important! You have -- you have to take care of your kids!


Alex: You know what we're not doing because it's not taking care of our Earth? Putting trash on the ground.



(after school)

Alex: Daddy! They have a big pile of dirt at school.


(dinner)

Alex: Daddy, if you don't like it, you say, "Please don't give me the recipe."
(Alex laughs.)


Alex: Mommy Mommy? When we get all my poop out, will we go to Chuck E. Cheese's?

(Claire sees that the scratch on her face has disappeared.)
Claire: Daddy, my scratch is away!

(Claire wipes her hands clean after dinner.)
Claire (to Mommy): Look -- at -- meeeeee!
Claire: Look at me, Mommy.
Mommy: Good job, Claire!
(Claire jumps in front of Daddy and holds her hands out proudly.)
Claire: Look at meeeee!
Daddy: Good job, Claire!

Ask Mommy if I said "play ear", and if she says "no", tell her that; and if she says "yes", don't tell her that.

(Nap time. Alex said his "words" to Mommy, and now Daddy gives him a kiss.)
Alex: Ask Mommy if I said "play ear", and if she says "no", tell her that; and if she says "yes", don't tell her that.

Oh no, the bunnies ate my carrots!

Claire (proudly): Daddy, I have a big girl bed.

Claire (proudly): And if I need to get a tissue I can get out of bed and get a tissue.


Alex: Cocoons, Daddy!


Claire (walking around wearing Daddy’s shoes): I’m Daddy. I’m Daddy.

Alex (walking around wearing Mommy’s shoes): Oh no, the bunnies ate my carrots!


(Daddy tucks Alex into bed, and Alex claims he’s scared to be alone in his room.)

Alex: Do you know what I could do? I could move my bed in your room.

Alex: Daddy, when I’m a grown-up, could I move in your room, so I can sleep with you guys?

Alex: But – what will my big boy bed look like?

I had a lot of tired kicking.

(Mommy, Claire, and Alex are looking at photos from yesterday.)
Alex: I liked that, I want it to be that day again.


(Claire and Alex are eating their Easter candy from the Easter egg hunt.)

Claire: I can put this in the bucket, so it won’t blow away.
Daddy: What about Claire, should we put Claire in a bucket?
Claire: No! You can’t put Claire in buckets. Those are people.

Claire: I got two, two – um, two chocolate. I ate one all, and I can eat this all.

Alex: I got one more. One more!
Daddy: One more!
(Alex opens.)
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: More jellybeans.

(Alex has finished his candy, and Claire still has a few jellybeans left.)
Alex (to Claire): Can I have some?
Claire: No! Alex!
Alex: I want some, because I haven’t had a lot of candy yet.


Daddy: I thought we were kicking. You want me to kick the ball to you and you can kick it to me?
Claire: I’m done kicking.
Daddy: You’re done kicking?
Claire: I had a lot of tired kicking.


(Claire is in the “tent” reading aloud to her baby. Daddy peeks in.)
Claire: I’m, um, reading to my, um, um, baby.


(Alex is reading a book, and sees a picture of a train.)
Alex: Can we ride on a train?
Daddy: Yeah, we can do that.
Alex: At Busch Gardens? They have a train.
Daddy: Yeah, we’ll ride the train at Busch Gardens.
Alex: And I didn’t get to play in the pool, you know.
Daddy: The pool at Busch Gardens?
Alex: Yeah. With all the water squishing around.


(Alex and Claire both want to wash hands first. Alex gets the coaster.)
Alex: Alex picks brown, Claire picks yellow.
(Alex flips the coaster. It comes up yellow.)
Alex: Claire goes first!

I’m gonna be… a soccer player!

(Mommy wakes up.)
Claire: Mommy, we’re having a picnic! There’s no school today!
Mommy: Yeah!
Alex: Aren’t you excited for Meg’s birthday?
Mommy: Yeah!
Alex: We’re having a picnic, and I’m a monster. I’m eating carrots!


Alex: I was looking at a Lego magazine, so I’m going to make one of the things in it! I’m going to make something fun, that I like to play with!


(Daddy is inflating soccer balls.)
Alex: I got a great idea! You don’t know what it is?
Daddy: I don’t know what it is.
Alex: I can take a movie of you pumping up balls!


(Alex is getting dressed for his first “real” soccer practice.)
Alex: I’m gonna be… a soccer player!


(Daddy is driving Alex to his first-ever soccer practice.)

Alex: Let’s go to a train station today. Can you put that on my bucket list?

Alex: We haven’t been to look at things, so now we don’t know when that bridge is built. We have to go look at things.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: We have to go look at things on Sunday.
Daddy: Okay.

Alex: I hope Claire’s takin’ a good nap.


(at soccer practice)
Alex: Meg’s birthday is gonna be more fun.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Than soccer.
Daddy: Yeah.


(getting into the car after soccer practice)
Alex: Mommy’s gonna say, when we get home, “Did you have fun at soccer?”


(Mommy talks to Alex about soccer practice.)
Mommy (to Alex): So why didn’t you like the part with the man?
Alex: I was just scared of the coach.
Mommy: You were scared of him?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: Why?
Alex: I just was!
Mommy: Did he do anything scary?
Alex: No.
Mommy: Oh, good!
Alex: But I was just scared. The two other mans I was scared of, but – you know who was the nicest one?
Mommy: Who?
Alex: The woman. I mean the lady.
Mommy: The lady.
Mommy: But now that you know the man doesn’t do anything scary, are you still scared of him?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: How come?
Alex: Because I’m just scared!
Mommy: But you don’t know why?
Alex: No.
Mommy: Um… is your coach at school a man?
Alex: Yeah. But he’s nice.



(Daddy is reading Corduroy.)
Claire (interrupting): Can we go to a palace one day?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Daddy’ll put it on your bucket list, Claire.

(getting ready to sing songs at bed time)
Alex (sadly): I want it to be Saturday again. Because I had fun.

(Daddy leaves Alex’s room after tucking him in.)
Alex: I had fun yesterday.
Daddy: What?
Alex: I had fun today.

But she always has a issue with her garden.

(Alex is talking about Mommy and her garden.)
Alex: But she always has a issue with her garden. The bunnies always eat her carrots, and her salad.


(Alex and Claire come home from school.)

Alex: I didn’t run away in the bushes, Daddy!
Claire: I didn’t run away in the bushes too!

Alex: How ‘bout we – how ‘bout we – how bout we be good this whole day!

(Claire shows Daddy her good-behavior treasure from school.)
Claire: I got – I got cleaned up – and got a treasure box!

Alex: I played the same game, Daddy. I played the same game outside!
Daddy: Good! Was it fun again?
Alex: Yeah, but Saavik wasn’t there.
Daddy: Oh, then who was Spider-Man?
Alex: Well, Jaap was there.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Alex: And Richard was a spider!

Alex: And Elia and Casey were still there.
Daddy: Good. And who were you?
Alex: The king again.



Alex: I just wanna be with my daddy.

Claire (to Daddy): Can you play with me?

Claire (to Daddy): I wanna play tea party!
Daddy: Okay, let’s play tea party.
Claire: Well, is it gonna take a long time if you work? Is it gonna – are you gonna work?
Daddy: No, I’m not gonna work.
Claire: Okay.

Claire: Daddy, come here, you can sit beside me!


Alex: Sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your tea party.


Alex: Paul breathes through his nose like this.
(Alex snorts.)
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: Yeah. But I can’t do it yet. ‘Cause I’m not Paul!



(bath)

Claire: That was a big one, Daddy!
Alex: Watch this – watch this, Daddy! I’m gonna make a big splash.
(Alex squirts water out of the rubber duck.)
Claire: That was a big splash!!
Alex: Whoa!

Claire: Watch.
(Claire squirts water out of the rubber duck. Claire cracks up.)

(Alex squirts water out of the rubber duck, and it goes right into his face. Mommy and Claire crack up.)
Alex (laughing): It squirt my face!

Two Spider-Mans, one monster, three princesses, and one prince!

Alex: Daddy! Daddy! We made cupcakes!
Daddy: Oh, wow!
Alex: We get to have one after dinner!

Alex: We had a treat, we got to – to lick – to lick the chocolate off the – off the spoon.

Alex: We can have them after dinner, and icing them. Then we’ll put some chocolate icing on them.


Daddy: What did you make, Claire?
Claire: Cupcakes.
Daddy: And then what did you get to do?
Claire: Um, lick the spoon.
Daddy: Oh, was it good?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: What did it taste like?
Claire: Chocolate.



(dinner)

Alex (to Mommy): After I’m done with my dinner, I would really love a cupcake.


(Alex has been talking all day about the game he played at school. Jaap and Saavik were Spider-Mans; Katie was Belle; Elia was Sleeping Beauty; Casey was Cinderella; Richard was a monster; and Alex was the king.)

Alex: Please, Daddy?
Daddy: What?
Alex: I wanna go back to school again, and play my game with Jaap, Saavik, Elia, Casey, Katie, and Richard.

Daddy: Tell me about your game, Alex.
Alex: Uh, we went away, the place that was our castle, when we see Richard, or Jaap or Saavik, we said, we run away, and so, and then we go in our castle sometimes, and then we uh, we eat dinner, and then we go outside the castle, and run around again!
(Pause.)
Alex: Well, we act – actually walk around. It’s – it’s not a really good game.
Alex: It’s just for four year olds, and – and three year olds. That’s a game just for me.
Alex: It’s not really a game for three year olds, or two year olds, or one year olds, just four year olds.

Daddy: Can you tell me what everyone was in your game?
Alex: Uh, Spider-Mans.
Alex: Spider-Man, and then a Spider-Man, and then… Belle. Cinderella. Um. King! And, monster!
Alex: Two Spider-Mans, one monster, three princesses, and one prince!
Daddy: Who was the prince?
Alex: Me!
Alex: Katie, Casey, and Elia were the princesses, and, Richard was a monster, and Saavik, Jaap were Spider-Man!

Claire: Watch, Daddy!
Daddy: Okay, I’m watching.
Claire: Watch!
(Daddy looks.)
Claire: Watch me put my legs up, watch!
(Claire runs while high-stepping.)

Claire: Watch, Daddy, I dee… a jump jump.
(Claire does a big jump.)

Claire: Watch, Daddy, I can pick one leg up, and touch it!
(Claire kicks one leg straight in front, and touches it.)

Claire: Two hands up. Two hands up, Daddy.
(Claire kicks one leg straight in front and claps around it.)

Claire: Watch I run, and I jump to the other side.
(Claire runs, and jumps to the other side.)

Claire: Watch me run really fast!
(Claire runs really fast.)


(Alex and Claire are running around.)
Alex: I wanna go back to school!
Claire: I wanna play monsters!
Alex: I wanna play Cinderella!

Alex: I wanna play Cinderella!
Claire: I wanna play with Edward! And Ashley!
Alex: I wanna play Cinderella!
Claire: I wanna play with Ashley! And Miss Arnold!
Alex: Claire, when I say, Cinderella, can you say, monsters?
Claire: Okay.
Alex: I wanna play Cinderella!
Claire: I wanna play, um, um, um, monsters!

It wouldn't be very fun to be a dog.

Alex: It wouldn't be very fun to be a dog.
Mommy: Why not?
Alex: Because you couldn't watch Daddy's game.


Claire (peeking out of the bathroom, grinning): I have hiccups!



(Alex is being silly.)
Daddy: You're not being serious right now, are you?
Alex: I am being serious.
Daddy: And don't call me Shirley.
Alex (to Daddy): Shirley.
(Alex smiles.)