I want my Elly back.

Claire: I like carrots, Daddy. I like like like carrots.
Daddy: Yeah?
Claire: We got carrots at the grocery store.


Alex: Claire! You’re in my personal space!


(lunch)

Alex (talking to himself): Sweep. Sweep up the memories. Sweep sweep sweep sweep.

Alex: Claire, when I put applesauce in my mouth, and say mmm, you tell me a word and I won’t talk because I have it in my mouth.
Claire: ‘Kay.
Alex: Mmm.
Claire: Hi Alex.
Alex: Mmm.
Claire: Hi Alex.
Alex: Mmm.
Claire: Hi Alex.
Alex: Mmm.
Claire: Stop doing that game! Stop doing that game!

Alex (to Claire, in a funny voice): I drove to work today, and I drove, to the newspaper, it had lots of words in it, I’m Grandpa! I’m Grandpa.
(Alex laughs.)


(During nap, Alex is just sitting up in bed looking sad, because he accidentally left Elly at Kroger, and even though Mommy went back to find it, she came home empty-handed.)
Alex (sadly): I want my Elly back.


(After nap. During nap, Daddy went to Kroger and finally found Elly.)

Alex (to Claire): Claire, I got my Elly back!

Alex (to Claire): When Daddy left, I cried about it, because I wanted my Elly back.
Claire: Why you cry, Alex?
Alex: Because she wasn’t there.

Alex (to Claire): I was holding stickers, and I forgot Elly.

(Alex tells Claire that they’ll take Zingo to Nana and Pop’s house.)
Alex: They don’t know Zingo, so we have to show them.

Daddy: Hey Alex, let’s get dressed so you can go.
Alex: Okay, I was just telling Claire a couple things, so she… would know them.


Alex (to Daddy): Can we have snuggle up time while we’re doing… while we’re doing… um… um…
(Alex leans in and whispers.)
Alex: …Zingo.


(Alex, Claire, and Daddy are playing Zingo.)

Alex: I love you, Daddy.

Alex: Can I go give Mommy a hug?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Uh give Mommy hug too!

(Alex and Claire run into the kitchen to give Mommy hugs.)

Daddy: Why did you give Mommy a hug?
Alex: Because I love her.

Claire: You can get the next dog, Daddy.


(dinner)

(Alex notices that one section of his divided plate is empty.)
Alex: What goes here?
Mommy: I don’t know, maybe nothing.
Alex: Please?
Alex: Please?
Alex: Please?
Alex: Please?
Alex: Broccoli.
Mommy: Um… I don’t have enough time to cook that. Sorry.
Alex: Why?
Mommy: Well because, you guys are gonna be done with dinner by the time I get it cooked.
Alex: Oh.

Alex: Let’s do the dinner game!

(Mommy brings around a yummy-smelling dish for everyone to smell.)
Alex: It doesn’t smell good.
Mommy: Well, I think it smells yummy.
Alex (in a dubious singsong voice): Okaaaay, well I won’t eat it still.


(Alex is testing Claire.)
(Alex holds up one finger.)
Alex: How many is this?
Claire: One!
Alex: That’s right, Claire.
(Alex holds up two fingers.)
Alex: How many is this?
Claire: Two!
Alex: Right.
(Alex holds up three fingers.)
Alex: How many is this?
Claire: Two!
Alex: It’s more than two.
(Alex tries to explain. Claire eventually agrees, absently.)

Alex (showing four fingers to Claire): How many is this?
Claire: I don’t know that one.
Alex: This is four.
Claire: Four, yeah, four.

Mommy (to Alex): How long can you count?
Alex: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty-two, twenty-one, twenty-thirty, twenty… twenty… twenty… twenty-eight, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight!