Alex: Can everybody be quiet so I can hear the TV?
Alex: I wanted to seek without hearing a noise!
Alex: And Claire said, Claire wanted to know what it was, but it flew away.
(At nap, a woodpecker rapped on the gutter outside Claire's window, scaring her.)
Daddy: What did you hear?
Claire: Um, that, funny bird.
Daddy: What kind of bird?
Claire: A funny bird.
Daddy: Yeah, what did it do?
Claire: And it was -- knocking on the house.
Daddy: Ohh.
Claire: And, I, um, got out of bed and see what it was.
Daddy: Did you like it?
Claire: No.
Daddy: Why not?
Claire: I don't know.
Daddy: Did you know what it was?
Claire: Yes.
Daddy: Did you call Mommy?
Claire: Yes.
Daddy: And what did you tell her?
Claire: Um.
Daddy: What did you say to Mommy when she came in?
Claire: Um.
Daddy: Have you ever robbed a bank, Alex?
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I'm a nice guy.
Claire: I'm a nice guy too.
Alex: Mommy?
Mommy: Yeah?
Alex: Strawberries are my favorite color. They're red.
Alex: Daddy, you know what Kemji's middle name is?
Daddy: No I don't. What is it?
Alex: Um.
(Long pause.)
Alex: I don't remember.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Oops! I forgot, I don't have pants on.
Alex: Oops! I forgot, I don't have pants on.
Alex: Daddy's so creatiful.
Alex: Daddy's so creatiful.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Santa has a office.
(Alex and Claire are being silly.)
Alex: Santa has a office.
Claire: Yeah he does.
Alex: No he doesn’t.
Claire: Santa has a doctor.
Alex: No he has a doggie.
Claire: No he has a dentist.
Alex: No he has a cat.
Claire: No he has a cow.
Alex: No he has a horse.
Claire: Look at me, I’m looking. Look.
Alex: And he has a rooster and a chicken.
Claire: And he has a pig and a sheep. No!
Alex: He has a pig and a sheep, no. He has a dolphin and a whale.
Claire: He has…
Alex: He has a fish and a tadpole. Do you know what a tadpole is?
(Claire takes a long time at breakfast.)
Alex: Is Claire taking too long?
Daddy: She’s taking a long time, but that’s okay.
Claire: I’m – I’m a lot of hungry.
Alex: Santa has a office.
Claire: Yeah he does.
Alex: No he doesn’t.
Claire: Santa has a doctor.
Alex: No he has a doggie.
Claire: No he has a dentist.
Alex: No he has a cat.
Claire: No he has a cow.
Alex: No he has a horse.
Claire: Look at me, I’m looking. Look.
Alex: And he has a rooster and a chicken.
Claire: And he has a pig and a sheep. No!
Alex: He has a pig and a sheep, no. He has a dolphin and a whale.
Claire: He has…
Alex: He has a fish and a tadpole. Do you know what a tadpole is?
(Claire takes a long time at breakfast.)
Alex: Is Claire taking too long?
Daddy: She’s taking a long time, but that’s okay.
Claire: I’m – I’m a lot of hungry.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
He’s a nice Ernie. Not the Ernie on TV. Your Ernie.
(Claire has goosebumps.)
Claire (to Mommy): Why is my leg prickly?
(Daddy, Alex, and Claire are playing with Calico Critters.)
Daddy: Somebody had to make all these things.
Alex: I guess Ernie really liked them.
Daddy: Yeah. And he really wanted you to have them.
Alex: He’s a nice Ernie. Not the Ernie on TV. Your Ernie.
(snack)
Alex (to Daddy): What did you do on Friday, at work?
Alex: I like that Grandma and Grandpa, yesterday, took us out for lunch.
Daddy: You liked that?
Alex: Yeah. Can we do it again sometime?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Excuse me, Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex?
Alex: At Grandpa’s house yesterday, I told Grandpa that you had a big window on top, on your car, and we could look out it. And he said “That’s right”, because he knows that, he knows that that window’s up there.
Alex: Grandpa knows a lot of things.
Alex: When people sleep on some, mechanics, um –
(Pause.)
Alex: What is it?
Daddy: Hammock.
Alex: Hammock. When some people sleep on a hammock, they have, um – they have blankets on them. Sometimes, they’re attached to blankets. And they pull them up and sleep on them. They rest under them. Or sleep. Like – [Alex glances out the window and sees that the hammock isn’t out there] – why did you take? The? The – what is it? Hammock, down? Why did you take the hammock down?
Daddy: So that it wouldn’t get all wet when it snowed.
Alex: Oh. But it stopped snowing.
Daddy: Yeah and we’ll put it back up when we want to use it.
Alex: How ‘bout after nap. If it stopped snowing.
Daddy: I think it’ll be too cold still. Maybe tomorrow.
Alex: Oh.
Alex (out of the blue): Not without Buzz!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Not without Buzz!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: You are a toy!!
(Alex laughs.)
Daddy: You’re silly.
Alex: I don’t remember – I don’t remember eating that!
(Alex laughs.)
(Pause.)
Alex: I don’t wanna use my head!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: There’s a lot of – there’s a lot of stuff that they say, from Toy Story.
Daddy: There sure is.
(Pause.)
Alex: This was no accident.
(Alex laughs.)
(Pause.)
Alex: Not without Andy!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Buzz. It’s Buzz.
Alex: I couldn’t call him my friend.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: That’s where I need to go.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: But the sign says it’s closed! You can’t go there Buzz!
(Alex laughs.)
(Pause.)
Alex: I know Andy’s excited about Buzz, but you’re still Andy’s toy.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I’m still Andy’s favorite toy.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex (singing): You’ve got a friend in me… You’ve got a friend in me…
(Alex is making up rhymes.)
Alex: How ‘bout furniture, and…. sherniture!
Alex: I’m a he, because I’m a boy. You’re a he, and Mommy’s a her.
Claire (to Mommy): Why is my leg prickly?
(Daddy, Alex, and Claire are playing with Calico Critters.)
Daddy: Somebody had to make all these things.
Alex: I guess Ernie really liked them.
Daddy: Yeah. And he really wanted you to have them.
Alex: He’s a nice Ernie. Not the Ernie on TV. Your Ernie.
(snack)
Alex (to Daddy): What did you do on Friday, at work?
Alex: I like that Grandma and Grandpa, yesterday, took us out for lunch.
Daddy: You liked that?
Alex: Yeah. Can we do it again sometime?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Excuse me, Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex?
Alex: At Grandpa’s house yesterday, I told Grandpa that you had a big window on top, on your car, and we could look out it. And he said “That’s right”, because he knows that, he knows that that window’s up there.
Alex: Grandpa knows a lot of things.
Alex: When people sleep on some, mechanics, um –
(Pause.)
Alex: What is it?
Daddy: Hammock.
Alex: Hammock. When some people sleep on a hammock, they have, um – they have blankets on them. Sometimes, they’re attached to blankets. And they pull them up and sleep on them. They rest under them. Or sleep. Like – [Alex glances out the window and sees that the hammock isn’t out there] – why did you take? The? The – what is it? Hammock, down? Why did you take the hammock down?
Daddy: So that it wouldn’t get all wet when it snowed.
Alex: Oh. But it stopped snowing.
Daddy: Yeah and we’ll put it back up when we want to use it.
Alex: How ‘bout after nap. If it stopped snowing.
Daddy: I think it’ll be too cold still. Maybe tomorrow.
Alex: Oh.
Alex (out of the blue): Not without Buzz!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Not without Buzz!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: You are a toy!!
(Alex laughs.)
Daddy: You’re silly.
Alex: I don’t remember – I don’t remember eating that!
(Alex laughs.)
(Pause.)
Alex: I don’t wanna use my head!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: There’s a lot of – there’s a lot of stuff that they say, from Toy Story.
Daddy: There sure is.
(Pause.)
Alex: This was no accident.
(Alex laughs.)
(Pause.)
Alex: Not without Andy!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Buzz. It’s Buzz.
Alex: I couldn’t call him my friend.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: That’s where I need to go.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: But the sign says it’s closed! You can’t go there Buzz!
(Alex laughs.)
(Pause.)
Alex: I know Andy’s excited about Buzz, but you’re still Andy’s toy.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I’m still Andy’s favorite toy.
(Alex laughs.)
Alex (singing): You’ve got a friend in me… You’ve got a friend in me…
(Alex is making up rhymes.)
Alex: How ‘bout furniture, and…. sherniture!
Alex: I’m a he, because I’m a boy. You’re a he, and Mommy’s a her.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
…So the little boy Gatewood, and Sofia, went to Soorya, and Sooraya’s, house.
Claire (about going to Grandma’s house): We’re gonna go see our pretty garden!
Alex: We have more toys than Grandma. Don’t we.
Daddy: Yeah, I guess so.
Claire: We’re gonna see her pretty garden, Daddy.
Alex: Grandma’s far, far away.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Will it take long?
Daddy: Not too long.
Alex: Oh. The beach house will take too long.
Daddy: Yeah, the beach house is a long way away.
Alex: And the Tyler Place, we can’t drive there, we need a airplane.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: We can’t use a helicopter. It would be better for a car, it would be better – airplane or a car. But I like airplanes.
Alex: Daddy? I want – I wanna try to find one with a TV in it.
Daddy: Okay.
Daddy: Claire, what do you wanna do at Grandma’s house?
Alex: I wanna play for a little – with her big play house.
Claire: And, I wanna look at her garden, and I wanna play with her big play house. I wanna see it!
Alex: Grandma, doesn’t, have a play set like that. Not like ours. She doesn’t have a yellow slide… no, ne – no brown wood, no blue roof, and… and… she doesn’t have a swing set for us. We’ll fall out.
Daddy: Yeah. But Grandma has a whole playground.
Claire: Watch I turn, Daddy.
(Claire jumps and spins in the air.)
(Alex is telling a story to Claire. This is just a small snippet of it.)
Alex: …So the little boy Gatewood, and Sofia, went to Soorya, and Sooraya’s, house.
Claire (with the Lego man): The man’s saying bye to me, ‘cause I’m going to Grandma’s house.
Claire (seeing the jar of coins): These are pennies! These are pennies to put in the water.
Alex: We have more toys than Grandma. Don’t we.
Daddy: Yeah, I guess so.
Claire: We’re gonna see her pretty garden, Daddy.
Alex: Grandma’s far, far away.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Will it take long?
Daddy: Not too long.
Alex: Oh. The beach house will take too long.
Daddy: Yeah, the beach house is a long way away.
Alex: And the Tyler Place, we can’t drive there, we need a airplane.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: We can’t use a helicopter. It would be better for a car, it would be better – airplane or a car. But I like airplanes.
Alex: Daddy? I want – I wanna try to find one with a TV in it.
Daddy: Okay.
Daddy: Claire, what do you wanna do at Grandma’s house?
Alex: I wanna play for a little – with her big play house.
Claire: And, I wanna look at her garden, and I wanna play with her big play house. I wanna see it!
Alex: Grandma, doesn’t, have a play set like that. Not like ours. She doesn’t have a yellow slide… no, ne – no brown wood, no blue roof, and… and… she doesn’t have a swing set for us. We’ll fall out.
Daddy: Yeah. But Grandma has a whole playground.
Claire: Watch I turn, Daddy.
(Claire jumps and spins in the air.)
(Alex is telling a story to Claire. This is just a small snippet of it.)
Alex: …So the little boy Gatewood, and Sofia, went to Soorya, and Sooraya’s, house.
Claire (with the Lego man): The man’s saying bye to me, ‘cause I’m going to Grandma’s house.
Claire (seeing the jar of coins): These are pennies! These are pennies to put in the water.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
I had fun working with Grandma yesterday.
(Alex is getting a band-aid for his tick bite.)
Claire: When I hurt myself, I gonna get a band-aid one day.
Claire: Watch me do something. I'm learning to read!
(Claire runs to the digital clock.)
Claire: It's 8, 1, 7!
Daddy: Oh, good job! Gimme five!
(The clock shows 8:12.)
Claire: Watch me do something, Alex.
(Claire runs to the digital clock.)
Claire: It's 8, 1… what is this, Daddy?
Daddy: Two. Oh, no, that's three.
Claire: 8, 1, 3!
Alex: I had fun working with Grandma yesterday.
Daddy: Oh, good, I bet she'd like to hear about that.
Daddy: Did you want to write her an email?
Alex: Yes.
Alex: She might be on her computer so maybe we could write a email to her.
(The following is the email to Grandma.)
***
Alex: I liked planting with you today. Thank you for coming over, and -- and I -- and I, um -- I liked playing with you, at the -- at, gardening.
Claire: Um, I liked gardening with you, and planting flowers in -- in the plant --
Alex (interrupting): And I liked patting down the dirt with you so I can get the flowers --
Claire: No I need to do it!!
Alex: Claire yelled at me.
Claire: And I liked to plant with you -- um, I liked to plant with you in the garden.
***
Alex: I saw two birds on where Grandma opens the door to put her sticks!
(after school)
Claire: Daddy, I'm gonna take a book to school!
Daddy: Oh, neat!
Claire: I'm gonna go upstairs and, and -- a favorite book that I like.
Claire: When I hurt myself, I gonna get a band-aid one day.
Claire: Watch me do something. I'm learning to read!
(Claire runs to the digital clock.)
Claire: It's 8, 1, 7!
Daddy: Oh, good job! Gimme five!
(The clock shows 8:12.)
Claire: Watch me do something, Alex.
(Claire runs to the digital clock.)
Claire: It's 8, 1… what is this, Daddy?
Daddy: Two. Oh, no, that's three.
Claire: 8, 1, 3!
Alex: I had fun working with Grandma yesterday.
Daddy: Oh, good, I bet she'd like to hear about that.
Daddy: Did you want to write her an email?
Alex: Yes.
Alex: She might be on her computer so maybe we could write a email to her.
(The following is the email to Grandma.)
***
Alex: I liked planting with you today. Thank you for coming over, and -- and I -- and I, um -- I liked playing with you, at the -- at, gardening.
Claire: Um, I liked gardening with you, and planting flowers in -- in the plant --
Alex (interrupting): And I liked patting down the dirt with you so I can get the flowers --
Claire: No I need to do it!!
Alex: Claire yelled at me.
Claire: And I liked to plant with you -- um, I liked to plant with you in the garden.
***
Alex: I saw two birds on where Grandma opens the door to put her sticks!
(after school)
Claire: Daddy, I'm gonna take a book to school!
Daddy: Oh, neat!
Claire: I'm gonna go upstairs and, and -- a favorite book that I like.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
When I was eating at school, I got a little messy on my shirt.
Claire: When I was eating at school, I got a little messy on my shirt.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Daddy, I woke up this big!
(Alex holds his fingers close together.)
Alex: Daddy, I woke up this big!
Claire: When I was sleeping I hear the storm, Alex.
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: I cover my ears.
Alex: Why?
Claire: ‘Cause it was gonna scare me.
Alex: Daddy, I woke up this big!
Claire: When I was sleeping I hear the storm, Alex.
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: I cover my ears.
Alex: Why?
Claire: ‘Cause it was gonna scare me.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Clean clean clean, clean clean clean
(For several minutes, after snack, and on their own, Alex and Claire go around the house, wiping things with wipes.)
Alex and Claire (singing): Clean clean clean, clean clean clean
(This goes on for about 10 minutes, punctuated by frequent laughter.)
Daddy: Oh, we’re gonna have tacos. Yummy.
Claire (to Mommy): I wanna go tell Daddy something.
(Claire runs into the kitchen to tell Daddy.)
Claire: Hey Daddy? You bend like this and then you bite it.
(Claire bends her head to the side.)
(dinner)
Alex: I don’t wanna go to school tomorrow.
Daddy: Oh.
Claire: But… you wanna see Jaap.
Alex and Claire (singing): Clean clean clean, clean clean clean
(This goes on for about 10 minutes, punctuated by frequent laughter.)
Daddy: Oh, we’re gonna have tacos. Yummy.
Claire (to Mommy): I wanna go tell Daddy something.
(Claire runs into the kitchen to tell Daddy.)
Claire: Hey Daddy? You bend like this and then you bite it.
(Claire bends her head to the side.)
(dinner)
Alex: I don’t wanna go to school tomorrow.
Daddy: Oh.
Claire: But… you wanna see Jaap.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
There’s a leppechaunia on here, he’s gonna hurt me.
(Alex holds up a piece of Life cereal.)
Alex: There’s a leprechaun on here, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: Yeah.
(Alex puts the Life cereal in his mouth.)
Alex: He bite my tongue, ouch!
(Claire holds up a piece of Life cereal.)
Claire: There’s a leppechaunia on here, he’s gonna hurt me.
(Claire puts the piece of Life cereal in her mouth.)
Claire: Ouch ouch ouch!
(It’s late Saturday morning, and the kids have made a mess of the house.)
Alex (to Daddy): At nap time, can you clean our house up? It’s messy.
(Last night, the hammock was left out in the rain.)
Alex: The sun’s pretty shining today, so maybe the… the mechanic’s all dried out.
Alex: There’s a leprechaun on here, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: Yeah.
(Alex puts the Life cereal in his mouth.)
Alex: He bite my tongue, ouch!
(Claire holds up a piece of Life cereal.)
Claire: There’s a leppechaunia on here, he’s gonna hurt me.
(Claire puts the piece of Life cereal in her mouth.)
Claire: Ouch ouch ouch!
(It’s late Saturday morning, and the kids have made a mess of the house.)
Alex (to Daddy): At nap time, can you clean our house up? It’s messy.
(Last night, the hammock was left out in the rain.)
Alex: The sun’s pretty shining today, so maybe the… the mechanic’s all dried out.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Claire, whenever there’s a fire, and there’s a fire on you, just stop drop and roll. Okay?
(snack time)
Alex: Mommy doesn't look on her -- her old computer anymore. It doesn't work.
Alex: Mommy has two computers.
Claire (smiling proudly): I cut my, um, um, muffin with my fork, look.
Alex: Daddy, let's play Giants.
Daddy: You wanna do that?
Alex: Yeah. But, Mommy, if you're still tired, you don't have to come out.
(Everyone is in the hammock.)
Claire: I’m not painting outside.
Alex: You can paint in the mechanic, Claire.
Claire: The mechanic will get all painted up. I can’t paint in the mechanic, it will get painted up.
(dinner)
Alex: Claire, whenever there’s a fire, and there’s a fire on you, just stop drop and roll. Okay?
Claire: Okay.
Alex: Mommy doesn't look on her -- her old computer anymore. It doesn't work.
Alex: Mommy has two computers.
Claire (smiling proudly): I cut my, um, um, muffin with my fork, look.
Alex: Daddy, let's play Giants.
Daddy: You wanna do that?
Alex: Yeah. But, Mommy, if you're still tired, you don't have to come out.
(Everyone is in the hammock.)
Claire: I’m not painting outside.
Alex: You can paint in the mechanic, Claire.
Claire: The mechanic will get all painted up. I can’t paint in the mechanic, it will get painted up.
(dinner)
Alex: Claire, whenever there’s a fire, and there’s a fire on you, just stop drop and roll. Okay?
Claire: Okay.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
I’m two.
(Claire talks in her sleep.)
Claire: I’m two.
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: My name’s Claire, my name’s (mumble).
Claire: Eh?
(Going to bed)
Alex: I wanna have St. Patrick's Day again.
Daddy: You liked it?
Alex: Yeah.
Daddy:Well, we'll do it again next year.
Alex: I liked it because everyone said my shirt was beautiful.
Alex: Next time we have the class with Chloe’s mom, can Claire be there?
Claire: I’m two.
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: My name’s Claire, my name’s (mumble).
Claire: Eh?
(Going to bed)
Alex: I wanna have St. Patrick's Day again.
Daddy: You liked it?
Alex: Yeah.
Daddy:Well, we'll do it again next year.
Alex: I liked it because everyone said my shirt was beautiful.
Alex: Next time we have the class with Chloe’s mom, can Claire be there?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
There’s a foggy fog everywhere!
(It’s foggy outside.)
Alex: There’s a foggy fog over there!
Alex: There’s a foggy fog everywhere!
Alex: Look at that dark foggy fog! You can’t see that house!
(Claire is painting watercolors.)
Claire: I ripped it by myself!
Daddy: Oh good, and it looks so pretty!
Claire: Look, I made the whole thing by myself!
Alex: Can I watch your game, with Jessie? Can I watch Jessie?
Alex: Yee-ha! Yee-ha! I’m a cowgirl!
Alex: Hey howdy hey!
Claire: Hey howdy hey!
Alex: Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey!
Claire: Look at my picture!
Mommy: I like it!
Daddy: Oh, it’s so pretty!
(Claire tears it off the pad.)
Claire: I ripped it by myself.
Daddy: You did a good job.
(Claire paints another picture.)
Daddy: That’s a beautiful picture! I love it.
Claire: Watch me rip it by myself.
Alex: There’s a foggy fog over there!
Alex: There’s a foggy fog everywhere!
Alex: Look at that dark foggy fog! You can’t see that house!
(Claire is painting watercolors.)
Claire: I ripped it by myself!
Daddy: Oh good, and it looks so pretty!
Claire: Look, I made the whole thing by myself!
Alex: Can I watch your game, with Jessie? Can I watch Jessie?
Alex: Yee-ha! Yee-ha! I’m a cowgirl!
Alex: Hey howdy hey!
Claire: Hey howdy hey!
Alex: Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey! Hey howdy hey!
Claire: Look at my picture!
Mommy: I like it!
Daddy: Oh, it’s so pretty!
(Claire tears it off the pad.)
Claire: I ripped it by myself.
Daddy: You did a good job.
(Claire paints another picture.)
Daddy: That’s a beautiful picture! I love it.
Claire: Watch me rip it by myself.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I did it by myself. Nobody could do it with me! Not Daddy, not Mommy, not Alex! Just me, by myself! I did it.
(Alex is watching Caillou, on which someone uses the word “fragile”.)
Alex: I know what fragile means!
Daddy: What?
Alex: That they’re easy to break. And I have caterpillars, building cocoons, so nobody should shake the cup, ‘cause they’re fragile.
Alex: Daddy, if I eat my breakfast, will you take me to school?
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Can we have spinach for dinner?
Claire: Daddy, I just put my medicine in the sink. ‘Cause it’s all gone.
Claire: Why did he say “very tasty”?
Alex: Oh, Daddy, it’s warming up!
Daddy: Good.
Alex: He said it’s, it’s warming up.
Claire: Daddy, I turned off the TV.
Daddy: Good.
Claire: I did it by myself. Nobody could do it with me! Not Daddy, not Mommy, not Alex! Just me, by myself! I did it.
Alex: Daddy, you remember that person at school, and what language he speaks?
Daddy: Yeah, I do.
Alex: You remember?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: German.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: German. Juh, juh, german. German. German!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I wanna go see Miss Wilson.
Claire (singing): I love your house, I love your nest, in all the world, my nest is best!
Claire: I have a idea.
Claire: Mommy, I have a joke.
Mommy: Okay.
Claire: Who is in the water?
Mommy: I don’t know.
Claire: Because foots go in water, and ducks! Ah-ha-ha!
Claire: And I sprinkled the cookies, and Alex take a turn… we take turns.
Claire: Is dinner ready?
Daddy (mocking Claire): Is breakfast ready?
Claire: Is breakfast ready?
Claire (mocking Daddy): Not yet!
(Claire laughs.)
Alex: And we played Chippers.
Daddy: Oh! How do you play Chippers?
Alex: Well, one day when you go to school, when – one day I’ll let you come to my school, and I’ll show you how to play Chippers.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I’m a giant cheese sandwich.
(dinner)
Claire: Mommy, eat your buh-mato.
Alex: Claire, it starts with a T. It’s “tomato”.
Claire: Tomato.
Claire: Mommy, you’re not eating your tomato.
Mommy: Nn-nn. Oh, you said it right! Good job!
Alex: Daddy, I can eat chicken, or pears… or peaches, or applesauce… or pears, or apples… or bread, or toast… or sausage… or waffle… no pineapple though… and spinach…
Claire: There’s more buh-matos.
Daddy: What do I have more of, Claire?
Claire: There’s more buh-matos.
Alex: …or I can eat cereal, or Kix… or pancakes. Or cake or ice cream. Or I can eat some bread. Just like circle bread. That’s on my sandwich.
Alex: Or square bread.
Mommy: Claire, tell me a joke.
Claire: Who went on a motorcycle?
Mommy: I don’t know.
Claire: ‘Cause, um, a mountain on a motorcycle!
(Mommy and Claire laugh.)
Mommy: Is that funny?
Claire: Yeah. I wanna tell you another joke. Who went on a bike?
Claire: I don’t know.
Mommy: ‘Cause, a, motorcycle went on a bike.
Alex: That’s silly, motorcycles can’t go on a bike.
Claire (to Mommy): When you take my picture, I’m gonna laugh and I’m gonna run away, okay?
(Mommy interrupted her dinner so Claire can take a video of her.)
Claire: I’m already gonna turn it off.
Mommy: Okay, bye.
Claire: Bye.
Mommy: Now go eat your dinner.
Alex: Mommy?
Mommy: Yeah.
Alex: You pick me up like a big sack of potatoes, then put me down and tickle me.
(Claire is taking pictures with her camera.)
Claire: You wanna see a door?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Look I did a door, Daddy! You see it?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Oh, you – you see my foot, you wanna see my foot, Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: You see it?
Daddy: Yeah!
(Alex is in bed, nursing the wound left over from having a splinter.)
Alex: If it still hurts in the morning, and after I eat breakfast, and after I put my shoes on, and after I put my coat on, maybe I could show my friends.
Alex: I know what fragile means!
Daddy: What?
Alex: That they’re easy to break. And I have caterpillars, building cocoons, so nobody should shake the cup, ‘cause they’re fragile.
Alex: Daddy, if I eat my breakfast, will you take me to school?
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Can we have spinach for dinner?
Claire: Daddy, I just put my medicine in the sink. ‘Cause it’s all gone.
Claire: Why did he say “very tasty”?
Alex: Oh, Daddy, it’s warming up!
Daddy: Good.
Alex: He said it’s, it’s warming up.
Claire: Daddy, I turned off the TV.
Daddy: Good.
Claire: I did it by myself. Nobody could do it with me! Not Daddy, not Mommy, not Alex! Just me, by myself! I did it.
Alex: Daddy, you remember that person at school, and what language he speaks?
Daddy: Yeah, I do.
Alex: You remember?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: German.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: German. Juh, juh, german. German. German!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: I wanna go see Miss Wilson.
Claire (singing): I love your house, I love your nest, in all the world, my nest is best!
Claire: I have a idea.
Claire: Mommy, I have a joke.
Mommy: Okay.
Claire: Who is in the water?
Mommy: I don’t know.
Claire: Because foots go in water, and ducks! Ah-ha-ha!
Claire: And I sprinkled the cookies, and Alex take a turn… we take turns.
Claire: Is dinner ready?
Daddy (mocking Claire): Is breakfast ready?
Claire: Is breakfast ready?
Claire (mocking Daddy): Not yet!
(Claire laughs.)
Alex: And we played Chippers.
Daddy: Oh! How do you play Chippers?
Alex: Well, one day when you go to school, when – one day I’ll let you come to my school, and I’ll show you how to play Chippers.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I’m a giant cheese sandwich.
(dinner)
Claire: Mommy, eat your buh-mato.
Alex: Claire, it starts with a T. It’s “tomato”.
Claire: Tomato.
Claire: Mommy, you’re not eating your tomato.
Mommy: Nn-nn. Oh, you said it right! Good job!
Alex: Daddy, I can eat chicken, or pears… or peaches, or applesauce… or pears, or apples… or bread, or toast… or sausage… or waffle… no pineapple though… and spinach…
Claire: There’s more buh-matos.
Daddy: What do I have more of, Claire?
Claire: There’s more buh-matos.
Alex: …or I can eat cereal, or Kix… or pancakes. Or cake or ice cream. Or I can eat some bread. Just like circle bread. That’s on my sandwich.
Alex: Or square bread.
Mommy: Claire, tell me a joke.
Claire: Who went on a motorcycle?
Mommy: I don’t know.
Claire: ‘Cause, um, a mountain on a motorcycle!
(Mommy and Claire laugh.)
Mommy: Is that funny?
Claire: Yeah. I wanna tell you another joke. Who went on a bike?
Claire: I don’t know.
Mommy: ‘Cause, a, motorcycle went on a bike.
Alex: That’s silly, motorcycles can’t go on a bike.
Claire (to Mommy): When you take my picture, I’m gonna laugh and I’m gonna run away, okay?
(Mommy interrupted her dinner so Claire can take a video of her.)
Claire: I’m already gonna turn it off.
Mommy: Okay, bye.
Claire: Bye.
Mommy: Now go eat your dinner.
Alex: Mommy?
Mommy: Yeah.
Alex: You pick me up like a big sack of potatoes, then put me down and tickle me.
(Claire is taking pictures with her camera.)
Claire: You wanna see a door?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Look I did a door, Daddy! You see it?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: Oh, you – you see my foot, you wanna see my foot, Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: You see it?
Daddy: Yeah!
(Alex is in bed, nursing the wound left over from having a splinter.)
Alex: If it still hurts in the morning, and after I eat breakfast, and after I put my shoes on, and after I put my coat on, maybe I could show my friends.
Monday, March 14, 2011
I’m not Claire’s daughter.
Alex: Daddy, I think I drinked a lot of water.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: Maybe I might throw up, but maybe not.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: But you would clean it up.
(after nap)
Alex: Claire didn't sleep. She called Mommy the whole time.
Alex: I let Mommy work.
Claire: I did too.
Alex: No you didn't.
Claire: I did.
Alex: No you didn't.
Claire: I did.
Alex: You’re a son, Claire. You’re my son.
Claire: No, I’m not a son.
Alex: Daddy, you’re my son! I’m your son.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: And Claire’s your daughter. Claire’s your daughter.
Daddy: That’s right. Claire, you’re my daughter.
Alex: And Mommy’s your mommy.
Daddy: Mommy’s not my mommy.
Claire: I’m not Claire’s daughter.
Alex: You’re his daughter. I’m his son, and you’re his daughter.
Alex: I’m the son and you’re the daughter.
Alex: And – and – and—Daddy?
Daddy: Yes?
Alex: Um, our Mommy is your mommy too.
Alex: You shouldn’t run in the bathroom.
(Claire looks in the mirror after eating spaghetti.)
Claire (smiling): My face has a lot of sauce on there!
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: Maybe I might throw up, but maybe not.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: But you would clean it up.
(after nap)
Alex: Claire didn't sleep. She called Mommy the whole time.
Alex: I let Mommy work.
Claire: I did too.
Alex: No you didn't.
Claire: I did.
Alex: No you didn't.
Claire: I did.
Alex: You’re a son, Claire. You’re my son.
Claire: No, I’m not a son.
Alex: Daddy, you’re my son! I’m your son.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: And Claire’s your daughter. Claire’s your daughter.
Daddy: That’s right. Claire, you’re my daughter.
Alex: And Mommy’s your mommy.
Daddy: Mommy’s not my mommy.
Claire: I’m not Claire’s daughter.
Alex: You’re his daughter. I’m his son, and you’re his daughter.
Alex: I’m the son and you’re the daughter.
Alex: And – and – and—Daddy?
Daddy: Yes?
Alex: Um, our Mommy is your mommy too.
Alex: You shouldn’t run in the bathroom.
(Claire looks in the mirror after eating spaghetti.)
Claire (smiling): My face has a lot of sauce on there!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Look! The water looks beautiful here! Can we throw something in there?
(at the park)
Alex: Why is that sign in the water?
Daddy: That’s silly.
Claire: That’s silly.
Alex: I wish we could go swimming in there one day.
Alex: But, it might be dirty, so we can’t go swimming in there. Only in the ocean, or the pool.
Claire: Wow, trash cans. And another bench.
Alex: This is a cool place!
Alex: Look! The water looks beautiful here! Can we throw something in there?
Alex: What can we throw in the water?
Mommy: Nothing. We don’t wanna throw anything in the water, okay?
Alex: Why not?
Alex: What is this place? What is this place?
Mommy: It’s a gazebo.
Claire: We don’t wanna fall.
Alex: Whoa! I’m falling!
Claire: Whoa! I’m falling!
Alex: Whoa, whoa, I’m falling! Ah, splash!
Claire: Are you okay, Alex?
Alex: Yeah. Oh! I’m falling down the waterfall!
Alex: You shouldn't tease beavers.
Claire: I wanna play giant. I like to play giant.
(Alex and Claire are drawing pictures.)
Claire: What’d you make, Alex?
Alex: A banana store.
Claire: Oh.
Daddy: A banana store?
Alex: Yeah, there's a banana on top, it’s just pretend, but I put a banana sign on top so I know it’s a banana store.
Alex: They're - they're fixing the roof. The truck’s coming to fix the roof.
Daddy: Oh, I like that.
Alex: Because, you see? The fire’s coming up to the new banana sign, and then it'll break!
Daddy: Oh no!
Alex: And then they won't have any more bananas, because that's the last banana, on the sign.
Claire: What are you making now?
Alex: The ground. It’s a sidewalk.
Claire: I gave the wind, to not blow it away. I gave it a timeout.
Alex: Look, I drew this, you can sit here, and then, you can rest your back there.
Alex: It’s a bird!
Daddy: Nice.
Claire: Nice, Alex. That's good.
Alex: Today, Daddy, is the last day of staying home.
Daddy: Yeah, that’s right.
Alex: And then tomorrow we hafta go to school.
Claire: Why are you sad, Alex?
Alex: I'm not sad.
Claire: Why are you sad?
Alex: I'm not sad.
Claire: Why are you sad?
Alex: I am not sad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: I'm not mad.
Alex: Why are you teasing?
Claire: I'm not teasing.
Claire: I'm not teasing, Alex.
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: Sleeping makes you feel good.
Daddy: Yeah, it does.
Alex: To make you healthy.
Alex: Why is that sign in the water?
Daddy: That’s silly.
Claire: That’s silly.
Alex: I wish we could go swimming in there one day.
Alex: But, it might be dirty, so we can’t go swimming in there. Only in the ocean, or the pool.
Claire: Wow, trash cans. And another bench.
Alex: This is a cool place!
Alex: Look! The water looks beautiful here! Can we throw something in there?
Alex: What can we throw in the water?
Mommy: Nothing. We don’t wanna throw anything in the water, okay?
Alex: Why not?
Alex: What is this place? What is this place?
Mommy: It’s a gazebo.
Claire: We don’t wanna fall.
Alex: Whoa! I’m falling!
Claire: Whoa! I’m falling!
Alex: Whoa, whoa, I’m falling! Ah, splash!
Claire: Are you okay, Alex?
Alex: Yeah. Oh! I’m falling down the waterfall!
Alex: You shouldn't tease beavers.
Claire: I wanna play giant. I like to play giant.
(Alex and Claire are drawing pictures.)
Claire: What’d you make, Alex?
Alex: A banana store.
Claire: Oh.
Daddy: A banana store?
Alex: Yeah, there's a banana on top, it’s just pretend, but I put a banana sign on top so I know it’s a banana store.
Alex: They're - they're fixing the roof. The truck’s coming to fix the roof.
Daddy: Oh, I like that.
Alex: Because, you see? The fire’s coming up to the new banana sign, and then it'll break!
Daddy: Oh no!
Alex: And then they won't have any more bananas, because that's the last banana, on the sign.
Claire: What are you making now?
Alex: The ground. It’s a sidewalk.
Claire: I gave the wind, to not blow it away. I gave it a timeout.
Alex: Look, I drew this, you can sit here, and then, you can rest your back there.
Alex: It’s a bird!
Daddy: Nice.
Claire: Nice, Alex. That's good.
Alex: Today, Daddy, is the last day of staying home.
Daddy: Yeah, that’s right.
Alex: And then tomorrow we hafta go to school.
Claire: Why are you sad, Alex?
Alex: I'm not sad.
Claire: Why are you sad?
Alex: I'm not sad.
Claire: Why are you sad?
Alex: I am not sad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: Why are you mad?
Alex: I'm not mad.
Claire: I'm not mad.
Alex: Why are you teasing?
Claire: I'm not teasing.
Claire: I'm not teasing, Alex.
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: Sleeping makes you feel good.
Daddy: Yeah, it does.
Alex: To make you healthy.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
It won’t run out of batteries. The TV always works.
Claire: That's not nice to cut your hair, Alex.
Alex: What?
Claire: That's not nice to cut your hair.
Alex: Well, she didn't cut my hair, she cut my head open.
Claire: That's not nice to cut your head open.
Alex: No.
(Claire says something inaudible.)
Alex: Well the police wasn't in my dream. They didn't -- um -- he didn't take her to jail. Because he wasn't in my dream.
Alex: If you watch another show Claire, your brain will turn mushy.
Claire: It will run out of batteries?
Alex: What?
Claire: It will run out of batteries?
Alex: It won’t run out of batteries. The TV always works.
(Claire tells a joke.)
Claire: Daddy, why did the man take all of the food?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Claire: ‘Cause, he take - he ate it all!
(Daddy laughs.)
Claire: Good joke.
Alex: Woody’s not breakin’ the train, Hamm’s breakin’ the train, Woody’s saving the children. He’s a nice cowboy.
(We go on Mommy’s treasure hunt.)
Claire: Maybe a robot got the treasure first.
Claire: Maybe a dinosaur ate it.
Alex: Where are we?
Alex: Where are we?
Mommy: I don’t know, where are we?
Alex: In a forest.
Mommy: Right, we’re in a forest.
(Pause.)
Alex: It's a car forest.
Alex: What?
Claire: That's not nice to cut your hair.
Alex: Well, she didn't cut my hair, she cut my head open.
Claire: That's not nice to cut your head open.
Alex: No.
(Claire says something inaudible.)
Alex: Well the police wasn't in my dream. They didn't -- um -- he didn't take her to jail. Because he wasn't in my dream.
Alex: If you watch another show Claire, your brain will turn mushy.
Claire: It will run out of batteries?
Alex: What?
Claire: It will run out of batteries?
Alex: It won’t run out of batteries. The TV always works.
(Claire tells a joke.)
Claire: Daddy, why did the man take all of the food?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Claire: ‘Cause, he take - he ate it all!
(Daddy laughs.)
Claire: Good joke.
Alex: Woody’s not breakin’ the train, Hamm’s breakin’ the train, Woody’s saving the children. He’s a nice cowboy.
(We go on Mommy’s treasure hunt.)
Claire: Maybe a robot got the treasure first.
Claire: Maybe a dinosaur ate it.
Alex: Where are we?
Alex: Where are we?
Mommy: I don’t know, where are we?
Alex: In a forest.
Mommy: Right, we’re in a forest.
(Pause.)
Alex: It's a car forest.
Friday, March 11, 2011
But bones can't really sing. Only they make you sing from the outside.
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex?
Alex: If you didn't have a backbone, you would just fall down.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: I learned that on the computer at school, I watched a movie about bones, and they singed. But bones can't really sing. Only they make you sing from the outside.
Daddy: That’s right!
(Pause.)
Alex: And bones can't dance, either.
Daddy: You watched that on the computer?
Alex: Yeah. Sometimes when it's rainy outside, we do fire truck song, and then we watch a movie, but um, the pi -- the teacher gets to pick it. Not the kids.
Alex: Hey Daddy? If you just had one foot with no bones, and the other foot, and you still had the rest of your body, your foot would be squishy.
Daddy: Yes, Alex?
Alex: If you didn't have a backbone, you would just fall down.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: I learned that on the computer at school, I watched a movie about bones, and they singed. But bones can't really sing. Only they make you sing from the outside.
Daddy: That’s right!
(Pause.)
Alex: And bones can't dance, either.
Daddy: You watched that on the computer?
Alex: Yeah. Sometimes when it's rainy outside, we do fire truck song, and then we watch a movie, but um, the pi -- the teacher gets to pick it. Not the kids.
Alex: Hey Daddy? If you just had one foot with no bones, and the other foot, and you still had the rest of your body, your foot would be squishy.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
One day can we go see a ball -- a football game? Or a basketball game or a soccer ball game? Or a baseball game or a tennis ball game?
(Alex comes home from school.)
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Hey Buddy!
Alex: We were talking about my body in the car, because it might not be working right. Because at school, I had a accident.
Daddy: When Miss Wilson leaves, you need to give her a big hug and tell her you really liked her being your teacher.
Alex: Well maybe I wouldn't wanna tell her that, but maybe I'll try. I'll think about it.
Alex: One day can we go see a ball -- a football game? Or a basketball game or a soccer ball game? Or a baseball game or a tennis ball game?
Daddy: Yeah, we can do that.
Alex: Okay. I would like to see a tennis ball game.
Alex: You don't -- use your hands at soccer.
Daddy: That's right.
Alex: I learned that at soccer.
Claire: I learned that at soccer too!
(Alex is trying to convince Daddy to stop working and read a book to him.)
Alex: Daddy, if you read me this... you can play with me.
Mommy: We're all outta milk.
Daddy (disappointed): Oh.
Alex: Uh-oh. We can't make blintzes.
(Alex and Claire debate over what their next activity will be.)
Claire: No, Play-Doh.
Alex: No, books.
Claire: No, Play-Doh.
Alex: No, books.
Claire: No! Play-Doh!
Alex (with one eye closed): I'm a pirate, Daddy!
Alex (referring to the Play-Doh monkey toy): Daddy, back when I was little, the monkey in the bad dreams looked just like that monkey!
Alex (to Claire): If Daddy turns on the TV again and you watch it, your brain will turn mushy, and you won’t be able to remember what your teacher said, or Mommy said… so you can’t watch too much TV. It’ll make your brain turn mushy.
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Hey Buddy!
Alex: We were talking about my body in the car, because it might not be working right. Because at school, I had a accident.
Daddy: When Miss Wilson leaves, you need to give her a big hug and tell her you really liked her being your teacher.
Alex: Well maybe I wouldn't wanna tell her that, but maybe I'll try. I'll think about it.
Alex: One day can we go see a ball -- a football game? Or a basketball game or a soccer ball game? Or a baseball game or a tennis ball game?
Daddy: Yeah, we can do that.
Alex: Okay. I would like to see a tennis ball game.
Alex: You don't -- use your hands at soccer.
Daddy: That's right.
Alex: I learned that at soccer.
Claire: I learned that at soccer too!
(Alex is trying to convince Daddy to stop working and read a book to him.)
Alex: Daddy, if you read me this... you can play with me.
Mommy: We're all outta milk.
Daddy (disappointed): Oh.
Alex: Uh-oh. We can't make blintzes.
(Alex and Claire debate over what their next activity will be.)
Claire: No, Play-Doh.
Alex: No, books.
Claire: No, Play-Doh.
Alex: No, books.
Claire: No! Play-Doh!
Alex (with one eye closed): I'm a pirate, Daddy!
Alex (referring to the Play-Doh monkey toy): Daddy, back when I was little, the monkey in the bad dreams looked just like that monkey!
Alex (to Claire): If Daddy turns on the TV again and you watch it, your brain will turn mushy, and you won’t be able to remember what your teacher said, or Mommy said… so you can’t watch too much TV. It’ll make your brain turn mushy.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Who’s gonna play with me?!
Claire: And I gonna fall down.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: And you laugh.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Really hard.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I’m nice and handsome for picture day!
Alex: I’m handsome, Daddy!
Alex: Daddy, we had chocolate pudding for snack yesterday.
(Claire wants to drink a shake with a straw, just like Mommy.)
Claire: When I be big.
Mommy: Yeah, when you’re big.
Claire: When I be tall.
(Daddy comes home from work.)
Claire: Pick me up, Daddy.
(Daddy picks up Claire.)
Claire (smiling): Daddy!
(Claire laughs.)
Claire: After we play, can we play trains? And I be tired?
(Daddy has been doing jigsaw puzzles with Claire, but gets up to leave.)
Claire: What are you gonna do?
Daddy: I’m gonna make you some dinner, Claire.
Claire (worried): Are – is Mommy gonna play with me? Who’s gonna play with me?!
(dinner)
Daddy: Claire, who’s your favorite person?
Claire: Um… Miss Woody.
Daddy: Alex, who’s your favorite person?
Alex: My family.
(Claire finishes her cup of applesauce.)
Claire: May you get the last bite out please Daddy?
(Claire immediately assumes the “ready” position: mouth wide open, staring straight ahead.)
Daddy: Alex, would you rather be a dog, a squirrel, or a bird?
Alex: Birdies. Because I would like to be, um, a baby bird so, my mommy could get me some food.
Alex: So I could live in a nest.
Claire: Do me, Daddy. Do meeee! Do meeee! Do meeee!
Daddy: Okay, Sweetie.
Daddy: Claire Bear, would you rather be a dog, a squirrel, or a bird?
Claire: A dog!
Daddy: Why?
Alex: ‘Cause my mommy give me some dog bones.
Alex: Daddy look, I drew that digger at school.
Alex: And it’s – there’s lots of squirrels on it, but you can only see its tails.
Alex: Look Daddy, I eat everything healthy! Now I can eat some applesauce!
Claire: Watch I eat everything!
Daddy: Claire, if we had another dog, what would his name be?
Claire: Um… Oakley!
Alex: …When you’re a girl and you start to grow up, when you grow up, you’re a woman!
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: And you might be a lady.
Alex (sadly): I didn’t get anything to bring home from pictures today.
Daddy: Oh, I’m sorry, Buddy.
Alex: But Sam got – I saw Sam in there in his pictures and – but – he got to bring a sponge home!
(Claire is being silly.)
Claire: I’m gonna go eat a shoe, and -- no, shoes. Nobody eats shoes!
Alex: I’m proud that I ate everything!
Daddy: I’m proud that you tried everything!
Alex: Carrots make you healthy and they’re also yummy.
Alex: Who said that? Who said that?
Claire: Who said that?
Alex: Who said what?
Claire: Who said what?
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: And you laugh.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Really hard.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I’m nice and handsome for picture day!
Alex: I’m handsome, Daddy!
Alex: Daddy, we had chocolate pudding for snack yesterday.
(Claire wants to drink a shake with a straw, just like Mommy.)
Claire: When I be big.
Mommy: Yeah, when you’re big.
Claire: When I be tall.
(Daddy comes home from work.)
Claire: Pick me up, Daddy.
(Daddy picks up Claire.)
Claire (smiling): Daddy!
(Claire laughs.)
Claire: After we play, can we play trains? And I be tired?
(Daddy has been doing jigsaw puzzles with Claire, but gets up to leave.)
Claire: What are you gonna do?
Daddy: I’m gonna make you some dinner, Claire.
Claire (worried): Are – is Mommy gonna play with me? Who’s gonna play with me?!
(dinner)
Daddy: Claire, who’s your favorite person?
Claire: Um… Miss Woody.
Daddy: Alex, who’s your favorite person?
Alex: My family.
(Claire finishes her cup of applesauce.)
Claire: May you get the last bite out please Daddy?
(Claire immediately assumes the “ready” position: mouth wide open, staring straight ahead.)
Daddy: Alex, would you rather be a dog, a squirrel, or a bird?
Alex: Birdies. Because I would like to be, um, a baby bird so, my mommy could get me some food.
Alex: So I could live in a nest.
Claire: Do me, Daddy. Do meeee! Do meeee! Do meeee!
Daddy: Okay, Sweetie.
Daddy: Claire Bear, would you rather be a dog, a squirrel, or a bird?
Claire: A dog!
Daddy: Why?
Alex: ‘Cause my mommy give me some dog bones.
Alex: Daddy look, I drew that digger at school.
Alex: And it’s – there’s lots of squirrels on it, but you can only see its tails.
Alex: Look Daddy, I eat everything healthy! Now I can eat some applesauce!
Claire: Watch I eat everything!
Daddy: Claire, if we had another dog, what would his name be?
Claire: Um… Oakley!
Alex: …When you’re a girl and you start to grow up, when you grow up, you’re a woman!
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: And you might be a lady.
Alex (sadly): I didn’t get anything to bring home from pictures today.
Daddy: Oh, I’m sorry, Buddy.
Alex: But Sam got – I saw Sam in there in his pictures and – but – he got to bring a sponge home!
(Claire is being silly.)
Claire: I’m gonna go eat a shoe, and -- no, shoes. Nobody eats shoes!
Alex: I’m proud that I ate everything!
Daddy: I’m proud that you tried everything!
Alex: Carrots make you healthy and they’re also yummy.
Alex: Who said that? Who said that?
Claire: Who said that?
Alex: Who said what?
Claire: Who said what?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Waffle!
(breakfast)
Daddy (to Claire): What part of you do you use to see with?
Claire: Eyes!
Daddy: Good job!
Alex (to Claire): What do you use to taste with?
Claire: Mouth!
Daddy: Good job, Claire!
Alex: No, what’s in your mouth that you taste with?
Claire: Waffle!
(Claire and Alex are coloring.)
Alex: Got a surprise for you, Daddy.
Daddy: I wanna see the surprise.
Alex: You'll have to wait just a minute.
Daddy: All right, what's your surprise, let me see.
Alex: It's the garden, with Mommy, Claire and Alex! And the sun with flowers.
Daddy: Oh! Show me which one is Mommy!
Alex: Mommy… Alex… Claire… flowers… water going in… and the flower… and water going in it… and then, a sun!
Daddy: That's great, I love it! Can I take a picture of it?
Alex: Yeah and here are some clouds.
Daddy: Clouds too?
Alex: Yeah, and a rainbow.
Daddy: And a rainbow. Claire, what are you drawing now?
Claire: I'm drawing something, I --
Alex: Look, that looks like a plant!
Claire: Yeah, everybody -- um, Oakley's mommy's, gardening the plant, and Oakley's daddy's, gardening too.
Daddy: They're gardening?
Claire: No it's, they're, um, getting water out and… um… um…
Daddy: Oh!
Alex: That looks like a plant!
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Is that a plant?
Claire: Um it's that -- no, that… um, Oakley's mommy, Oakley's mommy.
Alex: No. Is that a plant.
Claire: Yeah that's a plant.
Alex: Yeah it looks like it.
Alex: Claire -- Mommy! Mommy, look, Claire drew a plant!
Mommy: Neat.
Alex: All by herself! She knew how to draw it!
Alex: Good job, Claire!
Claire: Thank you.
Alex: Claire, look! I drew a garden!
Claire: Oh.
Alex (to Daddy): Can you take a movie of me?
Daddy: Well, what are you gonna do?
Alex: And, and I'm gonna run away, and then, and then you say, "I'm in the movie, I'm in the (unintelligible)!", and then you be silly, okay?
Daddy: Wait -- what do you want me to do?
Alex: I want you to be silly when I'm gone.
Daddy: Okay, you're gonna run away, and then I'm gonna be silly, and then what happens?
Alex: And then we'll stop the movie and I'll watch it!
Daddy: Okay.
Daddy (to Claire): What part of you do you use to see with?
Claire: Eyes!
Daddy: Good job!
Alex (to Claire): What do you use to taste with?
Claire: Mouth!
Daddy: Good job, Claire!
Alex: No, what’s in your mouth that you taste with?
Claire: Waffle!
(Claire and Alex are coloring.)
Alex: Got a surprise for you, Daddy.
Daddy: I wanna see the surprise.
Alex: You'll have to wait just a minute.
Daddy: All right, what's your surprise, let me see.
Alex: It's the garden, with Mommy, Claire and Alex! And the sun with flowers.
Daddy: Oh! Show me which one is Mommy!
Alex: Mommy… Alex… Claire… flowers… water going in… and the flower… and water going in it… and then, a sun!
Daddy: That's great, I love it! Can I take a picture of it?
Alex: Yeah and here are some clouds.
Daddy: Clouds too?
Alex: Yeah, and a rainbow.
Daddy: And a rainbow. Claire, what are you drawing now?
Claire: I'm drawing something, I --
Alex: Look, that looks like a plant!
Claire: Yeah, everybody -- um, Oakley's mommy's, gardening the plant, and Oakley's daddy's, gardening too.
Daddy: They're gardening?
Claire: No it's, they're, um, getting water out and… um… um…
Daddy: Oh!
Alex: That looks like a plant!
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Is that a plant?
Claire: Um it's that -- no, that… um, Oakley's mommy, Oakley's mommy.
Alex: No. Is that a plant.
Claire: Yeah that's a plant.
Alex: Yeah it looks like it.
Alex: Claire -- Mommy! Mommy, look, Claire drew a plant!
Mommy: Neat.
Alex: All by herself! She knew how to draw it!
Alex: Good job, Claire!
Claire: Thank you.
Alex: Claire, look! I drew a garden!
Claire: Oh.
Alex (to Daddy): Can you take a movie of me?
Daddy: Well, what are you gonna do?
Alex: And, and I'm gonna run away, and then, and then you say, "I'm in the movie, I'm in the (unintelligible)!", and then you be silly, okay?
Daddy: Wait -- what do you want me to do?
Alex: I want you to be silly when I'm gone.
Daddy: Okay, you're gonna run away, and then I'm gonna be silly, and then what happens?
Alex: And then we'll stop the movie and I'll watch it!
Daddy: Okay.
Monday, March 7, 2011
You should never touch a cactus.
Claire: Who had gas? I smell poop.
Alex (out of the blue): You should never touch a cactus.
Alex (rubbing his thumb on his lips): I’m putting makeup on my face.
Alex: We had a big day yesterday. I went to the store, and we colored, and… we watched your game… and we ate dinner, and went to bed… and now we’re not tired anymore.
Alex: There’s no fresh air in the house.
(Alex and Claire tell Daddy that Rompy read them a story about what makes him happy.)
Daddy: What makes Claire happy?
Alex: Playing with me.
Daddy: And what makes Alex happy?
Alex: Playing with Claire.
Alex: And Daddy when we went in the gym, there was so many smiley faces! And I got one, and we went over, and I got it, and there was a big smiley face, and Claire got it!
Claire: And there was no more smiley faces!
Alex: Nope!
Claire: And we all played. In the gym.
Alex (out of the blue): You should never touch a cactus.
Alex (rubbing his thumb on his lips): I’m putting makeup on my face.
Alex: We had a big day yesterday. I went to the store, and we colored, and… we watched your game… and we ate dinner, and went to bed… and now we’re not tired anymore.
Alex: There’s no fresh air in the house.
(Alex and Claire tell Daddy that Rompy read them a story about what makes him happy.)
Daddy: What makes Claire happy?
Alex: Playing with me.
Daddy: And what makes Alex happy?
Alex: Playing with Claire.
Alex: And Daddy when we went in the gym, there was so many smiley faces! And I got one, and we went over, and I got it, and there was a big smiley face, and Claire got it!
Claire: And there was no more smiley faces!
Alex: Nope!
Claire: And we all played. In the gym.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Hey Daddy, I know how to clean dishes! You put ‘em in the sink, and somebody cleans ‘em!
Alex (proudly): Hey Daddy, I know how to clean dishes! You put ‘em in the sink, and somebody cleans ‘em!
(getting ready for nap)
(Claire is finishing her bathroom stuff.)
Claire: I’m gonna wash my toothbrush… and I’m gonna get some water… and I’m gonna get some water… and I’m gonna drink it… and then, I’m gonna go get a diaper. And then, I’m done.
(Claire throws her (clean) diaper to Daddy.)
Claire (to Daddy): I throwed my diaper to you.
Alex: Don’t throw diapers at people.
Alex: Mommy, can I have a piece of paper? I wanna draw something. I know how to draw a lowercase Q.
Mommy: Oh?
Alex: I was thinking about that when I was napping.
Alex: My name! I’m practicing making my name!
Mommy: Good.
Alex: Now, this is the person who made the picture. ‘Cause – I’m drawing my name because I made the picture.
(Daddy is watching a basketball game on TV.)
Claire (looking at the TV): That’s a hard floor, Daddy.
Daddy: That’s a hard floor? Oh yeah, that is a hard floor.
Claire: We have a hard floor.
(Claire walks over to the hardwood floor and smacks her palm on it.)
Claire: There’s a hard floor. That’s a hard floor.
(Claire is eating pretzels.)
Claire: Look a rainbow!!
(A commercial interrupts the game.)
Claire: Look, no baseball. No baseball, Daddy.
Claire: I want it to go back to baseball.
Daddy: You want it to go back to baseball?
Claire: Yeah ‘cause I wanna watch baseball.
Claire: What’s that on their hard floor?
Daddy: What do you see?
Claire: What’s that yellow thing on that hard floor?
Daddy: That’s a yellow jacket, it’s like a bumblebee.
Claire: It’s a bug. It’s a bug, Daddy. It’s a bug.
Daddy: Yeah, that’s right.
Claire: Does it hurt you? Does it hurt you?
Daddy: Um, it can hurt you, it can sting you yeah.
Claire: I don’t like bugs. They hurt me. I don’t like bugs.
Daddy: You don’t like bugs.
Claire: Um, my friend is a bu, bu – um, bumblebee. I – my friend is a bumblebee. My friend is a bumblebee.
Daddy: Your friend is a bumblebee?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Which friend?
Claire: Um. I don’t know. Which friend. I don’t know her name.
Daddy: But a bumblebee is a bug. Is your friend a bug?
Claire: No.
Daddy: Does she look like a bumblebee?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Does she fly?
Claire: No.
(A commercial comes on.)
Claire: Look no baseball, fix baseball. Fix baseball.
Claire: You need to fix baseball. Fix baseball, Daddy.
Daddy: It’ll be back on in a minute Sweetie, this is just a commercial.
(Claire watches the commercials for a bit.)
Claire (muttering): Commercial. Commercial. Commercial commercial.
Claire (muttering): Bommercial. Bommercial.
Claire (muttering): Yesterday. Yesterday, yesterday.
(Coincidentally, right after Claire says “yesterday”, the game announcer – the game is back on – says the word “yesterday”.)
Claire: Why did that man say "yesterday”?
Daddy: I don’t know, why did you say “yesterday”?
Claire: I don’t know.
Claire (singing to herself as she colors): I’m drawing words, I’m drawing words
Daddy: What are you drawing, Claire?
(Claire looks embarrassed.)
Claire: Ah! I’m drawing words.
Claire: I didn’t draw words yesterday!
Alex: Why don’t you color, Claire?
Claire (grouchily): I’m gonna color.
Alex: Don’t talk to your brother like that.
Daddy (to Claire): And one day, you can play basketball, like those boys.
Alex: Those are mans.
Daddy: Yeah, they’re men.
Claire: One day can I be a man?
Daddy: No, you can be a woman.
Claire: Okay.
Alex: Maybe you’ll work somewhere in a store.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: You never know what you’re gonna be when you grow up.
Alex: Daddy, you never know what you’re gonna be when you grow up.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: We can’t go to the POY yet, we’re not big enough. We can’t go to the POY yet.
Claire: Yeah we can’t go to the POY yet.
Daddy: Why can’t you go to the POY yet?
Alex: Because we’re not big enough.
Daddy: What’s the POY?
Alex: You know what we drive past. You know, when we see that game? You know? When we drive past that game, that’s the POY.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Alex: When we pass that playground.
Daddy: That’s the POY, okay.
Alex: Remember when – when we go somewhere, and then we pass the POY.
(Alex is talking about the Y.)
Alex: He – that man did it, Daddy.
Daddy: What did he do?
Alex: He threw that – he threw that basketball right into the basket.
Daddy: Good for him!
Alex: And then it falled out.
Alex: He got it too!
Claire: Why are you drawing, Alex?
Claire: Why are you drawing, Alex?
Alex (testily): Because I want to!
Claire: Stop, talking, back to me.
Alex: I’m not.
Claire: You’re is.
(dinner)
Alex (out of the blue): If you wanna go swimming, and the water’s very deep, you hafta take a boat.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: Because you might sink.
Alex: When you go in the water you would sink! And then you wouldn’t be able to get out again.
Alex: Well, this is Sunday night. And on Sunday night it’s still raining.
(Alex finishes all of his green beans.)
Alex: Daddy look.
(Daddy looks.)
Alex (singing): Green beans are gone, green beans are gone, green beans, aaare, gooone!
Daddy: Good job!
Daddy: Good job, Alex. I like that you put your clothes in the hamper now.
Alex: I like to do it! Because when I'm carrying it, I feel proud of myself.
Daddy: Claire, what’s your favorite color?
Claire: Black.
Daddy: Black?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: And what’s your favorite number?
Claire: Um, two.
Daddy: Alex, what's your favorite color?
Alex: Green, red, and pink.
Claire: My favorite color is purple and black.
(Claire and Alex are playing together before bedtime.)
Claire: Why you get – why you get out of that one?
Alex: Um, because I wet the bed, and then, I changed my bed, and you couldn’t see it, you couldn’t even hear it, ‘cause your door was closed, and you were sleeping.
Claire: Yeah, ‘cause, you didn’t wake me up when I was sleeping.
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: And then I was, then I was, wasn’t hearing you.
Alex: Yeah. Your door was closed.
Claire: Yeah. ‘Cause my door was closed.
Claire: Can you not play with my stroller, Alex?
Alex: Daddy? How ‘bout, we could take turns having the stroller. Because I wanna have it too. So we can take turns!
Daddy: Yeah, you can take turns.
Alex: Claire, you can have a turn for three minutes.
Claire: Yeah, and then you can have it.
Claire: Now you can have my stroller now, Alex.
Alex: Okay, but I’m a baby and you’re a mommy, okay?
Claire: Baby wants to go to bed.
Alex: Okay. You wanna read ---
(Alex starts crying.)
Claire: Did you hurt your knee?
Alex: I bumped my knee!
Claire: I can – kiss it –
Alex: It’s bleeding! I need Band-Aid!
Claire: Go get a Band-Aid?
Alex: I bumped my – I bumped my knee on the wall!
Claire: Is your knee bleeding?
Alex: No it’s not anymore.
(Alex and Claire are singing about having a party.)
Claire (sort of singing): We can get in the party!
Alex (sort of singing): We are having fun!
Claire (sort of singing): I’m falling here, all day! And we can fall, down, every day!
Alex (sort of singing): We have a birthday!
Claire (sort of singing): We have a party!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby, baby, baby’s here!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby’s at the party!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby’s at the party!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby’s at the party!
Alex: It’s not – it’s not the party anymore.
Claire: Why?
Alex: No party. Because – because baby wants to go to sleep.
Claire (to Daddy): Daddy, when I sleep, the rain will wake – wake me up.
Daddy: The rain will wake you up?
Claire: Yeah when I sleep.
Daddy: No, I don’t think it will. And if it does, you just go back to sleep!
Claire: Oh.
(Claire giggles.)
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex.
Alex: When I was sleeping at nap time?
Daddy: Mm-hm.
Alex: Whenever I heard rain, I heard “Psssssshhh!” But it doesn’t scare me. It didn’t wake me up either, but it kept my eyes open.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Yeah. Well I couldn’t fall asleep though.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Because… you said that I didn’t sleep.
(Alex selects a book of nursery rhymes.)
Claire: That’s my Baa Baa Black Sheep right there.
Daddy: That sure is.
Alex: And Jack and Jill went up the hill.
Alex: Oh I know this one.
Daddy: Okay?
Alex: What’s the first one?
Daddy: Little Jack Horner.
Alex: Little Jack Horner – Corner – sat in the corner, eating a Christmas pie…
Alex: He stuck in his thumb…
Daddy: He stuck in his thumb…
Alex: He stuck in his thumb, and he said “What a good boy am I.”
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: What’s a tuffet? Oh I know what a tuffet is: a rug.
Daddy: You know… I think that… might be about right.
Daddy: This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home…
Alex: I know, I know this. Um, “Wee wee wee, all the way home.”
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: Oh I know this one.
Alex (singing): Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush – excuse me excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up at this inside joke.)
Claire: You know that one, Alex!
Alex: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush – excuse me excuse me!
(Alex laughs so much he can barely finish the preceding line.)
Claire: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush –excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Claire: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush – excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Alex: Here we go ’round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush, here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, early in the morning. Excuse me excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Alex: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush excuse me, excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Claire: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush… um, blueberry bush, excuse me excuse me excuse me!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush – excuse me excuse me!
(Alex and Claire laugh.)
Alex: I know this one. Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush – excuse me leaves!
(Alex cracks up.)
Claire: Can we – you know this one, Alex!
Alex: Yes, sir.
Daddy: Old Mother Hubbard –
Alex: Can I do this one? Um, here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush, here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, early in the morning. Miss Old Hubbard, went to get some bone for her, for her poor dog. But when she came back, the cupboard was, the cupboard was buried, and so that little dog had none.
Daddy: Very good.
Claire: I know this one! Um, um… what is it?
Daddy: Yankee Doodle.
Claire and Alex: Yankee Doodle…
Daddy: …came to town…
Daddy and Alex: …riding on a pony…
Alex: Stuck a feather –
Claire: No I wanna do it! He stuck a feather in his hat, and he called it macaroni!
(Claire laughs.)
Alex: He stuck, um – um –
Daddy: Yankee Doodle…
Daddy and Alex: …went to town…
Alex: …riding on a pony, he stuck a feather in his hat and called it tacaroni. No macaroni.
Alex: Jack and Jill went up the hill went up the hill, to get a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill, um… came tumbling after. Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, and Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. The man’s kings and the man’s horses, couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
Alex: Pussy cat, pussy cat, where did you go? I went to the queen’s castle, and I um – and I – frightened a mouse, under her chair.
Daddy: Very good.
Claire: Now, but, I wanna say Baa Baa Black Sheep.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire (singing): Baa Baa…
Claire and Alex (singing slowly and badly): …black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. One for my master, one for my dame, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane.
Daddy: Yay, very good!
Alex: The three little kittens lost their mittens. We cannot find our mittens. Well then you shouldn’t have some pie. We found our mittens. Now you can have some pie.
Daddy: Very good.
Claire: Don’t say “falling down the stairs”!
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: Um.
Daddy: There was an old –
Alex: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.
Daddy: She gave them some broth without any bread.
Alex: She gave them some broth, without any bread, and took them inside and put them to bed.
Daddy: That’s right.
Daddy: Goosey goosey gander…
Alex: Goosey goosey gander, downstairs and upstairs, and in my lady’s chamber. [pronounced to rhyme with “clamber”]
Alex: There I met an old man who wouldn’t say his prayers. I took him by the left – um, right hand, and took him up the stairs.
Daddy: Very good.
Daddy: All right.
Claire: My book!
Claire: Bye-bye chair and pillow!
(getting ready for nap)
(Claire is finishing her bathroom stuff.)
Claire: I’m gonna wash my toothbrush… and I’m gonna get some water… and I’m gonna get some water… and I’m gonna drink it… and then, I’m gonna go get a diaper. And then, I’m done.
(Claire throws her (clean) diaper to Daddy.)
Claire (to Daddy): I throwed my diaper to you.
Alex: Don’t throw diapers at people.
Alex: Mommy, can I have a piece of paper? I wanna draw something. I know how to draw a lowercase Q.
Mommy: Oh?
Alex: I was thinking about that when I was napping.
Alex: My name! I’m practicing making my name!
Mommy: Good.
Alex: Now, this is the person who made the picture. ‘Cause – I’m drawing my name because I made the picture.
(Daddy is watching a basketball game on TV.)
Claire (looking at the TV): That’s a hard floor, Daddy.
Daddy: That’s a hard floor? Oh yeah, that is a hard floor.
Claire: We have a hard floor.
(Claire walks over to the hardwood floor and smacks her palm on it.)
Claire: There’s a hard floor. That’s a hard floor.
(Claire is eating pretzels.)
Claire: Look a rainbow!!
(A commercial interrupts the game.)
Claire: Look, no baseball. No baseball, Daddy.
Claire: I want it to go back to baseball.
Daddy: You want it to go back to baseball?
Claire: Yeah ‘cause I wanna watch baseball.
Claire: What’s that on their hard floor?
Daddy: What do you see?
Claire: What’s that yellow thing on that hard floor?
Daddy: That’s a yellow jacket, it’s like a bumblebee.
Claire: It’s a bug. It’s a bug, Daddy. It’s a bug.
Daddy: Yeah, that’s right.
Claire: Does it hurt you? Does it hurt you?
Daddy: Um, it can hurt you, it can sting you yeah.
Claire: I don’t like bugs. They hurt me. I don’t like bugs.
Daddy: You don’t like bugs.
Claire: Um, my friend is a bu, bu – um, bumblebee. I – my friend is a bumblebee. My friend is a bumblebee.
Daddy: Your friend is a bumblebee?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Which friend?
Claire: Um. I don’t know. Which friend. I don’t know her name.
Daddy: But a bumblebee is a bug. Is your friend a bug?
Claire: No.
Daddy: Does she look like a bumblebee?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Does she fly?
Claire: No.
(A commercial comes on.)
Claire: Look no baseball, fix baseball. Fix baseball.
Claire: You need to fix baseball. Fix baseball, Daddy.
Daddy: It’ll be back on in a minute Sweetie, this is just a commercial.
(Claire watches the commercials for a bit.)
Claire (muttering): Commercial. Commercial. Commercial commercial.
Claire (muttering): Bommercial. Bommercial.
Claire (muttering): Yesterday. Yesterday, yesterday.
(Coincidentally, right after Claire says “yesterday”, the game announcer – the game is back on – says the word “yesterday”.)
Claire: Why did that man say "yesterday”?
Daddy: I don’t know, why did you say “yesterday”?
Claire: I don’t know.
Claire (singing to herself as she colors): I’m drawing words, I’m drawing words
Daddy: What are you drawing, Claire?
(Claire looks embarrassed.)
Claire: Ah! I’m drawing words.
Claire: I didn’t draw words yesterday!
Alex: Why don’t you color, Claire?
Claire (grouchily): I’m gonna color.
Alex: Don’t talk to your brother like that.
Daddy (to Claire): And one day, you can play basketball, like those boys.
Alex: Those are mans.
Daddy: Yeah, they’re men.
Claire: One day can I be a man?
Daddy: No, you can be a woman.
Claire: Okay.
Alex: Maybe you’ll work somewhere in a store.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: You never know what you’re gonna be when you grow up.
Alex: Daddy, you never know what you’re gonna be when you grow up.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: We can’t go to the POY yet, we’re not big enough. We can’t go to the POY yet.
Claire: Yeah we can’t go to the POY yet.
Daddy: Why can’t you go to the POY yet?
Alex: Because we’re not big enough.
Daddy: What’s the POY?
Alex: You know what we drive past. You know, when we see that game? You know? When we drive past that game, that’s the POY.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Alex: When we pass that playground.
Daddy: That’s the POY, okay.
Alex: Remember when – when we go somewhere, and then we pass the POY.
(Alex is talking about the Y.)
Alex: He – that man did it, Daddy.
Daddy: What did he do?
Alex: He threw that – he threw that basketball right into the basket.
Daddy: Good for him!
Alex: And then it falled out.
Alex: He got it too!
Claire: Why are you drawing, Alex?
Claire: Why are you drawing, Alex?
Alex (testily): Because I want to!
Claire: Stop, talking, back to me.
Alex: I’m not.
Claire: You’re is.
(dinner)
Alex (out of the blue): If you wanna go swimming, and the water’s very deep, you hafta take a boat.
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: Because you might sink.
Alex: When you go in the water you would sink! And then you wouldn’t be able to get out again.
Alex: Well, this is Sunday night. And on Sunday night it’s still raining.
(Alex finishes all of his green beans.)
Alex: Daddy look.
(Daddy looks.)
Alex (singing): Green beans are gone, green beans are gone, green beans, aaare, gooone!
Daddy: Good job!
Daddy: Good job, Alex. I like that you put your clothes in the hamper now.
Alex: I like to do it! Because when I'm carrying it, I feel proud of myself.
Daddy: Claire, what’s your favorite color?
Claire: Black.
Daddy: Black?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: And what’s your favorite number?
Claire: Um, two.
Daddy: Alex, what's your favorite color?
Alex: Green, red, and pink.
Claire: My favorite color is purple and black.
(Claire and Alex are playing together before bedtime.)
Claire: Why you get – why you get out of that one?
Alex: Um, because I wet the bed, and then, I changed my bed, and you couldn’t see it, you couldn’t even hear it, ‘cause your door was closed, and you were sleeping.
Claire: Yeah, ‘cause, you didn’t wake me up when I was sleeping.
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: And then I was, then I was, wasn’t hearing you.
Alex: Yeah. Your door was closed.
Claire: Yeah. ‘Cause my door was closed.
Claire: Can you not play with my stroller, Alex?
Alex: Daddy? How ‘bout, we could take turns having the stroller. Because I wanna have it too. So we can take turns!
Daddy: Yeah, you can take turns.
Alex: Claire, you can have a turn for three minutes.
Claire: Yeah, and then you can have it.
Claire: Now you can have my stroller now, Alex.
Alex: Okay, but I’m a baby and you’re a mommy, okay?
Claire: Baby wants to go to bed.
Alex: Okay. You wanna read ---
(Alex starts crying.)
Claire: Did you hurt your knee?
Alex: I bumped my knee!
Claire: I can – kiss it –
Alex: It’s bleeding! I need Band-Aid!
Claire: Go get a Band-Aid?
Alex: I bumped my – I bumped my knee on the wall!
Claire: Is your knee bleeding?
Alex: No it’s not anymore.
(Alex and Claire are singing about having a party.)
Claire (sort of singing): We can get in the party!
Alex (sort of singing): We are having fun!
Claire (sort of singing): I’m falling here, all day! And we can fall, down, every day!
Alex (sort of singing): We have a birthday!
Claire (sort of singing): We have a party!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby, baby, baby’s here!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby’s at the party!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby’s at the party!
Claire (sort of singing): Baby’s at the party!
Alex: It’s not – it’s not the party anymore.
Claire: Why?
Alex: No party. Because – because baby wants to go to sleep.
Claire (to Daddy): Daddy, when I sleep, the rain will wake – wake me up.
Daddy: The rain will wake you up?
Claire: Yeah when I sleep.
Daddy: No, I don’t think it will. And if it does, you just go back to sleep!
Claire: Oh.
(Claire giggles.)
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex.
Alex: When I was sleeping at nap time?
Daddy: Mm-hm.
Alex: Whenever I heard rain, I heard “Psssssshhh!” But it doesn’t scare me. It didn’t wake me up either, but it kept my eyes open.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Yeah. Well I couldn’t fall asleep though.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Because… you said that I didn’t sleep.
(Alex selects a book of nursery rhymes.)
Claire: That’s my Baa Baa Black Sheep right there.
Daddy: That sure is.
Alex: And Jack and Jill went up the hill.
Alex: Oh I know this one.
Daddy: Okay?
Alex: What’s the first one?
Daddy: Little Jack Horner.
Alex: Little Jack Horner – Corner – sat in the corner, eating a Christmas pie…
Alex: He stuck in his thumb…
Daddy: He stuck in his thumb…
Alex: He stuck in his thumb, and he said “What a good boy am I.”
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: What’s a tuffet? Oh I know what a tuffet is: a rug.
Daddy: You know… I think that… might be about right.
Daddy: This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home…
Alex: I know, I know this. Um, “Wee wee wee, all the way home.”
Daddy: That’s right.
Alex: Oh I know this one.
Alex (singing): Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush – excuse me excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up at this inside joke.)
Claire: You know that one, Alex!
Alex: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush, the blueberry bush – excuse me excuse me!
(Alex laughs so much he can barely finish the preceding line.)
Claire: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush –excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Claire: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush – excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Alex: Here we go ’round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush, here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, early in the morning. Excuse me excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Alex: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush excuse me, excuse me!
(Alex and Claire crack up again.)
Claire: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush… um, blueberry bush, excuse me excuse me excuse me!
(Alex laughs.)
Alex: Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush – excuse me excuse me!
(Alex and Claire laugh.)
Alex: I know this one. Here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush – excuse me leaves!
(Alex cracks up.)
Claire: Can we – you know this one, Alex!
Alex: Yes, sir.
Daddy: Old Mother Hubbard –
Alex: Can I do this one? Um, here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, blueberry bush, blueberry bush, here we go ‘round the blueberry bush, early in the morning. Miss Old Hubbard, went to get some bone for her, for her poor dog. But when she came back, the cupboard was, the cupboard was buried, and so that little dog had none.
Daddy: Very good.
Claire: I know this one! Um, um… what is it?
Daddy: Yankee Doodle.
Claire and Alex: Yankee Doodle…
Daddy: …came to town…
Daddy and Alex: …riding on a pony…
Alex: Stuck a feather –
Claire: No I wanna do it! He stuck a feather in his hat, and he called it macaroni!
(Claire laughs.)
Alex: He stuck, um – um –
Daddy: Yankee Doodle…
Daddy and Alex: …went to town…
Alex: …riding on a pony, he stuck a feather in his hat and called it tacaroni. No macaroni.
Alex: Jack and Jill went up the hill went up the hill, to get a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill, um… came tumbling after. Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, and Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. The man’s kings and the man’s horses, couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
Alex: Pussy cat, pussy cat, where did you go? I went to the queen’s castle, and I um – and I – frightened a mouse, under her chair.
Daddy: Very good.
Claire: Now, but, I wanna say Baa Baa Black Sheep.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire (singing): Baa Baa…
Claire and Alex (singing slowly and badly): …black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. One for my master, one for my dame, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane.
Daddy: Yay, very good!
Alex: The three little kittens lost their mittens. We cannot find our mittens. Well then you shouldn’t have some pie. We found our mittens. Now you can have some pie.
Daddy: Very good.
Claire: Don’t say “falling down the stairs”!
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: Um.
Daddy: There was an old –
Alex: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.
Daddy: She gave them some broth without any bread.
Alex: She gave them some broth, without any bread, and took them inside and put them to bed.
Daddy: That’s right.
Daddy: Goosey goosey gander…
Alex: Goosey goosey gander, downstairs and upstairs, and in my lady’s chamber. [pronounced to rhyme with “clamber”]
Alex: There I met an old man who wouldn’t say his prayers. I took him by the left – um, right hand, and took him up the stairs.
Daddy: Very good.
Daddy: All right.
Claire: My book!
Claire: Bye-bye chair and pillow!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
It must be a little bunny rabbit, or a friendly neighbor.
Alex: Daddy, I went to Romp 'n' Roll, and I made a tortilla, and I have (mumble), and look what's on the back. I drew all the ingredients!
Claire: That's a man, um, with a recipe, and, um, a recipe, and that's a big with a red stuff.
(Daddy explains to Alex that when Mommy and Daddy were kids, there were no computers yet.)
Alex: That was a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time ago.
Claire: Because dogs don't have hands, so they can't open the door, but if they had a hand, they could open the door!
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: But we don't want our dog to open the door, so we didn't give him a hand.
(Alex is getting ready to have quiet time in his room.)
Alex (proudly): Yesterday I made a big parade!
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex (proudly): At the zoo!
(Alex, Claire, and Daddy are playing in the backyard.)
(Daddy needs to take a break from playing Monsters.)
Alex: I have a idea, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah, what’s that?
Alex: You could take a break, and we could do monsters.
(The following quotes are from playing Hide and Seek.)
Claire: That’s a good hiding place, Daddy.
Claire: That’s a good hiding place, Alex.
(The following quotes are from playing “Monster Outside the Cabin”.)
Alex: And you say “That’s a cute bunny rabbit or a friendly neighbor”, Claire.
(Daddy points to the sticker-picture of a fire on the inside of the toy cabin.)
Daddy (to Claire): And we have a nice warm fire in here.
Claire: That’s a picture of a fire.
Alex: It must be a little bunny rabbit, or a friendly neighbor.
Claire: I’m gonna eat you up!
Claire: What is colored on the floor? Who colored on the floor?
Mommy: Grommie.
Claire: But he don’t have some hands!
Mommy: I think it’s blood. He bled on it.
Claire: Maybe, that’s a drawing from a marker.
Alex: No it’s not, Claire. Dogs don’t use markers.
Alex: Dogs don’t draw. They play.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: They play dog games.
(Pause.)
Alex: So… that’s not – that’s not a mark from – from – a marker. That’s – that’s – Grommie doesn’t have a mark from a marker.
Claire: That's a man, um, with a recipe, and, um, a recipe, and that's a big with a red stuff.
(Daddy explains to Alex that when Mommy and Daddy were kids, there were no computers yet.)
Alex: That was a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time ago.
Claire: Because dogs don't have hands, so they can't open the door, but if they had a hand, they could open the door!
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: But we don't want our dog to open the door, so we didn't give him a hand.
(Alex is getting ready to have quiet time in his room.)
Alex (proudly): Yesterday I made a big parade!
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex (proudly): At the zoo!
(Alex, Claire, and Daddy are playing in the backyard.)
(Daddy needs to take a break from playing Monsters.)
Alex: I have a idea, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah, what’s that?
Alex: You could take a break, and we could do monsters.
(The following quotes are from playing Hide and Seek.)
Claire: That’s a good hiding place, Daddy.
Claire: That’s a good hiding place, Alex.
(The following quotes are from playing “Monster Outside the Cabin”.)
Alex: And you say “That’s a cute bunny rabbit or a friendly neighbor”, Claire.
(Daddy points to the sticker-picture of a fire on the inside of the toy cabin.)
Daddy (to Claire): And we have a nice warm fire in here.
Claire: That’s a picture of a fire.
Alex: It must be a little bunny rabbit, or a friendly neighbor.
Claire: I’m gonna eat you up!
Claire: What is colored on the floor? Who colored on the floor?
Mommy: Grommie.
Claire: But he don’t have some hands!
Mommy: I think it’s blood. He bled on it.
Claire: Maybe, that’s a drawing from a marker.
Alex: No it’s not, Claire. Dogs don’t use markers.
Alex: Dogs don’t draw. They play.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: They play dog games.
(Pause.)
Alex: So… that’s not – that’s not a mark from – from – a marker. That’s – that’s – Grommie doesn’t have a mark from a marker.
Friday, March 4, 2011
One kid, and one daddy.
Alex: Claire, I dreamed, when I was sleeping, I went to my class, and it wasn’t really my class anymore.
Claire: The sun’s up, so we can wake up.
Alex (to Claire): So when the sun was up, I got out of bed, put on my PJs, put my PJs away, and got dressed!
Claire: Oh.
Alex (to Claire): And I put on my shirt, no I put on my underwear first, and then I put on my shirt, and I put on my pants, but I had to do it really fast, because I needed to go potty really bad, so I rushed!, and I went to the potty really fast and I got it, and I was on time!
Claire: Oh, I can sit over here.
(Alex makes some room on the sofa beside him.)
Alex: Here’s some room for you, Claire.
Claire: Oh.
(Claire comes and sits by Alex.)
Claire (to Daddy): Alex made some room for me!
Daddy: Oh, good!
Alex: I’m very nice today.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: I’m very nice even because my hip hurts!
(Daddy picks up Claire from school. He is driving her home.)
Claire: One kid, and one daddy.
Daddy: What?
Claire: One daddy, and one kid.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: One kid and one daddy. And one daddy.
(Daddy and Claire are at home, waiting for Mommy and Alex to come home too.)
Claire: When they come, when I hear the garage door, we need to hide.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Can we hide under a blanket when they come?
Daddy: Yes.
Claire: Okay. And they will find us.
Claire (to Daddy): There’s your underwear.
Daddy: Yeah, I have underwear too.
Claire: Yeah and I have underwear.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: I’m keeping my underwear dry, and you need to keep your underwear dry.
Daddy: I keep my underwear dry too.
Claire: And I’m gonna keep my underwear dry, too!
Daddy: Yeah, just like a big girl.
(Daddy and Claire play “cupcakes” while they wait for Mommy to bring Alex home from school.)
Claire: I gonna get some cupcakes for you, Daddy.
Claire: I got some – some cupcakes!
Claire: No, no more cupcakes! Okay?
Claire: I’m gonna save one. I’m gonna save one, Daddy.
Claire: There’s another cupcake! Eat that one then I gonna get you another one. And – I’m gonna eat – and – you eat that one first, and then I –
Daddy: What is this, is this a cupcake?
Claire: Yeah, that is a cupcake.
Daddy: Oh, it looks like a train, yummy! It’s a train cupcake!
Claire: Yeah, a train cupcake. It’s chocolate on there.
Daddy: Oh. Mmmm! I like chocolate, it tastes good!
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: Another cupcake!
Claire: I’m gonna go get another one.
Claire: I cupcakes, Daddy no, I got four cupcakes. Lot of cupcakes, eat that one first. Got lot of cupcakes, Daddy, for… you.
Claire: Eat this one first.
Daddy: Oh, thank you.
Claire: I got some more.
Daddy: You brought me lots of cupcakes!
Claire: Yeah, I got four!
Daddy: Is it somebody’s birthday?
Claire: Yeah, it’s your birthday today. [pronounced “too day”]
Daddy: Oh! How old am I?
Claire: You’re four.
Daddy: I’m four?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: I’m excited!
Alex (coming in the door): Ha ha haaaa!
Claire: Hi hi hi!
(Alex, Claire, and Daddy play in the backyard.)
Claire: Can we play a game, Daddy? Can we touch the tree and you tell me what we hafta do?
Claire: Look Daddy, there’s a fly. Two flies. Another fly. Is the flies gonna get me?
(dinner)
Mommy: There's spinach on it, and basil.
Claire: I like basil.
Mommy: Me too.
Claire: Me too.
Claire: The sun’s up, so we can wake up.
Alex (to Claire): So when the sun was up, I got out of bed, put on my PJs, put my PJs away, and got dressed!
Claire: Oh.
Alex (to Claire): And I put on my shirt, no I put on my underwear first, and then I put on my shirt, and I put on my pants, but I had to do it really fast, because I needed to go potty really bad, so I rushed!, and I went to the potty really fast and I got it, and I was on time!
Claire: Oh, I can sit over here.
(Alex makes some room on the sofa beside him.)
Alex: Here’s some room for you, Claire.
Claire: Oh.
(Claire comes and sits by Alex.)
Claire (to Daddy): Alex made some room for me!
Daddy: Oh, good!
Alex: I’m very nice today.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: I’m very nice even because my hip hurts!
(Daddy picks up Claire from school. He is driving her home.)
Claire: One kid, and one daddy.
Daddy: What?
Claire: One daddy, and one kid.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire: One kid and one daddy. And one daddy.
(Daddy and Claire are at home, waiting for Mommy and Alex to come home too.)
Claire: When they come, when I hear the garage door, we need to hide.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Can we hide under a blanket when they come?
Daddy: Yes.
Claire: Okay. And they will find us.
Claire (to Daddy): There’s your underwear.
Daddy: Yeah, I have underwear too.
Claire: Yeah and I have underwear.
Daddy: That’s right.
Claire: I’m keeping my underwear dry, and you need to keep your underwear dry.
Daddy: I keep my underwear dry too.
Claire: And I’m gonna keep my underwear dry, too!
Daddy: Yeah, just like a big girl.
(Daddy and Claire play “cupcakes” while they wait for Mommy to bring Alex home from school.)
Claire: I gonna get some cupcakes for you, Daddy.
Claire: I got some – some cupcakes!
Claire: No, no more cupcakes! Okay?
Claire: I’m gonna save one. I’m gonna save one, Daddy.
Claire: There’s another cupcake! Eat that one then I gonna get you another one. And – I’m gonna eat – and – you eat that one first, and then I –
Daddy: What is this, is this a cupcake?
Claire: Yeah, that is a cupcake.
Daddy: Oh, it looks like a train, yummy! It’s a train cupcake!
Claire: Yeah, a train cupcake. It’s chocolate on there.
Daddy: Oh. Mmmm! I like chocolate, it tastes good!
Claire: Yeah.
Claire: Another cupcake!
Claire: I’m gonna go get another one.
Claire: I cupcakes, Daddy no, I got four cupcakes. Lot of cupcakes, eat that one first. Got lot of cupcakes, Daddy, for… you.
Claire: Eat this one first.
Daddy: Oh, thank you.
Claire: I got some more.
Daddy: You brought me lots of cupcakes!
Claire: Yeah, I got four!
Daddy: Is it somebody’s birthday?
Claire: Yeah, it’s your birthday today. [pronounced “too day”]
Daddy: Oh! How old am I?
Claire: You’re four.
Daddy: I’m four?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: I’m excited!
Alex (coming in the door): Ha ha haaaa!
Claire: Hi hi hi!
(Alex, Claire, and Daddy play in the backyard.)
Claire: Can we play a game, Daddy? Can we touch the tree and you tell me what we hafta do?
Claire: Look Daddy, there’s a fly. Two flies. Another fly. Is the flies gonna get me?
(dinner)
Mommy: There's spinach on it, and basil.
Claire: I like basil.
Mommy: Me too.
Claire: Me too.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Yeah and roosters are very loud: “Oh, rooster!”
Daddy: Claire, if you had $300, what would you buy?
Claire: It’s ups and downs.
Claire: Daddy, where’s Song Baby? Song Baby, where are you? Where’s Song Baby, Daddy? Makes songs. Is she in here? No, where’s, uh song. Uh, other baby makes song. Where other Song Baby, makes songs, Daddy? Where other baby?
(During nap, Claire is “singing” in her bed -- shouting in a loud monotone, really -- or perhaps a mixture of both.)
Claire (“singing”): Can you see me at the party…! When you eat cupcakes…!
Claire (“singing”): When you eat cupcakes at the party…! And there will be balloons in purple…! And black…! And orange, and green…! And red…! And orange…! And – ah – ah– ah – when you can’t see me…! Next time, Mommy and Daddy are (mumble), but Daddy at schoolwork…! But he doesn’t at his schoolwork, he is at his meeting…! But he is at his meeting today, and Mommy is at still home…!
Claire (spoken): Good job.
(dinner)
Claire: No, why do you, not want to eat your carrots?
Alex: ‘Cause it’s a rooster, you can’t eat roosters!
Claire: They eat – roosters eat chickens!
(Claire laughs.)
Alex: Turkeys are very loud, Claire, they go “Bock bock bock bock bock bock! Bock bock bock bock bock!”
Claire: Yeah and roosters are very loud: “Oh, rooster!”
Alex: They go like this: “Cock a doodle doo!”
Claire: “Cock a doodle doo!” They can do it quiet. No they can do it loud. “Cock a doodle doo! Cock a doodle doo!” You do it like that.
(Alex and Claire are eating circle bread.)
Claire: Now it, it – it’s a boat!
Alex (in a humming voice): Mm, mm, mm. Now it’s broken now. In two pieces.
Alex (in a humming voice): Mmmmm. People roll down the hill. Now the boat is broken. It breaks into pieces. All around the world.
Claire: And it’s not toasted!
Alex: And it flies all around the water, and the people swoosh through the water. But all the parts fall in. They fall right into the waterfall. Ummmm.
(Alex makes “nom nom nom” sounds as he eats his bread.)
Claire: May I have some more, um, toast please – um, circle bread please, Daddy?
Alex: Mmm. Get those two parts. Mmm. Get that one other part. Mmm. And then, we have to get the other parts too! Mmm. Mmm. It’s breaking. Mmm. One more part of it. Oh no! Gone, we can’t make anything (mumble)!
Claire (singing/chanting directly to her bread): (Mumble mumble) next time. (Mumble mumble) next time. I can’t see you, next time. Can I see you.
Claire (singing/chanting directly to her bread): Now I know my, AB, Cs. Next time, won’t you, sing with, me. Can, you, sing, with, me.
Claire: Turn, to this page.
Alex: Mmm mmm. Hello, people. Claire, put your bread down here.
Claire: Okay.
Alex: Hello, people. You wanna go for a walk?
Claire: Yeah.
(Alex and Claire make “chhh” sounds as their bread flies around.)
Alex: Crash.
Claire: Crash.
Claire: My boat is broken! I can’t go, I’m going really fast!
Alex: I’m broken too, right here.
Claire: I can go help youuuu!
Alex: Vrmm, vrmm, vrmm. Waaaah! It’s flying in air and it can’t drive!
Claire: I got you some stuff so you can drive!
Claire: Fix me now! I’m all broken, (mumble), I can go really fast!
Alex: I’m right here! Come to me!
Alex: You’re all fixed!
Claire: Okay. Now I’m going slow.
Alex: The canoe is broken!
Claire: I can go fix the canoe! I fix the canoe.
Alex: Look, Daddy, I made a canoe. But it’s broken right here.
Alex: Yeah, it’s a broken canoe, I like it.
Alex: Nnn, let’s put it back together. Very well. Squeeze it.
Claire: Squeeze the banoo.
Alex: And now, it’s not broken anymore!
Claire: Now it’s not broken anymore!
Alex: It’s a canoe!
Claire: It’s a canoe!
Alex: Dubba dubba dubba dubba dubba.
Alex: Hi, other canoe. Would you like to go for a walk?
Claire: Yeah!
Alex: Okay, this way.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: Hey, people are sticking through that. Who is that?
(Claire mumbles.)
Claire: A part of a hole. A hole in my thing! A hole in my circle bread! Look, a hole in my circle bread! Look a hole in my circle bread!
Alex: I can fix it. Here I come.
Claire: No, you can’t – fix my circle bread!
Alex: Um, you wanna go for a walk? Yeah!
Claire: Yeah, ‘cause, you need to fix my hole, fix – but – fix my hole but I ate your hole.
Alex: Uh no, don’t eat his hole, oh no the cabinet’s gonna eat – get – get eaten. I’m gonna eat the cabinet! Oh no, I’m gonna get eaten!
(Alex makes “nom nom nom” sounds as he eats his bread.)
Alex: Watch I’m really high!
(Alex makes “nom nom nom” sounds as he eats his bread.)
Claire: I’m gonna [win?]!
Alex: Splash! He fell in the water, Daddy.
Alex: Over the wave, oh no, I’m going over the big wave!
Claire: I’m going over the big wave!
Alex: Zoom zoom zoom, down this big wave.
Claire: Look, that’s a monster in front of me! Coming – a monster is coming to you it’s walking!
Alex: What?
Claire: It’s walking beti – between you it’s back of you! It’s – on your tummy and on your back!
Alex: Aah!
Claire: And there’s a spider on your back and on your tummy!
Alex: Now he can’t get me! He’s over here. He can’t jump. He can jump this far, and he can’t jump all the way –
Claire: And, and a spider and, and a monster are walking on your chair, A – your chair.
Alex: Aaaaaah, boom! [plus more sound effects]
Alex: Down in the way and here I come, to get that monster, and put him in the trash.
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: There’s a monster on your chair, and spider.
Alex (his voice trailing off into nothing): Whooooaaaa!
Claire (singing): ABCDEFG, HIJKLMNOP, QRS, TLV, WX, Y and Z, know my know my ABCs, next time won’t you sing with me.
Claire (to Daddy): Um, can I make a circle, and, a circle, can I, and can, I throw, uh my dinosaur way up in the sky?
Claire (to Daddy): Can you come in my room so I can make a circle?
Daddy: And then what happens with the circle?
Claire: Um and, then I throw my dinosaur up, way up in the sky and can you get it?
(Daddy tucks Alex into bed, and leaves his room.)
Alex: Um, Daddy? Ants live in dirt holes.
(Alex is in bed. Mommy opens the garage door.)
Alex: Is Daddy still here? Mommy?
Claire: It’s ups and downs.
Claire: Daddy, where’s Song Baby? Song Baby, where are you? Where’s Song Baby, Daddy? Makes songs. Is she in here? No, where’s, uh song. Uh, other baby makes song. Where other Song Baby, makes songs, Daddy? Where other baby?
(During nap, Claire is “singing” in her bed -- shouting in a loud monotone, really -- or perhaps a mixture of both.)
Claire (“singing”): Can you see me at the party…! When you eat cupcakes…!
Claire (“singing”): When you eat cupcakes at the party…! And there will be balloons in purple…! And black…! And orange, and green…! And red…! And orange…! And – ah – ah– ah – when you can’t see me…! Next time, Mommy and Daddy are (mumble), but Daddy at schoolwork…! But he doesn’t at his schoolwork, he is at his meeting…! But he is at his meeting today, and Mommy is at still home…!
Claire (spoken): Good job.
(dinner)
Claire: No, why do you, not want to eat your carrots?
Alex: ‘Cause it’s a rooster, you can’t eat roosters!
Claire: They eat – roosters eat chickens!
(Claire laughs.)
Alex: Turkeys are very loud, Claire, they go “Bock bock bock bock bock bock! Bock bock bock bock bock!”
Claire: Yeah and roosters are very loud: “Oh, rooster!”
Alex: They go like this: “Cock a doodle doo!”
Claire: “Cock a doodle doo!” They can do it quiet. No they can do it loud. “Cock a doodle doo! Cock a doodle doo!” You do it like that.
(Alex and Claire are eating circle bread.)
Claire: Now it, it – it’s a boat!
Alex (in a humming voice): Mm, mm, mm. Now it’s broken now. In two pieces.
Alex (in a humming voice): Mmmmm. People roll down the hill. Now the boat is broken. It breaks into pieces. All around the world.
Claire: And it’s not toasted!
Alex: And it flies all around the water, and the people swoosh through the water. But all the parts fall in. They fall right into the waterfall. Ummmm.
(Alex makes “nom nom nom” sounds as he eats his bread.)
Claire: May I have some more, um, toast please – um, circle bread please, Daddy?
Alex: Mmm. Get those two parts. Mmm. Get that one other part. Mmm. And then, we have to get the other parts too! Mmm. Mmm. It’s breaking. Mmm. One more part of it. Oh no! Gone, we can’t make anything (mumble)!
Claire (singing/chanting directly to her bread): (Mumble mumble) next time. (Mumble mumble) next time. I can’t see you, next time. Can I see you.
Claire (singing/chanting directly to her bread): Now I know my, AB, Cs. Next time, won’t you, sing with, me. Can, you, sing, with, me.
Claire: Turn, to this page.
Alex: Mmm mmm. Hello, people. Claire, put your bread down here.
Claire: Okay.
Alex: Hello, people. You wanna go for a walk?
Claire: Yeah.
(Alex and Claire make “chhh” sounds as their bread flies around.)
Alex: Crash.
Claire: Crash.
Claire: My boat is broken! I can’t go, I’m going really fast!
Alex: I’m broken too, right here.
Claire: I can go help youuuu!
Alex: Vrmm, vrmm, vrmm. Waaaah! It’s flying in air and it can’t drive!
Claire: I got you some stuff so you can drive!
Claire: Fix me now! I’m all broken, (mumble), I can go really fast!
Alex: I’m right here! Come to me!
Alex: You’re all fixed!
Claire: Okay. Now I’m going slow.
Alex: The canoe is broken!
Claire: I can go fix the canoe! I fix the canoe.
Alex: Look, Daddy, I made a canoe. But it’s broken right here.
Alex: Yeah, it’s a broken canoe, I like it.
Alex: Nnn, let’s put it back together. Very well. Squeeze it.
Claire: Squeeze the banoo.
Alex: And now, it’s not broken anymore!
Claire: Now it’s not broken anymore!
Alex: It’s a canoe!
Claire: It’s a canoe!
Alex: Dubba dubba dubba dubba dubba.
Alex: Hi, other canoe. Would you like to go for a walk?
Claire: Yeah!
Alex: Okay, this way.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: Hey, people are sticking through that. Who is that?
(Claire mumbles.)
Claire: A part of a hole. A hole in my thing! A hole in my circle bread! Look, a hole in my circle bread! Look a hole in my circle bread!
Alex: I can fix it. Here I come.
Claire: No, you can’t – fix my circle bread!
Alex: Um, you wanna go for a walk? Yeah!
Claire: Yeah, ‘cause, you need to fix my hole, fix – but – fix my hole but I ate your hole.
Alex: Uh no, don’t eat his hole, oh no the cabinet’s gonna eat – get – get eaten. I’m gonna eat the cabinet! Oh no, I’m gonna get eaten!
(Alex makes “nom nom nom” sounds as he eats his bread.)
Alex: Watch I’m really high!
(Alex makes “nom nom nom” sounds as he eats his bread.)
Claire: I’m gonna [win?]!
Alex: Splash! He fell in the water, Daddy.
Alex: Over the wave, oh no, I’m going over the big wave!
Claire: I’m going over the big wave!
Alex: Zoom zoom zoom, down this big wave.
Claire: Look, that’s a monster in front of me! Coming – a monster is coming to you it’s walking!
Alex: What?
Claire: It’s walking beti – between you it’s back of you! It’s – on your tummy and on your back!
Alex: Aah!
Claire: And there’s a spider on your back and on your tummy!
Alex: Now he can’t get me! He’s over here. He can’t jump. He can jump this far, and he can’t jump all the way –
Claire: And, and a spider and, and a monster are walking on your chair, A – your chair.
Alex: Aaaaaah, boom! [plus more sound effects]
Alex: Down in the way and here I come, to get that monster, and put him in the trash.
(Alex laughs.)
Claire: There’s a monster on your chair, and spider.
Alex (his voice trailing off into nothing): Whooooaaaa!
Claire (singing): ABCDEFG, HIJKLMNOP, QRS, TLV, WX, Y and Z, know my know my ABCs, next time won’t you sing with me.
Claire (to Daddy): Um, can I make a circle, and, a circle, can I, and can, I throw, uh my dinosaur way up in the sky?
Claire (to Daddy): Can you come in my room so I can make a circle?
Daddy: And then what happens with the circle?
Claire: Um and, then I throw my dinosaur up, way up in the sky and can you get it?
(Daddy tucks Alex into bed, and leaves his room.)
Alex: Um, Daddy? Ants live in dirt holes.
(Alex is in bed. Mommy opens the garage door.)
Alex: Is Daddy still here? Mommy?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Trash can is funny.
(dinner)
Daddy: Did you guys play soccer today?
Claire: I played soccer today! I liked it!
(Alex and Claire are talking silly to each other.)
Alex: I know you want to go to bed, Sweetie.
Claire: I know you want to go to bed, Pocky.
Alex: I’m chucklehead. That’s what Daddy calls me.
Claire: I know you want to go to bed, chucklehead.
(Claire throws something in the trash can.)
Claire: That’s funny, trash can.
Daddy: What’s funny?
Claire: Trash can is funny.
Daddy: Did you guys play soccer today?
Claire: I played soccer today! I liked it!
(Alex and Claire are talking silly to each other.)
Alex: I know you want to go to bed, Sweetie.
Claire: I know you want to go to bed, Pocky.
Alex: I’m chucklehead. That’s what Daddy calls me.
Claire: I know you want to go to bed, chucklehead.
(Claire throws something in the trash can.)
Claire: That’s funny, trash can.
Daddy: What’s funny?
Claire: Trash can is funny.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
I love you when you make dinner, and I love you every day.
(Alex, Claire, and Mommy come home from the shoe store.)
Alex: I got two surprises for you Daddy! I got balloons, and new shoes!
Claire: Look at my shoes, Daddy!
Claire: My shoes light up!
Alex: Mines too!
Claire: Mines too! And they jump! They light up!
Claire: Daddy, can you pick me up so I can hold my -- hang my coat up?
(Alex and Claire have been running really fast across the kitchen.)
Claire (now going slowly): Look I'm going fast, really slow.
Claire: One, two, superfast!
(Claire runs across the kitchen.)
(dinner)
Claire: Am I gonna get sick? Am I gonna get blueberries in my bed, Mommy?
(Alex shows Claire a picture he drew at school.)
Alex: And this is Daddy right here!
Claire: Oh! Is he a horse?
Alex: Go away, skunk!
Claire: Go away, skunk!
Alex: I don't like spray on me!
Claire: I don't like spray on me!
Alex: Oh I -- I shouldn't play at the table.
Claire: Oh I -- I shouldn't play at the table.
Daddy: Good job, Alex.
Alex: Daddy? If a skunk sprayed you, you wouldn't smell very good, and when you came inside, it would taste very bad. It would be bad. And you wouldn't be able to know that.
Alex: Look Daddy, I can make L with my knife and fork. Look, L!
Claire: I see your L!
Daddy: Wow, that's great!
Claire: I can make A, with my fork and my A.
Claire: Look, I made 1!
Claire: I tried it, Daddy! Tried this!
Daddy: You tried it?
Claire: Yeah, I tried it!
Daddy: Oh, good for you!
Claire: And I liked it!
Daddy: And you liked it? That's great!
Claire: The spray is yucky.
Daddy: The spray from a skunk is yucky?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Yeah. And then you would smell very bad when you come inside and everybody would say "What is that smell?!"
(The following is an email that Alex and Claire sent to Mommy.)
***
[Alex wanted to write you an email.]
Daddy: Okay, what do you wanna say?
Alex: Dear Mommy,
Alex: Um -- um -- um
Claire: Dear Mommy. Um, um, can I say something, Daddy?
Alex: No I want to say something first!
Claire: No I --
Alex: But I wanna say something really special, I have something really nice!
[Okay, starting over. Alex gets the first turn.]
Alex: Dear Mommy, I ate -- I -- I like your um, I like your lasagna, and I ate it. And thank you for my dinner. I looove -- I love you when you make dinner, and I love you every day. And I love to play with you, and I love when you do schoolwork. And I love you when I play by myself, and I love you when you're mad, or you're sad. And if you're happy, I love you too, and when you read books to me and put me in my bed and sing songs! And when I read by myself and play trains! And I like eating your dinner, and -- and I love when you give me jobs.
[Alex signs off. Claire's turn.]
Claire: Daddy. I love -- no I wanna say um um um Grommie. Um… and… I love you, Grommie.
Daddy: Okay, what do you wanna say to Mommy?
Claire: No, I said "Grommie".
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I love you, Grommie.
Alex: Is that all you wanna say?
Claire: No.
[Claire signs off.]
Alex: I'm all done. I like when I write emails to Mommy. Or Daddy. If Daddy's gone, and Mommy's still here, I would write an email to Daddy!
Alex: Mommy, and I love you when you sleep. And I love you when you tell me when it's time to wake up. And I love you when you surprise me, and I love you when you give me presents on my birthday, and I love you when you come to my party, and I love you all day long, and I love you all, when March, when March starts, I will love you every day, and I love you when the um -- when the um -- when the um -- when the months changes. Months does change. Months change. Month, month, month month month, montha month. Month. Month, dizzy, month.
***
(Alex walks around wearing Daddy's shoes.)
Alex (in a stupid-sounding voice): Hi. I'm Daddy. I like to talk like this.
(Alex is playing near Claire's toys.)
Claire: Can you not play with my friends, Alex? Can you not play with my friends?
Daddy: That was a very nice way to ask, Claire.
Alex: Okay. I won't.
Alex: I got two surprises for you Daddy! I got balloons, and new shoes!
Claire: Look at my shoes, Daddy!
Claire: My shoes light up!
Alex: Mines too!
Claire: Mines too! And they jump! They light up!
Claire: Daddy, can you pick me up so I can hold my -- hang my coat up?
(Alex and Claire have been running really fast across the kitchen.)
Claire (now going slowly): Look I'm going fast, really slow.
Claire: One, two, superfast!
(Claire runs across the kitchen.)
(dinner)
Claire: Am I gonna get sick? Am I gonna get blueberries in my bed, Mommy?
(Alex shows Claire a picture he drew at school.)
Alex: And this is Daddy right here!
Claire: Oh! Is he a horse?
Alex: Go away, skunk!
Claire: Go away, skunk!
Alex: I don't like spray on me!
Claire: I don't like spray on me!
Alex: Oh I -- I shouldn't play at the table.
Claire: Oh I -- I shouldn't play at the table.
Daddy: Good job, Alex.
Alex: Daddy? If a skunk sprayed you, you wouldn't smell very good, and when you came inside, it would taste very bad. It would be bad. And you wouldn't be able to know that.
Alex: Look Daddy, I can make L with my knife and fork. Look, L!
Claire: I see your L!
Daddy: Wow, that's great!
Claire: I can make A, with my fork and my A.
Claire: Look, I made 1!
Claire: I tried it, Daddy! Tried this!
Daddy: You tried it?
Claire: Yeah, I tried it!
Daddy: Oh, good for you!
Claire: And I liked it!
Daddy: And you liked it? That's great!
Claire: The spray is yucky.
Daddy: The spray from a skunk is yucky?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Yeah. And then you would smell very bad when you come inside and everybody would say "What is that smell?!"
(The following is an email that Alex and Claire sent to Mommy.)
***
[Alex wanted to write you an email.]
Daddy: Okay, what do you wanna say?
Alex: Dear Mommy,
Alex: Um -- um -- um
Claire: Dear Mommy. Um, um, can I say something, Daddy?
Alex: No I want to say something first!
Claire: No I --
Alex: But I wanna say something really special, I have something really nice!
[Okay, starting over. Alex gets the first turn.]
Alex: Dear Mommy, I ate -- I -- I like your um, I like your lasagna, and I ate it. And thank you for my dinner. I looove -- I love you when you make dinner, and I love you every day. And I love to play with you, and I love when you do schoolwork. And I love you when I play by myself, and I love you when you're mad, or you're sad. And if you're happy, I love you too, and when you read books to me and put me in my bed and sing songs! And when I read by myself and play trains! And I like eating your dinner, and -- and I love when you give me jobs.
[Alex signs off. Claire's turn.]
Claire: Daddy. I love -- no I wanna say um um um Grommie. Um… and… I love you, Grommie.
Daddy: Okay, what do you wanna say to Mommy?
Claire: No, I said "Grommie".
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: I love you, Grommie.
Alex: Is that all you wanna say?
Claire: No.
[Claire signs off.]
Alex: I'm all done. I like when I write emails to Mommy. Or Daddy. If Daddy's gone, and Mommy's still here, I would write an email to Daddy!
Alex: Mommy, and I love you when you sleep. And I love you when you tell me when it's time to wake up. And I love you when you surprise me, and I love you when you give me presents on my birthday, and I love you when you come to my party, and I love you all day long, and I love you all, when March, when March starts, I will love you every day, and I love you when the um -- when the um -- when the um -- when the months changes. Months does change. Months change. Month, month, month month month, montha month. Month. Month, dizzy, month.
***
(Alex walks around wearing Daddy's shoes.)
Alex (in a stupid-sounding voice): Hi. I'm Daddy. I like to talk like this.
(Alex is playing near Claire's toys.)
Claire: Can you not play with my friends, Alex? Can you not play with my friends?
Daddy: That was a very nice way to ask, Claire.
Alex: Okay. I won't.
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