But – I’m – Par – King – Here!!

(The kids have a really cute conversation about Alex helping Claire, which concludes with the following.)
Alex: Big brothers do all things for their sisters.



(Alex and Claire are fighting.)
Alex: Claire, I'm trying to talk to you!
Claire: I'm trying to talk to you!



Alex's train: I'll take this one today.
Alex: And he went off to catch the cones.
Alex: While the freight train was waiting for Gordon, on the other side of the track, he called, um, Molly.
Alex's train: Hey, police car, can you go get Molly for me?
Police Car: But I don't know where she is.
Alex's train: She's at the shed. Or Gordon, please. Get --
Police Car: I can -- I can go get Gordon for you.
Alex's train: I want Molly.
Police Car: I think I can get Molly.
(The police car makes a beeline for the shed -- off track.)
Alex: No -- no, you have to take the track, take the track.
Claire: What track?
Alex: The track you're on right now, I'll show you the way. Come on.
(Claire ignores this.)
Alex: Right here. Over here.
(Claire ignores this.)
Alex: Come on, let's go through the tunnel.
Police Car (in an excited, high-pitched voice): Oh, yay, let's go through the tunnel!
(Alex's train and the police car go through the tunnel.)
Alex: So, he left his load, and they went through the tunnel. Then he saw Emily. Aah! She ran (unintelligible) a different track.

Alex: They went on, and on. Soon they saw Emily on a different track and zoomed off.
Alex: Where's car? Where's car? Emily zoomed into a siding.
Police Car: I'm going faster!
Alex: Here's the shed where she is.
Claire: No -- I wanna go!
(Claire swats at Alex's train and throws it a few feet away.)
Alex: Why'd you take that?!
(Claire mumbles something whinily.)
Alex: She took my train!
Mommy: Claire why did you -- why did you throw Alex's train over here, honey?
Claire (mumbling whinily): I don't want to hear about that.
Mommy: Well honey, I was gonna let you have quiet time today, but, if you can't play nicely we're gonna have to do nap, okay?

Claire (whining): Noo!
Mommy: Okay well, are you gonna play nicely?
Claire (whining): Yeah.
Mommy: Okay. Guys, we need to go up and do our bathroom stuff and then you can come back down, okay?
Alex: Okay.
Mommy: You have to listen to me though.
Claire: Why?



Alex (to Mommy): Nana calls me "yes, dear".
(Alex laughs.)
Mommy: Is that funny?
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: And -- Nana calls me -- "sweetie pie".
Mommy: Sweetie pie?
Claire: Yeah.


(Alex and Claire are playing trains.)

Alex: I was wondering if you can fly over.
(Pause.)
Alex: Nothing can fly us over like that though.
(Pause.)
Alex: I – I can jump high. Wheeeee!
Claire; Alex, can you help me put this bridge back together?
Alex: Sorry. I’m sorry. You can do it.
Claire: I can’t.
Alex: Why?
Claire: Because… I can do –
Alex (suddenly very upset): Please, Claire, I want to see you try! I don’t feel like – I don’t like this fixing the bridge all the time! I don’t like fixing the bridge all the time! That’s not right, Claire! That’s not right!
Claire: It is right! See?
Alex: That’s why you’re not doing it right, the bridge. It goes like this! Now you can do it.
Claire: You do it!
Alex: No I don’t want to, I don’t feel like it, it’s not – I – you need to practice this!
(After a moment, Alex goes back to playing.)
Alex: You go down, you slide down. That would be fun. “Let me see,” said Gordon.
Claire (whining): I can’t do it!
Alex: What are you doing, Claire?
Claire (whining): I can’t put the track back together.
Alex: Well, you have to put it over here, then.
Claire: I can’t.
Alex: Why?
Claire: Because I don’t know how.
Alex (upset again): You can do it, I want to see you try! I, I will not do it!
Alex: No! That’s not the way! That’s not the way, Claire! That’s not the way!
Alex: I – I’m not gonna help you, it goes like that. Now you put it toge – you– no, Claire! There, you put it together!
(Alex goes back to playing.)
Alex: (Mumble) “Then you tip over! There you go down!”
Claire: Alex, I did it!!
Alex: See, Claire? When you do something, it works just fine.
Claire: I fixed the track!!
Alex: See, Claire? I told you. I know, Claire.
(Alex goes back to playing.)
Alex: “Bye, Gordon!”
Alex: “Bye, Thomas!”
Alex: “Hey, Molly, Molly, Molly, Molly! Molly!”
Alex: “Uh-oh, there’s another train behind me.”
Alex: “Uh – Emily! I gotta get Emily before she gets crashed!”
Alex: Make him go in the shed!
Alex: Uh-oh. He’s gonna go over the signal. I’m afraid for him to go over.
Alex: Whoo! He fell right off! He’s not apposed to go over the signal.
Alex: “Why?”
Alex: Because he’ll get stuck. “My whistle is too big!”
Alex: Then there was trouble. (Unintelligible)’s goin too fast, didn’t see Emily, then Molly saw him.
Alex: Uh, Claire, can I have Molly, please?
Claire: Um… okay, you can have Molly.
Alex: Then Molly stopped. Then Molly was going. Tried to mess up Thomas. She said “Thomas, stop!” “No no no! I want to see Emily. But!” You messed – Molly passed! Thomas… went on. Then he [unintelligible]. He turned a different way into the city. Then… he was going somewhere to see bus. “Hi, bus! Let’s go!” “Okay!” Thomas, was going up the bridge. But he didn’t want to go up. Bus didn’t fit through right, then Thomas has to go over.
(Alex makes driving noises.)
Alex: Then, they were goin’ somewhere, where Bus couldn’t, believe! He was coupling up a bridge (mumble). Then, he wanted to see another Thomas. There was another Thomas. Up high in the mountain. That, the other train, was out in the (mumble) night. It was nighttime over there. Thomas saw him. “That’s a different world! It’s nighttime over there. I need to go find out – he, he has his light on.” “Oh! I don’t see!”
Claire: “Oh, I have to go in my shed.”
Alex: “I’m sorry, we have jobs to do tonight. Come on.”
Claire: “Is it dark outside?”
Alex: “Yeah, but, we have jobs to do tonight. You – you go back to the shed and, rest if you’re too tired, okay?”
Claire: “I think I’m too tired.”
(The next part of Thomas’s adventure is inaudible.)

(A bit later in the story.)
Alex: “Oh! I don’t remember this coach!”
Alex: She saw… she saw, um – Molly saw Emily. Emily looked sad. I want everyone, was that, they were blocked up. Each train was blocked up because they weren’t moving. Rollie saw one bump that she shouldn’t get over. “No… no, going over bumps today.” Sir Topham Hatt. “Well,” said Rosie, “I will try it. We’re goin’ up hills.” “Hey, Rosie! You’re not apposed to go up that hill.” “I’m sorry, but this is the way.” “Oh, well – well you dropped it. See, you shou – wh -- I told you to go a different way today.”
Alex: Claire, can you get outta my way?
Claire: Okay.
Mommy: Good job guys, you are getting along so nicely.
Claire (proudly): I moved out of Alex’s way!
Mommy: Yeah, you guys are being nice to each other, that’s great.
Alex: And, a big (pack?) came by.
Claire: Alex, here!
Alex: No! Leave her on the signal, please!
Mommy: Okay, let’s be nice.
Mommy: Claire Bear! Honey. Do you remember the rule about stickers?
(Claire mumbles.)
Mommy: They’re allowed to be on your shirt, on your treasure box, or in the trash, honey. Okay?
Claire: Okay.
Mommy: Okay. You want ‘em back on your shirt?
Claire: Yeah.
Mommy: Okay.
Alex: You shouldn’t put it on any other things.
Mommy: She knows now.

Alex: “(Mumble),” said Rosie. “I can’t do it. But it’s good that, you’re here.”
Alex: “You’re really fast. I can’t catch up.” “I know.” “How ‘bout we have a nice break?”
Alex: Rosie said, “No, I – you’re too fast, I think.” “WAAAA-HAAAA.”
Alex: Emily was on her way back.
Claire: “Uh-oh! There’s a train in our way!”
Alex: “James!” Claire, I’ll move this train, so you can make him go on the side. Siding.
Alex: I don’t wanna keep fixing things! They’re always breaking.
Alex: Claire, make them go in the, um – make them go in the siding.
Claire: I can open that for you, I can open this for you.
Alex: No I wanna do it, I wanna do it.
Claire: There.
Alex: No – don’t put it down, keep it up.

Claire: Your train is in my way.
Alex: No Claire, you’re apposed to put it in the siding.
Alex: You.
Alex: Claire.
Alex: Claire’s apposed to put it in the siding.
Alex: Why aren’t you putting it in the siding?
Claire: Put what in the siding?
Alex: The train! So you can go. Your hands can do it.
Claire: No they won’t. See? They won’t.
Alex: No. Like this!
Claire: Naaaah!
Alex: No, Claire. That thing is in front. It’s not ‘posed to – put the car –
(All of a sudden Alex starts wailing.)
Alex (extremely upset): Hey, Claire!! You’re taking the train apart!! You’re taking the train apart!!
(Alex starts crying.)
Claire: No! No! No! No! No!
Mommy: Claire, don’t grab him.
Mommy: Okay, honey. Can you try to use words with her?
Alex (wailing): But, I’m telling her and she’s not listening!
(Alex sobs uncontrollably.)
Alex: Aaaaaaah! Aaaaaaah! Aaaaahaahaaa! Ohhhhhh! Aaaaahaaahaaa!

Mommy: Can you try talking to Claire?
Alex: I was! And she didn’t listen.
Claire: I was (mumble) put the train back together.
Mommy: Were you putting it back together, Claire Bear?
Alex (grumpily): There. Now you can go by. No! Not like that!
Mommy: She was trying, honey.
Alex (grumpily): There! Put it there. Put it there, no put trains there.
Claire: There.
Alex (grumpily): That’s why you get by.
(Mommy is trying to give Alex some medicine.)
Mommy: C’mere, buddy. Let me give you this medicine.
Alex: I don’t want medicine! I don’t want medicine!
Mommy: I don’t want it to get infected, honey. Need to put all the medicine on it, okay? That’s all I need to do.
Alex: I don’t want to! Wipe it off!
Mommy: Alex, please leave it on there so that it gets better.
Alex (grumpily): It’s not gonna –
Mommy: If you don’t let me put medicine on it, it’s not gonna get better and I’m gonna have to take you to the doctor.
Alex (grumpily): Why?
Mommy: Because it – it needs to get better.
Alex (grumpily): Well, what is – what is – what is the doctor gonna do?
Mommy: I don’t know.
Alex (whining): I want to know, so… so, um… so I won’t say it again. Please?
Mommy: You need to know what?
Alex (whining): Uh, I need to know it, so I, won’t say it again.
Mommy: I, I honestly am not sure what the doctor will do.
(Pause.)
Alex (whining): If you don’t know, it’s not fair, fair. It’s not fair!
Mommy: I’m sorry, Alex, I –
Alex (angrily): It’s really not fair! It’s really not fair.
Mommy: Buddy.
Alex: What?
Mommy: I don’t understand what’s wrong.
Alex: What?
Mommy: Alex, I don’t understand what’s wrong.
Alex (angrily): You do!
Mommy: Alex.
Alex (angrily): What? I already answered you, and now you should stop!
(Pause.)
Alex (angrily): Mommy. Why are you not talking to me?
Mommy: I’m talking to you.
Alex (angrily): Tell me the next word.
Mommy: What next word, honey?
Alex: I don’t really know!
Claire: Alex, your train is in the way! Your other train is in the way!
Alex (angrily): I know I know I know I know I know! Put him somewhere else then.
Claire: But I’m up here.
Alex: Well put him somewhere else so you can do it. Because I don’t feel like movin’ him.
(Pause.)
Alex (angrily): What do you think – what do you think you should put him? What do you think you should put him?
(Pause.)
Claire: Don’t.
Alex: But I have to put the train, somewhere – somewhere else, or, he won’t go away. It’s gonna tip him over. Now.
Alex (sounding happy again): You can’t go over the bridge, because there’s a train here.
(Pause.)
Alex (upset): No – no no no! There’s a train here, so you can’t go! You can’t go over because there’s a train here, see? You can’t – that’s – uh, Claire, you’re messing it up!
Mommy: Claire Bear, can you work with Alex? So that you’re both happy?
Alex: Please! Stop, Claire! Stop breaking my bridge! Stop breakin’ the bridge!
Alex: I don’t want you to go over.
Claire: But I’m parking here!
Alex: Claire, but, there’s a train here, you can’t go this way.
Claire: They’re parking here!
(Alex makes angry grunts. Claire repeats them.)
Alex: Why are you doing that?
Alex: Why’d you do that to me?
Alex: Why’d you do “Nngh! Nngh!”
(Claire grunts at him.)
Alex: It’s not funny, Claire. It’s not funny.
Mommy: Claire, can you please be nice?
Alex (whining): Ow! No, Claire! Don’t go over! There’s a train in the way!
Claire (adamantly): But – I’m – Par – King – Here!!
(Pause.)
Claire: Stop.
Claire: Stop.
Claire: Don’t! Keep it down.
Claire: Keep it down!
Claire: Alex, keep it dooooown!
Mommy: Alex, what’s goin’ on, honey?
Claire (sadly): Mommy, Alex is turning this. That green thing.
Claire: Stop!
(Claire starts crying.)
Mommy: Okay, listen. We’re gonna have to play apart… or you guys – Alex! Stop doing that, please!
(Alex makes his angry grunt.)
Mommy (calmly): Are you guys ready for some books? Do we need to do something different?
Alex (angrily): No I don’t want books!
Mommy (calmly): Okay, listen.
(Alex storms off to sit on the stairs.)
Mommy (calmly): All right. Do you wanna go do some quiet time in your room?
(Alex makes his angry grunt.)
Mommy: All right, tomorrow we’re gonna start doing naps again, ‘cause this isn’t working.
Alex: It is gonna work!
Mommy: What can – what can we do to make this work?
Alex: Nothing.
Mommy: Nothing?
Alex: Uh, um, tomorrow I – I don’t want to have nap tomorrow, and we’re not (mumble).
Mommy: Well, but I think we need it.
Alex: Why?
Mommy: Why? Because, you’re grouchy, right?
Claire (still playing trains): Mommy can, can you help me, um… can you help me… move Alex’s train off of the… um…
Alex (rushing back, upset): No, no, no! Don’t move my train! No, no, nooo! Me me me me me me me meeeee!
(Alex moves his train but makes sure it’s still blocking Claire’s train.)
Mommy: Alex. Please don’t block the track.
Alex (meanly): Look there’s a train down there, you might crash into it.
Mommy: Well that, that train needs to move into a siding, or keep going.
Alex: But there’s no siding, and, Flying Scotsman’s in the way, and I don’t wanta move him.
Mommy: Well, there’s so many trains on the track. Who’s, who’s the engineer in charge of all these trains? ‘Cause the engineer needs to get some trains off the track.
Alex :Why?
Mommy: Because they’re gonna run into each other and the other trains can’t go. Because some trains are just sitting there. Can we make a parking place for the trains? Can we make a station yard?
Claire: Mommy, I’m parking these trains here! On this.
Mommy: Well that’s fine as long as another train comes along. Right?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Well, there’s lots of work to do today, and there – these three trains can’t do it, we need more trains to do some. See?
Mommy: Okay, well if you’re gonna be down there to switch the trains when another train comes, that’s fine.

Claire (angrily): Don’t crash into my train.
Alex (upset): Hey, why are you doing that?!
Mommy: What’s wrong, Alex?
Alex (upset): Claire blocked me from going! I was tryin’ to help you go by!
(Pause.)
Alex (crying): I don’t – I don’t like this keeping – I don’t like this train to get trains back on the track! And Claire always doesn’t help me! Claire doesn’t even move trains for me! I always have to do all the trains, and Claire doesn’t help me!
Mommy: Hey Alex, then you can take some of the trains, take them off the track?
Alex: Claire, can you move your train?
Claire: Why?
Alex: Because you need to go that way, not this way. No – you need to go that way, so I can go this way.
Claire: Don’t! That’s not the way we’re apposed to go, I said! But I have to go to the shed!
Alex: Uh! You can’t!
Claire: I have to!
Alex (shouting): But I’m in the waaaaayyy!
(Pause.)
Mommy: All right. I’m gonna make a rule about how many trains we can have. Remember we used to have a rule that you can only have two trains? Do I need to make that rule again?
Alex (angrily): No.
Mommy: Then you need to figure something out, or I’m gonna make that rule.
Alex: I don’t want you to make that rule, never, never, never.
(Pause.)
Alex: Never, never, never. Never!
(Pause.)
Alex: Never!
(Pause.)
Alex: I said, never!

(The kids play quietly for a couple of minutes.)
Claire (firmly): Al… lex… you hafta… move… your other…
Alex: I know I know I know!!
(Pause.)
Alex (happily): I’m making more track.
Claire (happily): More track?! Why making a more track, and more track?!
Alex: Because I’m gonna make it go all around the house, do you wanna help me?
Claire: Uh yeah, yeah, I wanna help you.
Alex: Well Claire, we just have a couple more, uh, straight pieces. Some using the tur – the turn pieces.
Claire: Here’s some!
Alex: You need to go turn, and there.
(Claire and Alex happily build a new track together.)

Claire: Here’s some!

Claire: Here’s some!

Claire: Here’s some!

Alex: We’re gonna make all of these turn pieces!

Claire: I – I found one! I found one, I found one!

Claire: Mommy, I’m gonna put this piece in this space.


Claire (to Mommy): I’m sorry, Stephanie.
(Mommy laughs.)


(Alex and Claire are playing together.)

Alex: I’m just – I’m just a cowboy!
Alex: I wish I had a horsey!
Alex: How could I get one!

Alex: I pulled, the stool, away!
Claire: What stool?
Alex: Up here! Look, Claire. I pulled one away with my rope!

Alex: Claire, if your car falls down a cliff, I can get it, ‘cause I have my rope.

Alex: Let’s go to a horsey show, and then we can ride horseys. Because I’m a cowboy.


Claire: What do you do when a shark comes to you?
Mommy: Well, you swim calmly away from him. [Mommy explains further.]
Claire: But, well, it might bite you!
Mommy: Well usually when the shark --
Claire: Mommy, what do you do when you – when you – when, um – a dolphin comes?
Mommy: You say hi to it, cause dolphins are friendly.
Claire: What?
Mommy: You say hi to it, cause dolphins are friendly.
Claire :Oh.
(Pause.)
Alex: Mommy?
Mommy: What?
Alex: Um, some people don’t know it.
Mommy: Don’t know what?
Alex: Don’t know the – swim calmly away from the shark.
Mommy: Yeah.


(Daddy has bronchitis.)

Alex: Daddy, have some rest while we’re gone and you’ll feel better soon.


Alex: Daddy, I know you don’t have energy to play with me.


Mommy: Sweetie, we’re walking to the library.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Alex: I’m sorry you can’t walk with us, because you’re sick. But I know you’re getting better.


(dinner)

Alex: Daddy, the crackers I ate, the Clifford cereal, it went into my bib, it turned into goo, because I had a water spill.



(Alex and Claire are playing with dinosaurs.)

Alex: No, Claire. Dinosaurs don’t say "bye-bye", they fight.

Alex: No. No. The dinosaur doesn't go bye-bye. No. In my dinosaur games, they be mean to each other in this game.

Alex's dinosaur: Well, I'll get up the zip line before you get there. I'll get there first.
Claire's dinosaur: I got there first!
Alex's dinosaur: Well. Bye bye, I'm goin' down.



Claire: Alex? Alex. I pee-peed in my underwear.
Alex: It’s okay, Claire.
Claire: I have a new pair. I just got some.



(Alex sings the following while playing trains.)
Alex (singing): Thomas and friends have so much fun
Alex (singing): They just keep going
Alex (singing): Just keep going
Alex (singing): Juuust, keeep, gooing
Alex (singing): Yeah yeah!


(Alex narrates as he plays trains.)

Alex: James called Sir Topham Hatt.
Alex: “Sir Topham Hatt! Sir Topham Hatt!”
Alex: “What is it, James?)

(The character of Sir Topham Hatt is played by Alex’s fingers.)
Claire: He's your fingers? He's not real.
Alex: I'm just pretending.



(Alex, Claire, and Mommy are taking a walk, and they get to a big hill.)

Alex: We could use a zip line to get down the hill.

Alex: Or stairs.

Alex: Or a crane.

(Alex suggests a couple more ideas, not listed here.)

Alex: Those are all my ideas.



(story time)

Claire (handing her book to Mommy): Mommy, you throw it all the way up in the sky and catch it!



Claire: Daddy, today can we give you a hug and a kiss?



(Gromit just finished licking Daddy’s leg. Alex starts to poke at the spot where Gromit licked.)
Mommy: Don't touch it.
Alex: But I'm putting his hair back up.



(While getting Alex ready for bed, Daddy starts singing Lullaby, and Alex interrupts.)
Alex: Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex?
Alex: I can be any kind of character.
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: I can be a builder, a doctor, a hospital, a dentist, or, uh, or any of the jobs. Aaaaany of the jobs in the city. I can be anyone.


Alex: Do buffaloes have mouths?