...in the pumpkin patch, waiting for the big pumpkin, and they went trick-or-treating, and he didn’t, and Sally didn’t, and he missed trick-or-treats.

Alex: Because he was sitting in the pumpkin patch, waiting for the big pumpkin, and they went trick-or-treating, and he didn’t, and Sally didn’t, and he missed trick-or-treats.

Alex: I coughed and sneezed at the same time.
Daddy: Wow.
Alex: Yeah. I didn’t like it. Well it just took a minute.
Daddy: That nose… is very stopped up.
Alex: I’ll have to go to the doctor and she’ll have to fix it.
Alex: She’ll have to f—the doctor has to fix my nose.

(Claire doesn’t want to go to school.)
Alex (to Claire): I like to stay home too. I like to stay home too, Claire. But that’s your job before you grow up. And when you grow up you go to… what? Work! So, you have to go to school because you’re a kid still. Because kids go to school sometimes.


(Claire and Alex are leaving for Callum’s house. Daddy is working from home.)
Claire: Go do your work, Daddy.
Daddy: Okay.
Claire: Go work on your computer.


Alex: Um, kid scientists, are, um, pretend.

Alex: Keep thinking, is, um, a good job, so, can you do that, Mommy? Can you keep thinking?

Ho ho ho. I’m Grandpa. I go to work. And I read the newspaper.

(Alex and Claire are watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.)

Alex: He’s going somewhere else, Claire. They’re going trick-or-treating.

Alex: He’s getting in his airplane.

Alex: He got holes in his airplane. He’s gonna land.

Alex: He’s lost.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: He needs to get home and see all his friends.

Alex: He’s still lost.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: But he’ll find his way back. He’ll find his way back.

Alex: He’s going through the water.
Alex: He’s going in the grass.
Alex: He’s going in there.
Alex: He’s going out there.

Alex: He found it.
Claire: Yeah.

(They reach the scene where Snoopy alternately dances and cries to Schroeder’s piano playing.)
Claire: Dancing.
(Claire dances in her seat.)
(Claire gets up from the sofa and dances.)
(Alex gets up from the sofa and dances.)
(Alex pretends to cry.)
(Alex and Claire dance.)

Claire: He wants his Mommy.
Alex: Yeah.
Alex: He’s crawling away again.


Alex: I like Claire, but sometimes when she doesn’t – I like her, I love her, I still like her when she’s sad.


(snack)

Claire: I saw Alex on the playground. I saw Alex on the playground.
Daddy: You saw Alex on the playground?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Mm-hm.
Alex: You remember, right? I know you remember, because, it was today.


Alex (out of the blue, in a deep voice): Ho ho ho. I’m Grandpa. I go to work. And I read the newspaper.
(Alex laughs.)


Alex: Look! A new book!
Daddy: Yeah!
Alex: A new dentist book!
Daddy: Fun!
Alex: A new book, Mommy, look, look!

(Daddy is reading a Dora book to Alex and Claire.)
Daddy: Who do we ask when we don't know which way to go?
Alex and Claire (in unison): Map!
Daddy: Map!
Alex and Claire (in unison): Cat in the Hat Map!

Nice to meet you, sir.

(Alex and Claire are playing together.)

Alex: We ran out of cheese, Claire. I can’t make cookies without cheese.

Alex: Something’s blocking our way. Do you see what it is? Beehive! Run! Bees! They’re gonna try to eat us!

Alex: Claire, I have a idea for you. Could you -- could you mix up the cookies, and put some mulch in it, and then rub all it around?


(Mommy begins to carve the pumpkin. Alex and Claire watch.)
Alex: This is gonna be fun!

Alex: I’m Super Pablo!
Claire: I’m Super Dora!

(Claire takes a couple of seeds out of the pumpkin.)
Claire: I wanna wash my hands.

(Daddy shows Claire some pumpkin seeds he took out of the pumpkin. Daddy’s hand has pumpkin on it.)
Claire (staring at Daddy’s hand): Go wash your hand.


(lunch)

Alex: Is it almost California?
Alex: Is it almost California?
Daddy: What?
Alex: Is it almost California?
Mommy: What do you mean?
Alex: You said that outside a long time ago.
Mommy: I said Grandma and Grandpa are in California. Is that what you mean?
Alex: Oh. They live in California?
Mommy: No.
Alex: They’re going to California?
Mommy: Mm-hm. That’s where they are. Right now.
Alex: Okay.



Mommy: Do you guys like ketchup?
Alex: Yes we do.
Claire: I like ketchup!
Alex: I like ketchup, it’s my favorite!
Claire: I like ketchup!
Mommy: Okay.



(Mommy, Daddy, Alex, and Claire are at the neighborhood’s outdoor Halloween party. Lying on the ground near the pumpkins is a skeleton. Alex, unprompted, walks over to the skeleton and takes it by the hand.)
Alex (shaking the skeleton’s hand): Nice to meet you, sir.
(Alex laughs.)

Uhhhh.

Alex (to Claire): Buses don’t fly, they drive. Airplanes fly.
Alex: Can the bus say, “These are cool airplanes”?
Claire (playing with the bus): These are cool airplanes.


(Alex is putting on his shirt.)
Claire: What’s – what’s on your shirt, Alex?
Alex: You’ll have to wait and see. What’s on it.
Claire: Okay.
Claire: There’s some words and dog!


(driving around looking at things)

Alex: I see apartments.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: So people can live that don’t have houses.

Alex: Uhhhh.
(Alex repeats this a few times.)
Alex: Did I do that four times?
Daddy: I don’t know.
Alex: Did I?
Daddy: I wasn’t counting.
Alex: Can you count this time?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Uhhhh.
(Pause.)
Alex: Count.
Daddy: One.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Two.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Three
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Four.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Five.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Six.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Seven.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Eight.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Nine.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Ten.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Eleven.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twelve.
Claire (grinning): Twelve.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Thirteen.
Claire (grinning): Thirteen.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Fourteen.
Claire (grinning): Fourteen.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Fifteen.
Claire (grinning): Eighteen.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Sixteen.
Claire (grinning): Eighteen.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Seventeen.
Claire (grinning): Seventeen.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Eighteen.
Claire (grinning): Eighteen.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Nineteen.
Claire (grinning): Nineteen.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twenty.
Claire: Twenty.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twenty-one.
Claire: Twenty-one.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twenty-two.
Claire: Twenty-two.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twenty-three.
Claire: Twenty-three.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twenty-four.
Claire: Twenty-four.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twenty-five.
Claire: Twenty-five.
Alex: Uhhhh.
Daddy: Twenty-six.
Claire: Twenty-six.
Alex: How many did I do?
Daddy: Twenty-six.


Alex: Where’s Mommy?
Daddy: She’s taking a shower.
Alex: Why is she taking a shower?
Daddy: So she can get clean.
Alex: I didn’t see her getting dirty.
Daddy: Well, she got dirty.
Alex: Why did she get dirty?
Daddy: I don’t know.


(Claire is throwing a tantrum before nap, as usual.)
Alex: Claire likes to whine. She whines every day.


Alex (to Mommy, out of the blue): I just need to get one more muscle and then I’ll be like Daddy?


Mommy: Does anybody want snack?
Alex: Somebody does. It’s Alex.


(Alex is watching football with Daddy.)
Alex: Will my name be Alex when I’m older, and I can play football?


(Daddy picks up his chicken sandwich.)
Claire: It have – it have chicken.
Daddy: Mmmm.
Claire: It crunchy.

We'll very keep you safe

(Daddy drives Alex and Claire to school.)

Alex: Did you see I’m still tired?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Because I growled.
(Pause, while Daddy thinks about this.)
Daddy: You mean you yawned.
(Pause, while Alex thinks about this.)
Alex: Yeah, I yawned.

(Claire coughs.)
Alex: We need to get you some mask, Claire.

Alex: I’m too big for this car. Can you get a bigger car?

Alex (regarding the caterpillar, which is no longer in Daddy’s car): I really miss that toy.


(Alex and Mommy are playing together.)
Alex: Um, can you say the words I tell you to say?
Mommy: Yeah.
(Pause.)
Alex: Then we gonna get (mumble) the blueberry.
Mommy: Is that what you want me to say?
Alex: Yes – no, I want you to say: “Why’s the cat in there?”


(Alex throws the ball to Grommie in the kitchen.)
Alex (laughing): He slided! I didn’t know dogs could slide. He skated!


(Alex wakes Claire up from nap.)

Alex: Guess what I’m gonna do, Claire! I’m gonna do something special! I’m gonna take things that start with D to school!

Alex: I got a bucket. They call it a bail.


Alex: Claire, when you want to get Grommie his ball, you have to say “Give!” really loud.


Mommy: Alex, do you want some cheese?
Alex (in a gruff voice): Yeah. Cheese make me healthy.


(dinner)

Claire: Grommie’s licking my feet.
Alex: Grommie loves you.

Alex: Let’s play the dinner game.

Alex: You can drink wine when you’re a mommy, Claire.
Claire: I be a mommy and, I sit in that chair.
(Claire indicates Mommy’s chair.)


(Claire sits on the potty, with only Alex in the bathroom with her. Alex sings softly to her.)
Alex (singing): You can go to sleep
Alex (singing): Mommy and Daddy are here
Alex (singing): You’ll never be sad
Alex (singing): We’ll very keep you safe
Alex (singing): Don’t cry
Alex (singing): We’ll very keep you safe

And she gets to wear underwear.

Alex: And she gets to wear underwear.
Daddy: Yeah, when she's potty trained.
Claire (to Alex): And you all potty trained!
Alex: Yeah, I'm already.
Claire: Yeah.

It really really soft.

Claire: It’s too rainy, Alex can’t do soccer today.

Alex: Hey Claire? Elly woke up very early, but Bobo woke up a little bit early.
Claire: Yeah. Juju and Mallory woke up very early too.

Alex: Hey Daddy, at school yesterday, Miss Shern said no wiping Alex’s bottom anymore, he wipes his bottom all by himself.
Daddy: Wow!
Alex: He has to, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to, Daddy.
Daddy: Oh, but she’s saying you’re a big boy.

Mommy: Okay, I need to get hugs and kisses ‘cause I’m about to get in the shower.
Claire: You have to wash your hair, Mommy.


Alex: What is it, Mommy?
Mommy: What?
Alex: What do you call it when it's soaking wet?
Mommy: It's pouring.
Alex: It's pouring, yeah.

Claire: I peed on the potty and then me got a sticker.

Alex (singing): It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring
Alex: Do you know that song, Claire?

Alex: It's pouring everywhere.

Claire: We can't go outside when, it's rainy outside.

Alex: Hey Daddy?
Daddy: Yes buddy?
Alex: After school, when it was soaking wet, um, Neer got his umbrella, and put it on top of him, and then, his mommy, and, Mommy – Mommy thought she didn't have one so -- but she did have one! And it was soaking very wet.


Alex: Hey Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah buddy.
Alex (enthusiastically): Um at school we heard about a story who… who a lady ate up some leaves! She ate, she ate up everything!
Daddy: That's silly!
Alex: Yeah. Um, um, I thought, I said, I thought it was a lady who did that every day. I think she did that every day, and, at school and Miss Shern was reading it.


(Tonight’s dinner game is “wishing to the Magic Pumpkin”.)

Mommy: I wish for my family to be happy.

Alex: I wish that Daddy would climb a tree.

Daddy: I wish that I love my job.

Claire: I wish that Daddy be in a tree.


Daddy: Okay, here's a test. Who's our favorite football team?
(Alex raises his hand.)
(Claire raises her hand.)
Daddy: Alex?
Alex: My favorite football game is Everett!
Claire: My favorite football game is Campbell!

Daddy: Who's our favorite basketball team?

Alex: My favorite basketball team is Neer.

Claire: My favorite basketball team is Ca -- … Miss Whitney.

Alex (to Mommy): Who's your tennis ball player? Who's your favorite tennis ball player?
Mommy: Ask Daddy, he has one.
Alex: What's your tennis ball player?
Daddy: Rafael Nadal.
Alex (laughs): That's a silly one!!


(Claire has a new blanket.)

Claire: That my new blanket!
Mommy: Yeah!
Claire: It (mumble) have a cat on it!
Mommy: Yeah!
Claire: I soft it. It soft.

Claire: That my new blanket, Daddy!


(Claire sees her bed made up with her new blanket.)
Claire: I like my new blanket!


(Because she has a blanket now, Claire no longer needs to wear a sleep sack to bed.)
Claire (jumping up and down excitedly): I don't have a sleep sack, Daddy!


Claire (talking to herself in bed, as she strokes her blanket): It really really soft.

Very bad means you watch a show.

Alex: And I'll try not to bump into it, Claire, because, trying is the best thing to do.

Claire: The shopping cart's really really hard.
Alex: Yeah.
Claire: And the TV's hard.


(Mommy reads a book to Claire.)
Claire: Why him say, "That's enough!" Why him say that?


(Daddy burps quietly.)
Alex: Did you drink apple juice?


(Alex is playing "I'm stuck.")
Alex: Can you get your friends to help me?
Claire: Yeah. Juju Mallory help you.
Alex: Can the cow help me?
Claire: Yeah.

Alex: Don't say "eh".
Claire: Eh.
Alex: I don't like that.
Claire: Eh.


Alex: Can we watch a show?
Daddy: No.
Alex: But Claire hit her lip.
Alex: Very bad.
Alex: Very bad means you watch a show.


(Mommy is preparing to serve the craisin pumpkin bread that Alex and Claire made earlier.)
Claire (jumping up and down): I want eat bread! That yummy!


Daddy: Who made this bread?
Alex: Us.
Claire: Mommy. And Claire and Alex. We made it for you.

(Alex has been asking Daddy for more water.)
Alex: Daddy, I said it, quite times. Quite a times. And you didn't listen -- to what I was saying.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: So can you do that tomorrow?

Alex: Can you say, who wants the pumpkin, okay?
Claire: Who wants the pumpkin?
Alex: Me!
(Claire hands over an imaginary pumpkin. Alex eats it.)
Claire (in a stern voice): No, don't eat your pumpkin.


(Alex is pretending to need rescue.)
Alex: Help me!
(Pause.)
Alex: Help me!
(Pause.)
Alex: Help me!
(Pause.)
Alex: Hey Claire, you know what "help me" means? It means you need help.

I went on a fire engine!

Claire: I went on a fire engine!

Alex: We did go on the fire truck, we checked it out!

Alex: It was veeery big.

Alex: And it was yellow and black. And there was lots of tools in it.


(Claire reads "Elmo's New Puppy" to herself. She's never heard the story before.)

Claire (in an angry voice): I don't like you going to the grocery store, dog! No, no.
Claire (in an angry voice): I don't like you going to the grocery store, dog!

Claire (in an angry voice): I don't like you doing that. Dog.

Claire: You wanna go outside, Elmo? Okay, go outside, the end.


(Alex looks at the prizes in the earning bin.)
Alex: I'm gonna choose the baby and the football next time. I'm gonna choose the football on Wednesday, and I'm gonna choose the baby, on, Saturday.


(Daddy tells Alex what Daddy's full name is, and then they practice saying Alex's full name.)
Alex: And Elly is Elly Gatewood!

Claire: Juju Gatewood!


(Alex and Claire give Daddy hugs before leaving with Mommy for play group.)
Alex: I love you, Daddy!
Claire: I love you, Daddy!

Claire: Juju gave you a hug!

Hey Daddy? The best way to drink water, if you’re thirsty?

(At the end of the Dora episode, the credits play.)
Alex (mock frustrated): Why don’t they click on Dora?!
Alex: Why don’t they?
Daddy: I don’t know. They never do, do they?
Alex: Yeah.


(Alex and Claire are watching Diego.)

Alex: Shake your body, Claire.

Alex: Abeevaday!
Alex: Or something.
Alex: I don’t know the word.


Claire: No ‘chool?

Claire: I have a little breakfast. Alex ate all his big breakfast.

Claire: Whoa. That a big jump.

Alex: Yeah, the raccoon’s taking my Elly.

Alex: Raccoon took Elly! Raccoon took Elly!

Alex: Daddy, come back to me!
Claire: Come back to me!
Alex: Come back to me!
Claire: Come back to me!
Alex: Come back to me!
Claire: No, come back to me!
Alex: No, come back to me!
Claire: No, come back to me!
Alex: No, come back to me!
Claire: No, come back to me!
Alex (yelling): No, come back to me!
Mommy: Okay, no yelling.
Claire: Don’t come back to Alex!

Alex: I love Elly very much.

Alex: I’m stuck.
Claire: I not stuck.
Alex: I’m stuck in the mud.
Claire: I not stuck.


Alex: Yay! I got out of the snakes!


(Claire is washing her hands.)
Alex: It’s hard to see the germs, Claire.


(lunch/keshnerkle)

Claire: Why you have that bib? Why you have that bib on?
Alex: I don’t have that bib. I don’t have a different bib.
Claire: Why you have – why you have that bib? Why you have that bib?

(Mommy is making another sunbutter-and-jelly sandwich.)
Claire: That – that my jelly.
Alex: I want jelly.
Claire: I want jelly!
Alex: I want jelly!
Mommy: You’ll both get jelly, I promise.

Claire: I like water. I like water.
Daddy: You like water?
Claire: No I was talking to water.
Daddy: Oh okay. I’m sorry.
Claire: I like water.

Claire (talking to her sandwich): You like water?
Claire’s sandwich: No.
Claire: You like milk?
Claire’s sandwich: Yeah!
Claire: You like water? I like water!


Claire: Mommy got new air, Grommie.

Alex: Can you wipe my bottom really fast, ‘cause I'm thirsty.

Alex: Hey Daddy? The best way to drink water, if you’re thirsty?
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: You swish it around until you're not thirsty anymore.



(Claire and Alex are playing the Timeout Game.)

Claire (to Alex, angrily): You knock down the forest?
Alex: I knocked down the forest.
Claire (angrily): You knock down the forest, time out right there!

Claire (to Alex): Time - THREE MINUTES!


(Daddy plays the song Mad World.)
Alex: That’s Mad World!


(Mommy comes home from the grocery store.)
Claire: Mommy!
Mommy: Hi!
Alex: We missed you!

Alex: I heard Claire playing with Doc… and I was whining in my room…
Mommy: You were?
Alex: Yeah.

Claire: I want you to say “ow” again.
Claire: I want you to say “ow” again.
Mommy: What? You want what out?
Daddy: She wants you to say “ow” again.
Mommy: Oh.
Mommy: Ow!
Claire: No on your hand.
Mommy (shaking her hand as if she hurt it): Ow!
Claire (pointing to the hummus container): No on that.
Mommy (touching the container): Ow!
Claire: No on your lid.
Mommy (touching the lid): Ow!
Claire: No you can’t get it off of that. Put it back on.
(Mommy puts the lid back on the hummus container.)
(Claire giggles in anticipation.)
Mommy (pretending to be unable to take the lid off): Ow!
Claire: No eh – put that in there.
Mommy (taking the lid off): Ow! I got it.
Claire: No. Not like that! Right -- right there. Back there, Mommy!
Mommy: I can’t do it right! Ow! I can’t get the lid off. Ow!
Alex: Can I do it?

Alex: I thought we could go to – for a walk this morning, and we could um – we could um – we could um – we could play in the playroom and go for a walk. Well… not for too long because I might get tired.
Mommy: Yeah.
Alex: You remember yesterday? You remember yesterday when I was walking? I got tired.
Mommy: Yeah.
Alex: Because I was walking too long.
Mommy: Yeah, I took you too far.
Alex: Because we – because we took a shortcut, so – I didn’t want to take a shortcut….. but we couldn’t because Daddy was here and we had to get Daddy over there.
Mommy: Is that what happened? I thought Daddy came to pick us up.
Alex: Yeah, he came to pick us up. He came over where we were. He drove the car there. He – that – he did – he went over there where we were.

Alex: Well, I think we should play baby birds tomorrow. Because I don’t like doing it sometimes.


(Alex is climbing the rock wall on the playset.)
Alex: I'm very strong, but my foot won't move.

(Alex is climbing the ladder on the playset.)
Claire: Be careful, Alex!

(Alex is swinging on the swings.)

Alex: Can you slow me down if I need to scratch myself?

Alex: That's too much pushing, Daddy.
Daddy: Is this better?
Alex: That's better. I'm just tipping over a little bit.

Alex: I wanna get out so I can see Juju in a magazine.

Alex (to Mommy): I wanna see Juju in a magazine.
Mommy: Okay. It’s on page 36.
Alex: Okay.
Alex (flipping through the magazine): Page... 36...

(Claire pretends to write on the deck.)
Claire: Mommy, Daddy, Grommie, Oakley, Claire!


(Daddy and Alex play the rhyming game.)
Alex: What happened to my eye, when I fell down and I said, I don’t have a rhyme.

Alex: I just hit my head, but then what happened to my bed?

Alex: Hey Daddy, I have one more.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: I want a song, and I fell down on a bong!


(Bath time. Daddy rinses Alex’s hair.)

Alex: Hot.
Daddy: Oh, is it too hot?
Alex: No, it’s not hot, it’s just a little hot.
Daddy: Oh, okay.
Alex: I just said "hot" because it was burning me.

Fire is dangerous.

(Today’s Alex and Claire quotes are deliberately provided without context.)


Alex: I think I should just stop pooping and get ready for the party.


Alex: Someone peed there, yuck.


Mommy: I don't understand.
Alex: Please understand.


Alex: I think I hear Elly crying.


Alex: Fire is dangerous.


Alex: Alex's name is still there, it's every day!


Alex: What are we gonna do? We'll be stuck down here forever, we can't get in our house!


Claire: We're home, Juju!


Alex: It’s always chalky day. We hafta get chalk again! Why do we always hafta get chalk?!


Alex: We gotta fix your flat tire, Claire.


Claire: A chinchilla.
(Claire laughs.)


Claire: What's this?
Alex: Chair.
Claire: Oh.


Claire: I'm doing -- I'm big doing it! I'm big.


Alex: That's the other boy's yard.


Alex: Banjo banjo! Banjo banjo! I'm a banjo!
Alex (running around): Banjo banjo!
Claire (running around): Banjo banjo!
(Both kids continue running around saying “Banjo banjo!” for about two full minutes.)


Alex (to Grommie): You like me? I think you like me. Do you like me, Grommie?

Alex: Oh no! He's crazy!

Alex: Can I play ball with him?


(dinner)

Claire: Yummy dinner!

Alex: Let’s play the dinner game!

Alex: Can we play it? Yes? Or no?

On the counter.

Alex: Yummy, hot waffle.
Alex: It's burning my fingers but not my mouth.


Claire: Our house is leaking.

Alex: I need to go inside, drink some water, and take a rest.

Alex: I had a busy day.
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: Yeah, I was workin’ hard at school.


Daddy: Why are you taking off your pants and underwear?
Alex: Oh. I didn’t know I was doing that.
Daddy: Don’t take off your pants and underwear.
Alex: I thought I was doing something wrong. Or I was doing something right.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Sorry, Daddy.
Daddy: It’s okay!


(Alex and Claire are playing trains and cars.)
Thomas: Hi, it’s nice to meet you, Sarge.
Sarge: I love you, Thomas.
Thomas: I love you, too.
Alex: And Scruffey was on his way.


Claire: I want my blanket on. I want my blanket on, I go to sleep with Juju.
Daddy: Okay.
(Claire runs off and throws herself onto the floor with Juju, waiting for Daddy to cover her with a blanket.)

Alex: Tree, mud, toolbox! Where do we go first?
Claire: Toolbox!
Alex: Do you see the tree?
Claire: Right there!
Alex (jumping over the “tree”): We jump over the tree, where do we go next? Mud!
Claire: Yeah.
Alex (going through the “mud”): We go through the mud, where do we go next?
Claire: Toolbox!
Alex: Toolbox, yeah!

Claire: Are you coming? Are you coming? Are you coming, Daddy?
Daddy: Coming where?
Claire: Coming to fix my blanket.
Daddy: Yeah.
(Claire again runs off and throws herself onto the floor with Juju, waiting for Daddy to cover her with a blanket.)

Claire: Daddy? I knock over my blanket again. I knock over my blanket. I want you come fix it.
Daddy: Okay.
(Claire runs off again.)


Claire: I all comfy.

Alex: You look like a nest.


(Claire counts some trains. There are four of them.)
Claire: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
Alex: Good counting.
Claire (counting again): One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.


Alex: Daddy, can we read books after we play trains? Can we have special time with you?
Daddy: Yeah, you can have special time with me.

Alex: I like reading books and playing trains. It’s my favorite thing. And running is my favorite thing too.

(Alex plays trains.)

Alex: Hey this, Daddy? This is a forest, a dark forest where scary animals live.

Alex: Kevin’s working and digging dirt. He’s tryin’ to do it all the way. Before it gets dark.
Alex: Dig dig, dig dig, dig dig, dig dig, dig dig
Alex: Yay.
Alex: Dig dig, dig dig, dig dig, dig dig

Alex: There might be a bear coming.
Alex: He – I heard it.
Alex: Somebody might be walkin’ from – under the sign.

(Alex picks up the toy phone and starts talking into it.)
Alex: Yeah. That’s funny that you need a truck.
(Pause.)
Alex: Well, I can’t bring you a truck today. It’s almost time for my dinner. Sorry.
(Pause.)
Alex: I can get you a new tree. Okay. Bye.
(Alex hangs up the phone and walks over to Daddy.)
Alex (to Daddy): I can’t get Pablo a new truck today, because he has his old truck, and I have to get my dinner.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: So… I have to get him a new tree instead.

Claire: There, Daddy.
(Claire gives Daddy a cup from her tea set.)
Claire: That all the water.
Claire (walking off): I’m gonna get some water for me.


(The pizza delivery man comes to the door.)

Claire: Pizza man’s here!!

Claire: I like pizza man!!

Claire (jumping up and down): Pizza, pizza, pizza!!

Claire (jumping up and down): Yummy, yummy, yummy!!

Claire: I like pizza!!


(Alex asks Mommy to buy him a toy he saw in a magazine, and Mommy explains that it costs a lot of money.)
Mommy: How much money do you have?
Alex: I have lots of it.
Mommy: Oh, can I borrow some?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: Where is it?
Alex: On the counter.
Mommy: Okay.

When a big pizza pie hits your head… like a big, pizza pie…

(Daddy comes home from work, and Claire runs to give him a hug, knocking him down in the process.)
Claire (laughing): I knock you down.


(Claire and Alex are playing trains.)

(Grommie is licking Alex's foot.)
Claire: Grommie licking you.
Alex: Silly!
Alex (to Grommie): I love you too.
Alex: I love you too, Grommie!

(Alex’s train is blocking the track, and Claire’s train can’t get by.)
Claire: I wanna go, Alex.
Alex: Wellll… I can't let you go because this part of the track is broken. I'll ask Daddy.
Alex: Daddy, can you fix this track? I didn't mean to break it.
Daddy: Okay. I'll fix it in a minute.
Alex: Daddy, are you writing down something?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: Okay, I'm gonna go get some water. Thirsty.

Alex: I went to get some water. I got some fresh water.

Alex: The tow truck's… gonna tow it over here… and here it is.
Alex: If you wanna go to the docks you can. There's lotsa stuff there. There's boxes and everything.
Claire: I wanna go, Alex.
Alex: But. But this train's tryin’ to get up this hill. And the stop sign's… there's a red light still, so… those cars… and trains can't go yet, okay?
Claire: Okay.
Alex: They have a red light. I have something I need. Hm. Hm. I think I need to carry the sign. Digga, digga.
Claire (to Daddy, upset): Want me go, Alex is not going, Alex blocking the track.
Alex: I'm not blocking the track right now, I'm tryin’ to fix stuff.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: I'm trying to fix, Doc, it's not right yet. Okay, I'm not blocking the track.
Claire: Oh.
Alex: I (mumble) the cars up. I think I'm gonna take you tow truck. You have to tow something.

Alex: Wait a minute, tow truck. Um.
Claire: I wanna go.
Alex: There you go. You can go. You -- you can go right now.
(Claire is finally able to move her train, and does so.)
Alex: Now I can go.
Claire: I gonna go the other way. (Mumble.) Up up up up. Where us going? Where we going to?
Alex: We're not going anywahere, we're just drivin’ around. We're going somewhere, but you'll just have to see where we're going.
Alex: Look, more stuff! More stuff. An airplane, a helicopter! Wow…. Lots of stuff we haven't played with.
Alex: This. This. Coach. Car. Wow.


(dinner)

Mommy: Alex, tell Daddy what Claire did today. When you guys were outside on the playground.
Alex: That Callum be rough?
Mommy: Yeah tell him, tell him about Claire.
Alex (to Daddy): Callum was being rough to us! And to Neer and me.
Daddy: Oh, what did he do?
Alex: He was roaring at us, very mean.
Daddy: Rolling at you?
Alex: He was roaring at me really bad. That wasn't nice.

Alex (singing to the tune of That’s Amore): When a big pizza pie hits your head… like a big, pizza pie…
Alex (singing): Moray…
Claire: Sing, Alex.
Alex: I did sing it!
Claire: Oh.
Alex: I only, that's the only part I know.
Claire: Yeah.

Alex (singing): When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…
Alex (singing): Moray…
Alex (to Claire): Can you sing that?
Claire: No.
Alex: I can sing it.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: That's the only part but, I can sing some of it.
Alex: Moray, moray, moray! Moray, moray, moray!
(Alex laughs).
Alex: See that?
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: Is that how you sing it, Daddy?
Daddy: That is.
Alex: Moray, ray! Moray, ray! Moray, ray! Moray, ray!
Alex: MO-RAYYYYY, RAY RAY!
Alex: Is that the end? Is that the end, Daddy? Daddy? Is that the end?
Daddy: Yes it is.

Claire: May I have more bread please, Daddy?
Daddy: Yes you may!


Alex: That one fell out. That one fell out.
Daddy: What?
Alex: It fell out, right?
Daddy: It fell out of what?
Alex: It fell out of the TV.

A biggest fly ever?

Mommy (to Alex and Claire): Do you want tacos or chicken nuggets?
Claire: I want tacos and chicken nuggets -- I want both!

(Alex pretends to make the bag of frozen chicken nuggets talk.)
Alex (to Claire): Hi, say hi to the chicken nugget man.
Claire: Hi.
Alex: I'm the chicken nugget man.

Mommy: Oh, there's a big fly in here.
Alex: A biggest fly ever?

Grandma: Hey, is somebody gonna be Buzz Lightyear?
Alex: No.
Alex: Yeah, Alex is!
Claire: And I have Abby!


(Claire prepares to go upstairs for bed.)
Claire: Uh run, Daddy. One two three four go!
(Claire runs.)

It just took a minute, and then it stopped.

Alex (to Claire): I drank too much water, and all of this yucky stuff came out of my mouth.
Alex: It just took a minute, and then it stopped.

(Alex is getting ready to go downstairs.)
Alex (to Daddy): I need to get Ramone out of my bed, because he's a pretty car. He changes different colors.
Daddy: Okay.
(Alex gets Ramone from his bed.)
Alex (to Daddy): Spencer said he wanted to go down too.


(Alex and Claire are watching Dora.)
Alex (to Daddy): Why do they have to watch out for the mean persons?
Daddy: I don't know.
Alex: I think because, he might turn them into a mountain too.


(Alex and Claire are playing with Matchbox cars.)

Alex (to his car): You're stuck forever.
Claire (to her car): You're stuck forever.
Claire: You stuck forever.
Claire: Stuck forever.

Alex (to his car): You'll be stuck in a mountain.
Claire (to her car): You be stuck in a mount.
(Claire giggles.)

Alex (to his balloon): Ah ha ha.
Claire (to her balloon): Ah ha ha.
(Claire giggles.)

(Alex drives his Matchbox car around, chanting/singing as he goes. Claire follows him with her car.)
Alex: We're racing on the way
Claire: We're racing on the way
Alex: We're racing, we're racing
Claire: We're racing on the way, we're racing on the way
Alex: We're racing down a hill
Claire: We're racing down a hill

Alex: We can go this way.
Claire: We can't go this way. We can't go this way. We can't go this way.
Alex: We can go this way. We can, we can.
Claire: We can, we can.

Alex: I'm driving away, I'm driving away, I'm driving away
Claire: I'm driving away, I'm driving away


(Daddy is putting Claire's socks and shoes on. She picked out her socks herself.)
Claire: I like these socks. I like these socks. It pretty.
Daddy: Yeah!
Claire: It have stripes on them.
Daddy: Yeah.
Claire (to Alex): Look, Alex.

(Claire shows her socks to Mommy.)
Claire: It have stripes and polka dots on them!


(Daddy, Claire, and Alex are getting in the car to go look at things. Alex is carrying Elly, and Claire is carrying Juju.)
Alex: Is Grommie gonna go?
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: A giraffe, a dog, and a elephant are gonna go.
Daddy: Yeah.
Alex: And Pablo's gonna go too. Pablo's gonna sit beside me. And Tyrone's gonna sit beside Claire. Tyrone's gonna sit beside Claire.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: And Charlie Brown's gonna sit beside you.
Daddy: Okay.
Alex: Those three guys are gonna go.


(Daddy, Alex, and Claire are driving around looking at things.)

(Daddy, Alex, and Claire are looking at a dark forest beside the car.)
Daddy: Maybe a daddy deer, and a mommy deer, and a baby deer live in there.
Claire: And a Grommie deer.
Daddy (laughing): And a Grommie deer?
Alex: That's silly, they don't have a Grommie deer.
Claire (upset): They do have a Grommie deer!

Alex: When I'm bigger, will we still play the dinner game?


(Claire stands behind the kitchen table.)
Claire (to Alex): You can't see me over here. You can't see me way over here.
Alex: I can see you. I can see your tummy.
(Claire looks at her tummy.)
Alex: I can see your head. I can see your head.
Claire: No.

(A few minutes later, Alex stands behind the kitchen table.)
Alex (to Claire): You can't see me over here.
Claire: I can see you.
Alex: You can't see me.
Claire: I got see your tummy.


(lunch)

(Daddy is serving up the last of the peaches.)
Claire: That all the peaches?
Daddy: Almost all of them. There’s two more.
Claire: That last one? That last one peaches for me.
Daddy: That last one peaches for you.

Alex (to Claire): Say bye, bogo.
Claire: Say bye, bogo.
Alex: See you later!
Claire: See you later!
Alex: Nice to meet you.
Claire: Nice to meet you.
(Alex laughs.)
(Claire laughs.)


Claire: Daddy, I don’t know where my new car is.
Daddy: Oh, you should look for it.
Claire: I want someone to look for it.
Alex: I see it!
Daddy: Alex sees it.
(Claire gets the car and runs to Daddy.)
Claire: I found my new car!
Daddy: Oh yay!


(Daddy is talking to Alex about words that start with the letter C.)
Daddy: Claire starts with the letter C.
Claire: I not letter C, Daddy. I'm Claire. I Claire Bear.

It tickles me.

(Mommy and Daddy are still in bed. Alex comes into their room. Daddy’s pillow has fallen on the floor.)
Alex: Daddy? Daddy? Daddy?
Alex: Your pillow’s not on the bed.
Daddy: Oh, thanks.
(Alex runs back to his room.)


(Mommy, Daddy, Alex, and Claire are driving past the Y, where kids are playing soccer.)
Claire: They're playing soccer.
Mommy and Daddy: Yeah!
Claire: Like Alex play soccer.
Mommy: Yeah, Alex plays soccer.
Alex: I play soccer on Wednesday, Claire.
Claire: Yeah.
Alex: And I go to my gymnastics class on Monday!

Alex: We need to catch up with those cars.
Mommy: We do?
Alex: Yeah.
Mommy: Why?
Alex: Because this is the way we need to go.
Mommy: Oh.
Alex: And there's - and there's cars in our way! There's too many cars!

Alex (out of the blue): Maddie licks a lot at Meg's house. She licks me.


(Claire is drinking her first carbonated beverage: sparkling apple juice.)
Claire: It tickles me. It tickles me, Daddy.


(driving in the car)

Alex: We're in a forest.
Daddy: Yeah.
(Pause.)
Alex: A hill.
Alex: A hill.
Alex: A hill.
Alex: Say “yeah”.
Mommy and Daddy: Yeah.


(Claire and Alex are playing in the bouncy house.)

Claire (cheerfully): I fell right on my nose, Mommy!

Alex: Claire! Jump beside me!

Alex: I don't wanna play something like that.
Daddy: How ‘bout this?
Alex: I just - I just wanna jump.

The end. Dat a good story.

(Claire reads "My Big Girl Potty" to her baby during naptime. The following is an incomplete transcript, because a lot of what she said was hard to understand.)
Claire: I brushing my teeth.
Claire: That a new potty for her.
Claire: What is you doing.
Claire: I pee on the potty, I pee on the potty, I got peed on my bottom.
Claire: What is you doing. What is you doing on the potty.
Claire: Dat Daddy sitting on the couch.
Claire: What is her do -- what is her do -- with her teddy bear.
Claire: That her Daddy and that's her Mommy.
Claire: Dat peed on the potty.
Claire: (Mumble) clothes. Shirt. Put on.
Claire: What is you doing on the potty.
Claire: Her going to bed now. That all the pages. The end.

(Claire reads “Are You My Mother?” to her baby during naptime. This transcript is also incomplete.)
Claire: Where Mommy?
Claire: Where Mommy?
Claire: Her went somewhere.
Claire: Where Mommy go?
Claire: Her went somewhere.
Claire: Dere Mommy!
Claire: (Mumble) back in tree.
Claire: The end. Dat a good story.

(Claire reads another book to her baby during naptime. This transcript is also incomplete.)
Claire: Jump, jump, jump! Her is jumping down the (mumble).
Claire: That a tractor.
Claire: What's that? That a tractor.
Claire: Those bunnies is going to sleep. Turn out the light. The end.
Claire: No more books.

(Claire picks up her baby and holds it tight.)
(Claire holds her baby in her lap and sorts through all of the books.)
Claire: You want this one? Okay.
(Claire reads her Dora book to her baby.)
Claire: We're going to see Mommy and Daddy, and Daddy and Mommy.
Claire: I'm going to see Mommy (mumble) and Mommy and Daddy and go see Map and I see Daddy.
(Claire pushes her baby's face into the book.)
Claire: What is that?
Claire: What is she doing? What Dora doing? You don't know, baby?
Claire: What is Dora doing, her sitting right there.
(Claire finishes the book.)
(The AC turns on -- Claire stops and looks around.)
(Claire lies down on her back, hugging her baby on her chest.)


Alex: Daddy, I got homework!
Daddy: That's great!
Alex: Mommy! I wanna do homework with you!
Claire: I do my homework.
Claire: I do my homework.
Claire: I do my homework.


Mommy (to Alex): Can you say “oto-acoustic emissions”?
Alex: Oto-acoustic -- emissions.


(Dinner: pizza.)

Alex: Is that the macaroni one and this is the cheese one?

Alex: I think you guys like macaroni pizza because Claire does. Claire wants to eat some.

Alex: I love water, it makes me strong.

Alex: That looks like Grandpa's shirt, are you wearing Grandpa's shirt?


Claire: I pooped in my chair while we’re eating.
Mommy: While you were eating?
Claire: Yeah.

(Alex is looking at his homework book.)
Alex (to Claire): I'm doing schoolwork right now. Don't bother me.

I'm tired of going up these stairs.

Alex: I don't want to have pants on.


(Alex pauses halfway up the stairs.)
Alex: I'm tired of going up these stairs.


(playing Zingo)

Alex: I love Zingo!
Claire: I love Zingo!
Alex: This is my favorite game.
Claire: This is my favorite game.


(dinner)

Alex: I like everything!
Daddy: Good.
Alex: I like, chicken nuggets, oranges, carrots. Chicken nuggets, oranges, carrots. Chicken nuggets, oranges, carrots. Chicken nuggets, oranges, carrots.

Claire: I like dinner.

Claire: Grommie doesn't talk, Daddy.
Daddy: No.
Claire: No. He is a dog.
Daddy: Yeah.

Claire: I got some water on my nose.

Alex: Just a little, okay? Just a little of, um, brownies after dinner, okay?
Daddy: Okay.

Claire: That's yogurt on my tray.

Claire (explaining how yogurt got on her tray): I ate some snack yesterday.

Daddy: Alex, if you can have dinner with any three people in the world, who would they be?
(Alex thinks.)
Alex: Tyrone.
Daddy: Yeah? And who else?
Claire: TYROOOOOONE!
Alex: Tyrone, and Pablo --
Claire: TYROOOOOONE!
Alex (to Claire): No!
Claire: TYROOOOOONE!
Alex: No!
Claire: TYROOOOONE!
Daddy (to Claire): Hey!

Alex: Hey, Daddy? Tyrone, Pablo, Tasha -- and that's all.

Alex: Oh, hey Mommy?
Mommy: Yeah?
Alex: Um, a thing that you can't eat every day, is… that you can't eat every day, is toast!
Mommy: Toast?
Alex: Yeah.

I dropped something on your porch, and yoouuu get to keep it!

Daddy: Why did you get a sticker, Claire?
Claire: I got a sticker for sitting down really nicely.

Alex: Hey. I'm tired and I'm hungry, says my tummy, so can we have dinner in a little bit?

Claire: I'm thirsty.
Alex: I want some water.

(Daddy gives Alex and Claire some water.)
Alex: Thanks, Daddy.
Claire: Thanks, Daddy.
Alex: Thanks for some water.
Claire: Thanks for the water.
Daddy: You're welcome.


Alex: Can you give me a kiss, Claire, I hurt myself on the car.
(Claire gives Alex a kiss.)
Alex: On my foot.
(Claire gives Alex a kiss on his foot.)
Alex: Thanks. That's better.

Alex: I'm tired. So I'm takin' a break.
Daddy: All right. I understand that.
Alex: Whew.

Claire: I don’t need a blanket, Alex.
Alex: But I'm tired, and cold, so I need a blanket.

Claire: I don't need a pillow, Daddy.
Alex: And she doesn't need a blanket.

Claire: Daddy.
Daddy: Yes, what is it, Claire Bear?
Claire: I'm gonna go get something, Daddy.

Alex: Can I have a cup with a lid on it please?

(Daddy gets some water for Alex.)
Alex: Thanks.
Daddy: Alex, you're being so polite!
Alex: I'm gonna say please and thank you for dinner too.
Daddy: Good!

(Alex is pretending to be the brown truck.)
Alex: Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey.
Mommy: What?
Alex: I dropped something on your porch, and yoouuu get to keep it!
Mommy: What is it?
Alex: That's your new making thing. You can make stuff with it.
Mommy: Oh, thank you.

Alex (to Claire): This is how the game works. You stay at the house, and I be the brown truck man.

Alex (to Claire): Hey, sir. Sir. Sir.
Alex (to Claire): You got two boxes today. Because you were being nice to your babies. You were nice, and nice, and nice.

Alex: Look! Look Daddy, I got a writing book!

Alex: Stumpety stump, stumpety stump. I had a stump --
(Claire comes over to Alex.)
Alex (to Claire): I'm telling myself a story.
Claire: Oh.


(dinner)

Claire: I'm a girl and a bear. I'm a girl and a bear.
Mommy: You're a girl and a bear?
Claire: Yeah.

Claire: Mommy, I'm all done please. May you help me get down please Mommy?
Mommy: Can you ask Daddy?
Claire: May you help me get down please Daddy?


Alex: Which stroller can I have, Claire?
(Claire pushes a stroller toward Alex.)
Alex: This one?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Thanks for asking, Alex, that was nice.
Alex: You’re welcome.

Buzz Lightyear going home to get coffee!

Alex: Why did you have a hard day, Daddy?

Alex: Do you feel like playing a dinner game?

(Daddy looks at Alex's picture that he drew at school.)
Daddy: Oh my goodness!
Alex (pointing alternately at each): Big fireman… little fireman… big fireman… little fireman… big fireman… little fireman… big fireman… little fireman.
Daddy: I like it!

Alex: Daddy? Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: Um, Callum had a shopping cart and I had a shopping cart, but Claire had her stroller!
Daddy: Oh.

Alex: We had a fun day!
Alex: Num num num num num num.
Alex: Why didn't you -- have a fun day? Why didn't you?
Daddy: I had a hard day.
Alex: Why? Tell me why.

Claire: Let's play the dinner game.

Alex: Excuse me, Daddy?
Daddy: Yes, Alex?
Alex: May I have more water please?

Daddy: What did you do at school today, Alex?
Alex: I talked to Claire on the playground.

Daddy: What did you do at school today, Claire?
Claire: I played with my teachers, and my (mumble), and my friends, Daddy.
Daddy: Yeah?
Claire: I like my new class.

Daddy: Do you like your new teacher?
Alex: Yeah.
Daddy: Is she nice?
Alex: Yeah. She doesn't say "No whining"...
Daddy: Yeah?
Alex: … "Don't cry"…, and "Don't drink your milk."
Daddy: Oh, good.


(Alex and Claire are wearing their Halloween costumes.)

Alex: Buzz Lightyear hug Abby.

Alex: Buzz Lightyear going to sleep.
Claire: Abby going to sleep .

Alex: Buzz Lightyer wanna drive.

Alex: Buzz Lightyear driving his car.
Claire: Abby driving a stroller.

Alex: I’m gonna be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween!

Alex: Buzz Lightyear going home to get coffee!

Alex: I'm gonna get some coffee.
Claire: Coffee.
Alex: Coffee for dinner.

Alex: Turn me into a pumpkin, Claire.
(Claire waves her magic wand.)
Claire: I turn you into a pumpkin!

Alex: Hey, Claire! Let's sleep beside ourselves.

Alex: Can I turn you into a shirt?
Claire: No!
Alex (starting to wave the magic wand): Turn you --
Claire: AAAAH!! I don't want it!

You have pockets and me have pockets.

Claire: You have pockets, Alex? You have pockets and me have pockets.


Alex: I don’t wanna go to preschool.


Daddy: What did you do at school today?
Claire: Play fire truck with (mumble).
Daddy: Play fire truck?
Claire: Yeah.
Daddy: Who’d you play fire truck with?
Claire: Miss Guh-gon.

I want my Elly back.

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


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


(lunch)

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

Alex: I love you, Daddy.

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

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

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

Claire: You can get the next dog, Daddy.


(dinner)

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

Alex: Let’s do the dinner game!

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


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

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

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

Can you eat money?

Diego: Does a fruit bat use its wings to fly, or to swim?
Claire: Swim.
Alex: No, fly, silly.

Super Why: Together we are… the Super Readers!
Claire (smiling): I’m Super Claire, Daddy.


Alex: Can you eat money?

Alex: Mommy, what – what is money?
Mommy: You can use it to buy things --
Alex: No, what, what money is. What is money?
Mommy: It’s paper, and coins. You’ve seen money, right?
Alex: Oh.


(Daddy, Claire, and Alex are at the playground.)
Claire (to Daddy): It a pretty day.


Alex: Do you wanna play Zingo with me?
Daddy: No thank you.
Alex: Please? I’m gonna play Zingo by myself.


Claire: Look Daddy, look, this is purple jacket.


(Mommy and Claire are drawing on the deck with chalk.)
Claire (to Alex): That – that my name, Alex.
Mommy (to Claire): What does this say right here? What does this say?
Claire: It, say Claire!


Mommy (to Alex): Did you get some soap in your eye or something? Why is it itchy?
Alex: I don’t know. Just get me some Benadryl.