The Funnies ~ Jan, Feb, March 2018

"Mom, my eyes ripped out." -Silver, age almost-3, Jan 2

"Mom, my blood is better." -Silver, Jan. 2

Current form of being naughty: leaving a sink full of dishes. Goodnight world! -Jan. 7

Sparrow: "Come on, it's not even cold, it's like 50 degrees outside." (It was 42.) -Jan. 8

Sorry, slight delay bc my 9yo managed to drop a BOWL of SALSA on her toe and fall into a million pieces for while in pain. Her foot looked so tasty. -Jan. 8

Silver: "The devil is coming to town."

Pippa (age 5): "No, he's not, Silver! The devil tries to destroy our lives! He used to be an angel, but now he's the devil because he wanted to be God." -Jan. 15

The other night Silver was going to sleep in my bed, as Thomas was gone. I tickled her and was being silly , and after laughing her sweet, high laugh, she sighed and said, "Oh, Mama." -circa Jan. 20

On another sleeping night, there were too many people in my bed and I must have been grumbling early in the morning. And Silver said, "You can use my blankie, Mama." -Jan. 25

In school today, we started reading a summary of "A Comedy of Errors" before launching into the real thing. Just at the part where the family is shipwrecked, Silas, 7, says, "This is like a cross between The Parent Trap and Swiss Family Robinson." 😂
- Jan. 24

The other night we were getting out of the car, and Silver was gathering all her things, but she kept looking around and saying, "I lost the cheek!" I was confused and asked her to describe it to me, and she said, "Um, it was white, and fluffy, you know, the cheek!" I looked in the car and found something like a cotton ball. It was a little pom pom CHICK. Hahahah! -Jan. 24

Silver, watching me feed Blaise, said, "Mama, when I was Blaise's age, you used to feed me in that chair. But now I'm growing so fast." Then she went back into the room where Dad was doing devotions with the children and came out again with a sad pout: "They read without me!" Me: "Oh? What were they reading?" Silver: ... "Jasmine 2. In Daddy's Bible." -Jan. 26

Silver: Pippa's stinky feet were on me!

Me: I don't think those were Pippa's, they they were probably Golden's and you don't know if they're stinky. They probably smell like lavender.

Silver: Or chocolate. Or caramel.

-Jan. 26

Looking at the Maisy book, she says, "I don't want his name to be Cyril. I want it to be Johnson." -Silver, Jan. 26

"I heared a cloud popped." -Silver, after learning that the sound she heard on the window at night was rain. -Jan. 28

Silver: "When I was an elephant, I used to spray ice. At Oliver." -Jan. 28

Pip: I'm gonna be a store worker when I grow up. Cause they get lots of $.
Silver: Mhm. I'm gonna be Darth Vader when I grow up. -Feb. 1

Silver: "It's not quite morningly." -Feb. 12

Silver: "Mama, this got stuck, but I unstucked it." -Feb. 13

I took my socks off, and my winter toes were all wrinkly underneath. Silver: "Oh Mama! Your toes are all dried off!" -Feb. 19

Silver, pinching my thighs one evening: "My head is bigger than your butt." -Feb. 25

Silver: "I don't want a car for my birthday anymore. I want a giraffe. With pink glasses."

Me: "Where did you see that?"

Silver: (thinks for a long while) "...In Virginia." -Feb. 25

Me, repeating a Bible verse in German: “Die Füchse haben ihren Bau.“ 
Golden: “Mom’s speaking in tongues again.” -Feb. 25

Silver referred to a gila monster as a "kalla-minster." -Feb. 27 

Silver: "I dreamt about a thinginator. And the thinginator was shooting Dorises." -Feb. 28

Silver, looking at a photo: "That is you, jiggling with Blaise." -Feb. 28

Silver: "I have a red one right here. On my knee."

Me: "An owie?"

Silver: "No. A stomach ache." -March 6

Silver, sinking between the couch cushions: " I'm an upside down turtle." -March 6

Started a quick list of afternoon stuff I need to get done... "-Office time -Make Pizza -Go pee "-March 12

Silver: “Aw, Poor Bird’s leg! ...Someone prob’ly chewed it off.” 

Then, in same book, seeing a picture of a sun with a face, "Mama, that's the devil." -March 14

Me, talking to the British-man automated voice on my phone: "Thank you, Jeeves."

Silver: "Hahaha! You called him Jeeves!" -March 15

Golden, to Sparrow: You have a cute face. 
Sparrow: Thanks! And your face is obtuse. -March 16.

I bought Pippa a notebook. And she already taught herself to spell something super important: "OB1KNOB" -March 19 #starwarspeople

Silver farted loudly in the morning. 

Blaise (almost 1 year old): "Pthpthpthpth!!!" -March 26

Thomas and Silver talking about his childhood:

Thomas: "My parents didn't really understand me."

Silver: "Yeah. My parents didn't really understand me either." -March 28

Thomas: "Hey Silver, come here! I need to see your face."

Silver: "No thanks." -March 30

.

1 benefit of mom brain: participating in an egg hunt for which you yourself were the hider: cause you already forgot where you put them. -March 31

The Funnies - Oct., Nov., Dec. 2017

Silver is 2, almost 3; Pippa is 5 1/2; Silas is 7, Golden is 9, Sparrow is 11

Me: "Maybe make a symbol for something that comes out in the evenings."
Golden: "A... gopher?" - Oct. 2

Golden: Can I have a raisin bagel?
Me: not for lunch. That was breakfast. You have to eat something else.
Golden: Like what?
Me: Pasta. ...Oh wait...

Sigh. When all the foods are made out of white flour! -Oct. 2

Silver: "Mommy, you and I are hanging out of here." -Oct. 3

Every morning, Blaise wakes up around 5 AM and thinks it's fun to blow loud raspberries. Mom = zombie. -Oct. 7 

"You know what I like, Mama? I like the kissings." -Silver, Oct. 9

Silver, playing with her hands, making them "kiss" each other, & talking to herself in a high pitched voice: "No! Look away! They're kissing! Don't look!" -Oct. 19

Me: Aw, dangit, now you have cashew butter all up in your hair.

Silver: Yeah, but yesterday Daddy washed the STINKY out of my hair.

Me: You mean the STICKY?

Silver: YEAH! 

-Oct. 21

Silver: "When I grow up, I'm gonna be a moji." -Oct. 21

Silver called hedgehogs "Poky-pawns" today. -Oct. 24

When your nursing pad falls on the mat in the middle of group exercise... just laugh at yourself and be thankful. You are prob the only person in there nursing their 6th child. 😂-Oct. 13

Pippa: "Mom! Silas called me a fat and greasy citizen!"

Me: "Silas! Don't use Shakespeare to insult your siblings!"

Silas: --Sigh-- "Okay." -Oct. 24

Evidently, I can now make the bed while holding a baby in one arm. As my friend V always says, "Mom level: PRO!" -Oct. 28

(Discussing Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall" with Sparrow, age 11) she says, "They were building a wall, and it seemed like there was really no reason to build a wall, like cows."

Me: :Yeah. So why do you think did the neighbor want a fence there?"

Sparrow: "Because he was an introvert." -Oct. 30

Silver: "How many birds are shrieking?" -Nov. 3

Silver, jumping about my bed: "I can do that, mom. And it's really cool." (willy cooah) -Nov. 3

Silver took the paper wrapper off a straw, and said, "Aaaah! I'm cold!" --as the straw, of course. -Nov. 7

The problem of how to fit into your own life while also breaking its limitations occupies most of my philosophical musings. -Nov. 11

Silver sang songs to me tonight, about our farting cats.

Me: What? The cats are farting?

Silver: Yeah! I like farting! 

-Nov. 7

Blaise fell off our bed and landed in a trash can right side up. -Nov. 15

Daddy had just scooted Silver over cause she was sleeping in his spot in the morning, and she blinked open her eyes and said, "Mama, there was a GUY. And he was throwing the pajamas in the sink." -Nov. 15

Watching a movie that was about 80's video games, Silver says, "They're from the A.D.'s!" -Nov. 17

Silver, singing: "Frosty the snowman was a very-very-old..." -Nov. 18

Me: Do you have some socks you can put on?

Silver: Yeah. I'm just really really busy.

-Nov. 18

Silver had just gotten a splinter out of her foot, when she discovered another one in the other foot. 

Me: Oh no, how old is that one?

Silver: Sixteen, I think.

-Nov. 20

Me: Tell me about the party, Silver!

Silver: Um, there was cooies, bread, water, plates, --one plate, lights, little lights, and little candles, and bread, and a table.

-Dec. 8

I just high-fived my husband and said, "We had a day!" -Dec. 9

Silver crushes my snowflake. "It's destroyed," she says. -Dec. 14

Silver: "And God was a baby. When he was born in our car." -Dec. 14

-Dec. 15

Silas, narrating the Bible reading: "And then the bush said that he was the God of Jacob, Isaac, Moses, and some other people..." -Dec. 16

Silver named her toy animals:

Giraffe: "How."

Bird: "Birdies."

Mouse: "Mousies."

Red snake: "Help."

Blue snake: "Helpies. I mean Blueberries. And the red snake is Red Blueberries."

-Dec. 17

Silver calls a flashlight a "FRUFF RIGHT." 

"This side (of the bed) is kinda fall-ish-y." -Silver, Dec 18 

Silver was singing "Deep Cries Out" (Bethel Music) this morning when she woke up. Then she slipped off the bed holding her blanket around her, dropped to the floor, and said, "I'm just a worm. That slugs and slugs and slugs. And some people get on me." -Dec. 19

Me: Wow, this Burger King coupon page says you can save over $130. Hah! I mean, if you went to Burger King every day and used these coupons, you'd be like, hey! We saved $130 on our BK bill this month!
Sparrow: If you went to Burger King every day you'd be dead.-Dec. 20

Silver calls ornaments "ardavents." -Dec. 22

Headline just seen in beauty section: "Rock the No Makeup look with ease." -Dec. 27

The Funnies - July, August, September 2017

Silver is 2 1/2, Pippa is 5, Silas is turning 7, Golden is turning 9

Things always fall into the toilet at the last minute. -July 14

Silver, first thing in the morning, re: Blaise: 

"Mom! Look at his face! ...I'm so proud of you."

Then she sees my wrinkly feet and examines them closely. 

"Mom! I love your feet!" -early July

Silver says funny things in general. She pronounces I's after vowels like i's or y's.

Store: "Stoy."

Cart: "Caw-yt." (one syllable.) (sounds a lot like kite)

Fart: "fight" or "faw-yt."

Silver is too cute right now. It's 7:30 AM and she has woken up and is chatting to me from my bed, where Blaise is also sleeping. She keeps saying things like:

"Mom, Blaise is so fluffy!"

"Mom, I'm so comfortable with Blaise!"

"Mom, he's farting!" 

"Blaise has eyebrows." 

She has really precise anunciation. The other day she called him a "munchkin," & her lips as she so clearly pronounced that word were so cute! -July 14

Me reading aloud about an Irish/English battle: The aliens were beat back.

Golden, suddenly paying attention: There are aliens in this book?!?

Silver: And the baby alien, it's hiding! -July 16
🙈

 Evening reading time with six children... So hard to get through the chapters. -July 16

Silver, pointing to a turtle in a book: "Iss a tooter!" -July 16

Me: Do you wanna go to the park today?
Silver: Yeah. And I want to go to the zoo. I want to go to the zoo and see elephants. And dinosaurs at the zoo.

Their expectations grow exponentially into the fantastical in a matter of seconds! Before you know what happened, you have to TALK THEM DOWN. Welcome to the world of toddler parenting.

Clearly the answer is never to ask a toddler their opinion.  -July 17

I gave Silas a homemade little bowl of trail mix to tide him over for breakfast while I sit here and work.

After a few minutes, he says, "Hmmm... that needs more chocolate chips and what not."

 ...and what not!

-July 18

Pippa: "Why is this cup OLD?"

Me: "I don't know, it's not THAT old!"

Pippa: "Yeah, it's only like... HALF old."

Silas: "Yeah, like 44 years or something." -July 18

I spent a few minutes singing Silver a song I had made up for her, during which she sat there beaming like a queen. When I finished, she said,

"That's creepy and stuff."

Creepy is one of her favorite words right now. -July 19

"I'm a baby ginoceros." -Silver, circa July 20

My children are playing hot potato with a dirty diaper. -July 20

Things I never thought I'd find myself saying:

"I will be serving crepes to people who are wearing underwear."

"JUST say thank you for the hairy cousin!!!"-July 20

Me: So in order to get the unknown by itself, you have to remove the other numbers on that side of the equation by doing the reverse function. So the opposite of times is divide. So divide both sides by 2/3.

Sparrow: I think the opposite of times Is un-times. -July 20

Been listening to the MSG translation. I guess it's some kind of flavor enhancer. -July 25

The other day I referred to erasing as "deleting." Just now I told my daughter we could "edit" her skirt. Aaaaah! #digitalage -July 28

"I wanna play with my toys, but I guess I'll do a puzzle for a few... whiles." -Pippa, July 29

Silver, crying with wide, sad eyes: "I can't jump over the ceiling, Mommy!" -July 29

Me: Are you interested in rock concerts? 

Sparrow: No. But I'm interested in ROCKS!

Me: I love you. 

-August 9

Silver: Gol likes to say 'boinga boinga.'

me: Hm? God?

Silver: No! God can't say anything! He CAN'T TALK! -Aug. 18

Silver, playing with a Playmobil goat early in the morning, called it a "goost." -Aug. 19

Everyone keeps saying we are going to the Scott's house tomorrow. Silver, to Daddy, "Wanna go to God's house?" -Aug. 26

"That popcorn is distusteen!" -Silver, who ate old popcorn  off the floor, Aug. 26

"Can we go to Jane's house now?" -Silver, meaning Jamestown. -Aug. 25

"Mom, there's beads on your lamp. And there's a string hanging up to it." -Silver, Aug. 29

Silas, describing how Silver was asking him for a toy of hers: "And then something happened to my heart, because I felt like I really wanted to get it for her." -late August

Silver: God ate the mustard. And he was folded. -Aug. 31

Silver found a stuffed animal upstairs at Mahnkens house and said, "I'm gonna put this little cutie in my shirt." -Sep. 2

Silver, age 2: I'm not in love. And there was worms in my LIFE. And there's no love out there (pointing toward the window). 
Thomas: Oh yeah? So... Where IS the love? 
Silver: The love is in the movies. -Sept. 7

Pippa: When Silver grows up, she's gonna get a bunch of extra money for helping us do our chores.

Me: Oh yeah? From whom?

Pippa: The king.

Me: Who's the king?

Pippa: Jesus. 

-Sept. 10

Silas, narrating after a reading about Queen Elizabeth: "Well, her mom, and her sister, I think, got cheesin' and died." (meaning treason!) -Sept. 11

Blaise: full teething mode. I feel like I'm the birth doula for his tooth. He's making breathy cow noises right now. -Sept. 13

Golden (age 9), de-pooping the kitty litter: "Sparrow, I am totally grieved about this." -Sept. 18

"Mama, I'm so glad this milk isn't wotten." -Silver, Sep. 22

ME, YOU, ME, YOU, STUMP. 😁 

A card Golden made for her friend Emily. -Sept. 25

Silver, chatting to a man in a parking lot: "We have a house! ...This is my friend Pippa." -Sep. 26

"I looked in the mirror and saw she was beautiful." -Silver , Sept. 28

"Sometimes Daddy brushes my hair, sometimes he cuts my hair, and sometimes he washes my hair." -Silver, Sept. 28 (first haircut happened that day)

Liesl's 2-yr birthday!

 The things I've been through today though!!It was Liesl's actual second birthday, so even though we had a party last Saturday, we still wanted to do something fun! 

So I wanted to go to the beach, but had to do an office task first. Two, actually, and they took me hours. I was trying to call customer service for Thomas' warranty because his laptop hasn't been turning on for like three weeks. Nothing. Just no turning on or lights or any indication of AI life still remaining. I told him I would have time to do it yesterday, but then I went to Costco and TJ's with Blaise and Pippa, and the van died at Trader Joe's and it was 100 degrees, and we had ice cream in the bag, and we had to wait in the store for Thomas to come and rescue us (and eat all the little ice creams), and then we had to put all the food away when we got back and then the Martindales came to dinner. So I didn't have time yesterday. But this morning I was on the phone for over an hour with the customer service people. And when I had been transferred to the second level of computer helpers and they were STILL trying to get me to do troubleshooting and resusitating moves to a computer that was stone dead instead of just bunging me a new one, the indian man on the other line told me to check the cable and unplug it in the middle, and when I did THAT, lo and behold, there was a chew!  A chew through the cable, Almost the whole way through! HAHA! When I pushed the wires back together, the charging light on the computer TURNED ON! So funny! So all they had to send me was a new cord, after all that. 

We left for the beach at nearly 2PM, 

-Liesl said a 4-word sentence but I forgot it!

-beach. Some woman was wearing a "bathing suit" that had her entire bottom all hanging out in the atmosphere. Just no. That is not how you treat yourself to anything like dignity.  

-pippa had to poop at the beach, so I had to take her to the big van and tiny potty, and I had to pilfer some sand from a beach house yard, to put in the bottom of the potty cause: smart. I had to throw the poo away in a laundry bag that I found in the van from the Hamilton Hotel that we had gone to back in December.

-Liesl thought Silas was drowning as he was playing in the water, and was really upset. "Silas! not! Safe!"

-home, then showered off. Had chocolate ice cream. Washed Liesl's hair in the sink. Tried to start dinner but was on a double streak on Duolingo outside, and I looked up, and Liesl was playing with POOP on the front porch, but I had to do a double take because she was already all stained with chocolate and I couldn't compute at first what was happening. Well I hosed her off in the little bathtub that was standing out front, and cleaned up the poop and then hosed off the porch. and then I had to make dinner and put away the beach stuff. I was putting away the popsicle floaty, when I noticed brown stuff on it, and I smelled it, and it was poop! So I had to take that back out front to hose off again. Later we found even more poop on the lawn, and more on the porch! Prolific! While I was doing dishes during dinner prep, Liesl grabbed my new tiny press pot that I had gotten on Tuesday at IKEA to froth milk with, and she threw it on the ground and it smashed! Gave Blaise a bath out front in the little tub. Dinner was at about 8! Silas was at youth group from 7-9.

-Thomas also said we got a ticket for over $100 because of some thing we ran up in DC in December, and had apparently missed the first notice. 

-Sparrow made a cherry pie and it was too late for most people to eat it.

May/June Quotes

Adam, on going camping: "Basically, I say, we bring the kids, we bring coffee, we're good." -May 17

Silas: "My wee wee is heavy!"
me: "Do you have to go pee?"
S: "NO! My wee wee is heavy!"  -May 17

me: "What was your favorite part of the day?"
Golden: "Going strawberry picking. And Pippa's favorite part was... being a baby." -May 17

me: "Can you come here and finish your hot dog?"
G: "I  will, but I'm waking up the dandelions." -May 27

Silas, on his steaming hot muffin: "Mom! It was smoking! There was fire coming out on me!" -June 11

Sparrow: "How long do ants live? (Thinks for awhile) ...They live either until someone squishes them, or until they get really old and die."  -June 9 (I love it when children answer their own questions)

Silas points excitedly, "Mom! Enormous, BIG...!"
Sp: "It's a cockroach, buddy."
Silas: "No!!! It's a BUG!!!" -June 26

Silas called thunder "blunder." -June 26

Silas: "I don't want to drive through space, and I don't WANT to."
me: "Honey, I don't think that's something we are gonna have to worry about." -June 29

Silas: "That's OLD ice cream, and it's dripping."
Golden: "No, it's melted ice cream and it's melting."
Silas, encouragingly: "That's RIGHT!" -June

Pippa's 5th birthday

My wilder one is 5 today! 

5 years ago we were living with friends in a city we had just moved to and one day I just sat there so sad for my little coming one, no place to put a nursing chair, no one who cares to shower her with welcome. God stopped me in my tracks by bringing to mind Mary the mother of Jesus. No room in the inn. No baby shower, no rocking chair. In fact, she was giving birth next to the animals and had to set the baby in a feed trough because there wasn't even a bed! From then on there was a joyful fierceness in my pregnancy and labor. WE would love her. WE would make room. From the moment she came out, she's been a heralder. Her voice was so strong that the nursing staff couldn't believe her scream wasn't that of a 3-month old! She is a heralder of the Kingdom. She is one who makes room. Happy birthday, you fierce one. Go big.

Pippa had her birthday at home since it was several days after she got a new baby brother. And just the day before we had driven up to DC to get a new van: one that the whole family could fit into. That morning we had a special breakfast with presents and later Miss Christine came over with a CAKE! It was so cool, and she made a special little individual cake with giant sprinkles on it for Pippa to have all to herself.

Funny things Pippa said when she was four:

Silas: “Pippa, you do NOT want to go to hell.”

Pippa: “… Is it a dangerous place?” -May 31

We were learning about jaguarundis, and they watched a little documentary. When Pippa was trying to describe it to me, she said, “we watched the one about the undie leopard!” -May 26

Me: “Don’t color on your skin.”

Pippa: “I’m just making zebra stripes!”

Me: “But that marker is toxic, and can sink into your blood stream.”

Pippa: “I need a wet wipe! SILAS! Did you know, this can get in your SKIN, and take away your BLOOD.” -May 23

Pippa: “The devil is not gonna kill me. Cause he’s in my heart.”

Me: “Who’s in your heart?”
Pippa: “God.”
Me: “Who is the devil?”
Pippa: “He’s the bad devil.”
Me: “Yeah, he’s an angel who turned bad.”
Pippa: “But sometimes tiny angels, they have wings, and they’re good angels.” -May 3

Observing how enthusiastically someone in our church reacted to a testimony, Pippa leans over and whispers to me: “She banged the table. Maybe the police would come and drive her away.” -May 1

Me: “What is candy?”
Pippa: “Candy is when your hands get sticky you have to wash them, and if you eat too much sugar you will get sick.” -April 17

For church one morning, I had dressed Silver (the 18-month-old) practically for the beach–because we are so hot without the AC these days–and then Pippa came out wearing long pants and long sleeves.

Me: “Wouldn’t you rather wear short sleeves?”

Pippa: “No.”

Me: “Well you might get hot at church.”

Pippa: “I WANNA be hot at church!” -July 17

Pippa: “Proboscis monkeys have FOUR stomachs.”

Me: “Wow! Where do they all fit?”

Pippa: “One at the bottom, …and one… at the top, …and one on the side.” -July 10

Pippa: “I want to eat ALL the cherries, so I’d be a GROWNUP!” -June 28 

Pippa: “Mama? Some animals could be extinct.”

Me: “Mhm. What does that mean?”

Pippa: ” It means they be dead. Or they are already eaten.” -July 7

Pippa: “Mama? Rhubarb is a sour leaf in the world. Cause I love it.” -June 28

Silas: “Parrots don’t live in Virginia. Or toucans. Or peacocks.” 

Pippa: “Or dingoes. No way.” -June 28

Pippa: “Mama–FEE-lions means CATS!” -June 26

Pippa (4) learned how to pronounce girl the right way! She has been saying “GORE” for girl ever since she learned how to speak! We kept teasing her, saying, “No, it’s gore!”

Pippa: “No, it’s not, it’s girl!”

Me: “Who told you? Who taught you about girls?”

Pippa, without missing a beat: “God.” -June 7

Pippa, age 4: “GUYS! Whoever cleans up this room, will get CORN, in a BOWL, in the LIVING ROOM!”

Hmmm…. tempting. -Aug. 5

Me: “Pippa, could you bring me that charger? My phone needs to be charged.”
Pippa: “But what percent is it at?”

Unmmm… Since when do 4-year- olds deal in percents?!?? -Aug. 6

Pippa: “Mom, GUESS how long the flood was in Noah’s Ark?”

Me: “How long?”

Pippa: “Fortylong DAYS.”  -Aug. 21

Pippa, on the first morning in late summer that it was actually cool outside: “Hey! Now we have an air conditioner! ~ Outside!” ~Aug. 27

Me: “You have to talk to him nicely.”
Pippa: “I don’t know about that.” (LOL. She meant “I don’t know anything about that.” Which may or may not be true.) -Aug. 30

Pippa, age 4: “Mom, when I get big, I’ll be a grown-up and you’ll be a grown-up, and then we’ll have two moms.” -Sept. 15

Pippa: “Why do they put the seeds in the bell peppers in Trader Joes?” -Sept. 16

Pippa, 4: “I know why it’s illegal to drink in the car, mom. Cause when you drink, it really makes you go pee in the car, and that’s why it’s illegal.” -Dec. 17

Pippa licked all the frosting off all the cake today, painted her own nails, and scattered Candyland all over the floor. All before 8:30 AM. I love that child fiercely. – Dec. 21

Pippa: “When is the world gonna end?”
Me: “Nobody knows but God.”
Silas, age 6: “I know. When the WAR ends. You know which war? The war of history, World War Two, and the Civil War.” ~December 2016 

On the way over, Pippa explained to me why it was so cold today. “It’s cause all the DIRTY wind is coming from here, and the CLEAN wind is pushing it back.” -Dec. 15

Pippa, to Silver, “Stop it, you’re NERVOUSING me!!!”  -Nov. 22

“Do you know what twice means? Two times. Do you know what thrice means? Super fast.” -Pippa Nov. 23

Pippa praying for the food: “I pray this food would make us big and strong, and that volcanoes wouldn’t explode or that the devil wouldn’t be bad, Amen.” -Nov. 14

Pippa: “Sparrow! Someone tooted!”

Sparrow: “Oh. Is that so. How do you know?”

Pippa: Because I smelled tootish stuff. And stinky stuff.” ~Nov. 1

Silas: “I can’t wait for Halloween AND Christmas!”
Pippa: “Yeah, AND the dentist!!!” -Oct. 25

Pippa: “Mom? I had my alone time on the trash can today.” 

Me: “Oh yeah? What were you doing on the trash can?”

Pippa: “Trying to kill my pumpkin.”  ~Oct. 21

Pippa, 4, talking at 100 miles an hour, “I PUT stuff under my pillow, and then when I wake up, every time, and check, it keeps DISSING appear!” -Oct. 16

Golden (age 8), breaking into tears because she accidentally let our as yet un-spayed cat outside after dark.
Pippa, saltily, “Hope she hasn’t gone out MATING!”
Indeed, child. Indeed. ~Oct. 16

Pippa, age 4: “The light is so pretty right now, it looks like God.” -Oct. 12

Silver's days

Fall 2017

Silver has been trained to hold hands in a parking lot. She is so good about it now, that she will stop still in the median or at the sidewalk and start shrieking and/ or crying, "I need someone to hold my hand!" The other week we were at Assateague Island and we stopped at a nearly deserted parking lot to see the beauty of the marshlands before dark. There was no movement in the parking lot at all. Silver, concerned, said, "I need someone to hold my hand! I don't wanna get DIED in the road!"

Last week she also called herself a baby "ginoceros." (rhymes with rhinoceros, soft g at the beginning.) Haha! That child!

11/26 we went to a Christmas tree lighting event and Silver went to sit on Santa's lap. I didn't even get to see her! I was in another line with someone else an asked Sparrow to take her down to see Santa, since it was one of the only other booths set up at the time, and hey--she might like it. None of my other kids ever wanted to sit on Santa's lap, but perhaps she was not yet corrupted by their cynicism. Sure enough, Sparrow went through the line with her and they went through all the way before I was done waiting in my line! All I got of the event later was a few pictures taken by Sparrow and Silver's comments about it. "I sat on Santa's lap. And he was a nice Santa. But on the TV there is a mad santa." Oh, but this one is nice? "Yah. He told me about the caterpillar mouse." You told him you wanted a caterpillar mouse for Christmas? "Yah."