LeapFrog

My 3-year-old was playing with a LeapFrog alphabet toy early this morning pressing random letter buttons:

3yr: "K! K-K-K-K-K-K! L-L-L-L-L-L-L! M-M-M-M-M-M!"
7yr: Thalia! Stop playing with that!
3yr: No. "N-N-N-N! O-O-O-O!"

Honestly, wow! I'm both annoyed and proud that my toddler just accidentally spell-trolled her big sister! 😃

Daughty Date

Me: Do you want to go on a daddy-daughter date with me?
Thalia: A daddy-daughter date?
Me: Yes. Just you and me.
Thalia: Yes! Mommy, I get to go on a daughty date with Daddy!
Laura: A daughty date? Is that daughter plus naughty!
Me: I didn't say that, haha!...


P.S. We went to the germ tree at the Rivertown Mall, rode the the carousel at the food court, went up and down escalators more than necessary, then got groceries at Aldi's. My 3-year-old rated our daughty date a success! No sugar required : )

Winners & Losers

Thalia: I won, Sophia. You lost.
Sophia: That's not a nice thing to say to people, Thalia. You shouldn't brag about winning and other people losing. Would you like it if I said that to you, I won, you lost, over and over again? I don't think so.
Thalia: (pause) Yeah. But I winned.
Sophia: (big sister sigh)

Sugar and Spice!

When Mommy is getting ready to go out:
Thalia: Are we going to have a really nice time tonight, Daddy?
Me: I prefer to have a nice time rather than the alternative.
Thalia: I mean are you going to play games with us and give us nice treats?
Me: Yes....


The moment Mommy has left:
Thalia: When are you going to give us the naughty treats?
Me: Naughty treats? I thought you were asking for nice treats earlier.
Thalia: No! I want to eat naughty treats, not nice treats! Like ice cream and chocolate and cookies...

(So "sugar and spice" but whatever happened to "everything nice"?...)

A Teacher's Dilemma

Thalia: Freya is being mean to me!
Me: What did she do?
Thalia: She won't do what I say!
Me: What are you saying to her?
Thalia: I'm her teacher, and I have sooo many things to teach her! But she won't listen!...
(I feel your pain, girl.)

Ride'em Cowgirl!

My girls got to ride Sandy the Horse at Meijer this morning:

Me: Yeeeeha! Ride'em cowgirl!

Thalia: No, Daddy! Not cowgirl! Say horsegirl because it's a horse!

I explain that a cowgirl's job is to chase cows while she's riding the horse...

Thalia shouts out, "Yeeeha! Ride'em horsegirl!"...

Because she prefers to chase horses.

Engaged

I realized that I had forgotten my phone 

So instead of catching up on social media 

I got to engage with my 3-year-old 

In the play area of the public library 

Where she served me up a sandwich 

And some lemonade in a doll cup 

While I lounged in a chair 

And suppressed the urge 

To feel superior 

To all the other parents 

Who happened to remember their phones...

Not Appropriate

Laura: When are you leaving for work?
Me: A.S.A.P.
Thalia: Daddy! You said pee! That's not appropriate.
Me: What? Oh, I said A.S.A.P. as in "as soon as possible."
Thalia: (shaking her head slowly in disappointment at her daddy's potty mouth) You said pee...

(I can't wait to turn the tables on her the next time she sings the alphabet song.)

Daylight Savings Morning

Early this first Daylight Savings morning, Sophia sidles up to me and whispers...

Sophia: Daddy, I'm feeling really cranky this morning. Can I have some chocolate from my basket? Mommy usually lets me have chocolate on the way to school in the mornings. It helps me to wake up better. Can I?
Me: Yes.
Sophia: Thank you, Daddy!
Thalia: Daddy, I'm feeling cranky too...

(I suppose I shouldn't let them have chocolate for breakfast first thing, but watching Sophia tenderly share a Hershey's Chocolate Bar with her 3-year-old sister is the sweetest thing I've seen all day ; )

Scary Monsters

After goodnight prayers...
Me: Sweet dreams, honey. What do you want to dream about tonight?
Thalia: Monsters.
Me: Monsters?
Thalia: Yes.
Me: Don't you want to have sweet dreams?
Thalia: Yes, with scary monsters.
Me: Scary?
Thalia: Yes, and cuddly so I can cuddle with them.
Me: So scary, cuddly, fuzzy, friendly monsters, like in Sesame Street?
Thalia: Yes, and ballet...
(Whatever keeps her in her own bed all night long instead of ours sounds sweet to me)

Thalia's Health Plan

1) Treadmill
2) Ice cream
(Sign me up!)

Some Healthy Self-esteem

At bedtime:
Me: Thalia, I think you're wonderful.
Thali: Yes, I am beautiful.
Me: Haha! I said wonderful, not beautiful! But you're right. You're both wonderful and beautiful!
Thalia: Yes, I am wonderful and beautiful...

The Y?

Me: I would love to visit Hawaii. It's a beautiful paradise!
Thalia: The Y?
Me: The Y?
Sophia: No, Thalia. Hawaii. It's a beautiful country in the United States!
Thalia: The Y?...

Big Bug Bite

Me: I have a big bug bite on my back that itches terribly! Maybe it's a spider bite.
Thalia: Or a bunny bite.
Me: Maybe.

Toast with Peanut Butter

Me: Here's your toast with peanut butter. I cut it up for you. Just take one piece at a time. If you finish it, you can eat another piece. OK?
Thalia: Is there a sign that says I can't  take two?
Me: Uhh, no.
Thalia: OK.

Eating Carrots Helps You To See In The Dark

Laura: Eating carrots helps you to see in the dark!
Thalia: What?
Laura: Eating carrots helps you to see in the dark!
Thalia: What?
Me: Which vegetable helps with hearing?...

The Owl

My brother loaned us their VTech Owl baby cam so we could check in with our napping kids. Unfortunately, Thalia freaked out pretty badly when Laura accessed the intercom feature to tell her to stay in bed. Freaked out! She thinks it's alive and now she has since been scared to be in the same room with it. I can't say I blame her. It has now been sitting unused on my lampstand next to my bed, facing the wall, unplugged...

No Applesauce

Laura: Eat your applesauce.
Thalia: No. I'll just eat naughty food at church...

Pillow Fight

Thalia: The pillow hurts my feelings.
Laura: Do you mean it's uncomfortable?
Thalia: Yes.

Learning Spanish

A roofing team has been hard at work at our place. Thalia asked us, "Are they learning to speak Spanish?" 😊