Paul: If you don’t let me have a free snack, I’m hitting you.
Bryan: I don’t negotiate with terrorists.
Asides
inspiration/aspiration
The American Girl doll catalog arrived unbidden at our house, and I watched Annie enjoy it in precisely the same way as I enjoy CB2 and Design Within Reach. She is blissfully ignorant that the content is for sale.
i hope i don’t beat this spirit out of her
[Annie, 45 minutes after bedtime. Her 3rd appearance at her door, and perhaps the 10th time we’ve intervened since 7:30.]
Annie: Mom, can I have one more question?
Me: Annie, I’m really disappointed to see you out of bed. This is the time to be resting our bodies.
Annie: But Mom, I needed to tell you that Paul shared some of his lovies with me.
Me: Okay, but I don’t understand why you needed to get out of bed and tell me that, or—Paul shouldn’t be—he shouldn’t be out of bed either, even sharing lovies.
Annie: But Mom, I just wanted to tell you about kindness.
[Beat]
Me, with a softer tone: Oh gosh, Annie. I do, I do like hearing about kindness. But—
Annie: And it’s a dog family. Okay, goodnight.
Me: Goodnight.
Annie: Mom, do you know who I love the most?
Me: Who?
Annie: My whole family.
Me: That’s LOVELY, Annie. Goodnight.
Annie: Goodnight!
[10 minutes later, still listening to them chatter]
Jesus is coming
text message from our deck contractor:
Jesus is coming by Sunday to excavate under your house.
Have a great weekend!
shapeliness
Paul wants to know, “Is every single thing in the world a shape?”
as you know!
The scene: in the bathroom, a mother attempts to get her 5-going-on-15-year-old daughter to stop playing and start the bedtime routine.
Mother, chipper: As you know, Annie, tomorrow’s another home day, so we’ll have lots of time for that later.
Daughter, with pathos: Well as you know, Mom, I hate doing things LATER!!!
(Daughter storms off and flings herself on the bed.)