Research project

Kate brought home a research project on various cities that she had done in Social Studies.  Over dinner, she gave everyone choices of a city they wanted to know about.  When the person picked a place, she would read all the facts she had learned about it.

After she got to about the fourth city, Ally just stared at her in awe and said, "Geez!  You're a genius!"

I tried so hard not to laugh at that comment while Kate modestly explained, "No, I'm reading it.  I wrote it down."

Four-and-a-half

Kate was a unique kid from the moment she was born.  Most newborns will sleep for 16-17 hours a day.  Kate never slept more than 12.  She was quiet and alert, seeming to analyze the world around her.  As a toddler, she was serious, still quietly taking everything in.  She spoke very early, and she used language of a much older child.  She was never silly; she was very mature.

When we were swimming at the waterpark, Dave and I were talking.  I looked at the twins and commented, "This is such a fun age.  You know the twins are just about the age that Kate was when they were born.  We were so busy with them, we never got to appreciate her at this age."

Dave commented, "Kate was never this age."

English

Kate, Anna, and I were all in stalls in a restaurant bathroom.  It had been a long day at the waterpark, and I was exhausted.

From my stall, I heard Anna, her voice echoing slightly in the bathroom, "I think English is the easiest to speak."

Kate, seeing the flaw in Anna's logic, explained from her stall, "It's just easy for you."

I was glad I was saved having to explain this one, because, as I said, it had been a long day.

Then I heard Anna say, "It's not easy for you?"

This made me smile and shake my head as I pulled up my pants.

Before Kate could explain, I heard Anna giggling in her stall and say, "Zing!" (This is our code for "got you!")

Wait.

Luke needed a pair of swim trunks at the water park.  As we passed the gift shop, I suggested we see if they had any.  They did, so Dave and I picked out a pair, but we wanted to make sure they fit.  

Dave saw a door labeled "fitting room" right behind us, but it was locked.  I looked for an employee, but there was only one person working and a big line of people waiting to check out.

No one was around us, so I pulled Luke behind a rack of flipflops muttering, "It's okay, he's only four."

Ally stared at me.

As I began to pull down Luke's pants Ally said, "Wait!  What are you doing?"

Eyes as big as saucers, she continued, "Don't do that."

A completely unfazed Luke stepped into the trunks, as Ally continued, "Ew. Ew. Ew..."

Anna is seven

Anna wanted a Harry Potter birthday party!  So, when Grandma, Aunt Jen, and the cousins came to celebrate, the owls brought everyone a parcel with all necessary supplies for a Hogwarts experience.  

The kids and I had spent the last week making felt hats and ties, sewing robes, and painting wood-dowel wands.  

Don't they look official?

I couldn't believe how funny Luke looked in his outfit.

Ally was not thrilled.

Cousin Adam loved it!

Seriously, I'm pretty sure she was thinking, "I hate Harry Potter, his stupid scar, and these ridiculous glasses, too!"

Kate handled all the decorations, and the place looked terrific.

I mean, really.  Too cute!

It was a fun day!

Gingerbread man

The last week or so, as Luke and Ally have been doing nursery rhymes in school, they've been racing around the house.  Luke will speed ahead and sing, "You can't catch me; I'm the gingerbread man!"

I drove Luke and Ally to school since I was going to go to do some work.  When we were walking in, I was carrying Luke's backpack for him, but Ally was carrying her own, so she was dragging behind a bit.

"Luke," she preemptively called out, "you're winning because I'm carrying my backpack, not because you're the gingerbread man!"

How big is a star?

In Awana we sing a song, "My God is so Big" with lyrics, "The mountains are his. The valleys are his. The stars are his handiwork, too."

On the way home, the kids were talking about how big the moon was.  (We looked it up and learned you could put the entire United States on it twice.)

When we got inside, I heard the twins talking about how big a star was.

I heard Ally's explanation, "It's God's handiwork.  It's the size of God's hand."

Bacon

We were watching the Super Bowl when Ally abruptly asked, "Are we going to have bacon today?"

I don't eat, or even like, bacon.  We have it, maybe, once every couple months.  So, I had to laugh a little as I replied, "No..."

"Awwww!" she said, "That's my FAAA-bert!*"

(At least we did have guacamole.)

*"Fabert" is Ally (and Luke) Speak for "favorite."