Elizabeth: I want to be a ballerina and a bride when I grow up.
Wil: I want to be a '3, 2, 1, Penguins!' when I grow up!

A while back, when Christine was out of town, the kids and I were at lunch. Elizabeth and I were having a debate about her eating her lunch, but she ended up doing a good job so she could have some ice cream. I was really pleased and sort of pushed/gently hit her for joy and said 'Good job!'. She was fascinated by this strange, exuberant hitting behavior and asked me 'Why you do that?'. I tried to explain, though I didn't do a very good job.

That night we got invited to the Touchets' for dinner. I was helping her go to the bathroom, which had been somewhat of a problem. She was successful and said 'It's okay, I don't need new big girl pants.' I said 'That's a good thing because I didn't bring any.' She did that new gentle hitting thing and said 'You should have brought some.' I dissolved into laughter, then said 'You should keep your girl pants dry!'

Another 'F' story; fourth in a series

Elizabeth sings 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider'

'The itsy bitsy fider went up the water fout. Down came the wain and washed the fider out. Out came the sun and dwied up all the wain. And the itsy bitsy fider went up the water fout [sic] again.'

Delightful.

Another 'F' story: third in a series

We have this teeny-tiny ant problem. Wil intentionally spilled apple juice last night. So we wanted him to see the ants that resulted this morning. We showed him the ants and I asked him what we should do.

'We better fray um. So they will be dead.'

Last night, for some unknown reason, Wil asked me to talk about the Christmas story when I was laying down with him. We progressed through pretty steadily. We got to the part about the shepherds and the angels.

'What did they do next?' I said

'Goed. They goed to see the baby. Except...maybe they stopped to get a card first.'

*Daddy laughs and laughs and laughs.*

Another 'F' story

Wil came running into my bedroom crying the other day. It was pretty obvious he and Elizabeth had had a fight. He told me she hit him.

'What should we do?' I said.

'Let's go fank her!'

Since Christine's back, I guess I have the gumption to write:

Wil came running into the study the other day: 'Daddy, there's a fly in the kitchen!'

'What should I do?'

'Fack it!'

I'm inspired.

From this morning -
Elizabeth: What are we going to do today?
Momma: Well, I am going to do a lot of scrapbook stuff....
E: I already know that!

From sometime earlier -
Momma: Why do you think Belle's Daddy got lost?
Elizabeth: Wrong aisle.

For better or worse, I let the twins watch parts of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" with me. We borrowed Kathy's DVD so I was able to skip anything I thought would be too scary or too inappropriate. Wil talks to snakes now. "Hasheth hasheth. Be quiet Elizabeth! I'm talking to those snakes!"

Sorry there hasn't been anything new lately. I sometimes jot things down that I want to remember, so here are a few quotes that may or may not have been previously posted:

"I am a princess because my Daddy always says that to me."

"'You are so beautiful to me.' My Daddy sings that to me because I am my Daddy's daughter."

Best thing so far about summer: the sprinkler. It's a blast watching the twins play. I'm sure that's where the phrase "squeal with delight" originated.

He's a rascal

It's enough to make you start writing again.

I took the Volvo in because the radio wasn't working. The fuse was burnt out, and when I replaced it, it burnt out immediately. They said it could be a problem. So I took it in.

Went to get it this morning: penny in the cigarette lighter. 'Does it every time', two guys said (well then why didn't you tell me that in advance? 'Any pennies in the cigarette lighter?) 60$ later, now I know.

If you don't know the kids well enough to understand the title, Wil is the twin who sticks things places. I can be pretty sure it was him, He's the engineer.

The price of having kids (and letting them play in the car basically unattended).

The other night Ellizabeth was fighting bedtime a little bit. I said I was tired and asked her to lie down with me. She said, "I know - after you fall asleep I will get up."

If anything is scary, Wil says he likes it on "my Rugrat video." (The only Rugrats he's ever watched that we know of is the preview before Blue's Clues.) So, for example, he'll say, "I like Barad Dur on my Rugrats video" or "I like Orcs on my Rugrats video."

A week or so ago Sean and the twins were reading about Elijah and how he was carried to Heaven in a flaming chariot. This got them talking about when Jesus ascended to Heaven and when He's coming back. Sean told them that everyone who loves Jesus will go to Heaven with Jesus to live with Him forever. Elizabeth added, "And believes in Him," then, "I believe in Him." Wil said, "I will believe in Him when He comes back." Too late, sweet boy, but at least for today there's time to change your mind.

Last Thursday I had a chance to peek into Wil's classroom at Mother's Day Out. Wil was presiding over a tea party with Connor, Jackson and Aurora's grandson Joshua. I nearly laughed out loud as Wil passed out sugar and offered milk and cookies. I'll venture to guess that it was the other boys' first tea party.

Elizabeth still has some concerns about moving to Iowa. Yesterday she told me, "I want to have my princess party (the much anticipated theme for her birthday in July) here. I think my girl friends don't know the way to I-wa-a."

As I sit here the twins and Sean are talking about and playing as characters in The Lord of the Rings. Sean is Gandalf, Wil is Bilbo and Frodo and the rest of the hobbits, and Elizabeth is Galadriel. Elizabeth said, "Maybe when I'm not being Galadriel, I can be Gandalf's daughter." She's also Goldberry when appropriate.

We were watching DragonTales the other day and Ord was sad that no one would play with him on him birthday (because they were working on a surprise party for him). I talk about stuff like that with them, so I said 'I'd be sad too if no one would play with me on my birthday.' Wil said 'Daddy, I would play with you if it was your birthday.' Sweet boy.

Time for an update. Sean's job was terminated (lack of funds) on the 28th. We decided to go to Iowa for a week. I asked the twins if they wanted to move to Iowa. Wil said 'no.' Elizabeth wasn't sure at first but then later she asked, "When are we going to Iowa to live there forever?"

Wil is really into Big Idea's "3, 2, 1, Penguins!" these days. He flies a toy coffee pot around like a spaceship and sings the theme song. Most days he answers to Midgel.

Elizabeth was sad to go to preschool today. It must be tough on her knowing the rest of us are at home together.