Outta the Mouths of Babes: Another Annelie Edition

Hey folks! Remember that one time I blogged for 6+ years, and then just stopped for 1.5 years without saying goodbye?

Me, too!

The potentially bad news - I do believe this blog is ready to retire.

The super great news? I found one last little Outta the Mouths of Babes hidden in my drafts folder and I think it will make the perfect blog parting.

Thank you to all who has followed this blog for the last several years! It's been great getting to know so many of you over the years, and letting you peek into the wacky world of Hopkins.

I'll be sure to keep you updated if/when my blogging days return!

xoxo,

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Interviewing Annelie for a 1st grade questionnaire.

ME : What three words would you use to describe yourself?

ANNELIE: Funny, playful, and rock 'n' roll.


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Yeah, I will go ahead and say those are perfect words to describe my kiddo -- now a SECOND grader! -- she knows herself well.

Outta the Mouths of Babes.10

Mid-November already?

How 'bout a little round up of the things my kids say that crack me up?

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WILL: Mommy made you a sandwich and she made it with extra sprinkles of love

ANNELIE: No, actually, that's just lettuce.

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Gracie, on handling bullies.

If someone called me stupid, I'd say, "Come over to my house." But before they came, I'd glue their picture in my dictionary next to the word stupid, and then when they came over, I'd say, "Come look at my dictionary." And when they looked, I'd say, "TA-DA!"

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At dinner

ME: Let's talk about what we're thankful for, and pick something that can't be bought at a store.

ANNELIE: I'm thankful for the people who work at the stores and make sure that the stuff I want is at the stores.

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ANNELIE: I'm going to invite Jason, a boy in my class, to my birthday party. Wanna know why? Because he always smiles at me when I walk past him. And when  he comes, I'm going to explain all the rules to him.

ME: Rules like No dating until you're sixteen?

ANNELIE: Yeah, that one. And also no snatching things away from people, and always share.

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ME [unscrews Gracie's light switch plate, removes, puts on new light switch plate]: ...

GRACIE: Oh WOW, Mom! You should be a builder or something!

ME: ... are you kidding?

GRACIE: No, I'm not. I think you're AMAZING!

(Yes, it is THAT easy to be amazing, folks.)

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GRACIE: Mom, my school picture turned out GREAT!

ME: Did you get to see it?

GRACIE: No.

ME: Then how do you know?

GRACIE [looks at me like I'm crazy]: Because I smiled my biggest smile and I looked adorable. 

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ANNELIE [sniffs surrounding air, delighted]: Oooooh, I made it smell like sausages in here!!

ME [breathes surrounding air]: *dies*

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Earlier -
Will put on a vanityfair.com interview with Christopher Hitchens, in which CH argues that women aren't funny.

Later -
at dinner

GRACIE [puts tiny dab of hot sauce in the center of her taco]: There.

WILL: That's really all you want?

GRACIE [shoots him a serious look]: That's all I can handle in this situation.

WILL laughs.

GRACIE [arches brow and smiles]: There. You laughed. Proof that women can be funny.


THAT'S MY GIRL.   


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That's all I've got for today!

Possibly even for the week.

Maybe even for the month - I've been taking a bit of an unplanned blog hiatus. Lately, I've been up to my ears with my NaNoWriMo project (which is already a good dozen or so thousand words behind my goal), my new job (which involves playing trucks and cars with a 3-year-old, and spoon-feeding fruit smoothies to his baby sister - and I'm so happy to be playing with the littlest-aged kiddos, again), and rearranging all the rooms and/or furniture in my house.

CHANGE IS GOOD. Exhausting, but good.

Hope you're all having a great November so far, folks!   

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: Great Britain Edition

ANNELIE-THE-INSECT-LOVER [joyously]: MOM! Me and Gracie went paddling in the river and it had tiny little caterpillars in the water, and they were so tiny and adorable, and they crawled all over my feet and legs!

ME: ... That sounds... great?

ANNELIE: Yeah! [face falling] But then I had to take them off, because they have teeth and they bite, and then suck blood.

ME [gagging]: Were they LEECHES?

ANNELIE [joyously]: Oh, yes! Nana said they're called leeches!

ME: Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

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ANNELIE: When the people here talk to me, how do I tell them in their language that I don't understand them?

ME: You mean the people here in Britain?

ANNELIE: Yeah. How do I say 'I don't understand' in their own language?

ME: Well, you can just say, 'I don't understand.' Because, like us, they speak ENGLISH.

ANNELIE [making a shocked-confused face]: They DO? 


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And thus begins our UK adventure, filled with funny accents and unexpected wildlife! One day into our trip and the fun has already begun.

Happy Friday, folks!

 xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes.9

I've had these little bits saved up for awhile - a handful of things heard around Chez Hopkins.

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ME [calling to Gracie in the other room]: Can you turn off the light?

ANNELIE [walking in from outside]: WHAT?! NO!

[pauses]

Oh, you meant can Gracie turn off the light. I thought you meant me, but my light is the sun, and I can't turn that off!!!

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GRACIE [watching Will put on his suit jacket before a meeting]: You look really handsome. You look like you’re going to a mineral.

WILL: A mineral?

GRACIE: Isn’t that was you call the party when you celebrate dead people?

WILL: A funeral?

GRACIE: Yeah, you look handsome, like you’re going to a funeral.

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ANNELIE [coloring beside me]: Do you like my little girl? She has grey hair.

ME [looking at Annelie's picture of a small child]: Your little girl is very cute. I'm curious about why you gave her grey hair.

ANNELIE: She has grey hair because she was from a long, long time ago.

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GRACIE: Mom, did you get a hair cut?

ME: No.

GRACIE: Oh. I thought you did. Because of [gestures vaguely at my head] that thing.

ME: ...... what thing?

GRACIE: That..... right there.

ME: My bangs?

GRACIE: Yeah.

ME: I trimmed them ...... [officially paranoid] Is there something wrong with them?

GRACIE [long pause]: No..... They look fine.

ME: .....

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ME [to Annelie]: Don't forget to turn off the TV!

ANNELIE: I won't. I don't forget anything. I don't even forget that one plus one is two.

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ME [reading emails]: Boo, I just got another rejection.

ANNELIE [patting my back]: Well, that's not bad. I just got FORTY rejections.

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ANNELIE [picking up drawing paper and a pen]: I'm going to draw myself a present, but I have to close my eyes the whole time because presents are a secret. 

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ANNELIE [teaching Gracie how to sing]: Just repeat after me. [sings] Do... Re... You... La... So... No... Me... How..!

GRACIE: Do... Re... You... La... So... No... Me... How..!


(I think another viewing of The Sound of Music is in our near future!)

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That's all the fun for tonight, folks! Happy Monday!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: Mean Mom Edition

 

My dear darling five-year-old is mad at me at the moment, because I wouldn't let her rip out the page she drew on in my planner to give to her friend. So what does she do to let me know how mad she is?

Why, draw me a picture in which I have only one arm, of course!

Which reminded me that I have some Outta the Mouths of Babes to post...

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After a time-out-for-hitting-big-sister session:

ANNELIE [glaring hard at me with what she calls her Hot Laser Eyes]: I'm thinking very angry things at someone right now.

ME: Oh yeah? What kind of angry things?

ANNELIE: Really bad ones, like swear words. I'm thinking them at someone. [screws up face to glare even harder]

ME: Oh, wow, that does sound angry. What kind of words?

ANNELIE: I'm thinking words like stupid and sucker at someone.

ME: Ahhh, I see.

[sometimes is is SO hard trying to keep from laughing]

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GRACIE: Sometimes when you get really mad at us, I wish we could go live with Grandma.

ME: Sometimes when I get really mad at you, I wish you would go on a long vacation to Grandma's.

GRACIE [laughs hysterically]: That works.

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ANNELIE [pausing during playtime for a hug and a moment of sweetness]: I love you, Mommy.

ME: I love you, too.

ANNELIE: I love you even when you be mean.

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And I love her, even when she's giving me Hot Laser Eyes. Oh the joys of being a mom.

Happy Wednesday, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: The Portrait Artist Edition

ANNELIE: I drew you a picture, Mom. It's you and Dad.

ME: I love it. Looks just like us.

ANNELIE [inspecting her picture]: Yeah, it DOES look just like you! I'm going to put it on the fridge to show Gracie when she gets home.

[sticks it on fridge, admires work]

Wow. I'm pretty sure Gracie won't even know I drew it.

[looks at me VERY seriously]

It's so good Gracie will think YOU drew it, Mom.

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Hee hee, my kiddo cracks me up whilst flattering the both of us, and I'm not going to say I don't love that ('Cuz I do)

Annelie is a pretty fantastic artist, if I do say so myself. I'm quite a fan of her emo graphic novel-style art.

I get hundreds of little emo-kid ink drawings a day.

Hundreds. Literally. This kiddo draws morning, noon, and night.

Move over, Edward Gorey - Annelie Hopkins is on her way!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: The S-H Word Edition

Setting: 6-year-old Gracie in the car with Will, coming home from school.


GRACIE: My friend said a swear word today.

WILL [brows high]: Really? What swear word did she say?

GRACIE: The S word. [pauses seriously] The S-H word.

WILL: Oh, wow. Have you ever heard me say that word?

GRACIE [Scandalized and defensive]: “No, Dad! You would never tell anyone to shut up!”

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Oh, these kids. So innocent. So entertaining.

Hope you're having a great week so far, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes.8

ANNELIE [points at alphabet above the bug's head] In my picture, my bug is thinking about the alphabet. But sometimes he makes a mistake and thinks of the wrong letter, so he thinks about an X, and then thinks about the right letter.

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At back door - cat outside, waiting to come inside from the rain.

ANNELIE [face pressed against the glass door, talking to cat]: Say the magic word, first.

[waits]

That wasn't it. It's two meows.

ME: JUST LET THE CAT IN!

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In the kitchen

ANNELIE [holding recorder]: When I blow my recorder, that means hurry up. [blows recorder]

ME: How about when you blow the recorder, it means thank you for my snack, Mom!

ANNELIE [thinks for a sec.] No, it just means hurry up. [blows recorder]

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ANNELIE [waves wooden stick over my head]: This is my magic wand. You get to make a wish and my wand will make it come true, so what's your wish?

ME: I want to be a magical fairy princess.

ANNELIE [looks at stick, brows furrowed. Shakes stick]: Hold on. I need to plug in my magic wand and recharge the batteries. I'll be right back.

[runs off with stick]

ME: ....?

ANNELIE: Okay. I'm back. [shakes stick over my head] Now, what is it you want?

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GRACIE [holding picture of an angel]: Look, I drew an angel. I even put that thing over her head. I don't know what it's called, so I call it the I Don't Know.

ME: It's called a halo.

GRACIE [excitedly] Oh! So now I know! Instead of calling it the I Don't Know, now I can call it the I Do Know!

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Okay, that's all the fun for today. Have an excellent Friday, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: Another Annelie Edition

4-year-old Annelie finding creative inspiration
in Baby, by Justin B
as she draws a picture of Justin B
to mail to Justin B

My kiddo, cracking me up as usual. Here are some bits and pieces of our life.

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ANNELIE: Mommy, know what? When I grow up, I want to be a TEENAGER!

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WILL [to Annelie]: You're so cute. Did you know that?

ANNELIE: Yeah. I know everything. [pauses] Well, I know everything except how to turn on the stove.

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ANNELIE [at pediatricians office]: Hi! I'm Annelie. And this [gestures at me] is Daddy's wife.

(she went on to introduce me like this several times)

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ANNELIE [pointing at a picture of me from when I was in 5th grade]: Is this a picture of me when I'm all growned up?

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ME [listening to Annelie humming]: That's a nice song.

ANNELIE: Thanks. Did you know I was humming in Spanish?

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ANNELIE [pointing at our phone]: Florence and the Answering Machine has an answering machine just like us.

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ME: Hey, what's that white stuff on your face.

ANNELIE: Oh, that's just white stuff. It isn't frosting at all.

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After overhearing Gracie call Annelie a mean name.

Annelie: Don't call me names. [clap clap] Don't call me names. [clap clap]*


*sung to the tune of That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings

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ANNELIE [picking petals off a flower]: He loves me. He loves me more. He loves me. He loves me more.

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ANNELIE: Mommy, is it Happy 8th Day, again?

ME: What is that?

ANNELIE: You know. That day where we joke around.
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ANNELIE: Can I have a banana?

ME: Sure.

ANNELIE: That's good. Because I already opened one.

(not going to lie - glad this conversation didn't begin with "Can I get my tongue pierced?"

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Okay, that's all!

Hope you all have a great weekend, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes.7

(oh, the darling pictures I find whilst looking at my hub's phone...
aka future blackmail material)

My kids. They crack me up. Here are a handful of snippets from around Chez Hopkins

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WILL: Gracie, did you see who came in while you were sleeping?

GRACIE: I already know. It's Uncle Tom. I was staring at him when he was sleeping in the middle of the night.

WILL: O_o That's kind of creepy.

GRACIE: I know! Uncle Tom IS creepy!

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ANNELIE: The movies' not over, Mom. There aren't letters all over the TV yet. That's how you know.

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ME: Hey, Annelie. You have a dentist appointment tomorrow.

ANNELIE [excitedly]: I do?

ME: Yup.

ANNELIE [more excitedly than before]: To have all my teeth pulled out of my head!!?

ME: Um.... no? Why.... do you want all your teeth pulled out?

ANNELIE: YES!


(anyone else seeing Little Shop of Horrors dentist in this kid's future?)

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ANNELIE [fighting with her sister]: I am mad at you! Mad and sad! And those words RHYME!

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ANNELIE: I'm having a staring contest with my boyfriend right now.

ME: Your imaginary boyfriend?

ANNELIE: Yeah. But he always wins.

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GRACIE: This song is really great. What's it called?

ME: Broken Jaw.

GRACIE: Oh. That's sad. But at least it's not called Broken Heart. Now THAT would be REALLY sad.

(my 6-year-old, such a hopeless romantic)


And for your listening (and viewing!!!) enjoyment:



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ANNELIE: Mom, you talk different.

ME: Different than what?

ANNELIE: Different than Spanish.

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Okay, that's all, folks! Hope you're all having a great week!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: Afternoon Edition

GRACIE: Hey, Annelie. Did you know that 'leg' begins with 'k?'

ANNELIE: Yeah.

ME [gives Gracie weird look]:...?

GRACIE: I mean 'knee.' Did you know that 'knee' begins with 'k?'

ANNELIE: Yeah.


That's all! We're going to the hot air balloon festival tonight, which should be awesome. And then my hubs has a show tomorrow night, which should be awesome. And Annelie's training wheels are coming off on Sunday, which should be... interesting. And awesome.

Happy weekend, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes.6

ANNELIE [laughing hysterically]: Check me out. I look like Justin Bieber.

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My kids. They make me snort into my coffee on a regular basis. Here are a handful of clips from around Chez Hopkins.

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ANNELIE [passes me a popsicle stick and a ribbon]: Can you tie a bow on the stick?

ME: Sure.

[ties bow, passes stick back to her]

ANNELIE [takes stick, passes it back to me]: Here, Mom, I made you a stick!

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ME [in a coughing fit]: Ugh. I feel terrible.

GRACIE: And you look old, too!

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ME: Today we're going someplace special!

ANNELIE: Is is PARIS?!

ME: Um... no.

ANNELIE: Is is AFRICA?!

ME: Um. No. It's the swimming pool.

ANNELIE: Oh.


(yeah, not as cool... sorry, kid)

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ANNELIE: This is a game. Guess who I am. I have two eyes, I have one nose, and I look like a hooker.

ME: Uh... what's your definition of hooker?

ANNELIE: Someone who lives on a pirate ship and has a hook.

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ANNELIE: Mom! You have to see my really awesome penny! It's the best penny in my whole collection. It's a GIANT [pauses for dramatic effect] SILVER [pauses for dramatic effect] PENNY! Isn't it the best?

ME: That's a quarter.

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ANNELIE: For Christmas, I'm going to be Daphne from Scooby-Doo!

ME: People don't usually dress in costume for Christmas.

ANNELIE: Oh.... you mean I have to dress PLAIN?!

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ANNELIE: Mom, you always make the best food.

ME: Thanks!

ANNELIE: ...except some of it. Some of it is really gross.

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ME [to Annelie]: Sometimes you make me very tired.

ANNELIE [cheerfully]: And sometimes you make ME want to listen to Chuck Berry.

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ME: Bedtime, kids. Brush your teeth.

GRACIE: But how can it be bedtime? Nobody gave us dinner!

ME: Um.... Daddy didn't give you anything?

GRACIE: He gave us pancakes (crepes) with lemon and sugar.

ANNELIE: And you gave us ice cream and pie.

ME: O_o Oh. Okay. I'll make dinner.

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I'm sure my pal Alyssa is rolling her eyes at the last one. But honestly, who needs dinner when you can have two desserts??

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: The Annelie Learns to Write Edition

On Saturday, Annelie figured out how to string letters together to form words. Let me just admit, I didn't know this kiddo even knew her entire alphabet. We've been working on it for awhile and I've been wondering for some time now if my 4-year-old has learning disabilities like her dad did as a kid. Her letters are often written upside-down and she easily forgets what letters look and sound like to the point of where I say, "What letter is this?" and she frequently answers, "Um... B? No. Z? No. G? No. I forgot..."

I haven't been too worried - she doesn't start kindergarten for over a year, so I figured we have plenty of time to figure it out.

So. Saturday, we were working on her summer homework packet and Annelie's page was on the letter A. I said: Draw something that starts with A.

ANNELIE: I'll draw Annelie.

ME: Maybe you can hold something that starts with A in your picture. What starts with A?

ANNELIE: I don't know. What sound does A make?

[Makes all the A sounds]

ANNELIE: Apple starts with A! And the sound in the word PAT!

[Annelie scribbles all over paper]

ANNELIE: Look. It says PAT.

ME AND WILL [look at paper then look at each other having a Holy interplanetary yardsticks, Batman! moment]: Wow. You just wrote the word PAT!

ANNELIE: YAY, I wrote the word PAT! Now I'm going to write CAT! [writes CAT] Look! It says CAT!

ME AND WILL [.... O_O ....] Good job! It really does say cat!

ANNELIE: Now I'm going to write CUP! [writes CUP] It says CUP!

ME AND WILL [.... O_O ....]: Good job!

ANNELIE: Yay! I can write WORDS!

ME: Do you want to write another?

ANNELIE: Yeah! Now I want to write the word GINGERBREAD!

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Sunday, at dinner -

ME: Annelie, spell HAT.

ANNELIE: Huh... H! Aaah... A! Tuh.... T! [excitedly shouts] H-A-T spells hat!

ME: Yup. Spell DOG.

ANNELIE: Duh... D! Aw... O! Guh.... G! [excitedly shouts] D-O-G spells dog!

ME: Awesome. Spell BUS.

ANNELIE: Buh...B! [long, loud burp to make the UHHHHHHHHH sound] U! Ssssss....S [excitedly shouts] B-U-S spells bus!!

ME [facepalm]: ....

ANNELIE: And pardon me.

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after dinner, playing with the fridge magnets -

ANNELIE [laughs hysterically]: Gracie! Look what I wrote!

GRACIE: Um... You wrote BUT.

ANNELIE: I know. BUT! Get it? BUT! [laughs hysterically, again]

GRACIE [rolls eyes]: That's the wrong BUT.

ANNELIE [looks at word]: Oh. How do I spell the right one?

GRACIE [adds a T]: There. BUTT.

[Both kids laugh hysterically]

ME [facepalm]: ...

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Two days later, Annelie is stringing together 8-letter words by herself. (she got PRINCESS - even with that tricky C!)

This kid. She does impress me. She also keeps me facepalming on a daily basis.

Hope you're having a wonderful week, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: The Harmonica Edition

Just an average conversation with my four year old...

ANNELIE [plays a little tune on her harmonica]: So can I?

ME: Can you what?

ANNELIE: I just told you. Let me do it again. [plays a little tune on her harmonica] There.

ME: What was that?

ANNELIE: I wanted something to eat.

ME: Sure. What do you want.

ANNELIE [plays a little tune on her harmonica]: That's what I want.

ME: I have no idea what you're asking for.

ANNELIE: Listen carefully. [plays a little tune on her harmonica] Can I have one?

ME: Annelie. I don't speak harmonica. Please tell me.

ANNELIE [impatiently]: Oh Mom, just listen. This is what I want. [plays a little tune on her harmonica]

ME: Do you want a banana?

ANNELIE [plays a little tune on her harmonica]: That means no.

ME: Do you want a sandwich.

ANNELIE [plays a little tune on her harmonica]: That means yes. I want this kind. [plays a little tune on her harmonica] Got it?

ME [ready to grab harmonica and chuck it out the window]: If you don't tell me now, I'm not making anything at all.

ANNELIE [plays a little tune on her harmonica]: That means I want a peanut butter and frosting sandwich.

ME: Nope, not an option.

ANNELIE [plays a little tune on her harmonica]: That means I want a peanut butter and honey sandwich.

ME: That I can make.

ANNELIE [plays a little tune on her harmonica]: Do you know what that means?

ME: Please?

ANNELIE: No [plays a little tune on her harmonica] that one means please. This one [plays a little tune on her harmonica] means thank you.

*eyes twitching*

At least she's polite....

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: The Discipline Plan/ Concept of Time Edition

ANNELIE [Looking at discipline chart]: Hey, it says I'm on 'no art' but I didn't move my clip today!

ME: That was left over from yesterday.

ANNELIE: No, it wasn't yesterday. It was today tomorrow.

(she has no concept of time in any form - and I love how that leads to many Alice In Wonderland-esque conversations)

Hey mamas out there who remember when I blogged about my latest discipline plan in my constant battle to find something to keep my kids from pitching epic fits in public libraries and cutting bedsheets and eyelashes and giving the other a black eye and being all around Queens of Destruction:

Guess what! The plan has been in effect for a grand total of four months and currently we STILL have a handle on the discipline situation! With the exception of Annelie's self-cut hair-do which she rang in the new year with, we've been destruction-free for months. YIPPEE!

You can read all about our discipline plan {HERE}

I've got to say, I sort of missed having fantastically appalling stories to share about my adventures with two high-energy little monsters (- er, I mean angels!). But then, the other day, I overheard this:

GRACIE: Hey Annelie, remember when we used to play sword fights with Mommy's knitting needles and when she'd say, "What are you doing," we'd say, "Nothing!"

...and the horror came flooding back and I am SO glad I haven't had a story to share in ages. Also, my friend Starr reminded me that the best is yet to come, as I'm sure to hear this someday:

GRACIE: Hey Annelie, remember when we stole Mom's car and went to TJ for that weekend and the car broke down, and when we got back she said, "Where's my car?" we said, "I dunno, I think it got stolen"...............

(Thanks for that, Starr! But I hope not!)

Happy Thursday, folks!

xoxo,

Kids Draw the Darndest Things

Setting: Crack of dawn (ie 9:30 am) on a Sunday. I'm sleeping, Gracie is bouncing on the bed next to me.

GRACIE: I drew you a picture, Mom!

ME: Ughshgfklaehhwa (I'm not a morning person)

GRACIE: Look at it! I drew you as a mermaid on a surfboard! Aren't you cute? I drew you KISSING.

ME: Umghhaweroug [looks at picture of MERMAID MAKE-OUT ORGY, eyes widening]

Um. Wait. Who am I kissing?

GRACIE: That's Daddy.

ME: And exactly WHO is kissing Daddy?

GRACIE [laughs]: ...

ME [panics]: !!!

GRACIE: That's also Daddy. I drew that one first, but he was too far away to kiss you so I crossed him out.

Phew!

And on the back, just in case I wasn't sure if she loved me or not:

She does x12!

Nothing like waking up to mermaid orgy art and a huge array of I Love Yous.

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: Snail Gets His Wings

ANNELIE: I have a snail shell. [sticks snail shell in my face] But the snail is gone.

GRACIE [running over, suddenly devastated]: He's GONE?! Is the snail DEAD?!


ANNELIE: He isn't dead. He turned into a butterfly and flew away.

GRACIE [devastation over]: Um... that's caterpillars.


Happy Thursday, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: Monday Morning Observations

SETTING: Kitchen table. Annelie and I are working. I have my coffee and the morning pages, and Annelie is enlightening me with her observations about life as she studies shapes in her workbook.

ANNELIE: Mom, you have a mole on your face.

ME: Yup, I do.

ANNELIE: Only old ladies have moles.

ME: I've had mine since I was a little girl.

ANNELIE: Well, I only see old ladies with moles. And hippos.

ME: Hippos?

ANNELIE: Yeah. See? This hippo has moles, too.



ANNELIE: See that? The hippo has three moles! Only old ladies and hippos have moles like you.

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Kids are a treat, aren't they?

Happy Monday, folks!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes: I Spy Edition

We're big fans of the game I Spy and usually adapt it to fit whatever Gracie and Annelie are learning at the time (colors, numbers, letters of the alphabet, words to read, etc..).

Lately, with Gracie's reading, we've had some unexpectedly awesome results.

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ME: I spy with my little eye something you don't see and it is spelled F-O-R-K.

GRACIE: Okay, Eff... Ahh... Kuh... Errr... Fah-ker? Is it a fahker? Fah-ker? Do you see a fahker?

ME [choking on laughter]: F-O-R-K

GRACIE: Eff... Ahh... Errr... Kuh. Oh. It's a fork?

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WILL: I spy with my little eye something spelled B-O-X

GRACIE: Buh... ahh... ksss... Box?

WILL: Right. Now I spy with my little eye something spelled B-L-O-C-K-S

GRACIE: Buh... ahhh... luh... kssss... boll-ocks? You see bollocks?

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Okay, that's all. Aren't kids fun?

Hope you're all having a fab weekend!

xoxo,

Outta the Mouths of Babes.5

With Gracie in kindergarten all day, I spend most of my time with three-year-old Annelie... and she's pretty entertaining.

Or else I'm just easily entertained. Or both. Probably both.

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(Annelie is learning about mixing colors to get other colors)

Scene: Bathroom, getting ready for bed. Annelie spits out blue mouthwash along with some dinner she was saving in her cheeks - came out green.

ANNELIE: WOW! Food plus blue makes GREEN!

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ME: Annelie, have you seen my face cream? My skin is dry and I need it, but can't find it anywhere.

ANNELIE: No. You should use ice cream instead.

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ME: Annelie, I'm putting on my headphones, so if you need me when Dora's over, tap me on my shoulder.

ANNELIE: [laughs hysterically]

ME: Um, what's so funny?

ANNELIE: You said 'tap me on my shoulder.' [continues laughing hysterically]

(I'm still missing the punchline)

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ANNELIE: I love you.

ME: Aw! I love you, too!

ANNELIE: I wasn't talking to you, Mom. I was talking to my toy pig.

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GRACIE: I really love Justin Bieber!

ANNELIE: He sounds like a girl.

GRACIE: NO HE DOESN'T!

[epic cat fight!!]

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ANNELIE: I'm having very clever thoughts today!

ME: Uh oh.

(and if you've been reading my blog for more than a few weeks, I'm sure you know where Annelie's clever thoughts lead!)

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ME: Argh, I'm going crazy!!

ANNELIE: You're not crazy, Mom!

[rethinks statement]

Well, your glasses make you look pretty crazy.

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ANNELIE: I can count to one, you know.

ME: Okay, go.

ANNELIE: FIVE!

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ANNELIE: Mom, remember how I like eating tabbies?

ME: Um, you like to eat cats?

ANNELIE [rolls eyes]: No! I like to eat tabbies! The Halloween candy!

ME: I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about.

ANNELIE [rolls eyes again]: Ugh! You KNOW what I'm talking about! Remember? I like to eat TABBIES!

(turns out she likes to eat Laffy Taffies)

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Okay, that's all for today, folks! Happy Wednesday!

xoxo,