generations

Caroline: Marmy is my grandmother.

Mama: That's right, she is your grandmother and my mother.

Caroline: She's NOT your mom!

Mama: Yes, Marmy is my mom. How else do you think she became your grandmother?

Caroline: She got old. That's how it happens.

i'd say it qualifies

Caroline entered the house, and a pink butterfly net was thrust in my face.

"Look. There are some pansies in it, and a rock too. I also caught a fly. See the fly right there? It's a dead fly, but it still counts."

...

This was immediately followed by, "I think I'm going to start a collection."

I think Little Miss is ready for the summer session of preschool to begin.

the petite villain

I heard a scream.

Caroline begged for help.

I quickly came to her aid and found her cornered by a... laughing, crawling baby.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"Sylvie's going to get me!!!!"

"Uh, she's a baby. What's she going to do to you?" I tried not to roll my eyes.

"Have you seen those two pointy little teeth?! And she looks hungry!"

preschool jurisprudence

She said:
Hey Mama, I think I'm going to need one of those teeeeny tiny Rs in a circle for school so I can keep Otis* from copying me.


She wants:
®

*Name changed to maintain the element of surprise when the cease and desist order arrives.

setting a good example

Caroline said at dinner, "You know, we shouldn't just throw our garbage all over the planet. It's a bad to do that."

I nodded and said that yes, we have to take care of the world, thinking she was a little environmentalist.

She continued, "Yeah! If we do throw garbage all over the planet, when the aliens come, they will just put their trash all over Earth, too."

the maternal sherpa has no sympathy

While unloading the kids from the car, I had baby Sylvie in one arm with a bag of stuff dangling from that wrist and my keys in that hand; and I let Caroline out of her carseat with my right hand before picking up another bag of stuff, a cup, and some art papers. I told Caroline she'd have to hold her own water cup and her small toy and carry them inside herself.

She said, "I'm afraid I can't."

And why not?

"I only have two hands, Mom."

welcome to paramount studios, circa 1942

After being told she could not have a drink of water before bed, Caroline slowly turned her face away and stretched a hand towards her father, as if to tell him to stop. And then she winced in despair and said, "Just... just forget about me."

needing a vacation from the vacation

This just in from special correspondent Aunt JuJu, who took Caroline for a walk on the beach this morning...

Caroline: You know, this vacation is tearing my life apart.

JuJu: How's that?

Caroline: My dog misses me. I miss my house. It's just really tearing my life apart.

the most specialest father's day everrrrr

Caroline and several of her cousins have been enjoying the Wii game Just Dance (think dance karaoke) during the evening hours of this family vacation. So we've endured countless enthusiastic dance renditions of "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and "Ring My Bell" and "I Like to Move It", among others, including Gym Class Heroes' cover of Britney's "Womanizer."

Today, we were making Father's Day cards for the dads and grandpa, and Caroline had written something on her card in her phonetic shorthand like:

BDPTF I
NO UH
BDPTF
I NO UH

And I asked what it said, thinking it was something poetic for her beloved dad, and she sang:

"Boy don't try to front, I know just what you ar-ar-are. Boy don't try to front, I know just what you ar-ar-are."

put that on my headstone

I made baked French toast for 20 people this morning, and after Caroline enjoyed a bite, she raised her fork and said, "Aaaah, the sweet taste of sugar!"

I laughed at her, and she got very serious.

"I mean it. You're the best cooker ever, Mama."