delightfully fragrant

We were picking out more hand soap for the hall bathroom (aka Caroline's bathroom), and she immediately noticed the ones aimed at children.

"Oooooh, Spongebob soap, Mama! Wouldn't that be great? Oh wait, it probably smells like cheese. Nevermind."

breck, jr.

Caroline was asking me questions about her asthma, and I explained that it was childhood asthma, so she would only have it when she was a child.

The next morning, I got her ready for school. I was doing her hair when she asked, "Oh, are you brushing my childhood hair?"

well now it all makes sense

En route to Target, I warned Caroline that this was a soap- and prescription-gathering trip only. No toys. She asked why, and I told her it was because we don't always get toys when we want them, her birthday is coming up, etc. She said, "Oh." And then I threw in the last word with, "Plus, you are getting toooo spoiled!" She sat quietly for a couple minutes. Then she piped up.

"Hey, Mama. I know why I'm too spoiled. It's because you use such big words and big ways to tell me 'no,' but I have these tiny little ears, and they just can't hear you."

appealing to the botanical authorities

She found a dandelion that had gone to seed, a real treasure for her. She held it delicately as we got into the car.

"Mama, I don't think 'dandelion' is a good name for this flower."

I asked what she thought they should be called.

"Well, the magical little ball of magical fluff looks more like a disco ball. Maybe 'dandy-disco.'"

I laughed.

"Mama, I'm not being funny. Let's make this happen."

sisters are good for giggles

Caroline passed by her sister and brushed her arm against the little baby head in the process.

She started to tee hee to herself and looked at me with a silly, squinty face and said, "I just touched her fuzznoggin."

the commercials work

She really is a marketer's dream.

Last night, Caroline and her dad attended parent night at preschool, and on the way home, they stopped by the nearby ice cream shop for a little treat.

As she was eating it, she was asked how it tasted.

"Oh it's wonderful. Tastes just like low calorie sweetener!"

an impressive vocabulary

Caroline: Look at my tratraption.

Mama: You mean 'contraption'?

Caroline: No, my tra-traption. It's a pathway.

Mama: Hm, I am unfamiliar with a tratraption.

Caroline: It's sort of like... you know... from tremontry.

Mama: Oh, from tremontry. Now I know what you mean.

Caroline: I bet you feel like an airhead now.

what would wikipedia say?

"Do aliens have dads?"

james brown lives here

"Mama, can you help me make up a new song? Something kind of easy because I don't want to use up all my soul."

see, to me, that would be undesirable

Several long roadtrips in a few weeks = several fast-food meals on the road.

Today, Caroline got a kids' meal from one major drive-thru restaurant, and as I was handed the bag, she began rubbing her hands together with gleeful anticipation and yelling, "Which junky toy did I get? Which junky toy did I get?!"

future vp of dq

I took Caroline to an old favorite childhood haunt -- my hometown's Dairy Queen.

She sat on the bench with a gigantic tile mosaic of an ice cream cone behind her and ate her strawberry sundae with excitement. I was looking at her with nostalgia and happiness.

A few bites in, she exclaimed, "Well, so far, so sweet!"

...

As we were leaving, she saw others in line for their own treats.

Caroline: Why are those people in line?

Mama: They are getting their own ice cream now. Who doesn't like ice cream?!

Caroline: Crazy people.

a peppy tune

Caroline was playing with a little toy cat and was singing a little song that went like this:

It's good to be a cat at home
It's better than being at the cat pound
There's bad food like asparagus at the cat pound
But there's pizza at home
And you'd miss your mo-o-o-ommm at the cat pound
'Cause it's really like a jail
And they make you wear striped clothes
But if you're a cat, you dislike wearing clothes
And I know it's true because of the sock situation with my cat

discussions ongoing

After being reminded to settle down when she and her cousin were running through the house screaming:

"Well, let's talk about all of this blame of me."

temporarily abdicating the title "center of the universe"

We were at Costco today and the same woman who did the leprechan voice at Caroline happened to be waiting on us again.

Caroline told her, "I have something very special to tell you."

The woman asked to hear it.

"Strawberry Shortcake has a kitty and her name is Custard! Can you believe it?!"

The woman played along very enthusiastically. "Oh, Strawberry Shortcake is the cutest. I love her freckles. I bet you have freckles like that in the summertime too!"

Caroline looked at her incredulously and said, "Let's talk about Custard, ok? This is a WAY bigger deal than me."

hunting and gathering and hinting

We are visiting my parents' house, and Caroline located some Easter candy.

"Why, see what I found, Daddy. It looks like a delicious, large chocolate bunny!"

frowning contest

Caroline and I were staring each other down in a fake grump-off. Snarling, furrowed brows, dirty looks. The works. I went to my secret weapon, the smirk-snarl, when she caved with, "You gotta turn that off, girl."

baby specialist

Sylvie (baby sister) was shaking a remote control and, in the process, was repeatedly smacking herself in the head with it. I looked at her in dismay and asked rhetorically, "Why in the world would she do that so many times in a row?"

Caroline shrugged and said, "Maybe variety isn't really the spice of life for babies. Maybe it's their small brains in their small heads. Maybe she likes it."

"Could be," I replied.

"Maybe it's personal."

mommy's time out

I was sitting on the couch, totally touched out and needing a no-children break. I sighed and relaxed. Suddenly a certain 3 year old came over the back of the couch and slid down the cushion, wedging herself firmly against me. She did the awkward wrapping of her arm around my shoulder, as if a teenage boy at the movies, and said casually, "Wow, it's really delightful to be sitting here with ya."

her own fantasy island

Caroline chose a nautical dress today. Navy blue and covered in little silkscreened ship steering wheels and a rope belt around the drop waist. I commented that her dress was adorable and gave her a salute, and said, "You look like you're ready to sail your yacht to anywhere you want! Where are you headed today, Cap'n?"

"Anywhere I want in my whole imagination?"

"Aye aye!" More saluting here.

She clapped her hands, giddy at the prospect of this journey, and then said, "Target!"

fresh and modest

We busted out the spring clothes today, since it's so sunny and warm (finally). Caroline was very excited at the prospect of wearing skirts and dresses without tights or leggings to keep her warm.

As she descended the stairs, dressed and ready for school in her favorite green skirt and a rainbow shirt, she sang out "Who wants to see someone pretttyyyy?"

a light carnivorous meal

"Hey Mama. Do carnivore dinosaurs eat fairies?"