Month in Moments

It's been a rough few weeks, with lots of little happy and fun moments thrown in here and there. We all had a cold, followed by another cold, or maybe it was the same one that just changed and lingered. I had it the worst and am only now starting to feel mostly all better.

The stress with our Springfield house and horrible-rotten-no-good non-paying tenants continues, but it will hopefully be over by the end of the month when (fingers crossed) they finally move, we pay them lots of money, hope many bad things happen to them in the future, and that we never ever have to see them again. It is very likely that we will be selling the Springfield house in the near future.

Brett had a birthday! We all weren't feeling especially well, but we had some tasty apple cake, Brett's parents and Guy came over, and Brett had a really nice day. Kathy and the girls planted some bulbs in the backyard and we're all looking forward to seeing them come up in the spring.

Timmy left for Arizona a few weeks ago and we miss him. We loved having him around and I hope whatever he decides to do next will bring him back to visit us again soon!

Selena came home from her month-long-cross-country-motorcycle-trip with Brian! We were delighted to see her. She was home for a few days and then left again for Minnesota. We are all looking forward to her return!

 

Can you find Maya?

Ella's disappearing act.

Quotes from Maya:

"I said 'I like you' to Ella, and she said 'I like you' to me!"

Me: "Wow, you girls are pretty good at that!" (using glitter paint)
Maya: "I'm awesome... like Dada."

"When I get older, I want to do something important. But, what could I do? ... I know! I could dig carrots from the garden! And potatoes!"

"You sound like a frog." (about my coughing)

Maya: "Here, Mama." (holds out her finger to me)
Me: "What is it?"
Maya: "A booger."

"Mama! I dreamed about Grandma Kathy! She was playing in the rain with me and we collected leaves for you while you were out. And pretty flowers!"  (so excited to tell me about her dream first thing after climbing into our bed in the morning)

Me: "Your eyes remind me of the ocean."
Maya: "Your eyes remind me of the playground."

Me: "What did you wish for?"
Maya: "Blueberry, raspberry, blackberry pie!"

"I want to be able to see her eyes and nose..... I found a way!" (almost getting frustrated, but saving it, while putting a hat on a stuffed animal)

"Mama, will you help me to unside this out?" (about an inside-out shirt)

"It tastes like Mama milk, only not as sweet." (Maya's description of half and half)

"But I can't move them, I'm too little, they might sharp me!" (about the pruning clippers)

Quotes from Ella:

"It's stuck in my head. Right here, under my hair." (about a song)

"I realized something. See? Look at my face, I look realized!"

"You gave me a hug! I was thoughting about one!"

Me: "Lets give big waves goodbye!"
Ella: "But, I have a little hand, so, I will do little waves."

"Mmrrhh! She sweepted me an I fell down! Maya, that was not really appropriate to me." (overheard from the other room, while the girls were both using brooms to sweep the "floor")

"Dizzy means, to fall down."

"You're making macaroni and cheese with a bunny on it!! I'm so excited! Yay me!" (Ella really loves Annie's mac and cheese)

"It made me 'yes'. Like this, with my head." (Ella's description of going over a big bump while riding in the car)

"Do you want to drink the last verse of this?" (offering me the rest of her juice)

"It smells like snow!" (sniffing the crisp fall air)

Quotes from some or all of us:

Ella: "I see a scary thing!!"
Maya: "It's me."
Ella: "Oh. I didn't realize."

Maya: "I have a really good idea. You can carry the basket on the way back."
Ella: "No. I have a really good idea. We can carry it together, now."
Maya: "Okay."
(Ella, standing up for herself)

Brett: "Maya and Ella, please clear your plates."
Me: "Oh, you'd better clear them fast... before I do it...!"
Ella: (runs to the table to clear her plate)
Maya: "That's okay. I don't want to do it."

Maya: "You know, I love potatoes."
Ella: "But not me!"

Country Roads

Maya and Ella's newest favorite song is, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. It is included in this session of HooteNanny. Pretty much since we got the new CD, it has been on constant repeat, track 9 just plays over and over and over.

On Sunday, we went up to NH to see Brett's Grandma Mary and Grandpa Val. We gave them hugs and kisses and the cards that Maya and Ella had drawn for them. Brett juggled for his Grandpa. The girls were very shy while we were visiting, but Mary offered them her cupcake, which they happily ate. 

Country Roads was on repeat the whole drive home.

Brett with his grandmother.

Eating the cupcake outside. It was such a beautiful Fall day.

Some quotes from Ella...

"You know what I say? When clothes miss, we can always find them!"

"Mmmrrh!! It doesn't fit me!" (while trying to squeeze into a chair that is pushed all the way into the table)

"Sometimes while I'm falling asleep, I tell a story in my head." 

"Old people have white hair!" (an observation while visiting her great-grandparents)

"I have a REALLY good idea!! We could send her some butter as a treat!! That would be a great present!" (while talking about Amber's birthday)

Ella: "Timmy, what is your mama and dada named?"
Timmy: "Mama and Papa!"
Me: "Ella, did you know that Timmy's mama and dada are also my mama and dada - Grandma and Papa!"
Ella: "Hmm... interesting!"

"It fit just lovely in my mouth!" (about a big piece of watermelon)

Some quotes from Maya...

"I really liked going to see your grandparents, Dada." (to Brett on the drive home from our visit)
 
It was hot in the car on the drive home from NH, and Maya really wanted to take all of her clothes off... 
Me: "But, we will be at the Co-op soon, and you have to wear clothes to go in there." 
Maya: "Why?"

Listening to a song: 
Maya: "The train is glory bound... What does that mean?" 
Brett: "Hm... it's kind of difficult to explain... it means it's going.. umm..."
Maya: "...To Papa and Grandma's house?"

Searching for pinky dog:
Me: "Think about when you last had her, that might help us in our search."
Maya: "I had her a couple whiles ago... a few nights ago I had her... I had her when I was born."

Maya: "I'm a baby frog. I want to nurse."
Me: "Well, baby frogs don't nurse their Mama's." 
Maya: "Well, this one does, because I'm really a girl pretending to be a baby frog."

Me: "Aren't you going to eat your lunch?"
Maya: "No."
Me: "Before your nap I thought you said you were hungry!"
Maya: "But, my body is only hungry for cupcakes!"

After a day and a half of a fever, pretty much just resting, feeling miserable, and not saying more than two words, Maya woke up from a morning nap and announced: "I want a snack and then I want to play with play-doh!"

"Know what I call elephants? Elephanties!"

Brett: "Maya, please clear your plate if you're done."
Maya: "I'm baby octopus."

Quotes from some or all of us...

M: "I'm going to wear the red shoes!"
E: "But I want to wear the red shoes!"
Me: "Aw, I know you love the red shoes. How about the pink flashy shoes this time?"
E: "No! I want the red shoes!"
Me: "Maybe you could each wear one red shoe and one pink flashy shoe, you could be mis-matched!"
E: "Okay!"
M: "No. I don't want to."
E: "She said she doesn't want to! Waahh!"
M: <takes off one shoe and pushes it toward her sister>
Me: "Oh, look, she seems to have changed her mind! Now you can be mis-matched."
E: "No! I don't want to. It's too late for me."

Playing airplane together:
E: "I'm going to sit here (on the couch) in this seat. This is the airplane."
M: "Well, that plane is too 'spensive (sits on the floor), so i'm going on a different airplane."

Brett: "Who wants pancakes for breakfast?"
M: "I want strawberry pancakes!"
E: "I want raspberry pancakes!"
Brett: "But, I was thinking of making coconut chocolate chip pancakes..."
M: "Well, I could change my mind!"

Maya gets worried about trucks. The loud noises that they make when they drive by scare her. Even when we're inside she will often run to me and cling if she hears a loud truck driving by...
Me: "Don't worry Maya, the truck can't drive in our house, so we're safe."
Ella, after thinking for a moment, adds her own reassurance: "Yeah, 'cuz, we closed the door."

At their play kitchen:

E: "Are you making soup?"

M: "No, I'm making tea for Dada's grandparents, because they are old and sick."

E: "Oh! Can I help?"

M: "Yes. Hey... we can make tea together!!"
E: "Okay!"

Fall

A few moments from our first real leaf playing day. While we were outside, Maya kept saying, "I love fall!!"