I try to never hurry my kids because I ain’t got time for that, but the other day on the way to an appointment I was hurrying them.  I jumped into the driver’s seat and we roared off in our minivan and then Ellie’s little voice said, “Mama, you beed rude to me.”  It was a very polite way of smacking me right between the eyes.

Ellie, very cheerfully and very early in the morning: “I only want Chinese waffles for breakfast.”
Me: “I’m sorry, I don’t know what Chinese waffles are.”
Ellie: “I don’t need anything else, only Chinese waffles.”  This went on for a little while until my brain cells started working and then I got busy mixing a little of this and a little of that until we had ourselves some “Chinese waffles.”

I explained to Ellie that I was going to the mountains for a few days, but I would be back and Papa would take very good care of her in the meantime.  She replied, “Well, be careful you don’t step on the little plastic bear. It’s really tiny, but you could cut yourself on the glass if you don’t watch out.” This is so typical.  She is just a blazing stream of confidence no matter how wrong she is.  Not super flexible, I’d say.

“My pajamas have wishes on them.”
Me: “Wishes?”
“Yeah, witches.”
Me: “Witches!?”
“Yeah, wood chips.”
(see below- they’re tents)

Last week I did my semi-annual clothes shopping for the kids.  I got Adam these little boat shoes, which Ellie declared immediately that she didn’t like.  (You never have to wonder with three-year-olds.)  I wasn’t prepared for just how much she would dislike them though.  It’s been a week and this morning she was still crying and screaming and covering her eyes every time she happened to see Adam run by in his little boat shoes.  I would definitely return them if they weren’t second-hand.

(below) At Kairos, with her hard-earned penny in hand.  “Look, Mom.  I’m kinda in a little queue!”

Ellie was really listening to the sermon at church this morning.  She kept making incredulous comments, very loudly, because she was quite taken up in the stories.
“Huh!  Adam and Eve fell!?  Where?”
Me: “In the Garden of Eden.”
Ellie: “Oh my dear!”

Speaking of Adam and Eve.  We were talking about ribs at our house and I mentioned in passing that Eve was made out of Adam’s rib, back in the day.  Ellie chuckled heartily.  “You just teasing, Mommy?” she asked.  (not that I would ever jest with my kids, haha)

“Mom, should I just call you Joy, or Mary Fousert?”

I get to listen to so many fantastic stories about when Ellie was a t-i-i-i-i-iny little baby.  There are even the unexpected plot twists.  “One time I had a tiny baby in my belly and then I pushed and pushed and out came a little baby girl and I named her Mary Joy.”

We had a lot going on for a few weeks, and lots of people in and out of our home.  Finally we were sitting down to dinner, with just our family.  As Ellie sat down, she sighed dramatically. “I just love my feelings.  They’re good feelings.  They’re like dreams.”