Thank You, God!

We loved our time at Fairmount Park (as you can see in both Cherry Blossoms & Violets and Hide-and-BOO!). Before bedtime, I always encourage Mara to talk to God and thank Him for special things He allowed us to enjoy throughout our day.

So she prayed:

Dear God, I appreciate that you really love us! Thank you, God!

Dear God, thank you for Tinkerbell, and thank you that we got to go to Fairmount Park.

In your name I pray, Amen.

A Long-Overdue “Mara-Speak” Post

Mara keeps me laughing every day. It’s been awhile since I posted random quotes, so I’ll do that today. My Facebook friends will have to forgive me, since I’ve posted several of these on Facebook too.

On eating hot dogs: “Mom, I would like to eat my hot dog just naked. No ketchup. No mustard. Just naked. . . No bun. Just naked.”

On snowfall: “Come on down, snow! I’ll catch you if you come all the way down to the ground, you silly snow!”

On her “stage” in life: “Right now I’m in a stage where I’m learning lots of things! Like . . . how to play the puh-lann-oh [piano] . . .” Actually she’s not learning how to play the piano, crazy child! I’m not really sure what “stage” she’s in!

On missing a night of tooth-brushing: One night back when I was on bedrest, Daniel told Mara she didn’t need to brush her teeth before bed (a lonnnng story, involving the previous night when Mara ruined her toothbrush by brushing it on the toilet seat). In tears, Mara began wailing, “But Da-a-a-a-a-ddy! My teeth are going to rot out!”

Very calmly addressing her doll in the stroller: “Wait here just a minute, while I go chase away the tiger.”

Of course, that piqued my interest. “The tiger?”

“Yes,” she replied, walking primly up the steps. “The tiger is chasing all my little children upstairs.”

Bad tiger, I thought [with a British accent].

Singing a Patch the Pirate song: “‘Brothers are a blessing, Sisters are ‘regressing’. . .” The only “sisters” she knows are the imaginary ones: Toasta and Lotta, who she tells me are both older. . . [And in case you’re too old or too young for Patch the Pirate, the song says ‘refreshing,’ not ‘regressing.’]

Always singing, often making up her own life soundtrack. For instance: “Youuuuuuu are close to dying!  . . . you use milk . . . so you wouldn’t diiiiiiiiiie.” What???

On getting new shoes: “I will grow too big for my shoes, and I will have to get some Becky shoes.”

“What are Becky shoes?” I asked.

“They are ladies’ shoes.”

After watching Monsters, Inc., she adopted several quotes from the movie: “Scary feet! Scary feet! Scary feet!” “Mike Wazowski!” and “I’mmm watching you, Wazowski! Allllways watching.” BTW, she was hilarious re-enacting “Celia” and “Googly-Bear [Mike Wazowski]” with her green sippy cup (Wazowski) and purple spoon (Celia).

On leg amputation: After she fell and “hurt” her leg, Daniel said, “Maybe we’ll just have to cut your leg off.” Mara replied, “Noooo, maybe just get me a wheelchair!”

On Mommy’s hogging the couch while nursing:

Mara & Micah were both jumping on the couch while I was sitting there nursing the baby. I told them to get off, because I was nervous things would get out of hand and the baby could get hurt.

“Hey!” Mara observed. “You’re still on the couch!”

“That was the whole point,” I said. “I asked you two to get off, so I could have the couch to myself while I’m nursing.”

“Hey?!?! Are you being selfish, darling?” she asked me.

———–

On giants and family: “Mommy! you look like a short giant! and Daddy’s the TALL giant! . . . And me and Micah? We aren’t giants–we’re just kids!”

————

Warning her brother about monsters, while at the dinner table: “Monsters, Micah! Monsters will SCARE you!”

Micah, smiling, imitates a gorilla: “Ooo Ooo Ahh Ahh!”

Mara, realizing he is not taking her serious: “No, Micah, they are not gorillas. They are MONsters, and they will scare you.”

————-

On being cute [or not]:

Mara, smiling arrogantly: “I’m the cutest little girl in the whole world.
Daniel: “You know, Mara, God doesn’t care if you’re cute–or if you’re ugly. God wants you to love Him and love other people. That’s what God cares about.”
Mara: “Mommmmm, Daddy said I’m ugly!”  [Sigh.] As you can see, we have our work cut out for us. . .

————-

Before bed: “Let’s sing ‘Jesus Loves Me’–it’s my favorite song!” Just as I finished singing the first verse, she blurted out, “What is ‘strong’?”

“It means Jesus is very mighty.”

“Like Daddy is mighty?”

“Yes, Mara, like Daddy.”

Who’s Her Mommy?

We have the most bizarre lunchtime conversations here. Sometimes I am just compelled to share them with my husband, live, on instant message:

me: Mara just said: “Mommy, I wonder how long Micah will be here?” (What do you mean, Mara? Micah is our brother. He lives here. All the time.) “Oh. I didn’t know Micah is our brother. I just thought he came here for a reason.” 12:59 PM on Thursday

Daniel: She thought he was a visiting relative? That is kind of disturbing. 1:01 PM on Thursday

me: Now she said: “I wonder how long Mommy will stay.”
Daniel: Is she just trying to get a reaction?  Why is she asking these things?
me: who knows 1:03 PM on Thursday
Daniel: Did you ask her?
me: Yes, she said, “Because I think you are not my mommy. I think you are someone else.”
Daniel: Still more disturbance. Who does she think her mommy is? 1:06 PM on Thursday
me: Now she said, “Mommy, I would like to get down.” And I said, “I’m not your mommy. Who are you talking to?” And she said, “NOW you are.” It’s quite arbitrary.
———–
A few moments later, lunch was over, and Mara and Micah were looking out the window.
Mara decided to get down and come see me. “I’m going to go see my mom–my usual mom,” she clarified. “That mom,” she added, pointing at me.
She ran over to me and declared, “You’re the best mom I’ve ever seen! IIII love you because you’re cuter than any dog I’ve ever wanted.”
Then she asked: “Why are you laughing?” She picked up the newspaper. “I’m just going to go read the paper until you quit laughing.”
Giving me a big hug, she said, “Of ALL the cute dogs in the whole world, I love YOU the best.”
Really? I don’t deserve this child.
“I keep saying these funny things?” she asked. “That’s why you’re laughing?”
Please! Somebody stop her!