Future plans

N: Mom, when I grow up I want to live with you forever.
Mom: That's fine with me. You can live with me for as long as you like.
N: And when I'm a grown-up I'm going to have nine cats.
Mom: Hmmm. That's a lot of cats.
N: Well, I'll get them one at a time so they won't make you sneeze too much.
Mom: Hmm, but by the time you get four or five we might have too much hair in the house.
N: I'll get a siamese cat last.
Mom: I still think nine might be too many cats.
N: But when I'm a grown-up I won't be scared of the vacuum cleaner so it will be fine.
Mom: You'll have to vacuum everyday. Do you think you can do that?
N: Yeah. And I'll vacuum your nose too.

Bathroom talk

N: Mom? How big is Clifford's poop?

This question sparked one of our more interesting family conversations in the last week. How could Birdwell Island dispose of or use Clifford's poop? (For reference: http://pbskids.org/clifford)

Natasha's ideas:
1. "Give it to a blue whale to take out to sea to decompose."
When it was mentioned that dog poop may harm sea animals. She amended her suggestion with "wash the poop with a big soap to get the germs off first."

2. Burn the poop

3. "Grow pumpkins. Make one into a Jack-o'-lantern and let the others grow bigger and then Clifford could poop into the other big pumpkins."

Too cute to clean

Mom: Natasha, let's clean up the living room before we go to bed.
Natasha: I can't I'm too cute!

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Natasha: Mona used to be bigger but we smalled her up!

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Natasha; Mom I like your new shoes; they're very beautiful.

Mom: Thanks, and do you like my new sweater too?

Natasha: Lookin' good!

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Natasha: Before I was born did you want a kid who pretended they were an otter and could finger knit?

Grad school mother guilt

After serving a well-balanced healthy dinner to the two of us and sitting down at the table together on a weeknight:
N: Mom, I want to be a mom just like you.
Mom: You do? That's so nice to hear. I like being your mom.
N: Except I won't ever go to work and my babies will never miss me.

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Several weeks ago.

N: (very serious) Mom?
Mom: Yes.
N: I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I do believe in Jesus.
Mom: Oh? Why is that?
(Dad leans head into the room with similar look of concern I'm hiding)
N: Because Santa Claus is a CHARACTER and Jesus was a REAL PERSON. But I'm not so sure about Leprechauns.

Restaurant manners

After returning from a night out with grandparents to a Thai restaurant.

Mom: How was the restaurant?
N: It was fine. I had to be quiet sometimes.
Mom: Oh, why was that?
N: So I don't ruin the ambiance.

First grammar joke

Yesterday was the first time that Natasha caught a grammar error and made a joke about it. It's the dawn of a new era:

N: Don't go. I want you to stay with me all day.
Mom: I have to go. I need to finish making cookies and then give them to my students who are turning in finals today and then grade them.
N: (Smiles) You're grading cookies?

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Also, if you ask her how old she is she says: "I'm four and a half and three quarters."

Story time

N: Hi mom, Daddy and I were just having a little chat. Do you want to join us?
Mom: Sure.
N: O.K. sit down in the back room and we'll start again.
Mom sits down next to to Dad and wonders what's going on.
N: Now. It's time to read a story. We'll read this one. (N picks up a book and starts thumbing through the pages looking at the pictures)
Mom: Are you going to read it to us?
N: Shh. Be quiet. There's no talking
Dad:But what is the story about?
N: Shh. I'm not going to tell you.
Mom and Dad laugh
Mom: But if you don't tell us what it's about or tell the story then what are we doing?
N: We're reading the book, now BE QUIET. No laughing.
Mom and Dad try to stifle laughs. Natasha tries to stifle her laughs too.
N: We're almost done with this book.
Dad: A book we don't know anything about beacause you won't tell us.
N: Shhh. Be quiet.

Also...
On Inauguration day the entire family housed in our compound went out for a burrito to celebrate. A TV was on in the restaurant and when Obama appeared on the screen Natasha stood up on her chair and started shouting "O-BAM-A, O-BAM-A" over and over until we told her to keep her voice down. On the way home she changed her chant to "My momma's for Obama, my momma's for Obama"