Whispers from Cora at night night

Santa comes down the chimney but if we have a campfire it's really hot and we can't touch it so Santa will come to our door... Right?

When we wake up we have to stay in bed we can't go peak... Right?

Maybe when Santa gets a little older he can come to my school at ECDC and have a Christmas cookie, right? But he should just take just one.

Oh you must have been a beautiful baby...

When I was a kid, Dad and I had a song we'd sing.

Dad: Oh you must have been a beautiful baby...
Me: I WAS!
Dad: Oh you must have been a beautiful child...
Me: I AM.
Dad: Oh doobie doobie doo. Oh doobie doobie doo. Well I bet you drove the little boys absolutely wild...
Me: I DO!
Dad: Oh you must have been a beautiful baby, cause baby look at you now...
Me: Thank you very much
Dad: Baby look at you now
Me: Thank you very very much
Dad: Oh baby look at you now...

I was singing it to Cora tonight, wrapped-up just out of the tub.
She wasn't so impressed.

Me: Oh you must have been a beautiful baby...
Cora: [matter-of-fact] I'm a big girl
Me: Oh you must have been a beautiful child...
Cora: You mean big girl.
Me: Oh doobie doobie doo [you get the drift], well I bet you drove the little boys absolutely wild.
Cora: I'm ready to get up now.
Me: Oh you must have been a beautiful [and then I hit a huge coughing spell... so Cora took the second to jump in with...]
Cora:  [singing] big girl...



She's having trouble getting the gist of the "let it snow" song, too. I guess she's been a little South Carolinian too long. Last night, we were biking back from the parade, and Cora was singing from the back of the trike-bike...
"Oh the weather outside is... great"
Then she'd pause, like she realized that didn't quiet sound right.
"Oh the weather outside is... rainy!"

I guess she just can't figure out exactly what frightful weather looks like. Fair enough. It's in the 70s here today.

What we're saying ...

It's become clear. Quinny is talking - she just isn't talking to me.
While in Kentucky Mom reported she had a lot of words to say. "I want a snack". "Milk"
The other day when I picked up Q from school I left C in the car (other mom's were outside standing guard). I was carrying Quinn out of the building - she clearly said "Where's sis?"
Last night she was trying to say Christmas Tree.

Maybe if I didn't keep her constantly on my hip, allowing me to see what she wants because I am sharing her line of vision, then she'd have a need to use words. Oh well - I kind of like having her close by!

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Last night over dinner, we were talking about what people do.

Cora: Mommy you are the teacher and the college students are the students.
Me: That's right. Mommy is a teacher.
Cora: No! You are a Prof-ess-OR

We went on to talk about which of her friends had mommy and daddy professors (she goes to the College's daycare, so half of the kids in her class have professors for parents). Then, we had to talk about what everyone else does.

The boys' mom helps people learn to talk.
The boys' daddy is a teacher.
Miss Mandi is a dentist.
Miss Jenny is a lawyer ("Her office is next to yours, right mommy?").
Uncle Shew is an eye doctor.

Me: What does daddy do?
Cora: He makes money.
Me: He does, but that is because he is an engineer.
Cora: THAT'S RIGHT!!! HE gets the buggies out of people's ears! That's what engineers do... Right mommy?

Why are we not going to Mia and Papaws house?

We're (slowly) making our way to Kentucky. Every stop we make, Cora protests that she wants to go to Mia and Papaws house.

For example...

Cora: where are we?

Me: we're at daddy's work to pick him up.

Cora: but I want to go to Mia and Papaws house.

Another...

Cora: where are we?

Landon: at Wendy's

Cora: but I want to eat at Mia and Papaws house!

Landon just came out of a nowhere exit's BP. He'd had trouble paying, and had to go inside several times. He bought a lottery ticket; when he handed it to me, he declared he was determined to turn that horrible place into our millions.

Landon: I was going BONkERS!

Cora: Noooooooo! But I want to go to Mia and Papaw's house!!!

Horses in belly

Cora, Quinn, and I have been bouncing around a cold for a few weeks. Cora had rough coughs, I had a raspy voice for a week, and Quinn's nose ran constantly. A lot of people have commented about the way we sound. 

I guess Cora's been thinking about all of these comments.

Today Cora was talking to Grandma Iris.

"I've had to cough a long time to get the horse out of my belly".

Earlier She said to Landon, "I don't want to take my medicine; I'll just keep the horse in my belly."

Princess Grandma M

A few weeks ago, Landon went to St. Louis to meet up with Tim and see Grandma M.
He brought back two special rocks from his childhood (I know--- And he calls me nerdy). One was an old smooth sandstone; the other a real living sponge.
Tonight Landon and I were putting away clothes, rearranging drawers, [pulling Christmas decor from the attic... Quinn was already asleep. Cora was in bed, but ritualistically up every few minutes to make sure we were still there.
When Landon found the rocks, he went in to show her. She was super sleepy.
He told her these were rocks Grandma M brought to him when he was a little boy.
She must have asked where she got them.
For the sponge, he said she got them from the bottom of the ocean.
She didn't quiet get it, so he explained further...

Landon: Cora, you know, the bottom of the ocean. Like where Ariel lives.
Cora: (sleepily) When she was a little girl Grandma M was a princess?

Quinn is jumping

Two feet, entirely off the ground, jumping.
November 20, 2013
Some day I'll fill in the baby book.