Daddy called home from the office and talked to Mummy on the phone. Meanwhile, the children are playing horse. Sammy is enjoying the game so much he wanted to tell Daddy what they are doing. So he grabbed the phone from Mummy:
Sammy: It’s Achie! And Anya! And Mummy! And we are animals!
* * *
Domini and Pia were seated together in the big chair watching a DVD. Suddenly Pia was crying.
Pia: Daddy! Dominic hit me!
Daddy: (angry) Dominic, why did you hit Pia?
Dominic: She was pushing me.
Pia: No I wasn’t!
Dominic: YES YOU DID!
Pia: NO I DIDN’T!!!
Daddy: Did you push Dominic, Pia?
Pia: No I didn’t.
Daddy: Why did he say you were pushing him? What were you doing?
Pia: I was bumping him.
Daddy: Why were you bumping him?
Pia: Because I wanted to?
* * *
After establishing that ducks migrate to the desert during winter to get away from the cold…
Pia: If ducks go to the desert, then they will have no water to drink. So they need to bring their water bottles.
* * *
At lunch, planning tomorrow’s trip.
Dominic: Can we go to the park where the ducks are?
Daddy: Ok, but I think the ducks won’t be there. It’s winter, and ducks migrate when it’s winter. Do you know where they go during winter?
Pia: Where?
Daddy: They go to a warmer place.
Pia: I know! They go to the desert!
* * *
Dominic and Pia recently watched Ice Age 2, The Meltdown. One of the characters sang a very memorable one-line rendition of “I believe I can fly”, and the children frequently recalled that line whenever they played.
One day, Pia plopped on the sofa, head down:
Pia: (singing) “I believe I can fart!”
* * *
Daddy and Pia in the kitchen, eating. Daddy hears Mummy talking on the phone.
Daddy: Who is Mummy talking to?
Pia: (without looking up from her plate) She’s talking to the telephone.
* * *
We want Sammy to acquire the habint of always brushing his teeth before going to bed, so Mummy always reminds him, “Sammy, brush your teeth”.
But Sammy is still confused about the difference between “my” and “your”. One night, in the living room:
Mummy: Where is Sammy?
Sammy comes running in from the kitchen, toothbrush in hand.
Sammy: I’m brushing your teeth!
… and then runs back to the kitchen.
* * *
Over lunch one day:
Dominic: Daddy, I remembered in the move ‘Over the Hedge’, near the end of the movie, the squirrel drank something that made him move super fast.
Daddy: Yes, he drank a can of cola. Cola has caffeine and caffeine made him very alert and very active.
Dominic: Oh.
(We don’t drink soft drinks at home unless there’s a birthday, so the children aren’t very familiar with Coke, or Pepsi, etc.)
Daddy: Coffee has caffeine too.
Dominic: What is caffeine for?
Daddy: People drink caffeine so they stay awake.
Dominic: (Pondering…) Is that why we don’t hibernate?
* * *
