“I don’t like tortilla chips. I like the chips with potatoes in them.”

- Emily

(featuring Emily as the voice of Cinderella Barbie and Erica as the voice of Ariel Barbie)

Cinderella: I’m going to the hospital so my baby can come out.

Ariel: But it’s going to fall out.

Cinderella: No, the daddy’s going to catch it.

Ariel: No, the doctor is.

Cinderella: One’s going to say, “Weee!” and the other is going to say, “Why am I coming out?”

(pause)

Ariel: “Look at the two little babies.”

Erica: “Why do you keep getting older?”

Emily: “When is your hair going to change color?”

Me: “What color do you think it’s going to change to?”

Emily: “Pink.”

Erica: “Pink like DeeDee.”

“When is it Great Saturday? Is that your birthday?”

- Erica, on Good Friday

“It’s going to look like heaven out there. We’re going to make so many angels that it’s going to look like heaven out there.”

- Emily, the last time it snowed

“That is an awful big lump of laundry.”

- Erica, describing our laundry situation

Emily, as we’re getting out of the car at Wendy’s: “Mommy, where do the bakers sleep?”

Me: “Do you mean the bakers that make the food at Wendy’s?”

Emily: “Yes. Where do the bakers sleep?”

Me: “They sleep at home, in their beds. Wendy’s is open late, but it’s not open all night. Who would want food from Wendy’s in the middle of the night?”

Emily: “Maybe Jesus would.”

So at that moment, I was wondering what I might have ever said about Jesus that would make her think that he might be hungry for Wendy’s food in the middle of the night. Then I realized that we talk a lot about how Jesus is always with us, even though we can’t see him. This comes up especially at night, whenever the girls are afraid to go to sleep by themselves. “Yes,” I’ve said, “Jesus is always with us,” and, “no, he doesn’t go to sleep.” And while he’s not sleeping, maybe he would like to have some Wendy’s food.

“All of this work is making me thirsty.”

- Emily, while working on her first sewing project.

“If Daddy doesn’t know which way to go, Erica might have to check the map.”

- Emily, at home with me while Erica is out with Daddy.