I was the perfect mother and wife...when I was on my mission[before she was married].

Carolyn Hamilton

It was just a game....Volodya must remember how in the long winter evenings we covered an arm-chair with a shawl to turn it into a carriage. One of us sat in front as the coachman, someone else was a footman, and the girls sat in the middle. Three chairs were the horses--and we were off. And what adventures we used to meet..., and how gaily and swiftly those winter evenings passed!.... If you only go by what's real there won't be any games. And if there are not games, what is left?

Leo Tolstoy, from Childhood

"My dream is to have a baby like Jane. I cry sometimes I miss her so much." Eliza, when she was looking at photos. She really got close to her name-sharing cousin in June.

Eliza was spreading tomato sauce on some pepperoni slices. (It is 9:38 pm). I asked her what she was doing. "I'm making homemade pizza bites for my dinner!"

Eliza was teaching Peter how to play "Yankee Doodle" on the piano. Peter excitedly reported, "I can play 'Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pone. I can't play pon-y yet.' "

As I eyed the pieces of Eliza's meat up that I cut up for her, as per her request, I encouraged her to cut them smaller since the pieces were a little large-ish. "That's OK," she replied. "I have a big mouth."

"Mom, can I count the stars tonight?" (Anna)