"I know how to spell 'Christmas koalas: e-y-i-r. Is that correct?" (Anna)

I asked Rebecca what her favorite part of the Olive Garden was, since she chose it to go out for a birthday lunch: "The breadsticks. Without hesitation, the breadsticks."

After eating lunch out with Rebecca on her birthday, Anna recalled, "I ate the fettucine alfredo, and my tummy poofed out!"

"Man, never has 35 degrees felt so good." Sarah, after a week of record cold temps.

Anna was having a tantrum the other day. I reminded her of the song, "You better not pout, you better not cry." The following night, Anna had been too tired when it was bed time and shed more tears. Peter's prayer reflected his concern for her: "Please bless Anna to be able to get presents for Christmas."

Anna was watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie when Clarise started singing, "There's always tomorrow." Anna looked at the reindeer incredulously. "Reindeers can sing?" she asked, astonished.

Anna sat near the bowl of mini marshmallows waiting patiently for me to come help her make the ornaments I'd promised. Her cheeks were puffing out slightly. I smiled at her, and she immediately said, with some kind of unknown food in her mouth, "I only had 2!"

Sarah asked Anna after she walked in from school, "Did you miss me?" Anna answered heartily, "Oh, of course!"

Peter is learning all those perrenial school phrases: "Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me," and "Trick or treat, smell my feet...."

Today at lunch Peter and Anna were having a race as to who could say this family mealtime phrase the fastest (Boy, that last phrase was a mouthful in itself!): "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit." The volume kept getting louder in tandem with the increasing speed, until Anna looked like she was going to burst! I wonder how many families around the world use that sentence at meals, too?

Peter is such a good natured boy. He came in from school and started to do something. "Remember to go wash you hands," I nudged. "Thanks for telling me that," he cheerfully responded, skipping off to the bathroom. While he may not always answer me in this tone, it is particularly telling of his innate personality. I just adore it.

Peter and I were looking at some old photos of Nate when he was about Peter's age when Peter thought that a photo of Nate was actually him [P]: "I don't remember going ice skating there!" They do look a lot alike back then!

We rolled to a stop at a stoplight. "Stop, Mom, stop." Anna said. "The light is red now." When the light turned green, she quoted, "Go, Mom, go. The light is green now." I should have turned and asked, "Do you like my party hat?"

We had cinnamon rolls for dinner tonight. After Peter had eaten his, he asked if he could have more. There weren't enough to have a whole second one, so I cut a roll in half. "Can I have both those pieces on my plate?" he asked.

Anna: "I want a ballerina cake for my birthday!"

Nate: "Mom! You keep calling me Pete! Even Anna called me Pete the other day!"