kelli: max, you're just so cute!  i'm going to miss you so much!  can you come live with me?
emma: um, actually he stays here.
kelli: oh.  well, can you come stay with me, emma?
emma: sure!
kelli: awesome!  can you live in my cupboard?
emma: no.
kelli: why not?
emma: because i'm not a dish!

emma was looking up at the stars a few nights ago and pointed one out to mark:

emma: look daddy! a really bright star!

mark: that is a bright star

emma: that means a new baby is being born just like baby jesus!

we went to Park City to celebrate mark's dad's 60th birthday. we rented out a couple condos there because we were staying overnight. when we walked into the condo we were staying in emma asked, "is this kansas?" she thought we were moving into our new house. i wish the move were that easy!

emma: mom, i'm almost big enough to go to school!
me: yep. when you're five, you get to go to kindergarten
emma: yeah! and then i get to drive!
me: um, not until you're 16
emma: i'm almost 16.

whoa, slow down, little girl.

had a hard day this week, so i sat down on the bed and just started sobbing. emma crawled into my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck and said, "it's ok, mommy, everything's going to be perfect; daddy's going to be home soon!" i started laughing so hard i couldn't even remember why i was crying. thanks, emma.

emma was making me dinner with her play dishes and play kitchen. she stirred some stuff in a pot and then put it in the microwave and said, "ok, now you have to wait two months!" i started laughing because i'm pretty sure she meant two minutes, so i asked, "two months?" emma looked at me very seriously and said, "yes, mom. you have to be patient."

max woke up early from his nap today, and i wasn't feeling very well, so i put on a movie for him so i could rest for a little bit on the couch. unfortunately, max had other plans. his favorite thing to do right now is to "play baseball" (hit a large bouncy ball with a wiffle-ball bat). he kept pleading with me to play baseball with him, and i kept trying to explain that i didn't feel well and needed to rest. finally, i just ignored him and closed my eyes figuring he'd get the idea and let me rest. instead, he picked up the bouncy ball and threw it in my face from about a foot away. i opened my eyes to see his face right in front of mine. "MOM! WAKE UP! I. WANT. TO. PLAY. BASEBALL!" ok, ok, i'm up, i'm up. little stink.

emma's conversation with a friend:

emma: i love aunt marci. who's your favorite aunt? is it aunt marci?
friend: no. it's aunt taylor.
emma: hahahaha! taylor isn't an aunt name. it's an uncle name!

today in preschool we were discussing the idea that everyone is unique and has different interests. all the kids were given play dough and told to make something they liked with it (like a car or dinosaur). emma said, "i'm going to make aunt marci because i like my people."

me: emma, do you want to come help me with something?
emma: um, maybe you could ask dad.

at dinner a few nights ago, max watched me put some salt on my mashed potatoes. he then looked at his mashed potatoes, then back to the salt and said, "want some sprinkles too, please!" i pretended to put some on his potatoes. after taking a bite, he smiled and exclaimed, "mmm! yummy sprinkles!"

emma: "daddy, we're going to get married tonight. we're going to get married when i get big, bigger than mama. and mama will be the grandma!"

emma: "mom, sometimes daddy is naughtier than me."

emma (looking at a wedding picture of me and mark): is that when you married daddy?
me: yep
emma: oh. when i get bigger i'm going to marry daddy in the temple. and i'm going to wear a big white dress and a veil just like aunt kelli. and i'm going to have yellow flowers.

(emma's preschool teacher told me this one).
emma wanted to have a pink bowl at snack time but there was only one, and another little girl had already gotten the pink bowl. so emma's teacher found a pale orange one and assumed she could just convince emma it was pink.
teacher: here's one that's kinda pink
emma: this isn't pink
teacher: sure it is.
emma: it looks awfully orange to me.

sometimes max wakes up early in the morning (5 AM or so) asking for milk. a few mornings ago, i heard him crying in his room, so i went in there expecting him to ask me for a bottle. instead, i was greeted with, "mommy, want to watch spiderman!" sorry kiddo, but 5 AM is way too early to watch cartoons.