Favorite Elsie Quotes of the Week

Elsie (in Dubuque, while we are sitting on the couch):  "Mama, move please."
Josie:  "Do you need more room?  Where should I go?"
Elsie:  "Get in Kermit Car and drive to Elsie's house."
Josie:  "That is a long way away.  Are you going to come with me?"
Elsie:  "No.  Daddy come with Mama.  Mama and Daddy drive to Elsie's house.  Elsie stay here with Grandma Cooper."

***

Elsie, upon waking in the morn:  "Where Elsie go today?"
Josie:  "Well, what do you want to do today?  We can go to the park, or the zoo, or maybe the Children's Museum?"
Elsie:  "Elsie want to go to TJ Maxx!"
Josie:  "Wouldn't you rather go to the zoo today?"
Elsie:  "No.  TJ Maxx.  Or how about Elsie go to garage sales?"

....and later, in the cart at TJ Maxx, announced at full volume to the entire store:
"Elsie's Mama is Elsie's best friend in the whole wide woooooooorld!!!"

 ***

Elsie (at dinner): "Thank you, Mama, for making lots of good food for Elsie.  And food for Daddy and Mama and Elsie, too."

***

Elsie, while we are debating bedtime duties:  "Mama rock with Elsie and read Elsie stories!"

Josie:  "I'll read you stories, then Daddy can come back to tuck you in and sing you bedtime songs."

Elsie:  "No, Mama sing Elsie bedtime songs!"

Josie:  "Okay, Daddy can read you stories and I will come back to sing you songs."

Elsie:  "No, Mama read stories and sing songs to Elsie!"

Josie:  "Well, if I read you your stories and sing you your songs, what will Daddy do?"

Elsie (turning to Andy):  "Daddy, go to bed!"

Coming March 2013...

...and then there were four!  Looking forward to introducing you to our newest family member!

Bedtime Walk with Daddy- a guest post from Mama

Elsie loves to take an evening walk with her dad.  They bring a basket with them, and fill it with a great bounty of natural wonders.  Leaves, flowers, pine cones, rocks, acorns, and feathers are all fair game to take home to play with and ponder in days to come.  Last night, under a particularly beautiful night sky, Elsie turned to her Daddy and said, "Elsie want Daddy put moon in basket, okay?".  What a lovely thought.

A Tea Party.

As you may remember, I really like having tea parties.  I set up my tea sets, and all my bunnies have to come and have tea and cookies and milk and water.

Well, tonight I got to have an even BETTER tea party!  Daddy made himself and Mama and me all REAL TEA.  I didn't want my bunnies to miss out, though, so I invited them to share some tea from my cup.  Since it was Sleepytime tea, after they had a drink I put them in my bed and tucked them in so that they could "go to bed real tight."  What a lovely tea party!

My Good Friend.

Tonight, Mama read me a story called Take Care, Good Knight.  It's a really good book.  It's about three dragons who have a good friend called the Good Knight.  Mama asked me if I had any good friends, and I said, "Yes.  My potty chair is a good friend."  When she looked a little confused, I added that my friends Miss Adah and Baby Finn are also Good Friends.  She seemed to think those were better answers, but I think she just doesn't understand the true nature of my potty chair.

Singing Patty-Cake with Kitties

Dialogue (for those who are not yet fluent in Elsie-ese):

E: Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's man!

E: (noticing camera) Elsie want to see Elsie play patty-cake patty-cake baker's man with kitties!

M: What comes after "patty-cake patty-cake baker's man"?

E:  Roll it and pat it and mark it with E, put in oven for Elsie and Kitties!

Guest Post from Mama

Remember this picture of Elsie and her friend Henry from this spring? 

Well, a few weeks ago, I took these pictures of Elsie and Henry playing together again at the park: 

And I recently was sent these pictures from Henry's mom, 

who took them during a play date they had: 

Hmmm...should I be worried? 

:)

Playing with Papa!

Papa came to play with me for a few days last week. What fun was had!

He had a tea party with me

and we drank lots of pretend tea and ate pretend cupcakes and cookies.

We played along the lake

and Papa helped me watch for sailboats.

We went to the petting zoo and practiced milking cows.

Papa held me up so that I could pet a donkey, and he tried to eat the flowers on my pants!

We fed bottles to the baby goats (they were really thirsty!).

And we fed the Mamas, too!

I love my Papa!

Incriminating Puppy Story

Upon walking into the kitchen to see Elsie's food and bottle on the floor...

Daddy: Did you throw your food on the floor, Elsie? 
Elsie: No!
D: How did it get on the floor, then?
E: Puppies threw food!
D: Puppies did it?  I don't see any puppies...
E: Puppies in Elsie's bottle.
D: They're in your bottle?
E: Yes.  Puppies came out of bottle, threw food on floor, go back in bottle.