March 18th - - - - - - - - -

Kirsten: "We're going to walk to the duck pond today. It's where the ducks live. There won't be anything really scary there, right? Do you think we'll see sharks?"
Class: "Nooo."
Ruby: "Will there be mermaids???"
Kirsten: "No. No mermaids. Will there be alligators?"
Class: "Nooo."
Ruby: "How about mermaids???"
Kirsten: "No. No mermaids. Maybe there will be a big monster..."
Class: "Nooo."
Ruby: "Maybe a mermaid???"
Sam B: "There will be no mermaids!"
Ruby: "Oh.... I really like mermaids!"

Lindsey: "Are you pretending to be an animal?"
*Sam A. shakes his head yes"
Lindsey: "Are you an elephant?"
*Sam shakes his head no*
Lindsey: "Are you a giraffe?"
*Sam shakes his head no*
Lindsey: "Are you a dog?"
*Sam shakes his head no*
Lindsey: "Are you an animal at the zoo?"
*No again*
Lindsey: "Are you an animal that people have as a pet?"
*Still no*
Lindsey: "Are you sure you're an animal???"
Sam: "Lindsey, I'll give you a clue. I'm little and I have six legs and I'm spelled A - N - T."
Lindsey: "Oh! You're an ant!"
Sam: "YES! Great job!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(After three months of Ruby asking every single day if the farmers' market is open....)
Hovan (raises hand): "Umm. Excuse me, Kirsten?"
Kirsten: "Yes, Hovan?"
Hovan: "Umm... Is the farmers' market open today?"

Lindsey "You all did a really great job at the fire drill! You walked really quickly and now we can go back inside for circle. Great job coming outside."
Ruby "Umm. Lindsey?"
Lindsey "What's up, Ruby?"
Ruby "I like chocolate ice cream."
Lindsey "......ok."

Tuesday, March 16th - - - -
Lila "Sofia, I really like your bow clip. It's really pretty."
Sofia *keeps coloring*
Lila "Aren't you going to say thank you that your bow clip is pretty?"
Sofia "Thank you that my bow clip is pretty, Lila!"

Monday, March 15th - - - -

Andrew "I have twenty - eighty two - sixteen - hundreds fish!"
Lindsey "Wow, Andrew. That's a lot of fish! What do you feed all of them."
Andrew "Uuuuh. Fish food!"

Lindsey: "Where are you going in your boat, girls?"
Vivian: "Lindsey, we're going on a trip."
Ruby: "Yeah! We're going to FRANCE!"
Vivian: "I really don't want to have to tell you this, but actually we're going to Pennsylvania."

Lindsey: "James, I think I'm going to change my name today. I think I should be Bob."
James: "Nooo. You can't!"
Lindsey: "Why not?"
James: "Because your name is Lindsey."
Lindsey: "Why is my name Lindsey?"
James: "Because you LOOK like a Lindsey!"

March 5th - - -
Lindsey: "What will you see at Disney world, boys?"
Ethan and Trevor: "A monorail!"
Trevor: "And there's a tower of terror. Do you know how fast the people go in the tower of terror?"
Ethan and Trevor: "SOOO FAST!"
Trevor: "And then they fall down and get bumps."
Ethan: "And they have to go to the doctor. But they will be okay."

Lindsey plays "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the piano.
Hovan: "I know what that is!"
Lindsey: 'What is it?"
Hovan: "Mozart."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lila ('playing' and singing "Mary had a Little Lamb"): "Mary had a little sheep. Little sheep. Mary's little sheep went to her house. The end."

March 2nd - - - - -

(on the swings)
Lila: "Lindsey, look how high we're going!"
Vivian:"Yeah, Lindsey! We're going higher than... than... CHINA!"
Lila: "Yeah! CHINA!"

March 1st - - - -

Lindsey: "Is your skunk going to have any breakfast this morning?"
Sofia: "Yep. He likes to eat frogs and squirrels and bugs.... I wonder why he has stinky spray?"
Lindsey: "I don't know. What do you think?"
Sofia: "I think it's because he eats frogs and squirrels and bugs! They're all stinky!"

Ruby: "Where are you going, Lindsey?"
Lindsey: "Well, today is one of the days I leave early to go to my school."
Ruby: "Not agaaaain."
Lindsey: "How about I'll stay here and you go to my school for me?"
Ruby: "Nooo. I don't think so."
Lindsey: "No? Why not?"
Ruby: "Because I'm already AT school!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindsey: "Lila, I love your jacket! Do you think maybe I could borrow it sometime?"
Lila: "Sure. Actually, I'll get you one for your birthday. Then I can keep mine."

Lindsey: "Are you singing a song, Lila?"
Lila: "Yup."
Lindsey: "What's it about?"
Lila: "A horsey. (singing) A horsey went neigh neigh. A horsey went neigh neigh. OOOOOH A horsey found a Valentine from Lila. Neigh Neigh Neigh!"

February 22 ----
(overheard)
James - "Ow, Andrew! You just poked me in the EYE!"
Andrew - "I'm sorry. Do you want me to kiss your eyeball?"
James (stunned for a second, then...) "NO!"
Laughing ensues

(while making Valentine's)
Claire: "Lindsey! My heart ripped! It's broken."
Lindsey: "Oh no, Claire. Would you like a new one?"
Claire: "No... I'll just put some glue on it. Then it'll be all better."

James: "My dad and I watched a video about not talking to strangers."
Lindsey: "Yeah? And what did you learn from the video?"
James: "DON'T talk to strangers!"
Lindsey: "Well, what is a stranger?"
James: "A person who is strange."
Lindsey: "You mean... a person you don't know?"
James: "Yeah yeah. And they're allowed to ask you where you live, but you can't tell them because they are strange."

February, 4th - - - - -
Lindsey - "Boys, you know we can't throw sand in the sand box. It might get in someone's eyes."
Andrew - "We were just making it rain, Lindsey."
Lindsey - "Well, can we maybe make it a sunny day instead?"
James - "Yes. In my country of Florida it NEVER RAINS!"
Lindsey - "....that works."

February, 3rd....
Lindsey - "So Trevor's making a hotdog and Ethan and Mihir are making pancakes. What does it look like I'm making?"
Ethan - "Meatballs!"
Trevor - "Meatballs!"
Mihir - "Tofuballs!"

Ruby (after having completely burrowed in to the dress up clothing... we hear her voice, but can't see her): "I.... I need.... a purse!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lindsey: "What are you making Sam?"
Sam B (playing with yellow playdough): "Cupcakes."
Lindsey: "Oooo and what flavor are these cupcakes?"
Sam B: "Lemon."
Lindsey: "That makes sense... they're yellow! Do they have lemon-flavored icing on top to?"
Sam B: "Nope. Orange."

Andrew: Well, I know Jack and the Beanstalk. That movie has scary parts. I'm not scared, though... I wear my Batman costume.
Lindsey: Oooh does your Batman costume make you brave?
Andrew: Yes.
Lindsey: Well, I don't have a Batman costume. Do you think I should watch the movie or would I be scared?"
Andrew: You shouldn't watch it. It's WAAAAAAY too scary for you.

Ethan- "Why do crackers have holes in them?"
Lindsey - "I'm not sure. What do you think boys?"
James - "I think it's because they punch holes in them with their nails."
Andrew - "No. I don't think so. I think it's because the holes make them more delicious!"

Mihir (to Lindsey; very serious/ down to business-like) - "Well, I checked the forecast and the weatherman said no rain. I think we can go outside. I'll tell Kirsten."

January 26th - - - -
Lindsey "I like to have waffles for breakfast. What do you like?"
Lila - "Pancakes."
Ruby - "Pancakes."
Sofia - "Pancakes."
Claire - "Macaroni and cheese!!!"

January 25th - - - -
Vivian (to Claire) - "Well, when you come to MY house we will watch Seasame Street and THEN have a snack. I know you have a snack before Seasame Street, but that's not how we do things at my house."

Lindsey - "Boys, we're having a special snack today. We're having cupcakes! Can you guess what flavor they are?"
Ethan - "Vlanilla?"
Lindsey - "Nooo."
Trevor - "Chocolate?"
Lindsey - "Yes! And what kind of frosting do you think is on them?"
Ethan - "Vlanilla?"
Lindsey - "Nooo."
Ethan - "Strawberry? Rasberry? SNOW???"

January 15th - - -
James - "Lindsey, you play sick and I will be the doctor."
Lindsey - "Okay. Doctor, will you check my ears?"
James - "Sure! They are good."
Lindsey - "Doctor, will you check my temperature?"
James - "Sure!.. Oh, no. You have a fever."
Lindsey - "How high is my fever, doctor?"
James - "108 miles high. You need medicine."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindsey - "Hey, Hovan - What are you up to over here?"
Hovan - "Oh, nothing."
Lindsey - "Are you playing nicely with Jeremy?"
Hovan - "Well, I was going to fake punch him actually."
Lindsey - "That's probably not a good idea, though, right?"
Hovan - "Well, it was just going to be a fake punch."
Lindsey - "What's the difference between a fake punch and a real punch?"
Hovan (without missing a beat) - "Seven."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 20th - - - - -
Lindsey "Okay Lila, you need to count to 20 and then it will be Claire's turn on the swing."
Lila - "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, one-teen, two-teen, three-teen, four-teen, five-teen, six-teen, eight-teen, seven-teen, nine-teen, ten-teen...... I'm going to get off now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 19th - - -
*Sue gets out her guitar*
Vivian - "I have a guitar, Miss Sue!"
Andrew - "Me, too!
James and Claire - "I do, too!"
*everyone chimes in about owning a guitar*
Ruby (above the crowd) - "Well, I have a UKULELE!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hovan - "I'm a fireman!"
Lindsey - "Ooo, okay! If you're a fireman, you should go put on a fireman's hat!"
Hovan - "Well, no. I don't want to."
Lindsey - "That's alright. Why not?"
Hovan - "Because I'm a HATLESS fireman!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 13th ---
Mihir and James *yelling and pointing to Ruby* - "AAAAH! There's a shark! Quick get on the boat! Look at that shark!!!!"
Ruby *looks down at herself, then up* - "I'm not a shark. I'm JUST a fairy princess. Silly boys."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 12th - - -
Hovan - "There's a Spiderman who is a bad guy."
Sue - "Oh yeah? What's his name?"
Hovan - "Oh... I dunno. Tarantula-man, maybe?"
~~~~~~~~~~~

January 11th - - -

*pee extravaganza with Ethan and Trevor*

Ethan "There's an elephant on my butt!"

January 8th - - -

Lindsey - "Oh look, girls! There's sand AND snow in the sandbox!"
Vivian (with excitement) - "That is reeeee-diculous!"
Claire (in awe) - "Wooow. That's amazing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

James: There's a really famous song called "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." It's very good.
~~~~~~~~~

January 6th
Ethan: *holding up index fingers* Are these my thumbs?
Lindsey: *points to left hand thumb* No, that is.
later...
Lindsey: Ethan, show me your thumbs!
Ethan: *holds up thumb on left hand, index finger on right*
~~~~~~~
Sometimes, we really just want someone to explain everything to us. Tell us exactly what we need to do; where to go; what to say; who meet. Wouldn't it be nice if someone would simply say "This is what you need to do to make your every dream come true." How great would that be? No more trying to decide if moving is a good idea or weighing whether you really should devote so much time to this project. Just sit back and let some tell you precisely how life should go...
"Should I go to that school?" - - - No, you should go to this other one, it will be better for you.
"How long should I put up with this job?" - - 3 more months.
"What if I can't pay that bill?" - Don't worry, you're going to get an unexpected bonus next week.
"Are these my thumbs?" - No. This is your right thumb and this is your left.
Life would be so simple... but we wouldn't learn a darn thing! If someone told you exactly how everything was going to turn out and provided an explanation for everything, how would you ever learn for yourself?
At the time, I will admit that I was simply rushed (trying to put on 13 pairs of snow pants isn't the easiest thing in the world!) and thus only showed Ethan one thumb. Looking back on it now, though, I'm glad I did. It was a moment that made me realize - we aren't going to have everything explained to us in life and that's okay. It may take us a few tries - it may take months to remember which is our thumb on our right hand - but once we have it down, once we know something for sure, we get to be so proud of ourselves. It's a great feeling. - That moment of "I figured this out. I made it through. No, it wasn't easy and yes, I often got very frustrated that my mitten on my right hand didn't fit properly... but I worked at it and I'm better for it."
So go out there - learn and keep learning.
Don't expect someone to explain it all - be determined to take the risks and figure it out for yourself! You'll be glad you did.