Just Like Yesterday

For my birthday, my sister Natalie and her husband Nate sent me a gem to beat all gems: a booklet in which they had written down phone texts that I had sent them over the last year and a half or so.  Since most were quotes from and/or thoughts about the girls, I couldn't help but slaub (sob & laugh) the whole way through - realizing just how my cookoo-nuts, silly goose face girls have grown.

While this past year+ has been Trying (with the capital T), and my already waning memory finds it hard to recall the little glimmers of love and joy that I know have been smattered here and there through the deep gray whirlwind, I'm grateful to have taken the time to share those moments of folly and mirth.  AND I'm especially grateful to Nat and Nate for having taken the thought to save them for me and for sending me on the greatest (and most cost-effective) trip ever - right down memory lane.

So, of course I want to share and hope you'll all (whoever you are) enjoy...

Quotes From The Years

I was just getting Ellie's pj's on.  Abby: "I'll be downstairs if you need me. If you crash into the wall and get stuck just remind me and I'll come pull you out." 4/09

The Dr. during Ellie's appointment this morning said Abby should be a news broadcaster or something where she makes a lot of commentary. 4/09

Abby to Ellie: "I am so jealous at you!" 3/09

This morning I asked Ellie if she liked the Sound of Music movie. I sang "How do you solve a problem like..." E: "ABBY!" 3/09

Abby: "Mom, unfortunately I just flushed for you and wiped...and Ellie is allergic to pineapple." 4/09

I just called Abby to the bath. Abby: "I can't.  I have yucky poo bum and I put soy cream on my owies." (I have no idea what soy cream is nor where she got it.) 11/08

Ellie has taken up back seat driving. She insists I keep both hands on the wheel and then shouts "DRIVE!" 4/09

The "wind just blew" Abby out of time out. 4/09

I asked Abby who my sisters are. "Candace, Jordan, not Uncle Nate. He's just going to be a daddy soon and have little kids like us!" 4/09 

We were blessing Daddy during the lunch prayer and he phoned right then. I answered, "Speak of the devil" and Ellie yelled "Nana!"  Abby: "Nana's not the devil, Dad is." 11/08

I told Abby I'd lay down by her for one more minute after her story. Abby: "But tonight's a special night to lay by me five minutes." 4/09

Abby has a bit of her Grandpa Gagon in her.  Whenever we turn onto Main St., she announces "This is the way to the bakery!" 10/08

Ellie insists on holding me with her arm around my neck while I lay by her so our faces touch. Ellie: "Mommy, it's hot on my nose." Then she recited the days of the week.  Now she's shouting from her bed "Abby, you in BIG TWUBBO!" 4/09

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria was really written about Abby. How do you catch a cloud and pin it down...How do you keep a wave upon the sand...She could throw a whirling dirvish out of whirl... 3/09

I opened the front door to get the mail and Abby, looking into the yard, said "Look! Somebody sent a package of mud!" (I left a bag of topsoil on the grass.) 5/09

Abby's latest reason she can't clean up her dress-ups: "The floor needs to be fancy too!" 3/09

Abby said she was building a Pizza Hut while lining up her new panties. She followed with: "When I was a little girl I used to not throw shovels down the stairs." 4/09

Abby has a bit of her Nena (my grandmother) in her.  She told me I had to put on my make-up to go to the pumpkin patch. 10/08

Ellie just debated heatedly with Adam that the Neosporin all over her face was lotion (not medicine). This after she dumped out all the toothpicks "to have a picnic." 4/09

Abby, to me: "Look at your eyebrows. They're kinda hairy." 10/08

Adam just beat Abby in a game of Memory...but not by much. And yes, he was trying to. Abby: "I'm the goodest to get manyest!  Daddy's raddest." 5/09

Abby: "Remember when we did 'airplane' with Natalie and Nate on our feets and went to Shamu and did 'ring around the rosies' in the swimming pool?  And can we tomorrow?" 11/08

Abby: "No Mom. You can't drive to the bakery - you have to walk to the bakery. That is excellent I say." 10/08

Most toddlers snuggle with a blanket or favorite stuffed animal at night.  Ellie snuggled with her box of mini altoids.  She had to check on her mints every minute.  5/09

(The girls had dumped all my spices into a pile on the fireplace hearth. I then wrote...) Apparently the soft approach to reprimanding is not working. A friend just came to the door for a couple of minutes and I came back to find both girls dumping salsa in the pudding. 

Abby, while looking at the sheer curtains she wrapped herself in with an ice cream cone: "We could cut up curtains like Maria and make them pretty!" 5/09

Abby: "Mom that is not juice. It is apple spider!" 10/08

Wondering how she got it, as Ellie screams "BOONY! BOONY!," I find Abby behind the couch hiding with my Costco size cinnamon dumped all over the floor. Abby: "She wanted to play in the sand!" 2/09

Ellie just came down the stairs wearing her new sparkly yellow Minnie Mouse high heels and said "I pweetendeen I not go to sleep." 8/09

Abby: "Mom, you are not the boss. I am the boss and Daddy's the boss. See ya later." 10/08

I'm trying to get Ellie down for a nap and she's not cooperating.  I just asled if she wants me to stay or go. "I want you to leave and play with the Gagons!" 11/09

Abby's new favorite phrase: "This is budiclious!" 1/09

Ellie: "I want to go to Gigi's house." Abby: "You mean GRAMMY Gigi. Her last name is Gigi." 11/09

Newsflash! Ellie has a new favorite food - cucumbers in vinegar. She just set down a chocolate chip cookie so she could finish her cucumbers! 1/09

Abby: "Mom, I'm having a hard day with you." 10/08

Oh great. Now Tinkerbell is putting me in jail because Abby lost her ice cream privileges for a week. 11/09

Me: "Ellie, does Jesus teach us to pinch?" "No." "Is that a good choice or a bad choice?" "Ellie's choice." 5/09

Ellie stood at the stairs saying "I sick!" She was covered in cloves and bouillon. 3/09

Abby: "My daddy is Granddad's granddad's daddy's daddy's granddad!" (She might be a generation off.) 12/08

Abby, talking to her wand: "Tinkerbell! We need you to come do some magic!" Then, to me: "Mom! Tinkerbell is coming to clean our house with magic!" 11/09

Abby's night prayer: "Thank you for oppatunity. Bless the obstacles. Bless the remote controls and everything we want." 12/09

Both girls got shots today and I had to give them a pep talk about how they don't want chicken pox or polio. Later on Abby said, "I don't want chick bumps!" 12/09

Ellie was whimpering about something not going her way. Me: "Abby will you help her, please?" A: "Sure!" E: "No way jose!" 12/08

Ellie, tonight in the bath: "But conditioner is not good for me!" 12/09

Abby: "Here is 100 dollars so you can get on the train. If you only have 2 you can't get on.  But I will give you 100 so you can get on."  12/08

Oh yeah. Abby told me that since my belly is so big I can just put my seat belt around my legs. So I won't hurt. Nice. 12/09

Me: "Abby do you need me to hold your hot chocolate so you don't spill?" "No, I have two hands." A few minutes later: "Abby, careful not to knock over the hot chocolates in the shopping cart." "OK! I get it." 12/08

Me: "Ellie, did you get out of bed?" "No. I didn't. I'm just pretending to get out of bed.." (as she comes down the stairs and hops on my lap.) "I can't sleep." 12/09

I asked Abby to get a towel to wipe up Ellie's water she spilled. Abby, happily: "Yes ma'am." But, when I asked her to wipe it up she ran off. E: "Abby funny."  12/08

Ellie: "I'm thusty fow a shake." Me: "I just got you a lemonade." "But (as her hand sweeps across her brow) my head is so owie and novous." 12/09

Last night we saw triplets and I explained to Abby that they were three babies born at the same time. Abby: "I don't want three babies at my house.  I don't want one baby." 12/08

Abby: "Guys. Whoever trusts me gets a PRIZE!" 12/09

Abby came up with a new game, playing 'testimony."  She takes turns wrapping our necks with a doll bow (bow tie) and says "Good. What is your testimony?" 12/08

Ellie is yelling at Abby: "Stop touching my hand! I am a bad girl and Mommy is starvin' marvin!" 12/09

I just found Ellie atop the kitchen table where I had put a box of donut holes.  She sheepishly grinned and with her mouth full said "DONUT!"  They are all gone. 10/08

We're only 4 1/2 hours behind schedule, but off to 'Bajin-ya'! (VA) Abby just told Adam she'll count to 5 and if we aren't there yet she'll start over counting. 12/09

Just found Ellie slurping up a puddle of Coke Zero she spilled from the 2-liter she got out of the fridge.  How do I know it was her?  My toothbrush is inside the Coke Zero bottle.  12/08

Last night Abby breezed through the kitchen saying "Bye Mom! I'm off to England to work on my website to do my report!"  12/09

Abby just came outside wearing a purple beanie, purple mittens, purple tennis shoes and Ellie's coat. That's all. 11/08

Abby, as we pulled up in the car: "Mom, will you open my door first?" Ellie, with her lisp: "I fotht, I fotht!" 10/08

Me, trying to get Ellie to hurry into the outlets: "Run so we can get some lunch!" E: "Am I hungry? I am hungry.  I told you I am hungry!" 12/09

Me: "Abby, please eat so you can get ready for preschool." Abby: "Mom, calm down and just save your batteries." 11/08