R: The flag is still here, but the buddy that used to be here is gone. It wasn't a real buddy, it was fake.
B: A fake buddy?
R: No! Like that one, only fake.
B: Oh. A birdy!
R: Yeah.
B: Which do you like better, real birdies or fake ones?
R: Real ones. Because I can catch them.
B: Have you every caught a real birdie?
R: No ... Daddy, you know real birdies can fly, right?

Walking.

R: Ooh! Lilacs!
B: Why do you like lilacs so much?
R: Because they smell so nice and they're so purple!

After a long-ish playground equipment spin:

R: Daddy, the world is going crazy! (sees me) Daddy, YOU'RE going crazy!

What are we doing to these kids?
F cajoles into giving him a spoonful of honey.

F: Mommy, this isn't real honey, is it?
M: Of course it's real. Why are you even asking?
F: If it was really real, wouldn't it have crystals in it?

Speaking of "is this real", I fielded reality questions from R on this morning's walk about:

• chipmunks
• a papier-mache Cat in the Hat
• Gromit
• monsters
• dead people
• colors

#2 is always a tough question to interpret. Is the statue real? Is the Cat in the Hat real? Is the statue really the Cat in the Hat?

F inhales a piece of French toast.

M: Where'd it go?
B: Into your hollow leg?
F: No, it went into la cabeza!

F: Can I do ANYTHING to get ANY MONEY?
M: You can pick up the living room.
B: If you're strong enough.
F: I can pick up the whole house.

F, instead of using a washcloth, is applying hand soap to his feet, and then lifting his feet to rinse them in the kitchen sink.

B: Are you sure that's a good idea?
F: Why wouldn't it be?
B: Well, aside from the huge mess you're making, soap's slippery.
F: Yeah.
B: And what can happen if you put slippery things on your feet?
F: I could fall down ... or I could twirl better!

R: Daddy, did you know that Frog is a frog?
B: Yes.
R: And, Daddy, Toad is a toad that looks like a frog.

F and M are having a tea partypicnic in the living room.

M: It turns out R likes dinosaur meat.
R: But only if it's dead! I like tyrannosaurus rex the best, but only the little ones. The big ones taste funny.

B salts food, puts salt mill down.

R: No, Daddy, here (points to spot on table between her and M) is the share spot.

B puts salt mill in share spot.

R: See, Daddy? Here (points to different spot, in middle of table) is the spot we all can reach. But the share spot is over here by me and Mommy because we're the ones who like salt the most.

R: I want to eat too much watermelon and eat too much water.
M: Why?
R: Because if I eat too much water, I'll get big and strong, and I won't get sick. Mommy, you should eat too much water so you don't be sick anymore, too!

B: Stop jumping on the bed.
R: We're not jumping. We're a caballo!

F: Are you sure I can't dump you at the end? R: No dumping! This is a no dumping zone!

F: You can dump ME if you want!
R: I'm not dumping anyone hahahaha!

B: Your face is covered in peanut butter. Can you wipe it?
F: I don't want to.
B: Why not?
F: My napkin is clean and I don't want to get it dirty.

B/F/R get to car and unlock it. B buckles R, goes around to help F with the latch that gives him trouble. But he's still outside the car.

B: Why aren't you strapping yourself in?
F: I'm too busy watching it snow!

Snow = cottonwood.

In car.

R: Daddy, F's taking off his band-aid. No, F! NO, F! NOOOOO F!!!
B: R, you don't have to yell at him unless he's hurting you or being mean to you. F, I'd rather you keep it on but you can take it off if you want.
R: But he's breaking my heart!

Leaving the Y:

B: We're rolling!
F: If we were a family of balls, we could really roll!
B: Do you know what Uncle Jeff and Aunt Betsy and baby O's last name is?
F: No.
B: It's Ball.
F: So THEY'RE a family of Balls! I bet they're really good at rolling!
B: We can find out when we see them later.
F: They're having a party today!
B: Yeah, Uncle Jeff's becoming a doctor. And there are going to be other Balls there, too.
F: Can they roll, too?
B: We'll see.
R: When I want to roll, I just lay down on my side and roll down a hill.

R has been doing something artsy.
B: R, your fingers are funny colors.
R: I know. They're yucky and they're sickly.

F brings me his dinner plate. It appears he's eaten an entire hot dog.

B: Did you eat the whole thing?

F spits out last bite onto plate.

B: Too big a bite?
F: No, I just didn't like it.
B: The last bite?
F: The whole hot dog.
B: Why'd you eat the rest of it?
F: I didn't notice.