12.17.17
Nolan, handing me a thermometer because he has a fever: "Mom, check my brain."
5.21.17
"Your hair is so fluffy and cute, Mom!"
~Nolan
5.5.17
Nolan: "Mom! Guess...what...CHEETOS make me?"
Me: "What?"
Nolan: "They make me HAPPY!"
4.17.17
[As I'm drizzling icing on Brooklyn's cherry cake]:
"If you were on the Great British Baking Show, this would look 'clumsy'." ~Brooklyn
7.15.16
Doctor: So what's your name?
Nolan: ...
[Too shy to answer]
Doctor: Is it... Bob?
Krista: Ha ha! Is it... Troy?
Nolan: No
Krista: Is it... Brooklyn?
Nolan: No
Krista: Well then what is it??
Nolan: It's Bob.
6.2.16
Brooklyn: "Is it fun having an 'i' in your name?"
5.21.16
(Kate opened the mailbox and showing me the swarming ants she found in there! Of all places!)
Me: "I don't understand it! There is literally nothing for them in there! What are they doing in the mailbox???"
Kate: "Maybe they've gone savage?"
4.7.16
Travis: "And then I got lost... Well, I wasn't really lost; I was just going one direction and I thought I was going a different direction, and I didn't know where I was. I guess I was lost."
3.6.16
"This pig is really squishy."
~Troy, eating ribs
1.29.16
"What is that, Dad? Is that fat?"
~Troy, pointing to Travis's stomach
12.5.15
Kate: [I'm driving, and she thought a car was going to hit us] "It was like my stomach just dropped. Like suddenly I felt like there was all this potential energy in my stomach."
9.23.15
Troy: [About his goldfish, "Bubbles"]
"I wanted to name him Goldie, but it's too late."
5.29.15
Krista: Wow, it's raining cats and dogs!
Troy: And bunnies!
5.20.15
Travis: [coming home from work] Troy! Come and give me a hug!
Troy: [arms full of blocks] I can't because I'm doing blocks.
4.17.15
[After I explained what lawyers are and why the lawyers in the Book of Mormon were stirring up the people to contention, so they could have work and get more money]
Me: So of course, if people aren't fighting, the lawyers are going to be out of a job, right?
Kate: They could just put up a lemonade stand!
3.30.15
Travis: So why do we celebrate Easter?
Troy: Because it's when Santa was born!
3.17.15
Kate: "Wow! GIANT Brussels sprouts???"
{Cabbage for dinner}
1.15.15
Troy: [Popping out of his room wearing a Thomas shirt and hat with blue jeans and blue and gray sneakers]
"Look, Mom! I'm all blue and Thomas-y."
12.7.14
Troy: [Peeling a sticker off a pear]
This sticker has a bass on it.
Me: A what? A bat?
Troy: NO, a bass! A FISH, Mom.
11.23.14
Travis: Troy, what is your brain for?
Troy: Thinking
Travis: What is your heart for?
Troy: Beeping.
10.20.14
Brooklyn: "When I'm a mom, I'm never going to lose my temper. And I'm going to spoil my kids."
8.2.14
Troy: I want to grow up into Daddy. And then I can drive a car.
7.4.14
Troy: [catching a roly-poly bug] "I'm going name him Winston. He's so ADORABLE!"
6.10.14
Me: "Did you see all those little fish?"
Kate: "Yes! I saw a whole CLASS of them!"
4.16.14
Kate: "So yesterday we had a substitute dance teacher. Her name is Miss Claire, and she is so full of joy I just wanted to gather it up and stuff it in my pocket!"
3.17.14
Troy: "But I thought his name was Andrew..."
[For the first week after we brought Nolan home]
3.17.14
Brooklyn: What? He doesn't have any teeth?
Me: Nope! Look! [Nolan yawns]
Brooklyn: That was creepy!
3.4.14
Troy: Kate, can I play with your mermaid?
Kate: No.
Troy: Mom, Kate broke my feelings!
2.9.14
Travis, bringing me my coat after church:
"I wasn't sure if this one was yours, so I checked the pockets and found a candy wrapper in there. Then I was like, 'Yep. This is Krista's.'"
2.2.14
Troy, at bedtime: You don't live in my room.
12.29.13
Brooklyn: girls are more famous than boys. (She uses famous to mean better)
Travis: Why do you think that?
Brooklyn: Because girls think of a hundred thousand things in one day and do them, and boys think of one thing and they do it.
10.30.13
Troy: Fizzling fireboxes! It's raining on our car!
10.30.13
Brooklyn: [Looking over my shoulder as I browsed maternity clothes online] Are those fat clothes?
10.4.13
Troy: I love birdies!
Krista: You love birdies?
Troy: Yeah. I love birdies, because birdies are so cute. We should buy a puppy and a birdie.
9.12.13
Troy: Is there a baby in your stomach?
Krista: There IS a baby in my stomach!
Troy: [thoughtful pause] ....Did you eat it?
9.11.13
Krista: [Holding up a sonogram photo] Look, Troy! What is it?
Troy: ...A dolphin?
Brooklyn: "Look out! There's tinkle on the floor!"
Kate's friend: "You guys have a dog???"
Krista: "No-"
Friend: "You have a cat???"
Krista: "No-"
Friend: "You have a GERBIL???"
Krista: "NO! They have a little brother!"
8.11.13
Brooklyn [arranging a pearl necklace into a shape on the floor]:
"Look, it's a heart! Or actually... a chihuahua."
8.3.13
Brooklyn: What are brains for?
Me: For thinking, and for making your body do everything that it does.
Brooklyn: And it makes our foreheads puffy!
7.1.13
"Mommy, a princess does not eat with her fingers."
~Brooklyn
[We were eating BBQ at Oklahoma Joe's. Obviously.]
6.16.13
Travis: Troy, skirts are for girls.
Troy: No, skirts are for boys.
Travis: No, they aren't. Look at me. I'm not wearing a skirt.
Troy: But I am wearing a skirt.
Travis: ...Good point.
6.10.13
Troy: "Look how lovely that flower is, Mom!"
6.2.13
Brooklyn: [After deliberately making Kate angry] Do you love me?
Kate: Well, I don't like your attitude, but I love YOU.
5.17.13
Krista: I'm just going to open up my new cleaned and organized freezer! [Opening the door with a grand flourish]
Travis: ....No, you just ate all the ice cream.
4.28.13
[Pulling into the driveway]
Brooklyn: "How did we get here so fast???"
Kate: "Technology."
4.24.13
"My tummy has a headache."
~Brooklyn
4.21.13
Troy: Daddy?
Travis: What?
Troy: Are you crazy?
4.20.13
"Hey, I have good idea! How 'bout go to store?"
~Troy
4.9.13
Troy: You are a girl.
Me: Yes, I am. And what about Daddy? Is he a boy or a girl?
Troy: Daddy is a girl.
Me: What??? Daddy is a girl?
Troy: I mean, Daddy is a boy
4.7.13
Troy: [after asking for his "two pennies"] I have twenty dollars!
Me: Twenty dollars? No, I think it's more like two cents.
Troy: I have twenty-two cents!
Me: Twenty-two cents? Actually, just two cents.
Troy: Oh. I have two cents.
3.20.13
"Mommy, does Thomas live for real?"
~Troy
2.26.13
Mom: Troy, do you want lunch?
Troy: No! ... Actually... yes.
2.10.13
Brooklyn: What's that, Mom?
Me: It's alfredo sauce
Brooklyn: Did you make it out of trees?
2.1.13
Troy: Mommy, TRACTOR, Mom! I LOVE IT!
1.15.13
Brooklyn: Mom! Last night I went into the bathroom, and I saw a wisp! (From the movie Brave, if you haven't seen it yet)
Krista: You did?? Did it lead you to your destiny?
Brooklyn: No, it lead me to the potty chair!
1.7.13
Kate: [Pointing to the computer screen] Does that say 'therapy'?
Krista: Yes!
Kate: HOORAY! I haven't forgotten how to read!
1.4.13
"Hey Daddy. Should I cuddle with you?"
~Brooklyn
12.9.12
Brooklyn: Troy, you're cute.
Troy: Oh.
10.26.12
Travis: Okay, that's the second time you've thrown your napkin at me! There are other people in this restaurant!
Krista: Well I'm not going to throw my napkin at THEM!
10.11.12
"Mom, there's an Obama sign on our street. And I'm wondering why they have an Obama sign, because Obama, he's already been picked."
~Kate
10.7.12
Kate: "Mom, how old are you?"
Krista: "How old do you think I am?"
Kate: "Um... 90?"
9.28.12
Krista: "Kate, you throw like a girl!"
Travis: "And she also sprayed her pink soccer ball with perfume."
9.19.12
"Mommy, I almost done."
-Troy, ready to get out of his high chair
[I realized I always ask him if he's "almost done," so now he thinks that means he's finished.]
9.13.12
Kate: But I thought I was a poor girl. [meaning: to be pitied, because she had a rough day at school]
Me: Oh really? I thought you were a brave, strong, independent girl.
Kate: Uh-uh. I was never that.
(Um... perhaps we should work on that?)
8.14.12
Brooklyn: [talking in her sleep again]
NO!!! I want the MONKEY ONE!
[...pause...]
[in a soft and sweet voice] Please?
4.30.12
"Elder Carlson, your towel is on fire."
(My brother Ryan is on an LDS mission in Chile)
4.21.12
Kate [to Mom]: You have giant feet.
4.19.12
Kate: Okay, now count to 20.
Brooklyn: No, four. I can't count to 20.
4.6.12
Kate: Mom, I love my princess clock so much! I'm so thankful that you got it for me! Next Thanksgiving, I'm going to say that I'm thankful for my princess clock.
[PS This is a clock we got a LONG time ago.]
3.30.12
Brooklyn: Do you miss your mom?
Me: I do! Do you miss my mom?
Brooklyn: ...Well, she's not my mom!
3.14.12
[Sung to the tune of "There was an old lady..."]
"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed a fly. I hope she dies."
~Brooklyn
3.3.12
"I love you!"
~Troy
3.2.12
[Brooklyn is sick and fell asleep on the couch. We all know how she talks in her sleep.]
"When I was a baby, I... put on my pants and... dropped my umbrella outside of the door!"
2.15.12
[Kate accidentally hit herself in the head with her baby doll and was telling us about her injury.]
Brooklyn: [To the doll] No, no, Baby! We don't hit!
Kate: Brooklyn, it's MY job to tell her what to do. I'M her mommy!
Brooklyn: Well, I'm her grandma!
Kate: I know, but...
[Wait, what?...]
1.22.12
[Travis draws a picture of a cow for Brooklyn, per her request]
Brooklyn: An ALLIGATOR?!
1.13.12
Krista: So, who is in charge of The Internet?
Travis:
Krista: I mean, like, who invented it, and who runs it?
Travis: ...Oz?
12.23.11
Gigi: "Well, there's something to be said about the people in the Midwest."
Ian: "Yeah, all six of 'em!"
10.31.11
Kate: [After leaving our first house while trick-or-treating] "Well, that went well!"
10.30.11
Kate: Can I have some neurons?
(She meant "Nerds")
10.10.11
[Brooklyn helps herself to the box of Teddy Grahams.]
Krista: WHOA, Brooklyn, that's a lot of teddy bears!
Brooklyn: I know.
9.18.11
Kate: Brooklyn, I'm going to have you... um...
Brooklyn: Be a princess?
9.11.11
Travis: [Standing in front of the mirror, shaving] Why do we have to grow hair on our faces, anyway?
Krista: I KNOW, RIGHT???
Travis: ... wait a minute...
8.29.11
Kate: [Playing doctor, listening to Brooklyn through a stethoscope] "Well... it looks like your heart isn't beating. I'm going to tell your mom we need to keep you in the hospital for... five days."
8.8.11
Travis: It's really amazing how much I actually remember about kindergarten.
Krista: That's because you went for two years, babe.
7.30.11
[Note for translation purposes: "Meow" = "Kitty cat"]
Brooklyn: Kate, I'm going to buy you a meow garbage can.
Kate: ...To throw meows in?
Brooklyn: Nooooo! To throw TISSUES in!
7.16.11
Mimi [Krista's mom]: I used to do this to my little kids.
Kate: You had little kids?
Mimi: Yes!
Kate: ...Did they die?
5.27.11
Kate: Why do our windows have curtains?
Travis: So we can close them and people can't look in and see us.
Kate: In case we're dancing naked?
5.25.11
Brooklyn: Mommy, can we go ask the lifeguard if we can go swimming now?
Me: Oh, you know what? It looks like the pool won't be open for a little while yet.
Brooklyn: In twenty-three minutes?
5.12.11
Kate: [Pouring cereal for herself and Brooklyn before bed] Brooklyn, let's eat breakfast now so we won't have to in the morning.
5.3.11
Krista: [After hitting my head really hard while washing dishes (don't ask)] Owwww... you're not even going to hug me?
Travis: Well, 'stupid is as stupid...' oh you're holding a knife...
4.27.11
Travis: Kate what is the name of this country? (pointing to a map of the World).
Kate: Maryland?
Travis: Nope that's a state. It's the United States of...
Kate: Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
4.15.11
Travis: I need man lotion. You know, that doesn't smell girly. Like I guess this one doesn't smell too girly. It was in the bathroom.
Krista: Um... Victoria's Secret?
3.31.11
Kate, to Brooklyn:
"Go find the bad guys! They won't hurt you; they're good bad guys."
3.15.11
Kate: "We are not Harrys."
Me: "What? Harrys?"
Kate: "Yep. We are not Harry Potter."
(....? Does she even know who Harry Potter is? And... what?)
2.7.11
"Please bless daddy, he's the boss."
~Brooklyn saying the prayer
1.21.11
"This will be the tail."
~Brooklyn, building a snowman
12.27.10
Krista: Oh shoot, I left my belt at Karen's house.
Travis: ....
And what were you doing at Karen's house that required you to remove your belt?
12.10
Travis: You're a sassy-pants!
Brooklyn: I not smassy pants! [To mommy:] Daddy's call me smassy pants!
11.5.10
Kate: Do you just love to be a dad?
Travis: I do!
Kate: I love to call you dad. And I love to be Kate.
11.2.10
"So... what is kindergarten? Is it where they plant flowers?"
~Kate
10.27.10
[Travis walks in the door]
Brooklyn: Daddy, I go POOP!
Travis: Good job, Brooklyn! So did I!
Brooklyn: [takes his face in her little hands] You get a TWEAT!!!
10.3.10
Brooklyn: What does this button do?
Travis: Famous last words, Brooklyn...
9.24.10
[Brooklyn is crying as we walk through the store]
Me: Brooklyn, do you want to hold on to my purse?
Brooklyn: NOOOOO....
Me: Well then what do you want?
Brooklyn: I want to freak out.
9.14.10
"When I get bigger I will learn to drive a car of my own, and then I can drive to Hungary. But I might need a GPS..."
~Kate
9.4.10
[After a whole day of complaining about my hands, I went to work on my stencil for my BYU shirt]
Krista: Do you have a razor blade?
Travis: That bad, huh?
8.23.10
[At McDonald's]
Travis: Do you guys want Happy Meals?
Kate: No, I want a Sad Meal, because I was kind of naughty today.
8.19.10
Travis: I feel like I'm just an average person.
Me: Well, most of us are "average" people.
Travis: But it feels like I'm the only one who is average.
8.13.10
Kate: [Eating string cheese, or "strange" cheese] Does this have sugar in it?
Me: No it doesn't.
Kate: ...But why is it yummy?
8.4.10
Travis: Well don't eat it. (Referring to her lip gloss)
Kate: I'm not. [pause] Although it tastes yummy.
7.31.10
Brooklyn: Kate?
Kate: What?
Brooklyn: I love you.
7.26.10
Me: What do you want for dinner tonight?
Brooklyn: Um... treats.
7.21.10
"Oh, I'm so sad I'm not three anymore!"
~Kate
{wait, what?}
7.9.10
[The girls are doing an exercise video with me]
Brooklyn: I'm too tired!
Kate: Honey, it's supposed to make you tired!
(That's right, girls... Feel the burn!)
6.29.10
(When my parents walked in)
"Mommy, look! It's Grandpa Arvid... and THAT!" (pointing to my mom)
~Brooklyn
6.12.10
"HEY! I can see her BUM-BUM!"
~Kate, walking past a sunbather in a thong at the swimming pool
5.18.10
"I'm running around like a head with its... chicken... cut off..."
~Travis
5.12.10
Krista: Hello?
Travis: Hi.
Krista: Hi!
Travis: ...I called the wrong number.
4.25.10
Dave: No one close to me has ever served in the military.
Katie: Whatever! Your dad served in Guam!
Dave: Yeah...
4.7.10
Krista: I think this shirt makes me look frumpy.
Travis: I don't think it's the shirt...
4.7.10
Kate: I was such a big helper today!
Me: Yes you were!
Kate: But... I was kind of mean.
(Um... at least she can admit it?)
3.20.10
"Dad, that was fun. But I never want to do it again."
~Kate
3.16.10
Me: We're going to take the car in to get the tire fixed.
Kate: Oh, that will be EXCELLENT!
3.7.10
Me: [Getting Kate up from her nap] How was your nap?
Kate: Oh, I didn't take a nap. [Stretches and puts her hands behind her head] I was just relaxing.
3.3.10
"I hope I'm not blaspheming here, but Jesus is Awesome."
~My brother Scott
(serving an LDS mission in Taiwan)
2.11.10
"Mommy, Brooklyn waked me up from my princess dream and now I don't have a princess dream inside my heart."
~Kate
2.9.10
"Mommy, I think my heart is getting old."
~Kate
2.3.10
"I just very love you."
~Kate
1.25.10
"I do it SELF!"
~Brooklyn
1.11.10
Travis: I'm sorry.
Krista: No you're not.
Travis: I'm sorry I got caught.
1.3.10
Kate: Can I drive the car?
Me: When you're 16.
Kate: Are YOU 16?
Me: I'm even older than 16.
Kate: ...Happy birthday, Mommy!
12.22.09
"What happened, Mommy?"
~Brooklyn, following my loud gasp when I realized I'd sewn something on the wrong side. [This was repeated throughout the day... apparently I make a lot of mistakes.]
12.20.09 [from back in late summer]
Kate: "Where do babies come from?"
{OH DEAR I thought I had another good 5-7 years before we got here.}
12.9.09
Kate: Where does chocolate come from?
Krista: [launches into a lengthy explanation about the cacao bean, from across the room, with laryngitis]
Kate: I can't hear you. What'd you say? Oh, you lost your voice, and that's why I can't hear you.
11.14.09
"Daddy, you're my best."
~Kate
11.12.09
Me: I think the milk she's drinking might be sour...
Travis: Kate, how's your milk?
Kate: [drinks a big gulp] It's really good! ...[thoughtful pause] It smells like elephants.
Travis: What??? That's not good. Let me smell..... Hey... it DOES smell like elephants!
11.4.09
"Mommy, I love you."
~Brooklyn
10.27.09
"My mommy!"
~Brooklyn
10.25.09
Travis: [At the dinner table] I'm going to get a gun. But my kids will never know about it.
Kate: Your kids will never know about it??? ... I don't know about that!
10.13.09
[Watching a dog cross the parking lot, tags jingling]
Kate: Look! He has a necklace!
Me: Yes he does.
Kate: ...That's unbelievable!
10.5.09
Kate: [Suddenly looking down at her bare legs] Hey! Where'd my pants go?
(Yeah I hate it when that happens!)
9.24.09
Kate: Are you making pizza dough?
Me: No, I'm just making rolls.
Kate: [Thinks] Oh I know! Like, "Go to bed, be quiet, close your eyes, and go to sleep!" RULES!
(Those were her "Sleeping Rules")
9.7.09
"I hate goodbyes. Even worse than hellos."
~Melissa
8.24.09
Me: What are you going to wear today?
Kate: I'm going to wear... something incredible.
8.23.09
"When the fire alarm goes off, that means the cookies are done." ~Kate
8.22.09
Me: Brooklyn, did you draw on your face?
Kate: No, it was me.
Me: It was you? Kate, why did you draw on Brooklyn's face?
Kate: So Brooklyn can have a smiley face!
8.19.09
[We declared Kate officially 100% potty-trained]
Me: Kate, congratulations!
Kate: Thank you! Congratulations to YOU!
8.15.09
"WE'RE GOING DOWN!"
~Kate
8.12.09
(In the car, Kate & I were talking about how fast she is growing up.)
Kate: "And when I get big I will be full like in the tummy for Brooklyn, like YOU are full."
Me: (Remembering when I used to nurse Brooklyn, Kate talked about feeding her "in the tummy") "You mean..."
Kate: "Big chest."
Me: "That's what I thought."
8.10.09
Me: (Getting Brooklyn down from the table after eating) "Brooklyn, you're FREEEE!"
Kate: "Brooklyn's not free. She's ONE!"
8.4.09
"I love you, Mommy. We should probably not throw you away."
~Kate
7.2.09
Kate: Daddy, can I watch Cinderella?
Travis: Ask Mommy.
Kate: No, Mommy will say no!
7.1.09
"Daddy, don't go to school. It's SUMMERTIME!"
~Kate
6.25.09
[Reading scriptures]
Krista: Do you remember what happened to Nephi?
Kate: He broke his bow!
Krista: And then what happened?
Kate: He made a new bow!
Krista: And then what did he do?
Kate: He put it in his hair!
6.12.09
Krista: Do you know how to say' apple' in French?
Kate: Apple in French.
6.7.09
Travis: You're laughing at your own joke a little too hard.
6.3.09
Kate: "I'm TWO!"
Me: "Yes, and pretty soon you're going to have a birthday! Then how old will you be?"
Kate: "Umm.... twenty-four."
6.2.09
Me: "How did you get to be so pretty?"
Kate: "My mommy made me pretty!"
5.29.09
[Opening blank document for Kate]
Krista: There you go. Now you can type.
Kate: No, I want to E-MAIL!
5.27.09
Kate: "Thank you for my piggy-tails, Brooklyn's Mommy."
Me: "What? I'm your mommy, too, you know. You can just call me Mommy."
Kate: "Thank you for my piggy-tails, Krista."
(You just can't win.)
5.23.09
Kate: "Okay, Mommy, I'm all done! Now you clean up the mess."
5.14.09
Kate: "We probably have to get a new Brooklyn."
Travis: "Why?"
Kate: "That Brooklyn's dirty."
5.10.09
[Kate sat at the table moaning to herself after having had a time out.]
Travis: "Kate, are you whining?"
Kate: [Thinks a moment] "No. I'm humming! Hm-hm-hmmm..."
4.6.09
After General Conference we were eating dinner and I asked, "So Kate, what did we learn about in conference today?"
Kate: "Um...." (thinks a minute) "PRINCESSES!!!"
4.4.09
[Travis pulled a splinter out of my hand] Kate: "You didn't cry? Mommy, you were so BRAVE!"
As I bent down in front of Kate to zip up her jacket,
she smiled, placed her little hand on my cheek, and asked sweetly, "Mommy, are you happy?"
Why yes I am.
10.23.08
[Kate & I are wiping down the dining room table & chairs.]
Kate: Oh my goodness, Mommy! CRUMBS! Daddy, not do it!
("not" = "don't" - Apparently she pinned this one on Daddy)
[Target. Kate holds up two bottles of nail polish.]
Kate: Mommy, want this one or this one?
Me: Um, I don't think we need either of those.
Kate: Okay, whatever, Mom.
(yes my 2-year-old "whatever"ed me.)
[On the way home.]
Kate: Let's go home! And... probably eat a treat.
(Um... "probably" NOT!)
Me: Hey look, apples are on sale for $.69 a lb.!
Kate: Really? *thoughtful pause* That's weird.
OLDER QUOTES: (Travis)
"There are two kinds of dead: halfway dead, and 75% dead."
~Travis Lundell
"Hey, my shirt's inside out!... Hm I wonder how long it's been like that..."
~Travis Lundell
Krista: I think maybe my new shoes make my feet look big...
Travis: Hm... well you could wear them water skiing...
"A baker's dozen is eleven, right? Because the baker ate one."
~Travis Lundell
Travis: "You shouldn't talk with food in your mouth."
Krista: "But I don't have any food in my mouth."
Travis: "Hm. You should go get something to eat."
Travis's soccer teammate: "What about wine? Can you drink wine? It's natural!"
Travis: "So is cyanide."
8 months ago
