Ellie: Mom, can I draw my shapes, cut them out and make you a card with them?

Hanna: Can I watch a show?

Me: Yes to shapes, no to t.v.

Ellie: Do we have any old magazines (ones you are no longer reading of course) that I could cut some animal pictures out of and make you a collage?

Hanna: I already cut up your magazines.

Ellie: This meal looks delightful.

Hanna: There’s nothing to do.

Ellie: Mommy, can I tell you the even numbers from 2 to 100?

Hanna: Numbers are for babies.

Ellie: two, four, six….

Hanna: Chloe’s biting me.

Ellie: Mommy, have you signed me up for violin lessons yet?

Me: No, but I will do it in the new year.

Ellie: Good because I want violin and piano lessons.

Hanna: I’m not wearing my hat out at recess anymore and you can’t make me.

Ellie: sixteen, eighteen, twenty….

Me: I think you should start with piano and learn how to read music and then you can decide what instrument you would like to learn next.

Ellie: Can I sing to you in my prettiest voice?

Me: Sure.

Ellie: Eh, Bay, Say, Day……….

I think she’s singing the alphabet but obviously she has confused the nasally sounds of a severe head-cold with sophisticated music and is now barely coherent.

Me: Ellie, do you know what a violin looks like?

Ellie: You put the thing under your chin and zee zee za za zee…there she was doing air violin with her outstretched chin and an imaginary bow waving back and forth.

Me: Okay, so let’s choose an instrument, just one instrument and get you signed up.

Also me: Hanna would you like to learn to play an instrument?

Hanna: No.

Ellie shouting with excitement: BONGOS!