Saturday, July 21, 2012

Imagination

Lily's imagination has been running wild lately. From the bear who lives under her bed and must be appeased nightly with strawberries to the complete set of miniature imaginary Barcrofts she keeps in her pocket (because who doesn't want a spare mom, an on-call cartoonist, an instant playmate, and a baby sister that one can take out and put away at will), she certainly keeps us entertained. Did I mention her pocket is sometimes imaginary too?

While antiquing with Noni in Waxahatchie, Lily struck up a conversation with a store owner. It was 108 in Waxahatchie that week, and the store owner did not have air conditioning in her shop. Lily told her it would be ok "'acause my friend the polar bear is driving his white pickup truck down from the north pole and bringing the cold air with him. He keeps a fan in the bed of his truck to blow the cold air with." We then all HAD to go sit on the bench outside to wait for Mr. Polar Bear to get there.

On our recent trip to New Mexico, Lily looked out the window at a field full of creatures that were clearly a bushes and said, "Mommy! Auntie Marnie! Look at the cows!!" We dutifully looked out all available windows, seeing nothing but rolling meadows filled with scrubby looking bushes. There was not a cow in sight. Puzzled, I said, "Lily. I don't see any cows. All I see is bushes." To which my daughter replied, shaking her little head sadly at my ignorance, "Mooooom! The bushes are attending (pretending) to be cows!"

During nap time yesterday, Lily's bed transformed into a magical train, which has a special route between our house and Sonic. Games like this get her in trouble, though. Sam's Club is NOT the only place she's tried to pay for real items with imaginary money and a smile. Alas, the Zoo attendants really won't let you pay for a train ride and duck food with imaginary quarters.

Lily's first cookies

...to bake, not eat. ;)

This afternoon, Lily and I decided to bake cookies. Lily is an excellent butter-unwrapper, measurer, oven-door-opener, and timer-setter. She is also an excellent sharer (with Daddy of course)!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Rescuing Daddy's Car

About a month ago, Eric's car broke down. It was a minor issue and has since been repaired, but it required Lily and I to rescue the car from "bad guys" in the Schlotzky's parking lot and ferry it to the car doctor at DJ's 5-Star Auto.

Mommy: we have to rescue Daddy's car.
Lily: From bad guys?
Mommy: Yep. From bad guys.
Lily: I'll get my sword! (pulls out imaginary sword)
Mommy: we need a different kind of tool to fight these bad guys. We need a tow rope instead of a sword.
Lily: ok! Let's get one.
(we drive to O'Reilly Auto Parts; Lily marches in and up to the counter)
Lily to the sales clerk: I need a tow rope.
Sales Clerk, peering over the tall counter to see Lily: What kind of tow rope do you need?
Lily: Well the kind that tows cars of course!

Lily's Piano Returns!!

After months in the piano hospital, our piano returned home today! Lily has already tested it and found it to be better than new.

How Lily prevents laundry folding...

Friday, July 13, 2012

But I have imaginary money!

While in Sam's Club yesterday, Lily asked, as usual, for a hot dog.

Mommy: I'm sorry Lily. We don't have money for a hot dog today.
Lily: But I have money!
Mommy: really?
Lily: Yes. See? It's imaginary money.
Mommy: that's nice honey, but Sam's Club doesn't accept imaginary money.
Lily: But Mr. Sam (meaning Sam Hansen from church) DOES accept real money!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Dinosaur Lily-isms

Older Lady in Walmart: Why, you are so pretty, you look just like a movie star!
Lily: I am NOT a movie star! I am a triceratops!

(While driving)
Mr. Jeremy, Daddy's grammar-Nazi friend: So, I heard you like dinosaurs. I like dinosaurs too. My favorite is the Brachiosaur.
Lily: Mr. Jeremy! It's not a Brachiosaur! It's a Brachiosaurus!
Mr. Jeremy: You are quite right quite right, Lily. I stand...er...sit corrected.

(Lily plays a game where she tells you what type of dinosaur she thinks you are. While on vacation last weekend, she met a childhood friend of her daddy's for the first time. He is ex-military and has a playful, macho personality)
Mommy: What kind of dinosaur is Mr. Dustin?
Mr. Dustin: Am I a T-Rex? (makes motions pretending to be a T-Rex)
Lily: No.
Kayla: I'm a T-Rex! A rompin' stompin' T-Rex!
Lily: (giggling) Yes!
Mommy: Is he a Velociraptor like Mommy?
Lily: (giggling as Dustin pretends to be a Velociraptor) No.
Mommy: is he an Ankylosaurus like Mr. Tomas?
Mr. Dustin: I always liked the Ankylosaurus!
Lily: Nope.
Mommy: Is he a Brachiosaurus like Mr. Jeremy?
Lily: No.
Marnie: is he a Triceratops?
Lily: No.
Kayla: Stegosaurus?
Lily: No.
Mommy: Is he a Pteranodon like Daddy?
Lily: (more giggles) No.
Marnie: Well, is he a dinosaur at all?
Lily: Yep!
(all adults think through mental episodes of Dinosaur Train, trying to come up with additional dinosaurs she would know)
Mommy: I've got it! Is he an Archaeopteryx?
Lily: YES!
Mr. Dustin: (looks confused, leans over to Mommy) What is an Archaeopteryx?
Mommy: (giggling) A small, feathered bird-like dinosaur with wings but is unable to fly.
Mr. Dustin: (visibly deflated) Oh.

(upon waking up in the morning)
Lily: I'm hungry like a Pteranodon, not a Triceratops.
Mommy: Really? What does that mean?
Lily: Triceratops eat leaves. Yuck. Leaves are not good for me. Pteranodons eat fish. I like fish...GOLDfish. (grins and looks hopeful)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

First Ballet Lesson

It was a little rocky toward the end, but Lily had a great time at her first "ballerina lesson" this afternoon.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Two Cute Cows

Lily & Nathan at our recent MOPs (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) Fundraiser at Chick Fil A.

(Thanks Andrea for the awesome paint job!)

I'll Get You With My Sword!

Lily recently attended her very first movie in the theaters: Brave.

All in all, It was a great experience! She got candy, a drink, a Mexican dinner at El Chico beforehand, and a booster seat between Mommy and Daddy (which she did sit in from our arrival to about a little over halfway through the movie). We all LOVED the movie but we did have a little bit of trouble during the climax when the two bears are fighting and Lily stood up in her seat, pulled out her trusty imaginary sword and yelled, "No, No, Bad Bear! I'll get you! I'll get you with my sword!"

Monday, July 2, 2012

Through the monitor...

30 minutes after bedtime, through the baby monitor:

Lily: Ahhhhhh! The bad guys! The bad guys! The bad guys are all killing me! ::pause for listening to the stairs::
Mommy! Daddy! I need to be saved!!

Mommy to Daddy: are you going to save her or shall I?

(Daddy stomps up the stairs, bounds into the room. Sounds of swashbuckling and dying bad guys float through the monitor; Daddy stomps back down stairs)

Lily through the monitor: Daddy there's something I have to tell you! Daddy!

(Daddy stomps back upstairs)

Lily through the monitor: I like your shirt.