Mama, when I’m a dog can I eat grass?

Mama, when I’m a bird can I eat seeds?

When I’m a plant can I be a flower?

When I’m an apple tree can I be the center of the apple tree?

When I’m a bike can I have wheels?

When I grow up can I be a light?

When I’m an apple tree girl, am I going to grow plants and cereal?

I was hamming around this afternoon and out of the blue, Rachel said, “If you weren’t my mommy I would still love you.”

We don’t need to talk about all the whining in the car this morning. Whooosh, all whooshed away by 10 golden words.

Conversation during dinner.

Rachel: Every time I want to say delicious I almost say disgusting by mistake, so I don’t say anything.

Me: Oh.

Hannah: Every time I want to say belicious, I say bisgusting, and I do……But then I need to say No, Thank you, so nobody gets huwt. And then I twy to eat it and my tummy doesn’t huwt anymore.

(Last night at dinner)

Rachel pokes at the chicken and asks, “Is this chicken still alive?”

I answer, “No.”

A few minutes later she asks me, “Do you think it hurts the chicken when we bite it?”

I answer, “No.”

Rachel says thoughtfully, “I think it does.”

As I was putting Hannah to sleep tonight she asked me, “Can you juggle?”

I looked at her and said, “No. Not really. Can you?”

“No,” she said.

“Who can juggle? Clowns?” I wondered out loud.

“And dinosaurs…” she added, thoughtfully.

Rachel (to me): Why do you love me?

Me: First of all, because you are my daughter. And also because you’re interesting, and fun, and you make me think…

Rachel: And I have a lot of good points?

Rachel: I think when mom grows up she’s going to be a teacher.

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Hannah: (as we were driving past an area we used to lived). When I lived here I was in Daddy’s tummy.

Rachel: How do teachers know how to teach?

Me: They go to school to learn.

Rachel: But who taught the first teacher?