Stop time

From George
While putting Gwen to bed:
George: Look at the clock. See, we only have fifteen minutes for you to finish, brush your teeth, get changed, and get in bed, so if you want your story, you'll have to hurry.
Gwen: Papa, why don't we break the clock? Then we'll have all the time we want.

Lucky

From George
When coming to meet Gwen on Cape Cod, I drove in after dinner. Gwen ran over, jumped on me, hugged me....

Gwen: Papa, you're so lucky! We're already done with dinner, so you get to have dessert without eating real food first!

Chocolate

Just got back from Cape Cod, where Gwenchik spent the last month with my parents playing in the ocean, running in the sun and riding a pony. When I walked through the doors to pick her up (have not seen her for almost three weeks), she ran to me and wouldn't let go for a day. And the first comparison she did sitting on my lap and looking at my pale arms:

Gwen: Mom, you really have to lie in the sun for days and days to match my chocolate tan.
Me: I should, but I only have two days.
Gwen: Well, then you would have to spend all of two days on the beach and you might get to caramel. Of course, that is not chocolate, but you'll live.

Fable influence

On the way to a friends house while driving in the rain, Gwenchik said that she rally wanted a car with a sliding roof opening.

Me: Why?
Gwen: So that I can open my mouth and drink rain water while still in the car
Me: When you grow up and if you study well, you'll have a job that pays you lot of money and will be able to buy any car you want.
Gwen: Yes, but if I study well and have that job, that would mean I'll be rich, right?
Me: Well yes.
Gwen: I do not want to be rich, because Robin Hood will come and take it all away.
Me: You know this is a fable, and all of this happen long, long time ago.
Gwen: But in the forest....

Secret plan

In the evening, grandma is reading Gwenchik a book, but it is really late and it is time to go to bed.

Gwen: Mom, can't wait till tomorrow to find out the ending!
Me: Don't you want to read it yourself? You wake up really early in the morning and can do that, right?
Gwen: No, do not want to. Could grandma please, please read till the end?
Me: Ok, but what would happen when grandma returns back to Moscow?
Gwen: Well, I though and though about this and I still have time to come up with a plan to keep her here reading to me. I need a secret plan...

The eternal question

From George

Gwen: Whom do you love more mommy or me?
George: Both equally.
Gwen: Yes, but between the two of us, whom do you really love more?
George: Mommy.
Gwen: Well, than no one really loves me, right
George: I love mommy as my wife, and you as my daughter

... the later seemed to ease the suffering just a bit.

Daily recap

Lately Gwenchik have been having some discipline problems at daycare. So, now every morning we talk about how to behave during the day and then in the evening talk about how the day actually went.

Me: How was your day today?
Gwen: Sorry, forgot to keep my promise and didn't listen to the teacher.
Me: Do you remember why?
Gwen: Not really. What I do remember, was that after the nap, you know, when I got to rest and think about my behavior, I was really golden!

Ballerina 101

Just came back from Boston Ballet where Gwenchik watched the 'Three masterpieces', a somewhat contemporary dances and surprisingly enough she enjoyed them and managed to stay for all three. During the intermission:

Me: Do you like it?
Gwen: Oh yes, even thought the dresses are funny and they jump a lot. I can jump too, so can I be a ballerina? I just need to learn to stand on one leg and spin, spin, spin

Comb for hire

From George
This morning, I found a new comb on Gwyneth's bookcase.
Gwen: This is my new comb. My Grandmother gave it to me, as a gift. That means that it is mine. And if you, or anyone, want to use it to comb my hair, you need to give me ... three cents. No, pennies. Better be two dollars.

The softest thing in the world

From George
While putting Gwenchik to bed:
Gwen: Do you know what the softest thing in the world is?
George: Your pillow?
Gwen: No, the sky. It's the sun's pillow, and the sun's blanket. When the sun goes to bed, the sky is what it sleeps on. Do you know when the sun gets all long and orange, just before night?
George: You mean at sunset?
Gwen: Yes. The sun gets all long because it's lying down to go to bed. And the sky is its blanket and its pillow.

Pleasant surprise

After coming back from a walk
Gwen: Mom, I was so good! I was just great!
Me: I am happy to hear that.
Gwen: You do not understand, I was better than great. Papa though that I would be behaving ok, and I really, really surprised him, as I behaved better, greater all around.

Unique

We were driving in a car and Gwenchik was behaving really well.
Me: You are golden! Our treasure
Gwen: There is a lot of gold and treasures, but I am one and only

Sweet profits

I was making jam out of strawberries and Gwenchik was helping me by washing berries, measuring sugar and stirring the pot. When the jam was ready, looking it over she exclaimed

Gwen: Mom, this looks like real jam from a glass jar! You know now we can sell ours!
Me: Yes, that is a great idea, but who would we sell it to?
Gwen: Papa?

Mindreader

I was frying sausages in the kitchen, when Gwenchik and George returned from day care.
Gwen: Papa look! We just talked about fried sausages in the car on the way home and mom is already making them!

So to score some points, I said that, as mom I have a special ability to hear what they were discussing in the car, sort of like a mind reader, even though I was at home.

Gwen: Hmmm... Ok, then. I will walk off into another room and talk to dad, and if you really can read minds, than you would easily know what we would be talking about, right? And I think you really can't read minds, and will only believe you when we do our experiment.

And she was off to her room... So how do you get out of this one, I ask you?

Conservation of vegetables

From George
We sometimes have problems getting Gwenchik to eat the vegetables we give her for lunch at day care. One evening at dinner, Gwenchik asked for more homemade sauerkraut.
Gwen: I like sauerkraut so much!
George: But you don't eat it when we give it to you for lunch at day care.
Gwen: That is because if I eat it during the day, then I won't have enough to eat at home.

Party circuit

From George
Friday, while driving back from her great grandfather birthday party...
Gwen: Poor me. Don't you feel bad on my behalf?
George: Why?
Gwen: I went to one birthday party tonight, I have Kolya's tomorrow and than Nica's on Sunday! So many parties, so many cakes -- it is hard.

First ride on the T

The wonder, the pure joy of riding the T for the first time!!! Gwenchik was really looking forward to the first T ride and asked all sort of questions, like what is the difference between a train and a tram; why the trains run on rails; if we are really underground, how can we breathe and why there are lamps everywhere; what happens if the train misses the rails?

And than she was triumphantly standing in the middle of the moving car, spreading her legs and arms trying to keep her balance and smiling her 100 Watts smile... and the entire train was smiling by the end of out trip at her pure delight.

Grandpa moon connection

Our grandparents are coming to visit, and Gwenchik is starting to plan as to what fun things she'll be doing with them. Last year they spent some time on the Cape, where she learned how to swim with her grandfather.
Gwen: Mom, now that I can dive in the swimming pool, do you think I would be able to do the same on the Cape?
Me: Of course.
Gwen: Yes, but it is really shallow there. We really need my grandpa, as he knows all about the moon sucking in the water to get nice sand beaches with crabs.Than he will know when the moon lets the water out.

The joy of reading

We have had a pretty eventful day today: class in the morning, than modern ballet, than a wonderful party... so we are driving home, and Gwenchik is exhausted.
Gwen: Mom, I am really tired today, as it was really busy.
Me: And you did really well. I am very proud that you managed to enjoy the day without any hysterics.
Gwen: So to continue to be great, how about I finish reading this story while we are driving and than I get to watch a cartoon of my choice? Of course, tomorrow, and only while the guests are out, as I am really tired today.
Me: That's a deal! But the whole story? (pretty long poem by Pushkin)
Gwen: You know, I am actually starting to enjoy reading, it just takes so long to get to the end... we need to get me new books, so that I do not know the end. This way, all I would do is read! And than you will be able to sleep in the mornings!

..........

Ah, music to my ears. The joy of reading, remembering the rules about watching cartoons -- so all these minor struggles are not for nothing :)

Mother January

From George
We gave Gwenchik a cat calendar.
A few minutes later, we hear her saying to herself:
"Once upon a time there was a Mommy cat, named January, and she had a daughter cat, February..."