Uncle's day

Today we were discussing the upcoming Mother's Day with Gwenchik and that we will make together presents for both grandmothers.
Gwen: What about Papa?
Me: In a few weeks we will have Papa's day too.
Gwen: Hmmm... What about uncle's day? You know, I have a lot of uncles and I have to start making presents for all of them now

Point, counterpoint

From George
Gwen: (Happily) When I get older, I'll be able to do anything I want!
(Pause)
Gwen: (Sadly) But when I get older, you and Mama are going to die.

I reassure her that Mama and I are going to be around a long time, and we'll even be around when she has daughters of her own.

Gwen: (Happily) When I get older, I'll have many, many daughters!
Me: How many?
Gwen: (Happily) One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, thirteen, sixteen, thirteen, fourteen, eighteen, nineteen!
(Pause)
Gwen: (Sadly) But sometimes they won't do what I want.

Smarter

From George
Gwyneth is taking a doll to day care with her.
Gwen: Papa, my baby wants to hear a story, please.
Me: What a polite baby!
Gwen: Yes she is.
Me: Does your baby want a Russian or an English story?
Gwen: Either one, she understands Russian and English.
Me: What a smart baby!
Gwen: Yes she is. But I'm even smarter. I can take off my pajama top and my pajama bottom all by myself, and put them under the pillow.

Sick

Gwenchik really wants to stay at home with her grandparents. So every morning for the last several days she says that she is sick.
Me: What hurts?
Gwen: My toes, my legs, my arms, my stomach, my head and my hair!

Moon

From Veronika
Veronika: Where are we going?
Gwen: The moon. (thinking) No we can't go to the moon in this car.
Veronika: I agree, but why?
Gwen: Car needs the road. The moon is up there.
Veronika: So how can we get to the moon?
Gwen (excited): Need an airplane!

Beautiful

From Veronika
Gwenchik (out of the blue): "I want to be very beautiful"
Veronika: Oh. Good.
Gwen: Unfortunately, it is a lot of work.
Veronika:?
Gwen: One needs a dress, shoes.One needs to be like a princess.
Veronika: You can be like a princess with any dress and any shoes.
Gwen: Really?

Kindness

I have been quite sick for the last several days with a fever running around 102.5, so Gwenchik was not really allowed near me for the fear of her catching the virus. So runs upstairs, covers me with her blue favorite cap and says:
Gwen: Mom, it will help. It will make you feel better! Don't you think that I am so kind?
Then runs downstairs.
......
Next day she drew me a lovely get well card :)

Continue with the Snake theme

We agreed that Gwenchik will not talk about snakes, point them out or draw my attention to them in any shape.15 minute repetitive chant

Gwen: Mommy is afraid of something, but I am not going to tell.
Me: Gwenchik, I thought we agreed not to mention you-know-who
Gwen: I do not, I just sing a song without mentioning snakes

Snake

At home I speak Russian with Gwenchik and George speaks English. Recently, Gwenchik discovered that I am morbidly afraid of snakes, which absolutely fascinates her. So every now and than she would begin discussion on the subject of my fear of snakes and we agreed that we will not talk about you-know-what

Gwen: Papa, I have a secret about mama, and I will whisper so that she would not know. Mama is afraid of .....
than she terns to me and asks
Gwen: Mama, how is you-know-what we do not talk about in English?
Me: Snake
Gwen: Papa, she is afraid of snakes!!!!! But do not say the word out loud otherwise she is afraid!

Cat

We have two cats: Riska, the thin one, and Burka, the fat one. Burka is always looking for more food. And as any cat sometimes they do throw up. I come down to the kitchen, and Burka is meowing and meowing and meowing.
Me: Did you feed Burka?
Gwen: Yes we did
Me: Why is she meowing then?
Gwen: She wants more so that she can throw up

Choices

From Grandfather
Gwenchik is organizing her newly arrived grandparents into a game:
Gwen: I will be mom, and you, grandpa, will be dad. My toy duck will be the baby. Now we can do anything we want, but he doesn't have choice.

After this, she started to force the duck to go to sleep. I guess, she doesn't like to go to sleep.

Bible reading

Gwenchik is sick so we are staying at home. She woke up and started 'reading' (telling stories from the pictures) from the children's bible. She is looking at the pictures about Noah.
Gwen: He got many animals and stuck them on a small boat
Me: Why?
Gwen: So they will not be wet. Cats really do not like to be wet

Clean up

We were sitting on the sofa in Gwenchik's room, which is covered with books, toys and clothes.
Me: After we eat, let's clean up this mess.
Gwen: Do not want to.
Me: You know, princesses always live in clean castles
Gwen: First of all, I am not a princess. I am queen-mother and they always have someone else to clean. Do you want to be my cleaning helper? Second, we do not have to do it today, because it will be messy again tomorrow.

Sharing the love

Gwen: Mom, I love you so much! You can have my half!
Me: Who will have the other half
Gwen: You too
Me: What about Dad?
Gwen: Ok, Dad can have another half, but than I have to give something to my grandmother and grandfather and all the uncles. And there are no more halves left.
Me: Are there more than two halves?
Gwen: Silly mom. There are only two halves. But I will give you a leg, and other to papa, right arm to grandmother, left one to grandfather.....

Scary tiger

We went to a company organized function for the 8th of March, that included F1 racing for grown ups and clowns, caricatures and face painting for kids. Most of the kids rushed to the 'kid activity room', but not my daughter. Gwenchik spent half a hour staring on the racing tracks, we were only able to get her out, after George did his round and she decided to run a look for him (separate room where kids were not allowed).
....

Then we did stand in a long line of girls to get her face painted. Most girls wold get a small flower on their cheeks or a tiny unicorn. Gwenchiks turn:
Gwen: I want a fierce, scary tiger
Face painter: Not a flower?
Gwen: If not fierce, that for sure a very very scary tiger!!!
So she got a full face paint, looked unbelievably adorable and ran around roaring like a fierce tiger she was. She was the only girl in a cute dress with a full face orange with black stripes tiger and got a lot of attention!

...
There is a huge stuffed lion in her room. Gwenchik begged to go to sleep with the face paint. In the morning, we hear:
Gwen: RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Papa, mama, come over and save the poor lion from a fierce tiger. RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Presents

Lately, we have been having conversation about presents, and that Gwenchik shouldn't necessarily have the same thing as a would be present for herself.

Gwen: Papa, when I grow up I will buy you a real horse!
George: Thank you.
Gwen: Then you will be able to pull my princess carriage to the ball.

Birthday presents

From Veronika
Gwen: My Mom is having her birthday very soon.
V: Oh Great. Let's have a nice party. How old is she?
Gwen: 35 years old (I am younger than that)
V: How old are you?
Gwen: 3.5 years old, but Dodik is even older. He has a very old car. I will get him a new car for his birthday. A new car for Dodik and a new crown for Mom.

Ballet

We were watching Russian Swan Lake ballet on dvd.
Gwen: The prince is strange.
Me: ??
Gwen: He has no pants and a big butt. So is he the real prince?
Me: Yes, it is a ballet, so that is why he is dressed that way, so it will be easier to dance.
Gwen: But the princess has a beautiful dress, so she doesn't need special clothes to dance. Is that because she is a swan, and he is just human?

It is OK to be second...

From George
Usually, when we come home we race from the car to the entrance door. Somehow, Gwenchik always gets there first, triumphantly.
Gwen: I'm first, I'm first!
Me: Yes, you are. You're always first. I'm second.
Gwen, consolingly: It's OK to be second.
Me: What if next time I'm first, and you're second?
Gwen: Then I will cry!
Me: But isn't it OK to be second?
Gwen: It's OK for YOU to be second!

Candy bribe

Gwenchik came back from the childcare clutching two large candies wrapped in coloful foil. She asked both of us which one she should choose, to determine which one is better to eat after dinner.
Me: The other candy I will put away for tomorrow.
Gwen: No, the other candy is for Santa Clause.
Me:??
Gwen: He will really like this wrapped candy and will bring me TWO presents!!!
Me: You will have to wait for a long time...
Gwen: Mom, for this candy he'll come sooner :)