Wishing on a cranberry

During the Thanksgiving dinner I was trying to make up a story so that kids would it something other than just sweets. So, I made up a story about a magic cranberry in the stuffing, so whoever finds it might get a wish granted.
Fedya: I already told all my wishes to Santa, so I do not need a magic cranberry, just to wait till New Year.
Nastya: I want to make the same wish as Gwenchik plus a dress
Gwen: I am not sure if it would work, but my wish is that mom would have to listen to me not the other way around. I want to make all the decisions around here.

Find a prince

We were driving to a friends house this weekend and picked up a friend of mine, a single mother of one of Gwenchik's girlfriends on the way.
Gwen: Where is Lina?
Stacey: She is with Daddy this weekend.
Gwen: Why doesn't Daddy live with you?
Stacey: Oh, we had a fight, you know just like you have sometimes with your friends.
Gwen: Yes, then make up and still play together.
Stacey: Yes, but we moved far away and now he has found another princess.
Gwen: Oh, so you need to find a prince as well. You should put on a ball gown, go to the ball and tell everyone that you are looking for a prince!
....

Funny, as Stacey was going to a party later that evening :)

Candy Monster

Gwenchik came home from preK.
Gwen: Can I have a candy?
Me: Do you know the answer to that question?
Gwen: yes, I know that the answer is NO, but I am very convincing at compromising, right? And I really want a candy, so I was sure that I can easily persuade you...

Parents know everything

From Volodya, father of Gwen's playmate Fedya.
While hiking in the forest, the kids ran off, climbed onto huge boulders, and Fedya almost fell off one. Volodya helped him down, and told Fedya off for not listening the first time.
Gwen: Fedya, you need to listen to mama and papa, because they know everything.
Fedya: Well, not everything... there are some things that they don't know about.
Gwen: Maybe not everything, but naughtiness and foolishness they know everything about.
Fedya agreed.

Bed sharing

We were planning to go to Cape Cod for the long weekend with several families. Gwenchik heard me counting people and number of bedrooms to see how we will all fit in the house.

Gwen: Oh, Kolya is coming. Where will he sleep?
Me: In the second floor bedroom, there are two beds, so you and Kolya will share a room.
Gwen: He can sleep in my bed, than Nika can sleep in the other one.
Me: No sweety, you and Kolya will sleep in separate beds, and Nika will sleep with her parents.
Gwen: Why? You and dad sleep together.
Me: Yes, because we are married.
Gwen: So I have to wait until I get married? What if Kolya moves to another city?

Missing grandparents

From a conversation with my parents, who are in Moscow right now.
Gwen: When are you coming back to visit again?
Parents: We have a lot of things to do here, so as soon as we are done, we'll come over.
Gwen: Why don't I come and help you quickly with all those things, then you'll be here much quicker. Should I come over now?

Trappings of princehood

From George:
We were driving to day care one morning, and I was telling Gwenchik a story about knights and king Arthur, when she interrupted.
Gwen: Did you know that Lesha has a sword? And a shield. Lesha is my prince.
George: Really?
Gwen: He also has armor. And a pirate hat. That is why he is my prince.
George: Doesn't Fedya also have a sword and a pirate hat?
Gwen: Yes, he does. But he is not my prince. He is my friend, but not my prince.
George: And what about Kolya and Shane? Do they have swords and armor?
Gwen: No, they don't. They can be the guards outside the walls of my castle.

Endless presents

Since we got so many presents for Gwenchik's birthday, we agreed that we store them upstairs and she get to pick one present a week. It turned out more like one present a day. SO this morning, she wanted to open another present and I cautioned her and soon there will not be any presents left....

Gwen: There are still several on the couch upstairs.
Me: Yes, but that is it.
Gwen: Not really. You forgot that soon we will have Halloween, and I would walk around with a huge bucket, and get so many candies and then we will pile them up with the rest of the presents and that should last me till the next holiday.

Adorable

Gwenchik is just adorable regular self lately. And her main concern is when will she see Kolya again. We met at a friend's house on Monday and she is still talking about him a week later :)

Leaf adventure

Gwenchik nowadays gets a lot of homework: from English preK and Russian classes, and by the time she gets home she is really too tired to do anything. So, mostly we try to do everything on the weekend. But the English homework is given during the week, so normally we have to scramble to do it.

The last assignment was to collect leaves in different shapes and color! Oh, what an adventure. We got our flashlights and warm jacket,s and went wondering the streets. Even though you can easily see most of the leaves because of the street lights, Gwenchik played detective, scowering the sidewalk, than pointing her little flash light:

Gwen: Mom, look at this one. We would have missed it if it was not for my magic light.

How I long for the times of my life that needed magic for everyday use.

Work and money

On the way to the doctor's office, we were discussing work.
Gwen: Does 'work' go home to her kids in the evenings?
Me: No, work is really a building, were many people do important things then get paid and go home...
Gwen: Do they get paid coins or paper money
Me: Paper money
Gwen: I do not like paper money, as it doesn't fit into my piggy bank.

Banana boat

From George
Gwenchik is very imaginative and creative. On the way to day care she got a banana, but wasn't interested in eating it.
Gwen: This is a boat. A boat that can sail through water and air.
George: How does it sail through air?
Gwenchik: I wave my magic wand, and the birds come from all around, and I tie the banana-boat to them and that is how is sails.

Wish to rule them all

We are trying to teach Gwenchik to keep her room clean and are considering introducing a point system. So, we were discussing it with Gwenchik this evening.
Me: If you keep you room clean, you'll accumulate points. And when you get enough points, we will make one of your wishes come true. A reasonable wish.
Gwen: Great! just for keeping my room clean, right?
Me: Yes.
Gwen: You when I get enough points, which will probably take a long time... but then I will get my wish
Me: What do you think you first wish would be?
Gwen: That I make decisions for a day. That way, I will get many, many wishes!

Duck-Rabbit

Gwenchik normally sleeps with her favorite Duck. Tonight, while crawling into bed and goofing around,
Gwen: Where is my Rabbit?
Me: You do not have a Rabbit
Gwen: Of course I do, it is my Duck
Me: Why would you call you Duck a Rabbit?
Gwen: Well, you call me Rabbit (Zaychik in Russian) all the time, and I am really not a rabbit, right? So I call my Duck a Rabbit too...

Birthday party

We had an absolutely wonderful birthday party, as the weather cooperated, almost all the kids showed up (24!) and our castle and dragon withstood the wind and the lashings from the toy swords. We got to find the magic key, looked for gold coins and begged the pirate to spill his secrets.
.....
This morning she had a princess ring on each of her fingers (with lip gloss) and requested to take a cake to the day care.
Gwen: Mom, I am four! So now I can wear all my jewelry at once.
Me: It is ok, but remember, that you have to share.
Gwen: I am bringing a cake so that they can all celebrate my birthday. It would be again so much fun, even without the presents! They get the cake, they do not need my rings, right?

One and only

Gwenchik wakes up this morning, to check first thing if TODAY is her birthday.
Gwen: It is today, right?
Me: No, it is in 6 days
Gwen: But remember, I get to decided everything, except when to go to sleep, right?
Me: Right
Gwen: You are my one and only favorite MOM!

Know your favorites

This morning I came down to wake Gwenchik.
Me: How did you sleep? Did you have any interesting dreams?
Gwen: Oh yes. There was a horse with large wings.
Me:?
Gwen: You were flying on this horse to save me. And it was red, your favorite color; and it had a mini piglet on the side as well--your favorite animal

Kissing

Gwenchik saw us kissing and wondered why other parents kiss their kids on the lips and we do not.
Me: When you grow up and marry, you can kiss your husband on the lips.
Gwen: I only want to marry Daddy! And you said that I can't, because he will have to go to prison. And it is so hard to find a husband.
Me: Do not worry about it now, it is a bit early for that.
Gwen: You know, I do not need a husband. I'll just live with Lina or Jasmin or Nastya (her girlfriends) and we would have a daughter and can kiss anyway we like!

First day at day care bargain

Today was the first day at a new English only day care. Gwenchik dressed up and, with her new lunch box in hand, marched to the playground tagging me along. She refused to let go of my hand, though there was her favorite boy Lesha at the playground, that she know really well.
Me: Gwenchik, I need to leave for work.
Gwen: No, I do not want you to go.
Me: You know, if everything works well today at day care I will try make one of your reasonable wishes come true.  (I thought, probably ice-cream and such)
Gwen (easily letting go of my hand): Well, I will get to sleep in my dress! Any dress I choose tonight!

Fairy dust

We stopped by Christmas Tree shop, and Gwenchik begged to buy her a set of fairy wings. As soon as we paid, she put them on.
Gwen: I want to fly, but I can't.
Me: Try jumping and flapping your hands
Gwen: Mom, you can't really fly like that, dont you know it? I need a magic wand and fairy dust. Where can I get some magic dust?
.....
When people stopped on the street and told her what a pretty fairy she was, she replied that these are just toy wings, why can't they see it.