Nia: "My Christmas tree is almost done. I'm just stringing on the garlic."

Posted by Shep 12/18/2008 11:11:55 PM

Nia: "I want a puppy. A real one. Nonfiction."

Posted by Shep 12/1/2008 8:49:49 PM

Shep and Nia, playing Monopoly:
Shep: "I'm going to have to start selling houses"
Nia: "You know you're killing families"

Posted by Shep 11/15/2008 7:50:05 PM

While looking for Betsy's missing keys:
Betsy: "Arrg!"
Justin: "Mommy, are you being a pirate?"

Posted by Shep 11/1/2008 7:32:49 PM

Nia, playing the card game War: "You're out of cards, Mommy. Now you need to go to your disco pile."

Posted by Betsy 9/28/2008 1:06:41 PM

Sophie: "That movie scared me."
Shep: "What part of it scared you?"
Sophie: "The scary part."

Posted by Betsy 9/1/2008 5:58:57 PM

While eating dinner at the end of a pier in Ocean City, Nia watched the drama unfold as seagulls jockeyed to maintain their territory:

Posted by Shep 8/22/2008 11:29:02 AM

At the beach in Ocean City:

Posted by Shep 8/22/2008 11:23:41 AM

Shep is driving and trying to talk to Betsy.

Posted by Shep 7/27/2008 3:59:07 PM

[Classic quote]
When Betsy was cooking and breaking eggs into a bowl:
Nia: "Can I hatch one?"

Posted by Shep 7/19/2008 5:00:21 AM

Nia hears the telltale sounds of a movie starting on HBO in the next room.
Nia: "What's this?"
Shep: "Brief nudity, adult language, and adult content. Out! Out! Out!"

Posted by Shep 7/18/2008 6:14:03 AM

Sophie was asking Nia to draw on a piece of paper.
Sophie: "Over there, where the curlicues are."
Nia: "Those aren't curlicues. That's the curse writing."

Posted by Shep 7/17/2008 7:14:42 AM

Betsy: "You have hair like mine. It doesn't grow as fast as Sophie's."
Nia: "Yeah. Yours used to grow fast, but it just got tired."

Posted by Shep 7/16/2008 9:51:38 AM

Sophie made a picture for Betsy.
Sophie: "You can look now but you have to close your eyes."

Posted by Shep 7/9/2008 10:42:45 AM

While watching Olympic gymnastics trials:
Nia: "How did she get so good?"
Betsy: "She's been practicing for a long time."
Nia: "How long?"
Betsy: "Since she was your age."
Nia: "So if I start from now, she'll be dead and I'll be the best in the world."

Posted by Shep 7/6/2008 9:46:03 AM

Betsy: "You're getting a little soggy."
Justin: "No. Not soggy. I wet."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:20:33 PM

[Watching Harry Potter]
Nia: "Is Lord Baltimore in there?"

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:20:06 PM

[When Shep showed Nia Pac Man on the Atari 2600]
Nia: "I'm never ever playing this again... Seriously."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:19:06 PM

[As we drive by a development]
Nia: "It's a city of same houses. How can you tell which is yours?"

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:18:14 PM

[Scolding Justin for harassing Sophie]
Betsy: "Let her be."
Justin, looking around: "Letter B?"

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:17:26 PM

[While playing the Wii, having twisted her body so she is hanging upside down off the couch]
Sophie: "Help, I can't get the right monkey mango."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:16:34 PM

Justin: "Pretzel."
Sidney: "You want a pretzel? What's the magic word?"
Justin: "Umm... PRETZEL."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:15:48 PM

[Looking at Darth Maul]
Sophie: "He got his face painted."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:15:05 PM

Betsy: "Do you want apple juice or orange juice?"
Justin: "Apple juice." (Turns sympathetically to pat the other jug.) "Sorry, orange juice."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:14:22 PM

Betsy: "What do you want for dinner?"
Sophie: "Spaghetti and meatballs, but no meatballs and no sauce."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:13:19 PM

Sophie: "I need to go."
Nia: "Well, I need to go badly."
Sophie: "I need to go the badliest."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:12:36 PM

Nia wanted to name a bunny in our yard Carrots, Sophie chose Rainbow, and Justin voted for Trains. The compromise name: Carrots-over-the-rainbow-trains.

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:11:47 PM

Recipe for Sophie's pretend soup: 2 strawberries, 2 slices pizza, green beans, and a checker.

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:09:24 PM

Betsy: "I don't think Nana needs any Polly Pockets."
Nia: "Yes, she does. She doesn't have ANY."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:08:55 PM

[Justin raised his legs to let Sophie into the car]
Justin: "I did it. I Sophie a tunnel."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:08:19 PM

Betsy: "Who made this mess?"
Nia: "I didn't."
Sophie: "Not me."
Betsy: "Well, I guess we have our candidate."
Nia: "Yup, the little marauder."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:07:15 PM

Betsy to Sophie (who is discovered cleaning a dropped snack in a sink full of suds): "Sophie, you can't wash cheese."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:06:29 PM

Betsy: "Where are the noodles?"
Sophie: "In my tummy!"
Betsy: "You ate both bowls?"
Sophie: "I didn't eat the bowls!"

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:05:20 PM

Nia, annoyed about being punished: "I don't love you and I'll never draw you a picture again."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:03:45 PM

Shep: "Don't push your brother into the pool."
Sophie: "I wasn't, I was just going to help him jump."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:02:49 PM

[At the Zoo in the monkey house]
Justin: "ooh ooh ah ah" (waving arms and running back and forth)

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:01:20 PM

[Betsy hears noises in the kitchen at the fridge]
Justin: (crunching sounds) "Uh oh... egg."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 5:00:19 PM

Sophie: "Look, a pink flower."
Betsy: "Its a peony."
Sophie: "Panties?"

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 4:59:44 PM

When Nia found a dandelion: "It's the perfect gift for Sophie. A weed."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 11:33:03 AM

[Nia is always scavenging stuff for her crafts.]
Me: "The wireless connection on the laptop might be broken."
Nia: "Really? Can I have it for my crafts?"

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 11:29:08 AM

Sophie: "Can I have a paper towel?"
Betsy: "Why?"
Sophie: "I need to dry my sponge."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 11:25:44 AM

Sophie, crying: "Nia called me a name."
Me: "What did she call you?"
Sophie: "Charlie."
Me: "What did she say?"
Sophie: "Sorry, Charlie."

Posted by Shep 6/26/2008 11:24:46 AM