Quinn: Tie me up!

Daddy: Quinn, don’t say that.

Quinn: Then…tie me up good!

****

Quinn: When I get a new kidney I will not be scared.

Gage: Well, you have to go on dialysis first.

Me: Well, Gage, not necessarily. We just couldn’t get you a new kidney fast enough, so you needed dialysis. Quinn might get her kidney before she needs dialysis.

Quinn: I don’t want a catheter like Gage because it marked him up.

Gage: But Quinn, dialysis is fun! You get to watch movies…play games…and watch movies…and do nothing!

****

Me: Julian, I think I am ready for a new wedding ring.

Julian: But your ring is a symbol of our love.

Me: Our love has grown and changed.

Julian: You got me there.

****

Me: Gage, please don’t do that to Quinn.

Gage: All I am doing is bothering her. Jeez.

****

(Gage started to work on a 1st grade workbook leftover from last year)

Gage: This is easy.

Me: See, Gage? Do you remember when I told you that you are learning all the time? Last year you didn’t even know how to do anything in this book and now you do!

Gage: I know.

Long pause

Gage: I know what I know Mommy.

****

Gage: Mommy, I think Santa is a character.

Me: Well, that’s true Gage. A long time ago there was a nice man named Saint Nicolas, and they called him Santa, and so now we just like to carry on the nice thoughts about St. Nick, so that is why we still talk about Santa and act like Santa is real. It’s fun to believe!

Gage: Well I don’t believe in Santa I think.

Me: That’s okay. But it is still okay to believe if you want to.

Gage: I don’t think I believe.

Me: Okay.

Gage: But I don’t understand how he comes in through the chimney. It is just a little hole and he is big.

****

Quinn: I wish we could be Hanukkahs. Because I like the chocolate dreidels.

****

Gage: School was fun today. We cleaned.

****

On the way to see Santa at the mall as Quinn is getting in the car.

Quinn: My toes are crumpled in these shoes.

Me: Well Quinn, why didn’t you tell me? You could have worn something else.

Quinn: You made me wear them.

****

Me: You guys, can you believe you have a whole two weeks off of school?

Quinn: Yeah I know. Today, Mrs. Teacher said “I really need a break from school.”

****

Julian was making Gage read to him, as we do each night, and Gage was getting frustrated with it because, well, that’s what Gage does.

Julian: You can go to bed or argue with me.

Gage: Well, I pick argue then.

Obviously, Julian meant to say “Go to bed if you are going to argue with me.” But as Gage does with most things he hears, he will get you on the technicality.

****

Merry Christmas, if you celebrate it. Happy time off is that is what happens for you. And Happy New Year.