Quotes of the Week

It seems like every day (or hour on some days) Lucie and Ryan say something that makes me smile, laugh, choke on my lunch, or even get misty-eyed. Their vocabulary is expanding rapidly, and so is their understanding of language. They are constantly surprising us with how much they listen, absorb, and file away to repeat back to us later.

Sometimes they take things quite literally. One night, Chris was having a tough time getting Lucie and Ryan calmed down and changed into their pj's. After repeated giggles and protests from Miss Lucie, Chris cried out in exasperation, "Come on, Lucie!" She immediately replied, "No, Daddy, we're NOT coming on!"

Often, they amaze us by how much they observe about the world around them. During a recent lunch, we were eating watermelon and talking about how much Chris and Ryan love it. Whenever we ask Ryan in the grocery store what he wants to buy, he'll yell out, "WA-TER-ME-LON!" He could eat an entire melon in one sitting. When Lucie showed only moderate interest in her watermelon slice, Chris tried to coax her with, "Watermelon is full of vitamins, Lucie!" "No, Daddy", she said, "It's full of seeds!"

Other times, they show incredible empathy and understanding. Last week I commented to Chris about how my throat felt sore. "I feel sick", I lamented. Immediately Ryan cried out from his high chair, "Daddy, get Mommy some Daddy juice!" Lucie and Ryan call juice from the pitcher in the fridge "Daddy juice" since Chris is the primary juice maker and consumer in our house. "Daddy juice" is a very special thing that cures all woes, both physical and emotional. I felt better after the first sip.

And, here's my favorite quote of the week. My good friend and college roommate, Megan, was in town with her family, including her adorable daughter, Kate, pictured here with R & L. We were fortunate to spend the day at the zoo with them. I explained to Lucie and Ryan that Megan was an old friend, and that we lived together before I lived with Daddy. "Did we live with you too, then?" Ryan asked me. Taken by surprise, I said, "You and Lucie have always lived with me, Rye-Rye." Because, in my heart, they always have.