Nellisms, Vol. 8

Nell: "Mommy, can you say something to me?"
Me: "What do you want me to say?"
Nell: "I want you to say something presentable."

It's been a long time since I've done a post of Nell quotes, so some of these are from quite a while ago.  But here we go... a few particularly "presentable" conversations that have happened in our family in recent months:

* * *

Playing on the piano one day:
High notes - "This is Mozart!"
Low notes - "This is Bach!"

* * *

Pretending to play an air violin:
"I have to practice this piece.  It's a really hard piece.  You have to wiggle all your fingers at the same time.  It's a really finger-wiggling piece.  You have to practice it two times every day."

* * *

"If you practice really hard on your violin every day then you can be a doctor.  But if you don't then you can't be a doctor."

* * *

Practicing her violin one day:
"I just am done playing and my brain doesn't have any more music in it today."



Wobbling her head around: "I'm being a wild wild wild girl!"

* * *

She enjoys all types of weather with equal enthusiasm:
"It's such a nice rainy day out!  It's so nice out!  I love this rainy day!" //  "Isn't it delightful out today?  It's so warm and sunny!"

* * *

Upon hearing a song about a Christmas party on the radio back in December:
Nell: "Christmas potty?"
Me: "Christmas party!"
Nell: "Oh.  But is there a Christmas potty at the Christmas party?"

* * *

"When I'm grown up, next Halloween when I'm really big like probably fourteen, I'm going to make a costume and be a real mermaid."

* * *

Very sadly one night at bedtime:
"I'm just so scared because I don't have my beautiful Daddy with me right now!"

* * *

Crying out in her sleep, clearly having a nightmare about The Nutcracker (a borderline obsession of hers):
"The mice!  No, no, the mice! The mice!"
(I kind of love it that her scariest dream has been about a ballet.)

* * *

Me: "I'm going to come play with you guys in the family room in a minute."
Nell: "Mamas don't play.  They wash dishes."



After telling me she was afraid of a fly:
Me: "You don't need to be afraid of a fly; the fly is probably more afraid of you because it's so little and you're so big compared to that fly!"
Nell (crying): "The fly doesn't like me because I'm big but... but... I like me being big!"

* * *

Nell: "I read a book today with Aunt Hannah!"
Me: "What book?  What was it about?"
Nell: "It was about... like... a girl... and such and such."

* * *

"I wemember because I have a weally good wemembewy."

* * *

At bedtime:
Nell: "Oh no! I won't be able to dream tonight!"
Me: "Why not?"
Nell: "Because I don't have 'dreamer' on, you know, my little bum! I'm not wearing my undies that say 'dreamer' on them!"

* * *

Me: "Nell, I'd like you to pick up the books all over the floor please."
Nell: "Umm, okaaaay, I will just do EVERYthing."
(Our poor over-worked Cinderella child)

* * *

"Ballerinas don't even need to go potty did you know that?"

* * *

Me: "Do you want some pear?"
Nell: "Some WHAT? Some BEER?!"

After talking about how birds eat bugs and worms:
"But that's not nice to eat a nice beautiful dead worm that is feeling sad!"

* * *

Me: "How old do you think Grandma is?"
Nell: "Fourteen."

* * *

"I just don't really like boys; I like girls, and I don't like boys, except I do like daddies."

* * *

Me: "What's your favorite book?"
Nell: "I like all books.  Well, not bad books."
Me: "What makes a book bad?"
Nell: "Well, I like nice bad books."
Me: "What's a nice bad book?"
Nell: "Like a book with a bad guy but two nice guys too."

A few theologically-inclined quotes and conversations:

"I'm just nice! God made me nice!"

* * *

"You mean Jesus never did anything wrong?  Wow.  Then I'm going to do that today, too."

* * *

"When God made me he got some paper and he drawed me and then he colored me with a shirt and shorts and then he cutted me out with scissors, he cut right around my five fingers like this so then I had fingers!"

* * *

 And on a subsequent day, clearly still pondering the matter of creation:
"Wait, how does God attach you?  How does God make you and attach you?"

* * *

Nell: "How are we going to be raised when Jesus comes back?"
Me: "I don't know exactly how; the Bible says a trumpet will sound and all the people who ever died loving Jesus and trusting in him will be raised to be with him forever."
Nell: "Wow.  That's pretty magic."

Pondering the future:

"When I'm grown up and have kids I'm going to give them lots of chocolate for dessert.  And I'm going to give myself lots of chocolate, too."

* * *

"Who can I marry when I want to get married?  Because Daddy is already married to you and Uncle Andrew is married to Aunt Hannah, so there's no one left."

* * *

To me and Nathan:
"I want to stay here forever and never move away when I grow up to be a grown up, because I love you guys and I want to stay with you forever.  I'm never gonna move away; I'm gonna stay here.  I promise.  'Cause I love my bedroom and I love seeing you guys."

* * *

"When I grow up, I'm never gonna get married and have a baby because having a baby might hurt, but I want to go to someone's house that has kids and just ask them if I can have one of their kids and take it home."

And finally, some sister conversations!

Sitting on the toilet, singing improvisationally:
"Mawie is my sister!  She's a sister and I'm a sister!  I love her so much!  Sometimes we fight and we need to figure it out!  Fiiiiiguuuuuure it oooooouuuuuut!"

* * *

"Mawie you're a sweet girlie.  I love you and your face makes me happy."

* * *

Pointing to Ree:
"That girl is a bad bad bad bad witch."   (Then, turning to me, by way of practical explanation): "...PRETEND."

Playing together at the park:
Nell: "We're in California and we have to go all the way across the river because we're going to Africa!"
Ree: "Yeah!"
Nell: "It's like, ten miles at least!"

Patiently explaining to Ree how to make the sound "Shh":
Nell (slightly patronizingly): "No Wee it's not 'sssss' it's 'shhhhh' with your tongue back in your mouth more!"
Ree (agreeably): "Oh! Dah! (yeah!) Ok!"

* * *

Nell: "Do you want a little tuft on your head?"
Ree: "No!"
Nell: "But Wee I weally want you to be a tufted titmouse!"
(Can you tell we enjoy birds around here?)

* * *

Playing doctor together:
Nell: "Okay Mawie now we need to cut you open."
Marie: "Whyyyyy?"
Nell: "I know, I know!  But it will not hurt; I'll do it so so gently okay?"

* * *

In the car:
Nell: "Mawie are you asleep?"
Marie: "No."
Nell: "Are you awake?"
Marie: "No."
Nell (exasperated): "You have to be something Mawie you can't just be nothing!"

 I'd say both these girls are something, indeed.

Life can be pretty entertaining when you have young children!