“Emily did a good job in school today.”
– Mama, to Grammy

“Is that so! Are you a smart kid?”
– Grammy, to Emily

“Yes, I know everything.”
– Emily, with great confidence and satisfaction

“Jesus be OK, Mama.”
– Amanda, patting Mama’s arm, seeing the serious look on Mama’s face after reading the Bible story where Jesus is betrayed and arrested.

“Cuddle me now!”
– Amanda, insisting

“It wouldn’t kill you to say please, young lady!”
– Mama, correcting

“Please young lady.”
– Amanda, “obeying”

“It’s about time you learned to tie your shoes for yourself.”
– Grammy, to Emily, as we were getting ready to leave the house

“Maybe when I’m about your age I’ll tie my own shoes, but not when I’m 4.”
– Emily, to Grammy, very matter-of-factly

“Well, today is Tuesday. What day comes after today?”
– Grammy, trying to tell Emily when the upcoming 4th of July holiday would be

“Grammy, we do that stuff at school time!”
– Emily, who knew the answer, but didn’t want to “perform”

“That’s OK. You’re allowed to think all day.”
– Grammy, who said similar things to Mama when she was little

“Daddy, can we have a teeny little sip, please?”
– Emily, eyeing the soda bottle in Daddy’s hand

“No, big sip!”
– Amanda, telling it like it is!

“I love you, big girl.”
– Mama, tucking Emily into her bed for the night

“I love you, big mama.”
– Emily, very sweetly

“Mama, why does it say ‘tem tem tem tem’?”
– Emily, pointing to four “TM” symbols next to brand names on the back of her cereal box

“May have 2-4-6-8 prunes please?”
– Amanda, who had apparently been listening to Emily and Mama review even and odd numbers at school that morning

“Mama, I need some of that LC stuff for my boo-boo.”
– Emily, who had been crying softly in her room over a bothersome hangnail

“You mean TLC?”
– Mama, finishing putting a band aid on the boo-boo, and giving it a kiss

“Yes. You know– the goopy stuff that comes in the little tube.”
– Emily, refering to antibacterial ointment, and clearly not satisfied with the kiss