“If it’s already fixed, don’t baroque it!”
– Amanda, further warping the already warped quote from Beauty and the Beast’s Cogsworth: “If it’s not baroque, don’t fix it!”

“We should be putting something on your scar every time you turn around”
— Mama, dabbing ointment on Emily’s keloid scar to try to soften it

“Good grief! I need to walk in straight lines!”
— Emily, very amused at her own joke

In the middle of a discussion between Daddy and the girls on how whining only works when parents give in…

“So… why do children continue to whine at the park or the museum… ?”
– Daddy, trying to prompt the girls to arrive at the answer “Because their parents give them what they want when they do”

“Because they never want to come back there again!”
– Amanda, showing that she understands that lesson, anyway 🙂

“I have an idea what, Daddy!”
– Emily, indicating that she may have the answer to a now forgotten question

“What?! What?! What?! What?! What?!”
– Amanda, indicating that she can be rather annoying when she wants to be

“What’re you, a duck?”
– Daddy, indicating to Amanda that she is indeed being annoying

“AMANDUCK!”
– Emily, indicating that she’s developing quite a sense of humor

“No, she’s a girl duck!”
– Mama, indicating that Emily probably got that sense of humor from her

“Look! A squirrel eating watermelon.”
– Daddy, glad that the rinds he left on the porch railing were being enjoyed

“EEEK! A squirrel-eating watermelon?! (Dramatically) Who knew a fruit could be so savage?”
– Emily, making her father very proud…

“I got no school this week.”
– Amanda

“Sounds like you *ought* to have school this week.”
– Daddy, commenting

“I *have* no school this week.”
– Amanda, correcting

“No… I *don’t* got no school this week!”
– Daddy, “correcting”

“I *ain’t* got no school this week!”
– Emily, continuing

“I done told you I ain’t got no school this week!”
– Mama, capitalizing

“Y’all…”
– Amanda, completing

“What do we want to have for lunch?”
– Mama, just returned with the girls from piano lessons

“I dunno… I just had breakfast.”
– Daddy, who got a late start to the day

“Around here on Saturday, it’s ‘if you’re hungry, eat.'”
– Daddy again, in response to Mama’s look of exasperation

“Well, guess I’m gonna eat all day!”
– Amanda, speaking the truth as only a child can

(Daddy’s spontaneous lyricism, sung to the tune of “Spider-man”)

Mandie-moo, Mandie-moo
Does whatever a Mandie do
Makes a mess, super-sized
There’s her socks! Big surprise.

(This is as far as I got, since Shannon nearly fell out of her chair laughing so hard at the last bit.)

[John is reading Tales of Robin Hood to the girls]

“… He stepped up to address the crowd and silence fell. When they stood silence back up again, he said in a loud voice…”

[Oh, the fun he adds to make sure they’re paying attention!]

“… and what do you call it when there’s only one?”
– Mama, reviewing some basics from previous grammar lessons

“Singular!”
– Emily, smiling because she got an easy question

“And what do you call it when there’s more than one?”
– Mama, expecting another quick answer to another easy question

“… Doubular?”
– Amanda, knowing that’s not quite it, but completely unable to think of the right word