Grace, on children

We were in Durham, North Carolina for Easter and a few day visit earlier this week. We stayed with Andrea, Pete and Lucy and had a terrific time checking out parks and the science museum, eating way too much good food and Easter candy, seeing cousin Amanda, and sleeping too little. Grace has become quite the comedian and has been keeping us entertained throughout the trip. Pictures to come, but for now I want to remember a couple good ones. 

In the car on our way to dinner...

Grace: can I have a cracker?

Steve: no, we're going to have dinner soon. 

Grace: mom, can I have a cracker?

Me: no, dad's right. We we will be at the restaurant soon. 

Grace: you guys copy each other. 

Steve: you know what I look forward to? When you have kids, Grace. 

Grace: you will be their grandpa and grandma?

Me: yes. And we're going to give them lots of candy and let them stay up as late as they want. 

Grace: no, there will be no dessert for my kids because I want them to be healthy. 

Steve: oh, well you don't have to have dessert anymore either. 

Grace: no! Only one person can make the rules for their kids, and you can't copy me. 

Later, same evening, after making rather a spectacle at the restaurant (Henry is 95% great in restaurants but on this night he was having none of it - despite offering him all the french fries he wanted - and Steve and I had to take turns. Too bad, too, because it was a terrific BBQ place, and we had ordered a number of dishes to share so it was really the sort of meal you want to linger over. Incidentally, Andrea ordered the bbq tofu, which was the one thing Henry really liked, so Steve was mortified that Henry was picking tofu over brisket. He is our little San Franciscan, after all.), we were talking in the car about dining out...

Steve: well, actually, some parents would get a babysitter and go to the restaurant by themselves. 

Grace: HOLD IT!

Grace: how about you get a babysitter that we know to stay with the BABY, and then the parents and big kid go?

One morning I was up with the three kids while they ate breakfast and played in the kitchen.  I needed to get something from the guest room so I asked Grace to babysit for a minute. She looked at me with eyebrows raised and said "you want me to watch BOTH these kids?!"