never enough

Jessie and her girls spent the afternoon with us yesterday. She and Jack are building toddler-sized bunk beds for Breanne and Janey. While they were out shopping for wood--poplar, because it paints up so nicely--I stayed at home with the three girls. I held the sleeping, snuggly Cailin while Jr made pancakes and scones for Breanne and Janey. They sat up at the bar and even sprinkled powdered sugar on the yummy golden-brown cakes and scones. It was amazingly(!) not too messy.

I don't remember how old most kids are when they start to understand concepts like colors and shapes and such, but Janey knows them already. It cracks me up when she responds to questions like, "What color are your pants?" with "No. Pink." Or "No. Blue." Or "No. Black." Or, you get the point. Did I mention she is two? Only real two-year-old I know that uses No in place of words like "uh" or "like".

One of my other favorite parts of yesterday was when they were preparing to leave and I said something about the story of the three bears, which prompted Breanne to offer to tell me the story of the three bears. It was delightful and she seriously knows that story. Next she made up a story that began with once upon a time about a princess with pale blue hair and a red dress named Princess Tiana America Kilger, and a prince, who had fun times having sleepovers and playing street hockey and finally, eventually, got married, had ten children, and lived happily ever after. She speaks clearly and precisely, in character, with hand gestures and raised eyebrows. That girl can spin a yarn.