It's called a brain, dear

The girls were talking about embarassing stories and 21st birthdays in the car yesterday. Claudia suggested that the story of Eleanor buying Dora the Explorer products on eBay probably counted, and that we should save the story for Nell's 21st - and give her the purchased product, too.

Eleanor (upset): But it will be my BIRTHDAY! It should be a surprise, but now I know what you are giving me.

Claudia: It's not for 15 years. You will forget by then.

Eleanor (outraged): I will not forget it! Because I will write it down in my invisible computer's google calendar

Sleeping Beauty

Nellie is telling me the story of Sleeping Beauty.

The princess was called Aurora

The prince was called Fraser

Their wedding cake was shaped like a Dalek.

She's snuggled down now, with a huge grin on her face. 

"I can't stop thinking about that story!"

And now she is kissing a pretend boy.

Claudia says: "eeewww"

Sleeping

We had a little cousin come to visit last night. Here she is with Nellie, trying to go to sleep. They were very good about closing their eyes - just not so great at keeping them closed.

From 2009-04-02

Rain

Going to school yesterday, in the rain.

Eleanor: It shouldn't be raining.

Me: But we need the rain darling, it will be good for the garden ...

Eleanor: But it already rained two times!

Drought and climate change have clearly affected her idea of what is normal.

From our beach holiday ...

After arriving safely in Lorne for our annual beach holiday, Fraser & I were discussing how much Eleanor has grown up in the 12 months since we were last here.

Me: Amazing what you notice when there are 12 months between visits, isn't it.

Eleanor (eavesdropping): What if there weren't 12 months? What if we came to Lorne TWO TIMES a year? And the SECOND time, we could just KEEP ON DRIVING! (Yes - she does speak in ALL CAPS sometimes. Guess where she gets it from ...)
Fraser: Do you know where we'd go if we kept driving?

Eleanor: No ...

Me: Well, there's Skenes Creek, and Moggs Creek, and Apollo Bay ...

Fraser: ... and Port Campbell ...

Eleanor: I like Apollo Bay!

Us: Have you ever been there?

Eleanor: No, but I like the name.

Me (testing whether there were past life issues happening here): How about APHRODITE Bay? (see above re ALL CAPS)

Fraser (the highbrow member of the family): Or Starbuck Bay ...

Eleanor: Ooo, Star Wars Bay!

Fraser: ...  or Adama Bay, or Boomer Bay

Eleanor: Yes! BOOMER BAY! Because it would be snowing, and then we could see Santa Claus!

Go on, sing with us ...

6 white Boomers, Snow white Boomers,

Racing Santa Claus through the blazing sun ...

----

Eleanor, complaining about ants at the toilet at the beach:

Claudia, you're the toilet ant killing expert!

Claudia is very upset that I am (literally) crying with laughter. But OMG what an expert to be!

If I had ...

In the car, yesterday

Eleanor: "Mum, do houses cost a million dollars?"

Me: Yes, some houses do.

Eleanor: Then that's what I would put in the song.

Fraser: ???

Me: *giggle*

She has been listening to too much BNL in the car with me ...

Interesting reasons not to travel to a country

The discussion had been along the lines of if we go to Italy we will need you girls to speak Italian for us.
Eleanor: I don't want to go to Italy. It's a boot [she then draws the shape of Italy in the air with her hands]