Talking, talking, talking

• Hallie is a stinking hoot.  I may be biased but I think she is the funniest little almost two year old there is.  She is getting so much more talkative and knows exactly what she wants.  For instance if she wants to color (with markers that usually end up on her more than the paper) she says "I codor" pronounced like color but with a d.  She doesn't take no for an answer either.  She says please and thank you pretty plainly as well along with doggy, kitty cat, mommy, daddy, the normal words for little ones.  Last night as I was trying to corral her for bedtime she went in to Natalie's room (or Nanee's in her world) where mommy was picking up books with sister.  Hallie walks over, grabs the book off the top of the pile in mommy's hands, and said something we couldn't quite make out.  I don't think she realized what book she picked, she just knew it was time to read.  So I tried to grab her but she ran off down the hall saying whatever it was she was muttering.  I followed her only to find her sitting on the couch with the book on her lap going "on couch" "on couch" "on couch".  Hadn't heard that one before, no wonder I didn't recognize it.  Apparently she wanted to read on the couch instead of her rocking chair.
• One more quick Hallie story.  This one was relayed to me through Sara so I hope I get the details right.  Hallie found some pajamas on the floor by the washer that mommy hadn't picked up quite yet and so Sara asked her "Hallie can I put that in the washer?"  Hallie kind of whined and took off with the pajamas.  She actually headed for the girls bathroom where they brush teeth at night.  As I am hearing this I am thinking "Oh how sweet she knows those are night night clothes and so she is taking them to the bathroom where they get ready for bed".  I was wrong.  Apparently she dropped the jammies and grabbed the little footstool we have in there for the girls to reach the sink.  She took it to the washer.  Turned around, went back to the bathroom, grabbed the jammies, came back to the washer, stepped on the stool, and put the jammies in the washer for mommy!  Such a big helper!!
• This morning grandma came to pick up the girls and take them to her house and while she was there she was asking Natalie about her backpack because apparently they left it on the bus yesterday.  Well they got to talking about what was in there and grandma told Natalie that she accidentally had Mark's papers and her teachers must have got them switched.  Natalie said no, they didn't.  And grandma said "remember, the paper that said 'If I had a million dollars' and then 'I would buy my mommy and daddy a new house"  At this point I thought, wow how nice of my daughter, so giving. "that's what Mark's said".  Oh, not Natalie's.  I asked her "What did you say you would do with a million dollars?"  "Buy candy"  "That's a LOT of candy!"  "Yep, all for me!"