Love my blondie girls

I wanted to write and share a few of my favorite stories from having my nieces here:

Annie wanted to ride her bike around the block, so Michael and I went out with her, and he had Calli on his shoulders, and I had Claire. Annika and Michael were about 1/2 block ahead of us, and I think that Claire talked nonstop for two go-rounds the block:

"Did you know that I have a grandma Chamberlain? She lives in Utah. And I have a grandma in Pennsylvania. Look, there's a boy! There's a cat! My mom doesn't like cats. Do you like cats? Hi Michael! Annika, come back! Do you have a grandma in Pennsylvania? I am on top! (then singing): I am on top! I am on top!"  Cracked me up.

Then at the playground (which is just across the street) so that Kent + Elo could get some work done:

I'm pushing the girls on the swing, and having to walk between all three swings. I walk over to Claire, and she's got her head averted to the side and is fluttering her eyes weirdly. I was like "Claire.. what are you doing?" She says "I'm seeing with eyes!" Jen: "Um... you're.. what?" Claire: "Seeing. With. My. Eyes. Now push me!"

And lastly:

I don't know if you remember how Michael and Annika didn't used to get along -- mostly stemming from a time when he was calling her "Annikunk," which made her mad, and she started calling him "Stink-a-pot Michael" (definitely not from my suggestion). When they decided to move here, he decided he wanted her to like him, so there would be no teasing involved. I was over at their house, playing with the girls, and we were talking about how it was confusing having two Uncle Michaels. So I said we should have a new name for my Michael. She said "How about Uncle Oven!"  I said "Uncle Oven!? If you call him that, he might have to come up with a name for you." She looked all scared and said "ok. um. how about we just call him Uncle Michael?" And then before I left, like 3 hours later, it was apparently still on her mind, since she said: "Remember! Don't tell him I called him Uncle Oven, k?"