"Life is tough; it's tougher if you're stupid" and other thoughts that are going through my head today because I miss my family

"Life is tough; it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne

Ash Wednesday meals should be penitential, not inedible." -Tia

*At dinner we go around the table asking three questions- "What was your blessing today?" "How did you bless someone else?" and "Did you have a challenge today?" The idea is that you ask the person to your right all the questions (with pauses for answers in between) and then they in turn ask the person to their right, thus going around the entire table.*
"Papa, can I have some more sour cream." -Atilla
"Ask Gabbie your question." -Tio
"Gabbie, can I have some more sour cream." -Atilla

"Gabbie, the train can't go through." -Napoleon
"That's because it's a submarine and submarine's don't go on land." -me
"Gabbie the boat cannot go through." -Napoleon
"That's because it is a submarine and submarine's don't go on land." -me
"Gabbie it won't go on land!" -Napoleon
"That's because it's a boat and it doesn't go on land."-me
"You said it was a submarine." -Napoleon

Attila upon finding a suspect looking thing upon her leg immediately picks it up and puts it in her mound as I scream in protest. "It's okay- it's part of my plum."  I realized she had stopped eating the plum a bit ago but was wondering how long it had been on her leg and was about to ask her as much when she ate it while I squawked.  Tio looked at me and said, "What did you think she was going to do?"

The General's speech therapist is expecting a baby and she just told him that she is expecting a boy.  I was teasing the General that he should recommend his first name to her for her baby.
He sighed and rolled his eyes and said, "Gabbie, I think she should name her baby Luke Skywalker... or Harry Potter."  I knew I liked that kid.

During a conversation on cultures and the foods that come from them.
"What food do they eat in Iceland?" -Napoleon
"Ice Cream!!!!" -The General
"How come Australia doesn't have any special foods?" -The Captain
"Cause haggus doesn't travel well." -Gabbie

"Gabbie, do you know what I found today? Oocha!" -Napoleon, over the phone (Napoleon fell in love with a giant green grasshopper in our front yard a few months ago.  She routinely catches him and carries him around on her head and enjoys this.  A few weeks ago he disappeared.)  
"That's wonderful, baby; he moved to California." -me
"Guess what he did when I tried to get him off my hand?" -Napoleon
"He jumped off?" -me
"No, he jumped on Nana's dog's head!" -Napoleon

This morning Attila summarized the life of Augustus Caesar as follows.
"First he was a citizen, then he was first citizen, then he was a prince, then a king, and then he was dead." 
I don't know what she is learning in that history lesson but you must admit that she is succinct and accurate. 

Before going to Carlsbad Caverns the five smalls were discussing excitedly what they were going to see in the cave.  I resisted the urge to tell them that we should look out for Batman and the Batmobile.   Fortunately they thought of this on their own.

Iri rescues Tio from the cricket.
Iri rescues a grasshopper from the lawnmower.
Iri rescues an anolli from the house.
Iri keeps a geckos tail, a cicada wing, and a cicada exoskeleton.
Iri's favorite Christmas present is a box full of live ladybugs.
 I love my goddaughter.

"Do or do not: there is no try." -Queen Victoria to her siblings, quoting Yoda.