Here’s what Eden sounds like these days. Yesterday she was walking to McKaila’s house, and met her sister Rianna on the way. Rianna was wearing a 10-gallon hat. As much as I can remember, this is what she said.

I am gonna… Are you a cowboy? Oh dear, you’re a silly cowboy! Is McKaila can play… Look at my sandals! They’re pretty! I am ask McKayla can, uh, wanting to play with me… That sounds gonna be fun!

Once she starts complaining, she really gets on a roll. Today she was sad because some dress-up clothes were lost. She was carrying a wand and she had one glittery slipper on.

But I don’t want to look for it. But I don’t know where I left my shoe. Mhhhrrrrn! But I don’t want to raise my wand to turn this ball into a real Papi boy, like you’re a real Papi boy.

I don’t know exactly where she was going with that. She likes to wave her wand at things and cast spells like on Sesame Street.

One of her signature words is “get-for” because she thinks that means “forget,” as in, “Don’t get-for my water.” She also loves the number 5. She uses it like it means “infinity.” When we ask her how many books she wants to read and she wants a ton, she says, “5!” Another fun thing is when we have to remind her to ask nicely for something. She adopts a cloying tone of voice and goes up about three octaves when she gets to “please.”

Can I please have some chocolate milk pleee-ease?

One more: this is what Eden told me  a couple days ago while she was holding a wand.

I’m going to turn you into a princess! Zippety-zappety-zoo! You’re a princess! … I don’t think it worked!