"A BIG OLE HINEY"

Jenna and I were walking with one of the custodians down the hallway of my school yesterday....this lady is so nice and works amazingly hard for us. She is however, very larger, so Jenna is CURIOUS....

Jenna: "Mommy how come hers has a really big ole hiney?" (she asks so innocently too)
Mommy: "Jenna do you see the pond outside Mommy's school?" (I am trying to deter her from further question!)
Jenna: **with an even louder voice** "No, Mommy I didn't say a pond, I said hers has a big hiney!!!"
The Lady: "What's your name sweetie?"
Jenna: "Jenna Kaffryn (Kathryn) Pate"
Mommy: "Look, there is the pond, and I think it may have a baby turtle in it!!?!?"
(Jenna pats the lady on her leg and says...
"HEY GUESS WHAT I HAVE A LITTLE HINEY AND MY BRUDDERS (brothers) DO TOO"
The Lady: "Oh okay, you be so cute Jenna, have you a good day now"

WE FINALLY ARRIVE AT MY CLASSROOM AND THANKFULLY SO, I WAS NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO JENNA'S NEXT QUESTION OF THIS SWEET LADY~

Allergic to Watermelon and NO APPLE JUICE..please!

At Claire's softball tournament over the weekend, a lady (who spoke a little red-neck) asked Claire if she wanted some "wutermelon" that she apparently had cut inside of a kiddie pool as it was all just floating around coated with flies and gnats. Of course I intervened and kindly said, "No thank you"....my sweet Claire Bear said, "Mommy, you should have just told her we were allergic to watermelon!" I am just thankful that Claire knows better than to eat watermelon from a total stranger, at a ballpark, coated with flies and sprinkled with dirt!!! Good thing Jenna wasn't around, she'd been in the pool floating with the "wutermelon"...



On the way home from "the ballpark" one night:



Jenna: "Mommy, can I have the boys' juice cup cause I am so so thirsty?"
Mommy: "Yes, Jenna that is fine, thank you for asking nicely"
Jenna: **with a grimace** "EWWWW, that is terrible, I will just have some blueberry pomegranate okay Mommy!"
Mommy: "Where did you hear blueberry pomegranate from Jenna?"
Jenna: "Oh, my sister Ellie says that words all the time!"

Best Comment YET!

Claire Bear with her brothers before her game.


Ellie and Jenna taking a break from playing to have a blow pop...yes, I do let my kids eat sugar occasionally...haha! Notice how sweaty they are...it felt like a rainforest out there..UGH!


Claire is playing All Stars this summer so we LIVE at the ball park. Last night, as we are standing around watching the game (and a bunch of little Pate kids running around), Ellie approached me with this question...

Ellie: (*tugs my short leg to get my attention*) "Hey Mommy, I have a question?"
Mommy: (*trying to watch the game AND keep an eye on Jenna*) "Yes mam, what is it?"
Ellie: "What is Jesus' last name?"
Mommy: (*STOPS watching the game and beds down to meet her at eye level*) "Well, I don't think Jesus has a last name, why do you ask?"
Ellie: "Because I was just thinking about him"

**NOTHING MAKES ME PROUDER AS A MOM THAN THE FACT THAT MY DAUGHTER THINKS OF JESUS IN HER DAY...at the ball park by the way with plenty of chaos going on to keep you engaged in everything BUT Jesus. ***

Just wanted to post that cause I for sure don't ever want to forget that sweet comment. Now go tell you child something about JESUS today....IT STICKS WITH THEM!!!

Tell me what ya thinking....

So I asked the girls to tell me what they were "thinking" about on one of our drives home this week. Here is what I got...

Ellie: "I am thinking of two bad things. One is I don't get to see Becky and Rosey and Two is my birthday is a long way away"
Mommy: "Well why don't you think about something that is good, like all the fun you had at Becky and Rosey's house and what you want to do for your next birthday"
Ellie: "Cause I am thinking of bad right now"



Mommy: "What do you miss about Utah Ellie?"
Ellie: "I didn't want to leave because Utah has better soy vanilla milk and my grandparents are the bestest and I miss them too much"
Mommy: "I know sweet girl, I miss the soy Vanilla and Becky and Rosey too!"
Ellie: "Well I miss them the mostest though!"


Claire: "I am thinking of not forgetting my cleats again so you won't make me tell my coach I was irresponsible and will run extra for it"
Mommy: "Is that seriously what is on your mind right now?"
Claire: "Yes mam"

**side not here...the poor girl left her cleats at home on accident and realized it once we were pulling into to practice. we couldn't run home to get them so we had to borrow from a friend nearby...claire said, "I thought you got them mommy!" (with a whiney voice) and I replied kindly (with a sprinkle of sarcasm), "No huney, I got a diaper bag, drinks, sipppy cups, pecan swirls, sunblock, towels, pool toys, math ds games, books, crayons, gym bag, lunch cooler, phone, keys and MY purse...I DID NOT GET YOUR CLEATS!!!!!!!**


Jenna: "I am thinking about the boys milk at the Publix freezer cause Ellie said they have gas station milk and I said no they don't Ellie it doesn't work at the gas station"
Mommy:"What doesn't work at the gas station Jenna?"
Jenna: "The cow that has the milk doesn't do gas station milk only Publix milk!"

Con-a-strate, "what the world" and living at the ballpark

Ellie and Jenna were modeling clay at the kitchen table while I was cooking... I over hear Jenna speaking to Ellie...

Jenna: "I need you to stop it Ellie!"
Ellie: "Jenna, I am not doing anything!"
Jenna: "Well, I am trying to con-a-strate (concentrate)on my design ELLIE!!!"


I had a doctor's appointment this morning at Brookwood Hospital, as we walked across the crosswalk, Jenna looked out the window and said, "Oh my gosh, what the world, we are on top of this and the cars are not..hahahah"

Yesterday I was looking for Jenna (couldn't find her, assumed she was upstairs playing in her room)then she rounds the corner of the dining room and I questioned her...
Mommy: "Jenna girl, what were you doing? I couldn't find you"
Jenna: "I just couldn't get up Mommy. I was so tired, you know what I mean?"
Mommy: (laughing out loud) "Yes, Jenna I know exactly what you mean, Mommy is tired every single day!"


I have been working with Jenna on our address and phone numbers and such. Ellie asked her today what her address was and she looked puzzled???
Ellie: "Jenna what is your address?"
Jenna: (odd look on her face)
Mommy: "Ellie, ask her where she lives, instead of what her address is"
Ellie: "Jenna where do you live?"
Jenna: "At the ballpark and a home called bent creek"

Summer Plans, United States, and God's Power

This post is just some Ellie quotes!

ELlie: "Hey Jenna, you want me to teach you some states I know from school?"
Jenna: "No."
Ellie: "Well, there is Del-ware, and Georgia and Indiana, and I-wowa, Hawaii, Tennessee, North Carolin, Mississippi, Utah, and Idaho!"
Mommy: "Ellie, I think you meant Iowa, not I-wowa"
Ellie: "Oh yea, I just get them a little confused cause there are FIFTY of them!!!"


Mommy: "Hey girls, we need to remember a new friend when we say our prayers each day, okay. Her name is Johanna and she is feeling a little angry at God right now.
Jenna: "Why is her mad at God, what did he do?"
Ellie: "How come she is angry?"
Mommy: "Well, she really wants a baby and doesn't feel like God will give her one"
CLaire: "Why does she think He won't let her have a baby"
Mommy: "Well...because she has been hoping for one for a long time and she is feeling like giving up hope that He will answer her prayer of having a child...."
Ellie: "But you know what Mommy, God has more powers than a million powers together and he loves us more than all the powers because he let Jesus die for us and God can help her because He just can cause He does everything"


Mommy: "Ellie would you like to tell me your list of summer fun activities you'd like to do?"
Ellie: "sure...let's see, first I want to go to the galleria, then the summit to shop for dresses only, then the park and I want to jump (on the trampoline) for one whole day and not get off, play in the dirt cause it is my most favorite, paint with your good paint and brushes, make modeling clay, dance in the basement to Claire's music but really loud, and go to Jesse's place to take my clothes and toys to those girls (Jesse's Place is a shelter for battered women and their children), eat ice-cream from the ice-cream truck, have a spend the party at night, go to Alex's house (Alex is a former student of mine that my girls absolutely LOVE)....

Mommy: "Well Ellie, that is an awesome list of fun things to do...hopefully we can do them all"
Ellie: "Oh wait a minute, please write down ALABAMA ADVENTURE, but remember it is just me and Claire and you and Daddy, NO LITTLE ONES...okay!?!?!"

State Flowers, Burgers, Boogers, and Make-UP

Ellie reading her states fact book...

Ellie: "Mommy did you know the Mississippi state has a 'mag-a-noley' for a state flower"
Mommy: "Ellie, I think you mean 'magnolia'"
Ellie: "Oh, yeah, sure Mommy"

Ellie: "Well that is strange"
Jenna: "What Ellie, What Ellie"
Ellie: "Well...Main and New York have the same state flower"
Jenna: looking very confused, "Huh?"
Ellie: "Nothing Jenna, you need to be a five year old like me one day!"



Daddy is grilling hamburgers and Ellie was the kitchen helper...
Ellie: "Mommy, do you smell those hamburgers?"
Mommy: "yes Ellie, I do and they smell wonderful"
Ellie; "Well, Mommy those burgers smell screamin good"


Jenna: "I think I feel like I need my pajamees and I need them right now"
(this was on the way back from playing outside waiting for Claire to get off the bus)


Mommy: "Jenna please stop picking your nose!"
Jenna: "Mommy, I am NOT picking my nose, I am tracing it!"
**I assume this stems from "tracing" our letters everyday...**


Last but not least, walking the neighborhood yesterday, the big girls left Jenna and she yelled out at them, "I AM STAYIN WITH MOMMY CAUSE SHE HAS THE REAL MAKE-UP, NOT PRETEND MAKE-UP, AND I AM A PRINCESS!!" **and then she started crying hysterically because they left her**