I don't know if she's saying more great stuff lately or if I'm just hearing it, but Julia has had some great lines lately:
On leaving the "YMCA Healthy Kids Day" at the sprawling, jam-packed Northfield Middle School: "My, that was quite a middle school. Yes, that was soooome middle school."
On being able to play, last week, with the adorable five-year-old girl next door: "I'm so excited! It's the first day of Meg!"
After watching a Sesame Steet episode about penguins, she adopted a silly waddling walk and told me that no, she couldn't walk faster because she was "penguining along."
After crushing a few dozen ancient tree berries into the sidewalk on another recent walk, she said she'd made dinner for the birds, and they were having "squashed-berry pizza."
After reading the immortal Bread and Jam for Frances, she fixed on one character's dessert of "cup custard," asking, "What is custard?" I told her that it's like pudding. She said, "'Custard' sounds like 'cluster.' What's a cluster?" I told her that a cluster is a bunch or a group, adding, "A bunch of people all together is a cluster of people." She thought that over and responded, "Like a bunch of bananas." I said that was right. She clarified, always seeking the edges of the definition: "But you wouldn't say 'a cluster of bananas.'" I replied, "Well, you could say that, but most of the time people talk about bunches of bananas." Exit lexicographer; re-enter preschooler: "Not a crusterd of bananas! Ha ha ha ha! Crusterd!"
After helping her mom put a dangerous number of candles in my birthday cake, she eyed the box of matches and asked, "So when are we going to match the cake?"