When quiet kids talk we tend to look up and listen to their few but poignant words. We praise them for speaking up. But what about our little chatterboxes? The ones who talk incessantly?

I have one of those. My daughter prattles on from the moment she gets out of bed until she talks herself to sleep at night. She tells us stories she makes up in her head. She recites her favorite movies. She retells books she loves. If you have ever met me in person, you understand this is an inherited trait. My mother listens to her, shakes her head and laughs.

Sometimes I tune out the noise. I don’t realize how incredibly articulate she is. She is smart, no doubt. I worry we’re going to forget the funny things she says as a 3 1/2 year-old. I’m writing some here.  Here are some things she has said recently:

“I want to go to Chinas someday. Can we go to Chinas? Is it far away? Do we have to get on an airplane?”

“Mama, do I have preckles? I want preckles on my face. I have moles.” 

“When I get married to Sam I’m going to have a ring and he is going to look so handsome and I’m going to wear a pink dress.” 

“When I’m five I’ll be big enough to have bubblegum, right Mama?”

“When I’m the flower girl I’m going to be so beautiful in my dress and throw flowers down the aisle.” 

“Oh look. I’ve been impaled.” (That’s a line from “Frozen” for all you non-parents out there.)

“Mama, Tiki said poopy butt. We don’t say poopy butt. I said, ‘Tiki! That is not a nice word! That is a potty word!'” (Tiki is one of her imaginary friends.)

“I’m gonna find a little frog and kiss it and he will turn into a prince and I will marry that little froggy!” 

(Upon inspecting my broken foot with purple bruises. She points at one bruise.) “Mama, I don’t want a purple dot on my foot. I couldn’t do dance with a purple dot!” 

“That was not an accident! You did it on purfose!” 

(After seeing a man jogging with no shirt on.) “He is running naked!” (I explained boys and men can go without shirts.) “That is so silly! Psh! Boys!”