ELLERY AND GREG, CHILD INVENTORS

Ellery and Greg came into the room talking excitedly. "We're going to make a kind of glue that will stick forever!"

"How are you going to make it?" I asked.

They thought about it and didn't have a ready answer.

As they were walking through the kitchen, Ellery had an inspiration. "Honey!" she exclaimed, "Honey's really sticky! Mom, can we use the honey to make the stickiest glue in the world?"

OPINION POLL

"CHEETOS!" Ellery proclaimed from the back seat. "Cheetos are the most popular chip in Washington!"

She said it with such conviction that I had to believe it.

WHAT GUS AND AMELIA SAY

Gus: I'm an astronaut!

Amelia: I'm a princess astronaut.

DON'T WAIT UP

Ellery and Mom were going to Amelia's birthday party. As we went out the door, Ellery called over her shoulder to Glenn, "Bye! We'll be back by midnight!"

REHEARSALS

Ellery: Next time Greg comes over, I'm going to do my magic trick for him.

Mom: You'd better practice then.

Ellery: Okay... (doubtfully) ...I'll need a volunteer.

FUN FOR ALL AGES

Ellery said, "You're never too young or too old for bubbles.

TRANSLATOR, PLEASE

Ellery said, "When I say 'Seussie Awards,' that means 'come closer' in my new language."

WHAT DANE SAYS

Dane (age 2) and Mimi were playing in the playroom when the phone rang. While Mimi was talking to Gwyneth on the phone, Dane went next door to Papa's shop and found a board. He came out wielding it like a bat.

"Can you put that back where you found it?" Mimi asked.

"Well, not quite," answered Dane. He obviously had plans for that board. Indeed, he found several inventive ways of playing with it which, luckily for Mimi, did not include clouting.

WHAT GREG SAYS

Greg asked his mother, "Is Marcedes the same as Marcedes Benz?"

"Yes," replied Gwyneth, "but actually, it's Mercedes."

Greg thought about this for a minute and then said, "Mercedes is really easy to make fun of because it sounds like turd ladies."

CUTE AS A...GRAPE?

Ellery and Mom were eating a bowl of grapes when Ellery found a teeny tiny miniature grape. "Oh, it's just so cute!" she exclaimed, "It reminds me of Baby Joey!"