This month, you've really let your sensitive personality show through. Especially when reading books - particularly Richard Scarry books and Fisher Price lift-the-flap books. You're deeply concerned about characters who are crying, sad, or who have fallen down. If you see a character who's crying, you point to him/her and immediately start whimpering. I'm not sure if you're imitating what the character is doing or if you're sad because the character is sad. Either way, it's sweet to see you so concerned about others. And if you see a picture of a car that's been in a wreck or is upside down or on its side, you point to it and look really distressed. Like you know that a car is supposed to be upright, sitting on all four wheels. And when it's not, something must be wrong. And if you see a picture of someone falling, tripping, or otherwise on the ground, again, something must be wrong. (I should add that it sounds like these books you read are violent - people falling down, wrecked cars - but I assure you that they're not. Richard Scarry is fantastic.)
Speaking of Richard Scarry, his books are your favorites. Your Aunt KK and I used to read Richard Scarry books when we were little, and it's so cool to see you enjoy them too. And you love - no, make that LOVE - finding Goldbug. Goldbug is hidden on each page of Cars, Trucks, and Things That Go. You practically burst out of your skin when you find him. You make this "OOOOOOOOOOOH!!!" sound, start dancing around, and point to him over and over. Sometimes he's tricky to find, but thankfully Daddy and I can come to your rescue and point him out (yeah, we're pretty proud of ourselves that we can find a gold-colored bug in a book geared towards preschoolers).
45 minute temper tantrum. No explanation needed.
This month, I started giving you toast for breakfast. Before, I had just given you regular bread, but I wanted to see what you thought of toast. And you love it! But the funniest part is how you have become an expert food-blower-onner. As soon as I put it on your try, you immediately hold up your hand and say "hot!" (actually, it sounds more like "ah!", but whatever). Then you pick it up and inflict hurricane-force blows on it. It's awesome.
Your latest game is Nattie Drums, Daddy Drums, and Mommy Drums. If we call out "Nattie Drums!", you start beating on your legs. Then you make your rounds to everyone in the room and play the appropriate drums on them. Sometimes Daddy Drums or Mommy Drums involves a single tap, and sometimes it's an all-out, no holds barred drum solo of epic proportions. You get such a kick out of it and you usually end up in a pile of giggles before too long.
You haven't learned any new words this month. Your total vocabulary is holding steady at 7 (Momma, Dadda, shoes, this, cookie, bubble, and baby). I constantly ask you to repeat words back to me. Before, when I would ask you to say a word you hadn't said before, you would just look at me with this listen-lady-I'm-not-falling-for-this-dumb-game stare. Now, though, you say "Momma" for any word you don't know. As much as I'd like for you to be more verbal, it's fun to hear so many 'Momma's.
I'm wondering if you're one of the kids whose speech is delayed because you know sign language (not ASL by any stretch ... more of a bootlegged, these-are-our-made-up-signs sign language). You have no desire to say 'dog' because you have a sign for 'dog' (in your case, you stick out your tongue and pant). You have no desire to say 'please' because you have a sign for 'please'. It doesn't matter, I'm sure. But it's something I'm mildly concerned about.
Daddy has a pick-up truck - it's a silver Chevy. But every time we pass pick-up truck, you say "Dadda". It's SO cute. Thankfully you don't get distressed when the truck's occupants don't acknowledge you - you don't seem to think it's actually Daddy in the truck. But you know that he has a truck, so you always think of him when we pass one. I love, love, love that.
You're still fairly picky when it comes to food. You consistently eat from a core group of food (pasta, bread, turkey, cheese, apples, bananas, raisins, Cheerios, sweet potatoes, broccoli, Ritz crackers), but it's hit-or-miss (usually a miss) when it comes to anything else. Just the other day, you had finished most of your lunch and you were ready for an apple (yep, you get apples for dessert. I know you'll be horrified to read this when you're older). I told you that you needed to eat 4 peas before I would give you an apple. I guess you were feeling especially feisty that day because you looked straight at me, picked up a pea, LICKED the pea, and then PUT THE PEA BACK DOWN ON YOUR TRAY. Then you motioned for an apple. Say WHAT?! I politely informed you that licking a pea did not equate to eating a pea. Then, still looking right at me with a big smile on your face, you started placing pea after pea in the pocket of your bib. Again, say WHAT?! I politely informed you that I could SEE what you were doing. I wasn't being fooled into thinking that you were actually EATING them. Needless to say, you were apple-less that day.
I handed in my Best Mom in the World award this month, and in return, I received the Worst Mom in the World award. I took you to the playground by our house and you made a wrong step and fell off (it was about a 4' drop). Granted, there wasn't really anything I could have done to prevent it. But still. I felt like a royal schmuck. Thankfully the playground had been freshly mulched not too long ago, so you landed on a big pile of mulch. It was a blessing that you weren't hurt, but I still took you to the pediatrician to check you over. The worst part of the whole thing for you was when I had to pick the mulch out of your sweaty moptop.
Now I don't really have any other toddler experience prior to you, so I don't know if this is typical or not ... but you go cuh-RAZY when you see airplanes. Or helicopters. Or school buses. Or semi trucks. Or garbage trucks. You do the same thing if you them in a book too. To you, there's nothing cooler than seeing these things. You squeal, screech, yell, dance, and/or spin around. I love seeing the world through your eyes. I pass by garbage trucks all the time and don't think a thing about it (except when garbage flies out and hits my car - THAT'S annoying). But you? It's as if every time you see one is the first time. Your excitement is truly infectious. I don't even think a tween girl about to go to a Justin Bieber concert is more excited than you when you see an airplane. To you, the world is amazing, beautiful, and exciting. And you know what? To me, YOU are amazing, beautiful, and exciting. How about that?
Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy
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Headlines for October 1, 2010:
- Obama to unveil Emanuel's replacement
- Couple indicted in Dugard kidnapping case
- Storm kills 5, takes aim at New England
- Obama meets with U.S. woman freed by Iran
- 'Social Network' is epic
- Yabba dabba doo! 'The Flintstones' turn 50
- 11 million baby toys and high chairs recalled
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