The other morning I was getting the Pookie out of his crib and marveling at how much of a boy my 2 year old is. I said to him, "My boy, my boy! You are such a little boy now! What happened to my baby?"
He looked at me with his big, blue-green eyes and said the words I wanted to hear so badly, "I your baby."
"You are?" I just about squealed, as I nuzzled into his neck. "You're my baby?"
"Yeah," he nodded and he cuddled into me. "I your baby T Rex."
And you know what I said to that? "I'll take it!"
As my husband later pointed out, when the Pookie pretends to be Baby T Rex (a regular game of pretend in our house), he is especially cuddly. Also, I will take the cuddles and babying any way I can.
-------------------------
My kids love dinosaurs, and not just as a rain coat. The kids regularly pretend to be dinosaurs, especially T Rexes and Baby T Rex. They like to stomp around and roar. They also have a couple of little dinosaur toys that they play with. We also have a really great dinosaur book that they, especially the Pookie, loves to read and push the button that makes the T Rex roaring and stomping sounds.
One morning over this last weekend, the Pookie brought me the dinosaur book with some other books, and I sat there reading out the names of the dinosaurs, which he and his sister attempted to repeat. Some of these names are so funny to me, because it sounds like someone simply added "osaurus" to the end of a descriptive term. For example, there is the giganotosaurus, who is one of the largest (or most gigantic) of all the dinosaurs, even bigger than the T Rex. And there is also the Spinosaurus, who had (can you guess it?) spines on his back!
The Pumpkin started telling me about other "dinosaurs," ones that she was obviously making up. There was the Circleosaurus, who was the shape of a circle! And the Dinnerosaurus, who really liked to eat his dinner. I of course added the Kidosaurus, which was my kids when they were dinosaurs!
--------------------------
My kidosauruses have been loving that show Dino Dan. It's a cute show, although it makes me wonder if older kids hallucinate too.
Hallucinations or not, the show is actually making it tricky for me to explain that dinosaurs are no longer alive on this planet. We seriously have enough arguments about whether or not trolls and other monsters exist (and are in the Pumpkin's room at night when the lights are off). And I'm still working on how I know things don't exist or if I've just never seen one.
(By the way, THANKS Tinkerbell's The Great Fairy Rescue! No, I've never seen a fairy, and no, I don't really believe they exist. But just because I've never seen one doesn't mean they don't exist, right little girl in the movie Lizzie who proves to her father that they do exist and he feels bad for doubting her? This totally validates for my daughter her getting upset about going to school because she is waiting to see if fairies come to the fairy house she built them. Sigh...)
But the kids, they love Dino Dan. When it comes on, my son goes, "Eh Dino Dan! Eh Dino Dan!" And they've come up with fun pretend games based on the show.
I don't mind the show in half-hour doses, but Dan is so obsessed with dinosaurs, I'm not sure I could be around him much in real life.
Showing posts with label shorts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shorts. Show all posts
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sometimes She Confuses Me (Shorts)
Lately my daughter has been talking about "biting snakes" which I assume are snakes that bite, as opposed to those that don't. Generally, she talks about being scared of biting snakes and look out because there are biting snakes over there (with the crocodilles and giants who invade our house, apparently). And then the other morning, she shared this nugget of information:
Pumpkin: Biting snakes are scared of ghosts. Biting ghosts.
After a short pause, while I stood there a bit confused, but hadn't said anything...
Pumpkin: Biting ghosts are the same as regular ghosts except they are not regular. They are biting ghosts.
Glad we got that all cleared up!
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The other morning in the car, we had the following conversation:
Pumpkin: Do you want to hear a song about the highway?
caramama: I really do.
Pumpkin: Highway, highway. Every day is the highway.
Highway, highway. Every day is the highway.*
Pumpkin stops singing and asks me: Do you want to hear a song about the low way**?
caramama: Definitely.
Pumpkin: But I'm not done with the song about the highway!
caramama, trying not to laugh: Okay. Then let's hear the rest of the highway song.
Pumpkin continues to sing all sorts of "lyrics" about not rolling windows down on the highway because it's too windy and goodness knows what else.
I didn't do was ask her why she would offer up a different song when she wanted to sing more of the first song. I didn't bother to go there, because I suspect the answer would have confused me just as much.
*She totally made this song up. She makes up a lot of songs, and she's getting really good at it.
**For like a year now she's been distinguishing roads by whether they are highways or "low ways" such as neighborhood roads. We think it's so cute that we keep calling them that too.
Pumpkin: Biting snakes are scared of ghosts. Biting ghosts.
After a short pause, while I stood there a bit confused, but hadn't said anything...
Pumpkin: Biting ghosts are the same as regular ghosts except they are not regular. They are biting ghosts.
Glad we got that all cleared up!
------------------------
The other morning in the car, we had the following conversation:
Pumpkin: Do you want to hear a song about the highway?
caramama: I really do.
Pumpkin: Highway, highway. Every day is the highway.
Highway, highway. Every day is the highway.*
Pumpkin stops singing and asks me: Do you want to hear a song about the low way**?
caramama: Definitely.
Pumpkin: But I'm not done with the song about the highway!
caramama, trying not to laugh: Okay. Then let's hear the rest of the highway song.
Pumpkin continues to sing all sorts of "lyrics" about not rolling windows down on the highway because it's too windy and goodness knows what else.
I didn't do was ask her why she would offer up a different song when she wanted to sing more of the first song. I didn't bother to go there, because I suspect the answer would have confused me just as much.
*She totally made this song up. She makes up a lot of songs, and she's getting really good at it.
**For like a year now she's been distinguishing roads by whether they are highways or "low ways" such as neighborhood roads. We think it's so cute that we keep calling them that too.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Not Said Quite Right (Shorts)
In general, I really love the 2-5 age range. I especially love the cute things they say when they don't say things quite right. Here are some that we've gotten to hear over the past year or so.
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When the Pumpkin was younger, we let her try hummus with red peppers and some salsa and other things to see if she liked spicy foods. She did not. After quickly realizing that, we determined that it was easier to tell her not to try something that was "too spicy" for her rather than deal with the mouth-on-fire feeling that she didn't understand.
So for probably about a year now, when the Pumpkin doesn't want to eat something or doesn't like the taste of something, she says, "That's too spicy for me."
We tell her, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
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Over the last few months, the Pumpkin has been going through that stage of testing out what is scary to her. At first, she wasn't really scared of things, just playing the emotion and motions. Then it seemed like she was actually starting to get a bit scared of some things. And then she started using the word scary simply for things she didn't like or want to do.
For example, at bed time she wanted Daddy to put her to bed. When I said I was going to do it, she said, "No! Mommy scares me!"
Let me be clear: I did nothing that would scare her at all. Another time it seems like the word doesn't mean what she thinks it means.
------------------------------------
Sometimes she repeats things we say or songs she hears, but doesn't get the words right.
Like around Halloween, she and I sang along with the radio (and a CD), "Awoooo. Wearwolves of London!" But she would say something like, "Awoooo. Wear wool of dundun." Cute, but not quite right.
------------------------------------
During this recent regression she went through (and even again last night), it seemed to me that she also regressed in her pronunciation of some words that she used to say just fine. So there would be times I simply could not understand what she was saying no matter how many times she repeated herself or how loud she said it.
So we would ask her, "What does that mean?"
And she would answer, "[Whatever word] is a good idea!"
She would say it as if that's what the word meant, not that whatever it was she was talking about was a good idea to do. So I think she's a bit confused over this one as well.
------------------------------------
Just like Cloud's Pumpkin, our girl has also started talking about when she or me or Londo grow little. As in, when Mommy is a baby, the Pumpkin will feed me. Or when we are littler than her, she will carry us.
I'm sure I could figure out an age-appropriate way to explain time's arrow, but it's just too cute for me to do just yet.
------------------------------------
The Pumpkin has also been working on genders and pronouns over the last few months. Londo calls the Pumpkin his little girl, and she calls him her big boy. But lately she's not getting it quite right. This is partly because she loves to assign us all to play different people, so that I'm Daddy, Daddy is the Pookie, the Pumpkin is Mommy, etc.
But being in a contrary stage, she will totally argue with you when you correct her. So she say that daddy is her big girl. We will try to correct her, but she will say, "No, he is not! Daddy is my big girl!"
I think she mostly gets it, but she just likes to play around or argue or, you know, be Two/Almost-Three.
------------------------------------
When the Pumpkin was younger, we let her try hummus with red peppers and some salsa and other things to see if she liked spicy foods. She did not. After quickly realizing that, we determined that it was easier to tell her not to try something that was "too spicy" for her rather than deal with the mouth-on-fire feeling that she didn't understand.
So for probably about a year now, when the Pumpkin doesn't want to eat something or doesn't like the taste of something, she says, "That's too spicy for me."
We tell her, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
------------------------------------
Over the last few months, the Pumpkin has been going through that stage of testing out what is scary to her. At first, she wasn't really scared of things, just playing the emotion and motions. Then it seemed like she was actually starting to get a bit scared of some things. And then she started using the word scary simply for things she didn't like or want to do.
For example, at bed time she wanted Daddy to put her to bed. When I said I was going to do it, she said, "No! Mommy scares me!"
Let me be clear: I did nothing that would scare her at all. Another time it seems like the word doesn't mean what she thinks it means.
------------------------------------
Sometimes she repeats things we say or songs she hears, but doesn't get the words right.
Like around Halloween, she and I sang along with the radio (and a CD), "Awoooo. Wearwolves of London!" But she would say something like, "Awoooo. Wear wool of dundun." Cute, but not quite right.
------------------------------------
During this recent regression she went through (and even again last night), it seemed to me that she also regressed in her pronunciation of some words that she used to say just fine. So there would be times I simply could not understand what she was saying no matter how many times she repeated herself or how loud she said it.
So we would ask her, "What does that mean?"
And she would answer, "[Whatever word] is a good idea!"
She would say it as if that's what the word meant, not that whatever it was she was talking about was a good idea to do. So I think she's a bit confused over this one as well.
------------------------------------
Just like Cloud's Pumpkin, our girl has also started talking about when she or me or Londo grow little. As in, when Mommy is a baby, the Pumpkin will feed me. Or when we are littler than her, she will carry us.
I'm sure I could figure out an age-appropriate way to explain time's arrow, but it's just too cute for me to do just yet.
------------------------------------
The Pumpkin has also been working on genders and pronouns over the last few months. Londo calls the Pumpkin his little girl, and she calls him her big boy. But lately she's not getting it quite right. This is partly because she loves to assign us all to play different people, so that I'm Daddy, Daddy is the Pookie, the Pumpkin is Mommy, etc.
But being in a contrary stage, she will totally argue with you when you correct her. So she say that daddy is her big girl. We will try to correct her, but she will say, "No, he is not! Daddy is my big girl!"
I think she mostly gets it, but she just likes to play around or argue or, you know, be Two/Almost-Three.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Good Things Going On Shorts
Yoga
After reading this post, I realized that I didn't need a DVD or class to do yoga with my daughter. I've been doing yoga for YEARS, and I know poses and sun salutations. I could just show her how to do some!
So the other morning, when she had a meltdown because daddy was going to work and she didn't want him to leave, I told her I had a fun activity for her and I to do. (She of course screamed no, leave her alone. I responded that when she was ready to hear about the activity, I would be in the other room. After a minute, she came in all curious.) I told her we were going to do Yoga!
I showed her some moves that I put together basically as a sun salutation, most of which she generally did. When I did the plank pose (think: when you are a top of a push-up), she tried to climb on my back. We laughed and had fun. It was so awesome to be able to share some poses with her.
And yesterday evening, I check our On Demand based on a tip that MommyEm gave me. Sure enough, under the Activity TV section of the kids programming, there was yoga for kids! We watched on and even did some of it. She is loving it, and I'm loving it!
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Teeth
I don't know if I mentioned this, but the Pookie's first tooth came in two weekends ago. It was the bottom right one. This week, the bottom left one broke through, but then it receded. Apparently, that can happen. But yesterday morning it poked back out. So he has two adorable teeth coming up on the bottom.
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Rolling and Physical Advancements
Over the last few weeks, the Pookie (who is 7 months old as of yesterday) has been rolling over like crazy. When I put him down on his blanket, he will roll across the whole of the living room floor! He also scoots around on his belly a lot. Not crawling, not even the army crawl, but moving and shifting around.
He also loves being in the exersaucer. He streches his legs and pushes up. He sits in it and leans forward. He turns himself around in it to play with all the toys.
He doesn't sit up on his own too much. He seems to have a lot of stomach and back control when he's in the exersaucer or the highchair, but he doesn't stay upright for long when we put him in the sitting position on the floor. Also, when you pull him up by his hands, he never wants you to pull him to the sitting position. He wants to go straight into the standing position.
--------------------------
Playdate
I have a playdate tomorrow! Months ago, I had talked with one of moms of a school friend of the Pumpkin about doing a playdate. She actually brought it up. But it never happened. Then last week, she called me and told me that her daughter is no longer going to the pre-school with the Pumpkin, but she got my full name before she left because she still wanted to do a playdate. So I invited her and her daughter over for tomorrow morning!
This is how we make new friends as adults, isn't it? Our kids get along, so let's hang out while they play? I'm really excited!
After reading this post, I realized that I didn't need a DVD or class to do yoga with my daughter. I've been doing yoga for YEARS, and I know poses and sun salutations. I could just show her how to do some!
So the other morning, when she had a meltdown because daddy was going to work and she didn't want him to leave, I told her I had a fun activity for her and I to do. (She of course screamed no, leave her alone. I responded that when she was ready to hear about the activity, I would be in the other room. After a minute, she came in all curious.) I told her we were going to do Yoga!
I showed her some moves that I put together basically as a sun salutation, most of which she generally did. When I did the plank pose (think: when you are a top of a push-up), she tried to climb on my back. We laughed and had fun. It was so awesome to be able to share some poses with her.
And yesterday evening, I check our On Demand based on a tip that MommyEm gave me. Sure enough, under the Activity TV section of the kids programming, there was yoga for kids! We watched on and even did some of it. She is loving it, and I'm loving it!
--------------------------
Teeth
I don't know if I mentioned this, but the Pookie's first tooth came in two weekends ago. It was the bottom right one. This week, the bottom left one broke through, but then it receded. Apparently, that can happen. But yesterday morning it poked back out. So he has two adorable teeth coming up on the bottom.
--------------------------
Rolling and Physical Advancements
Over the last few weeks, the Pookie (who is 7 months old as of yesterday) has been rolling over like crazy. When I put him down on his blanket, he will roll across the whole of the living room floor! He also scoots around on his belly a lot. Not crawling, not even the army crawl, but moving and shifting around.
He also loves being in the exersaucer. He streches his legs and pushes up. He sits in it and leans forward. He turns himself around in it to play with all the toys.
He doesn't sit up on his own too much. He seems to have a lot of stomach and back control when he's in the exersaucer or the highchair, but he doesn't stay upright for long when we put him in the sitting position on the floor. Also, when you pull him up by his hands, he never wants you to pull him to the sitting position. He wants to go straight into the standing position.
--------------------------
Playdate
I have a playdate tomorrow! Months ago, I had talked with one of moms of a school friend of the Pumpkin about doing a playdate. She actually brought it up. But it never happened. Then last week, she called me and told me that her daughter is no longer going to the pre-school with the Pumpkin, but she got my full name before she left because she still wanted to do a playdate. So I invited her and her daughter over for tomorrow morning!
This is how we make new friends as adults, isn't it? Our kids get along, so let's hang out while they play? I'm really excited!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Cute Things She Says Shorts
I love all the cute things my girl says. She's 2.5 years old now, and I've missed recording so many of the adorable ways she says things. So I'm going to do some snippets of things she's said recently and some from way back.
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I read a lot of books child development and communication. A few of the communication books mentioned that when a child wants something, sometimes you can just acknowledge the want by saying that you wish they could have/do that, and that is enough to satisfy them.
I like this technique and have used it a bit. For example, if she says she wants a cupcake, I'll say, "I wish you could have a cupcake! But we don't have any in the house. I want one too." Or something like that.
So the other morning, this was the conversation:
caramama: Oh, Pumpkin, we still have to brush your teeth.
Pumpkin: I'll do it all by myself!
caramama: Well, Mommy has to do it.
(I have to at least "take a turn" or else she just sucks on the toothbrush and doesn't get any brushing done. She knows this, but often wants to do it herself only.)
Pumpkin, said in a perfect imitation of the tone I use: I wish you could, Mommy. But I'm gonna do it by myself.
caramama (trying not to die laughing): Well, what if we do it together?
Pumpkin: OK!
And we did it together while singing the WonderPets' teamwork song.
--------------------------------
The other morning I called out to her, "Pumpkin* pie?" She replied, "Yes, Mommy pie?"
She did it again this morning when I said, "I love you, Pumpkin pie." She said, "I love you, Mommy pie."
I just love that!
*I used her real name with "pie" after it.
--------------------------------
Back in January or February of this year, she used to say "Where oh where is _____?" when she was looking for something. She ddn't just say "where is ____." She'd say "where oh where is ____" or sometimes just "oh where is ____." I think she got it from the song "Where oh where has my little dog gone?" which I sing to her on occassion.
--------------------------------
Just recently she seems to have the names of colors right. But she used to not say a few colors correctly:
-Yellow: When she was very young, she'd say "lello." But over the last year and a half, she's been calling it "yea-yo."
-Orange: She'd always called it "or-jas" with the soft j sound like you say "je" in French. And it was always plural.
-White: For a long time, she would call things that were white "black." She would just mix up the name for white, although she always got black correct.
--------------------------------
Until just a week or two ago, the Pumpkin would say the word ravioli as "laliloli." It was sooooo cute!
--------------------------------
Last January, I tried to teach the Pumpkin to say Obama and who Obama was. She did not get it. Instead, she started occasionally calling me O Mama or O Mommy. Londo incouraged this behavoir. And though I tried to get her to, she would not say O Daddy.
--------------------------------
I know there are more. Hopefully I'll remember to write them down and share them another time.
--------------------------------
I read a lot of books child development and communication. A few of the communication books mentioned that when a child wants something, sometimes you can just acknowledge the want by saying that you wish they could have/do that, and that is enough to satisfy them.
I like this technique and have used it a bit. For example, if she says she wants a cupcake, I'll say, "I wish you could have a cupcake! But we don't have any in the house. I want one too." Or something like that.
So the other morning, this was the conversation:
caramama: Oh, Pumpkin, we still have to brush your teeth.
Pumpkin: I'll do it all by myself!
caramama: Well, Mommy has to do it.
(I have to at least "take a turn" or else she just sucks on the toothbrush and doesn't get any brushing done. She knows this, but often wants to do it herself only.)
Pumpkin, said in a perfect imitation of the tone I use: I wish you could, Mommy. But I'm gonna do it by myself.
caramama (trying not to die laughing): Well, what if we do it together?
Pumpkin: OK!
And we did it together while singing the WonderPets' teamwork song.
--------------------------------
The other morning I called out to her, "Pumpkin* pie?" She replied, "Yes, Mommy pie?"
She did it again this morning when I said, "I love you, Pumpkin pie." She said, "I love you, Mommy pie."
I just love that!
*I used her real name with "pie" after it.
--------------------------------
Back in January or February of this year, she used to say "Where oh where is _____?" when she was looking for something. She ddn't just say "where is ____." She'd say "where oh where is ____" or sometimes just "oh where is ____." I think she got it from the song "Where oh where has my little dog gone?" which I sing to her on occassion.
--------------------------------
Just recently she seems to have the names of colors right. But she used to not say a few colors correctly:
-Yellow: When she was very young, she'd say "lello." But over the last year and a half, she's been calling it "yea-yo."
-Orange: She'd always called it "or-jas" with the soft j sound like you say "je" in French. And it was always plural.
-White: For a long time, she would call things that were white "black." She would just mix up the name for white, although she always got black correct.
--------------------------------
Until just a week or two ago, the Pumpkin would say the word ravioli as "laliloli." It was sooooo cute!
--------------------------------
Last January, I tried to teach the Pumpkin to say Obama and who Obama was. She did not get it. Instead, she started occasionally calling me O Mama or O Mommy. Londo incouraged this behavoir. And though I tried to get her to, she would not say O Daddy.
--------------------------------
I know there are more. Hopefully I'll remember to write them down and share them another time.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Morning Conversations Shorts
Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. I'm still really in shock about the loss of our friend. I am going to write a couple of cute stories today to try and concentrate on nicer things.
The Pumpkin seems to have made a cognitive developmental leap lately. It's hard for Londo and I to pinpoint exactly what it is that's different, but we both have realized it. (I'll have to look into what's going on developmentally at this age.) What we have noticed is how she thinks about things seems slightly different, and the way she talks about things.
So here are some cute things she's said this morning and the other morning, each of which have at least something cognitively different from before this leap. I will put the pound sign (#) by things I think are new.
----------------------
The other morning when Londo was downstairs feeding the dog, the Pumpkin woke up and came into our room as always. I had been in the bathroom washing up, but I heard her, so I came out of the bathroom and smiled at her.
caramama: Good morning, Pumpkin.
Pumpkin, looking around and putting her hands up in an I-don't-know position: I loss my daddy!#
caramama, stiffle laughter: Oh, honey. You didn't lose him. He's downstairs feeding the dog.
caramama, swooping up the Pumpkin for hugs and kisses, which are returned: I love you so much.
Pumpkin: I love you too, Mommy.
Pumpkin, after a brief pause, then leaning to the side: Can I get down now?#
----------------------
We used to listen for airplanes and trucks and other outside noises and name them all the time. However, then she started arguing with me about which noise was which, and I think I dropped the game. This morning, while brushing the Pumpkin's teeth, I heard an airplane flying outside.
caramama: Do you hear that, Pumpkin? It's an airplane!
Pumpkin: No, it's not an airplane. It's a twuck!
caramama: It's not a truck. It's an airplane.
Pumpkin: No! It's a twuck!
caramama: Whatever.
There was a pause in the conversation.
Pumpkin: Hear dat, Mommy? Dat's an airplane!#
caramama: Yes! That is an airplane.
Pumpkin: No, it's a twuck.
And at that point, I dropped it again and started brushing her teeth. I just can't believe she started it up again with the correct noise-maker just to argue with me again! I'm sure she thinks it's a fun game. I'm so not in the mood for those kinds of games these days.
----------------------
This morning we were walking downstairs, and I was wearing this really pretty white, layered maternity skirt. The Pumpkin looks at my skirt trailing a bit on the stairs as we go down.
Pumpkin: Mommy, are you a pincess?#
caramama: Why, yes. I am a princess.
Pumpkin: You are a pincess!
caramama: I am Princess Mommy! Actually, that would make me the queen. So I guess I'm a queen not a princess.
Pumpkin: A qween?
caramama: Yes, queens are the mommies of princesses. So you are the princess, and I am the queen.
Pumpkin: Yes, I am a pincess. And you are a qween!#
This is the first time I've heard the Pumpkin refer to any real person as a princess, or queen for that matter. She knows who the Disney Princesses are in general, since you can't escape their faces on all toys or cups or other kid crap. I was a fan of those princesses myself when I was younger, and there is nothing wrong with pretending to be a princess. I just want to model strong, independent princesses who can rule just as well as any man. And I want to model beautiful, strong, self-assured queens who have wonderful and supportive kings to help raise their royal brood. hehe.
----------------------
I'm not going to tell this whole conversation (which was really just the Pumpkin talking to herself), but I wanted to at least make a note of this so I don't forget. The Pumpkin was playing in the mountain of pillows on my side of the bed this morning. At one point, she slammed a fist down in one of the pillows and said what I'm 95% sure was GD. But in the very next second, she was rearranging them nicely again, saying that this one goes here and where did the other one go.
Umm, oops. I hadn't said those words this morning. But she is surely modeling behavoir that she picked up from one of her parents. And it could have been either of us, unfortunately.
Londo was just saying that she is really picking up on everything we say these days and that we need to be extra careful of what we say. Indeed we do.
The Pumpkin seems to have made a cognitive developmental leap lately. It's hard for Londo and I to pinpoint exactly what it is that's different, but we both have realized it. (I'll have to look into what's going on developmentally at this age.) What we have noticed is how she thinks about things seems slightly different, and the way she talks about things.
So here are some cute things she's said this morning and the other morning, each of which have at least something cognitively different from before this leap. I will put the pound sign (#) by things I think are new.
----------------------
The other morning when Londo was downstairs feeding the dog, the Pumpkin woke up and came into our room as always. I had been in the bathroom washing up, but I heard her, so I came out of the bathroom and smiled at her.
caramama: Good morning, Pumpkin.
Pumpkin, looking around and putting her hands up in an I-don't-know position: I loss my daddy!#
caramama, stiffle laughter: Oh, honey. You didn't lose him. He's downstairs feeding the dog.
caramama, swooping up the Pumpkin for hugs and kisses, which are returned: I love you so much.
Pumpkin: I love you too, Mommy.
Pumpkin, after a brief pause, then leaning to the side: Can I get down now?#
----------------------
We used to listen for airplanes and trucks and other outside noises and name them all the time. However, then she started arguing with me about which noise was which, and I think I dropped the game. This morning, while brushing the Pumpkin's teeth, I heard an airplane flying outside.
caramama: Do you hear that, Pumpkin? It's an airplane!
Pumpkin: No, it's not an airplane. It's a twuck!
caramama: It's not a truck. It's an airplane.
Pumpkin: No! It's a twuck!
caramama: Whatever.
There was a pause in the conversation.
Pumpkin: Hear dat, Mommy? Dat's an airplane!#
caramama: Yes! That is an airplane.
Pumpkin: No, it's a twuck.
And at that point, I dropped it again and started brushing her teeth. I just can't believe she started it up again with the correct noise-maker just to argue with me again! I'm sure she thinks it's a fun game. I'm so not in the mood for those kinds of games these days.
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This morning we were walking downstairs, and I was wearing this really pretty white, layered maternity skirt. The Pumpkin looks at my skirt trailing a bit on the stairs as we go down.
Pumpkin: Mommy, are you a pincess?#
caramama: Why, yes. I am a princess.
Pumpkin: You are a pincess!
caramama: I am Princess Mommy! Actually, that would make me the queen. So I guess I'm a queen not a princess.
Pumpkin: A qween?
caramama: Yes, queens are the mommies of princesses. So you are the princess, and I am the queen.
Pumpkin: Yes, I am a pincess. And you are a qween!#
This is the first time I've heard the Pumpkin refer to any real person as a princess, or queen for that matter. She knows who the Disney Princesses are in general, since you can't escape their faces on all toys or cups or other kid crap. I was a fan of those princesses myself when I was younger, and there is nothing wrong with pretending to be a princess. I just want to model strong, independent princesses who can rule just as well as any man. And I want to model beautiful, strong, self-assured queens who have wonderful and supportive kings to help raise their royal brood. hehe.
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I'm not going to tell this whole conversation (which was really just the Pumpkin talking to herself), but I wanted to at least make a note of this so I don't forget. The Pumpkin was playing in the mountain of pillows on my side of the bed this morning. At one point, she slammed a fist down in one of the pillows and said what I'm 95% sure was GD. But in the very next second, she was rearranging them nicely again, saying that this one goes here and where did the other one go.
Umm, oops. I hadn't said those words this morning. But she is surely modeling behavoir that she picked up from one of her parents. And it could have been either of us, unfortunately.
Londo was just saying that she is really picking up on everything we say these days and that we need to be extra careful of what we say. Indeed we do.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Animal Shorts
I might have mentioned before that my cat was not using his litter boxes consistently (or at all). Well, we tried many different ways to rectify the situation, and FINALLY I think we've found something that works.
We moved his litter boxes to the upstairs floor in Londo's office, got one of those self-cleaning boxes in addition to his other 2-3 boxes, and raised the babygate at the stairs that lead to the office enough for the cat and only the cat to go under. We also steam-cleaned the basement playroom's rug (many times) and scrubbed down the storage room area where his litter boxes had been located. And by "we" in this paragraph, I mean Londo. (Isn't he wonderful?) Although I did help with the ideas, planning and oversight. ;-)
As long as we are sure to keep the basement door shut and all soft objects (clothing, towels, rugs) off of uncarpeted floors (the hardwood and tile floors), and Londo is sure to keep his litter box clean, the cat goes in his litter box!! It's such a relief, and I hope to heck I didn't just jinx us!
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Outside our bedroom and bathroom window, there is an overhanging eave jutting out from the rooftop. There is a bird's nest in this eave. Every spring, the birds return and hatch their eggs in that nest. We can hear the chirping and fluttering and constant in and out of the birds for weeks and weeks, as the eggs are laid and the babies grow.
This drives the cat nuts! He sits by the windows all day and night, trying to crane his neck up so he can see the eaves and rooftop. He makes this clicking noise with his jaw as if he is vividly imagining chomping down on those birds. Every now and then, we open a window for him to sit in, which he loves and gets him more worked up. We figure he now also has smell in addition to watching the show. We call it smell-o-vision.
He's very amusing to watch.
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The dog thinks that the nanny comes every week day to hang out and play with her. It's very obvious. The nanny loves the dog very much, too. In fact, when we went out of town for a wedding, the nanny agreed to dog sit/cat sit/house sit. We couldn't have made the dog any happier! And the nanny finally got the chance to spend time with the cat and realized his charm as well (generally, the cat is no where to be found if the Pumpkin is around).
When the nanny takes the Pumpkin out in the mornings to play at the playground or go to a friend's house to play, the dog is SO UPSET that they left her behind. Even though they do this almost every day. If I'm still at home when they leave, the dog comes running upstairs to me, looking so pitiful. You'd think she'd get the routine by now, but she just doesn't get it.
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If it's not raining on Saturday mid-morning, we are going to take the Pumpkin to Green Meadows Petting Farm in Frederick, MD. We went last spring and fall and had such a great time! I see that they are also going to be open in June-July and again (as always) in October. They've got great animals, all of which are very domesticated and used to be handled by adults and kids of all ages. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful. And I could just rave about it all day. If you are around the area, I highly recommend going with your kids. It's worth the reasonable price and time to get there.
We moved his litter boxes to the upstairs floor in Londo's office, got one of those self-cleaning boxes in addition to his other 2-3 boxes, and raised the babygate at the stairs that lead to the office enough for the cat and only the cat to go under. We also steam-cleaned the basement playroom's rug (many times) and scrubbed down the storage room area where his litter boxes had been located. And by "we" in this paragraph, I mean Londo. (Isn't he wonderful?) Although I did help with the ideas, planning and oversight. ;-)
As long as we are sure to keep the basement door shut and all soft objects (clothing, towels, rugs) off of uncarpeted floors (the hardwood and tile floors), and Londo is sure to keep his litter box clean, the cat goes in his litter box!! It's such a relief, and I hope to heck I didn't just jinx us!
--------------------------------------
Outside our bedroom and bathroom window, there is an overhanging eave jutting out from the rooftop. There is a bird's nest in this eave. Every spring, the birds return and hatch their eggs in that nest. We can hear the chirping and fluttering and constant in and out of the birds for weeks and weeks, as the eggs are laid and the babies grow.
This drives the cat nuts! He sits by the windows all day and night, trying to crane his neck up so he can see the eaves and rooftop. He makes this clicking noise with his jaw as if he is vividly imagining chomping down on those birds. Every now and then, we open a window for him to sit in, which he loves and gets him more worked up. We figure he now also has smell in addition to watching the show. We call it smell-o-vision.
He's very amusing to watch.
--------------------------------------
The dog thinks that the nanny comes every week day to hang out and play with her. It's very obvious. The nanny loves the dog very much, too. In fact, when we went out of town for a wedding, the nanny agreed to dog sit/cat sit/house sit. We couldn't have made the dog any happier! And the nanny finally got the chance to spend time with the cat and realized his charm as well (generally, the cat is no where to be found if the Pumpkin is around).
When the nanny takes the Pumpkin out in the mornings to play at the playground or go to a friend's house to play, the dog is SO UPSET that they left her behind. Even though they do this almost every day. If I'm still at home when they leave, the dog comes running upstairs to me, looking so pitiful. You'd think she'd get the routine by now, but she just doesn't get it.
--------------------------------------
If it's not raining on Saturday mid-morning, we are going to take the Pumpkin to Green Meadows Petting Farm in Frederick, MD. We went last spring and fall and had such a great time! I see that they are also going to be open in June-July and again (as always) in October. They've got great animals, all of which are very domesticated and used to be handled by adults and kids of all ages. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful. And I could just rave about it all day. If you are around the area, I highly recommend going with your kids. It's worth the reasonable price and time to get there.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Pregnancy Shorts
Not the shorts you wear. Shorts as in snippets, briefs, little stories or thoughts. It occurs to me that I tend to write really long narratives (at least when I'm feeling myself). Sometimes, I just want to tell short stories, but they often turn into long ones (like this paragraph is already). So, I'm going to occasionally do shorts. Today's will be some lighter, brighter snippets about pregnancy.
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A few weeks ago, when my dad was over to help get the Pumpkin's new room ready and we were just organizing things, I was sitting on the steps waiting for something. My dad looked at me and asked if I needed something to do.
I responded that I was doing something. I was always doing something. I was gestating. And it's hard work.
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One aspect of pregnancy that I don't mind at all is the weight gain. I know plenty of other women who hated that part, but not me! I think it's hysterical that I weigh so much or that my stomach, boobs, butt and thighs are all much plumper.
In fact, I was so amazed at how muchmore my butt was jingling, I had to show my husband! He just laughed at me, knowing how funny I thought it was.
See? I don't hate everything about it!
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The Joanna Cole book I'm a Big Sister is a big hit with the Pumpkin. Thank you to all who recommended it. The first time I read it to her, she started out not really wanting to read it and trying to just flip pages, but then she realized what it was about and what it was saying. By halfway through, she was enthralled. Now, she loves to help tell me what's going on in each page.
I also bought a book about mommy being pregnant and bringing home the baby by the Sears. They've got really good stuff in them, but they are much too long and have way to many words per page for my won't-sit-still toddler. But the mommy being pregnant one has a great drawing of the baby in mommy's belly and of mommy breastfeeding the baby. I think I'll try it again but make up my own brief description of each page, which we've done with other books.
------------------------------
A few weeks ago, when my dad was over to help get the Pumpkin's new room ready and we were just organizing things, I was sitting on the steps waiting for something. My dad looked at me and asked if I needed something to do.
I responded that I was doing something. I was always doing something. I was gestating. And it's hard work.
------------------------------
One aspect of pregnancy that I don't mind at all is the weight gain. I know plenty of other women who hated that part, but not me! I think it's hysterical that I weigh so much or that my stomach, boobs, butt and thighs are all much plumper.
In fact, I was so amazed at how much
See? I don't hate everything about it!
------------------------------
The Joanna Cole book I'm a Big Sister is a big hit with the Pumpkin. Thank you to all who recommended it. The first time I read it to her, she started out not really wanting to read it and trying to just flip pages, but then she realized what it was about and what it was saying. By halfway through, she was enthralled. Now, she loves to help tell me what's going on in each page.
I also bought a book about mommy being pregnant and bringing home the baby by the Sears. They've got really good stuff in them, but they are much too long and have way to many words per page for my won't-sit-still toddler. But the mommy being pregnant one has a great drawing of the baby in mommy's belly and of mommy breastfeeding the baby. I think I'll try it again but make up my own brief description of each page, which we've done with other books.
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