I am LOVING this new phase of having a full-sentence-able two year old. It makes for interesting conversation, but, more so, a good look inside her head.
Granted, she still says "your" instead of "my" and "you" instead of "me", but the thing is, I'm so used to it, I don't even notice. I'm bilingual when it comes to pronoun use. You better watch out, or You will start getting your own pronouns mixed up.
Oops.
She's really working on the "yesterday" concept. I thought she had it at first, but upon further use of the word, she has begun using it for pretty much. . .everything. We walked out of the grocery store this afternoon, and she said "Ali ran fast in the store yesterday!!".
However, there does seem to be one aspect of life that helps her differentiate the days.
Sock color.
Every morning when I put new socks on her, I can see the wheels turning in her mind. After a thoughtful pause, I usually get this sort of commentary from her:
"White socks today. Wore Purple socks yesterday."
This is really the only for sure breakthrough on days yet, so I try and make a conscious effort to put a different colored pair of socks on her every day.
Or maybe I do that because she amuses me with her explanation of sock color.
But anyway.
Her verbosity has also been able to show that she has an amazing memory. This has been cool, because up until the last few weeks, I really didn't think she remembered stuff as well as some of her friends.
Last week, though, she really surprised me. I told her that we were having lunch with Crystal, a girl who used to work with me. We haven't seen Crystal in about 4 or 5 months, so I wasn't sure if Ali would remember her. However, as soon as I told her who we were eating lunch with, she said, "Eat lunch with Crystal at Firehouse!!".
I thought about the meaning of this for a minute, and then remembered that the last time we had eaten with Crystal 4 or 5 months ago was at Firehouse Subs.
Wow.
At breakfast today, we were out of regular paper plates, so I got her a Thomas paper plate left over from her birthday party. She had already put in her breakfast order (she had the choice between pancakes or waffles - "pancakes!!"), but as soon as I got the plate out, she said, "Eat Pizza on it!!".
Again, I was confused. She's never asked for PIZZA before. It's not really one of her favorites. Then I remembered - we ate Pizza at her Birthday, on those plates.
I guess that wasn't very nice of me to serve Pizza at her birthday when it wasn't her favorite.
And speaking of Thomas, I think that she showed that she has been watching a bit too much lately. Or at least it effects her quite a bit. She was underfoot while I was trying to wash the dishes, and I accidentally ran into her. She whined for a minute, then said in a very British Accent, "Mommy bumped ya buffas!!!"
And don't ask me what a buffer is. It's whatever they bump when they bump each other on Thomas. That's all I know.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Horsing Around Photo Contest!
A mirror holds such fascination and imagination for toddlers. The discovery of oneself, the study of facial movements and characteristics. Simple though it may be, it is a land of unlimited imaginings and play all to itself.
Check out everyone else's entries at 5 Minutes for Mom!!
Please be sure to hop on over to my main blog, Grasping for Objectivity in my Subjective Life. I would love to have you stop by!!
Check out everyone else's entries at 5 Minutes for Mom!!Please be sure to hop on over to my main blog, Grasping for Objectivity in my Subjective Life. I would love to have you stop by!!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wordless Wednesday: A Peacock Chasing a Peacock.
Commmeeeere. . . let me pet you! 
Oh. So you're going to play the "I can fly and you aren't even as tall as the fence" card, eh? 
I wonder what would happen if I walked underneath you? 
On second thought, you're bigger than I thought. 
Can't you tell that I just wanted to be friends??? 
We'll go feed some birds that APPRECIATE us. 
Visit my other Wordless Wednesday post at my main blog!
Visit everyone else's at 5 Minutes for Mom!
Oh. So you're going to play the "I can fly and you aren't even as tall as the fence" card, eh? 
I wonder what would happen if I walked underneath you? 
On second thought, you're bigger than I thought. 
Can't you tell that I just wanted to be friends??? 
We'll go feed some birds that APPRECIATE us. 
Visit my other Wordless Wednesday post at my main blog!Visit everyone else's at 5 Minutes for Mom!
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Few Ali Notes
So here are a few completely random things that have been going on with Ali lately:
Last week was a week of firsts for her: She started sitting on the potty for the first time (before this week, she has very opinionatedly told me "no thank you, uh uh, all done potty" anytime I have asked her if she wanted to sit on it), she sang for the first time (another thing that she has been diametrically opposed to. Her first song lyrics ever were "rock a-bye baby, in a treetop, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock". Luckily she left out the violent, gory parts of that song), and she "rode" on a tricycle for the first time (which she LOVED).
So I am making a commitment to NOT blog about potty training, unless something funny-and-not-related-gorily-to-the-actual-potty-using happens.The following story falls under that exception:
The very first time she sat on the potty, we didn't have a little one yet because, as I said, this was the first time she agreed to sit. So she was sitting on the regular potty, holding both my hands. She started repeating over and over very matter-of-factly, "It happens. It happens. It happens.". I couldn't help but be amused by the closeness of her speech to another phrase that is similar and related to what she was attempting to do. But I still had no idea what she was talking about happens, until she said, "falling. It happens".
She was scared of falling in, but giving herself a pep-talk that "it happens"!
In the past couple of weeks, she has finalized speaking in full sentences. It is so adorable and big-girlish. She uses all of the articles of speech. However, she does still have all of her pronouns mixed up, and calls herself "you" and "your".
Now that she has more of a basis for vocabulary, she is starting to come up with things on her own that are just too funny.
Such as. . .
Chris occasionally uses Q-tips to clean out Ali's nose. Which of course she hates.
The other day, she found one and handed it to me and said, "Mommy, hold your bogey fingy (thingy)".
I answered, "sure, honey, I will hold the Q-TIP."
She mumbled back at me under her breath, "BOGEY FINGY".
Last week was a week of firsts for her: She started sitting on the potty for the first time (before this week, she has very opinionatedly told me "no thank you, uh uh, all done potty" anytime I have asked her if she wanted to sit on it), she sang for the first time (another thing that she has been diametrically opposed to. Her first song lyrics ever were "rock a-bye baby, in a treetop, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock". Luckily she left out the violent, gory parts of that song), and she "rode" on a tricycle for the first time (which she LOVED).
So I am making a commitment to NOT blog about potty training, unless something funny-and-not-related-gorily-to-the-actual-potty-using happens.The following story falls under that exception:
The very first time she sat on the potty, we didn't have a little one yet because, as I said, this was the first time she agreed to sit. So she was sitting on the regular potty, holding both my hands. She started repeating over and over very matter-of-factly, "It happens. It happens. It happens.". I couldn't help but be amused by the closeness of her speech to another phrase that is similar and related to what she was attempting to do. But I still had no idea what she was talking about happens, until she said, "falling. It happens".
She was scared of falling in, but giving herself a pep-talk that "it happens"!
In the past couple of weeks, she has finalized speaking in full sentences. It is so adorable and big-girlish. She uses all of the articles of speech. However, she does still have all of her pronouns mixed up, and calls herself "you" and "your".
Now that she has more of a basis for vocabulary, she is starting to come up with things on her own that are just too funny.
Such as. . .
Chris occasionally uses Q-tips to clean out Ali's nose. Which of course she hates.
The other day, she found one and handed it to me and said, "Mommy, hold your bogey fingy (thingy)".
I answered, "sure, honey, I will hold the Q-TIP."
She mumbled back at me under her breath, "BOGEY FINGY".
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Adventures in the Bible
I tried something a couple of weeks ago with Ali, and it was one of those moments where you are shocked by the immediate success of your idea. You know the type?
I decided to start taking her to my bed for reading time rather than sitting in the chair in her room. She loved it from the very beginning. It lengthened our reading time, and she became much more interactive.
So along with me reading to her, she has decided that she likes to read some as well. She especially likes to read her bible.
We have been all the way through her children's bible only three times. But amazingly enough, she has memorized the basic story idea that goes along with a bunch of the pictures.
She knows who characters are across stories - for example, she can recognize Peter in any picture that he is in.
She will turn to a picture and say "Angel helping Peter", or "David and Jonathan", or "John baptizing Jesus", or "Pouring water into wine".
She also has started trying to use her biblical knowledge in every day life. I heard her muttering while we were at the mall the other day, so I walked up closer to her to hear what she was saying. She was repeating over and over, "Ali baptizing Mommy. Ali baptizing Mommy."
However, my all-time favorite Ali-commentary is on the picture of the baby that the two women were fighting over and Solomon suggested cutting the baby in half to determine his real mother. (Remember, I told you that this bible has no concept of softening the stories to prevent nightmares).
Anyway, Ali luckily doesn't grasp the concept of the story, but what she does see is a baby crying.
So the first thing she does is try to give the baby her paci (she only gets her paci for bedtime and naptime, but I let her keep it during storytime).
However, the baby is still crying after receiving the paci, so she turns to me and tells me, "Mommy, baby crying. Give baby Tylenol!!".
I decided to start taking her to my bed for reading time rather than sitting in the chair in her room. She loved it from the very beginning. It lengthened our reading time, and she became much more interactive.
So along with me reading to her, she has decided that she likes to read some as well. She especially likes to read her bible.
We have been all the way through her children's bible only three times. But amazingly enough, she has memorized the basic story idea that goes along with a bunch of the pictures.
She knows who characters are across stories - for example, she can recognize Peter in any picture that he is in.
She will turn to a picture and say "Angel helping Peter", or "David and Jonathan", or "John baptizing Jesus", or "Pouring water into wine".
She also has started trying to use her biblical knowledge in every day life. I heard her muttering while we were at the mall the other day, so I walked up closer to her to hear what she was saying. She was repeating over and over, "Ali baptizing Mommy. Ali baptizing Mommy."
However, my all-time favorite Ali-commentary is on the picture of the baby that the two women were fighting over and Solomon suggested cutting the baby in half to determine his real mother. (Remember, I told you that this bible has no concept of softening the stories to prevent nightmares).
Anyway, Ali luckily doesn't grasp the concept of the story, but what she does see is a baby crying.
So the first thing she does is try to give the baby her paci (she only gets her paci for bedtime and naptime, but I let her keep it during storytime).
However, the baby is still crying after receiving the paci, so she turns to me and tells me, "Mommy, baby crying. Give baby Tylenol!!".
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Wordless Wednesday.
There's nothing that slows kids down from running screaming laps around the house than to pull out a book:
Ali's favorite mall toy. She asked to put "pennies in it". I knew she wouldn't like it, but I decided to give her the chance:
"What?!? Why's it shakin?!?"
Holdin' on for dear life. . .
That was rough. New favorite mall toy!
And a musical genious. Or at least she has that genius-wild-hair-thing going for her.
Visit my other Wordless Wednesday post at my main site!
Visit everyone else's at 5 Minutes for Mom!
Ali's favorite mall toy. She asked to put "pennies in it". I knew she wouldn't like it, but I decided to give her the chance:
"What?!? Why's it shakin?!?"
Holdin' on for dear life. . .
That was rough. New favorite mall toy!
And a musical genious. Or at least she has that genius-wild-hair-thing going for her.
Visit my other Wordless Wednesday post at my main site!Visit everyone else's at 5 Minutes for Mom!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sunday School
Ali got promoted to a new class at Church, and she LOVES it. We "bill" it as "Sunday School" -- not "Nursery" anymore!!!
So I've been asking her what she did in Sunday School.
On Sunday, I got the following answer:
Ali: Play Ring 'a rosies with AJ!
Me: What else did you do?
Ali: Play pocket posies with AJ!!
Me: What else did you do?
(silence)
On Tuesday, Kitty asked her about Sunday School.
Ali: Play Ring 'a rosies with AJ!
Kitty: What else did you do?
Ali: (girlish, dreamy sigh): Held hands with TITUS!!!!
So I've been asking her what she did in Sunday School.
On Sunday, I got the following answer:
Ali: Play Ring 'a rosies with AJ!
Me: What else did you do?
Ali: Play pocket posies with AJ!!
Me: What else did you do?
(silence)
On Tuesday, Kitty asked her about Sunday School.
Ali: Play Ring 'a rosies with AJ!
Kitty: What else did you do?
Ali: (girlish, dreamy sigh): Held hands with TITUS!!!!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Wordless Wednesday: Sometimes it's best to stop at one.
At small group, we had a set of matching kiddos in PJ's. Of course they wanted their picture taken.
Take One: 75% of subjects smiled, 50% looked at camera. Not bad, but surely I can do better.
Take Two: 50% silly faces, 25% looking away from camera. Try again?
Take Three: Only 25% eye contact. 25% seems to be leaping from couch.
Take Four: Smallest subject seems to be pulling largest subject's hair. 50% are trying to figure out this phenomenon, when ironically, smallest subject is actually looking at the camera for the first time.
Take Five: Camerawoman gets bowled over as kids jump from the couch in a frenzy. Gives up. Take one it is.
Take One: 75% of subjects smiled, 50% looked at camera. Not bad, but surely I can do better.
Take Two: 50% silly faces, 25% looking away from camera. Try again?
Take Three: Only 25% eye contact. 25% seems to be leaping from couch.
Take Four: Smallest subject seems to be pulling largest subject's hair. 50% are trying to figure out this phenomenon, when ironically, smallest subject is actually looking at the camera for the first time.
Take Five: Camerawoman gets bowled over as kids jump from the couch in a frenzy. Gives up. Take one it is.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Backseat Driving Continues. . .
Today, we were in the car, and I bumped a curb in a parking lot.
Ali said remorsefully, "Oh NO Mommy. Mommy Crashed."
Who is teaching her this stuff??!!
Ali said remorsefully, "Oh NO Mommy. Mommy Crashed."
Who is teaching her this stuff??!!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Random conversations with a Two Year Old.
Ali has really started to tell me to "Be Careful" appropriately. She definitely gets her cautiousness from her Daddy.
Two recent examples:
I was coming up to a stop sign and checking my phone for something. Ali noticed that I was looking at my phone and not the road, and she said, "Mommy, be CAREFUL!!".
A couple of days later, I changed lanes just in time for someone to slam on their brakes in front of me. So I did the same. Ali's response? "WHOOOOOOAAA!!! Be careful, Mommy!!!"
We went to the mall today, and I saw a Spongebob stuffed animal(?). Anyway, I was going to illustrate to Chris our daughter's knowledge of pop culture, in spite of the fact that she has never seen a Spongebob cartoon.
I picked Spongebob up and said, "Ali, who is this?".
She thought for a minute, then responded, "It's Tinkerbell!!!"
So much for that idea. I told her who it was and we kept walking. A few minutes later and a long way away, as if she just had a huge realization, she said, "It's not Tinkerbell!!! It's PONGEBOB!!!!"
Two recent examples:
I was coming up to a stop sign and checking my phone for something. Ali noticed that I was looking at my phone and not the road, and she said, "Mommy, be CAREFUL!!".
A couple of days later, I changed lanes just in time for someone to slam on their brakes in front of me. So I did the same. Ali's response? "WHOOOOOOAAA!!! Be careful, Mommy!!!"
We went to the mall today, and I saw a Spongebob stuffed animal(?). Anyway, I was going to illustrate to Chris our daughter's knowledge of pop culture, in spite of the fact that she has never seen a Spongebob cartoon.
I picked Spongebob up and said, "Ali, who is this?".
She thought for a minute, then responded, "It's Tinkerbell!!!"
So much for that idea. I told her who it was and we kept walking. A few minutes later and a long way away, as if she just had a huge realization, she said, "It's not Tinkerbell!!! It's PONGEBOB!!!!"
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Wordless Wednesday
TRULY opposable thumbs.
Visit my other Wordless Wednesday at my Main Blog!
Visit everyone else's WW at 5 Minutes for Mom!
Visit my other Wordless Wednesday at my Main Blog!Visit everyone else's WW at 5 Minutes for Mom!
Help!
This is mainly for Barkley, but feel free to weigh in! I'm trying to pick out our outfits for 2 year pictures, and I REALLY want to do this one:
. . . but this is the alternative.
Thoughts?
. . . but this is the alternative.
Thoughts?
Friday, January 2, 2009
Have you ever. . . ?
Mama Hen had this meme, and I usually don't pick up on memes voluntarily, but this one looked especially fun, so here goes! If you decide to do it, be sure and comment and link to it!
All of the ones that I have done are bolded.
Have you ever. . .
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45 Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (it was Abbie who was sick though, but I rode in it and they really go FAST!)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (how about a blook?)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper ( my wedding picture, does that count?)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
48 out of 99. . . not too bad!!!
All of the ones that I have done are bolded.
Have you ever. . .
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45 Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (it was Abbie who was sick though, but I rode in it and they really go FAST!)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (how about a blook?)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper ( my wedding picture, does that count?)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
48 out of 99. . . not too bad!!!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Recent Random Ali Stories
When Ali woke up from her nap on Saturday, Chris had on a football game. She sleepily got up on the couch, observed what was on, and said, "How about football?", in a very conversational voice.
Sunday, Chris turned on football, and I said to Ali, "How about football?", and she said, "Just like yesterday!!".
I had no idea that she understood the concept of "Yesterday"!
On Monday, we were coming out of Barnes and Noble at the Summit. They are constructing Phase 541 across the street, and there was a loud noise coming from over there. That kind of noise when you're screwing something in with an electric screwdriver and it catches and makes that grinding noise?
Ali looked at me reproachfully and teasingly and said, "Mommy NO NO TOOTS!!". Then she informed me, "Ali toots. Daddy toots. Mommy no no toots!!!"
Sunday, Chris turned on football, and I said to Ali, "How about football?", and she said, "Just like yesterday!!".
I had no idea that she understood the concept of "Yesterday"!
On Monday, we were coming out of Barnes and Noble at the Summit. They are constructing Phase 541 across the street, and there was a loud noise coming from over there. That kind of noise when you're screwing something in with an electric screwdriver and it catches and makes that grinding noise?
Ali looked at me reproachfully and teasingly and said, "Mommy NO NO TOOTS!!". Then she informed me, "Ali toots. Daddy toots. Mommy no no toots!!!"
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