to remember a few things

A few hodgepodge details I want to remember years from now.

- E won't say water.  She calls everything "milk" or "juice"  I can ask her to parrot any word and she will try - and then I'll say "can you say WA-TER?" and she'll just look at me, smile, and shake her head.  When we're brushing teeth, she asks for more "milk"  When I turn off the bath water, she points to the faucet and cries "Miiiiilk!"

- Just this week, E has started calling me "mum"  I have no idea where she got it, but it is very clearly not "mom" or "mama" or the "mommy" that she used to use.  She still says the others some, but most of the time - at least this week - it's been mum.  And, you know?  It's really cute.  She had a really really great weekend with no real tantrums and she was cuddly and helpful and cute.  When I walk into a room, she cheerfully says "Oh!  Hi Mum!"  or when she was helping me put away groceries - she brought over a bag of apples and said "Here mum! Here da Bapples, mum!"  really cute.

- Relatedly, I took them to target a few days ago, and I let them get whipped cream in a cup as a treat from starbucks (mix with chocolate powder and whole milk - it's a free milkshake!)  Abby has always called it "ice cream" But, because it's in a coffee cup, E calls it coffee.  At one point, she tipped her cup over and says - loudly - "Oh no Mum! Me Coffee!  Me Coffee spiwwed Mum!"  It was funny.

- She's a little obsessed with coffee.  Not drinking it, of course, but she gets really excited about identifying it.  So, if Kyle and I make coffee at home, or if we get it at a restaurant - she excitedly says "Coffee!  Dats coffee!  Hot? Dat's Daddy's Coffee?  Coffee hot?"  And we'll let her feel the cup to confirm that, yes, it's hot.  I gave her a teaspoon taste of my coffee last week for grins and giggles.  She tasted it, and - to my horror - started smiling and nodding her head.  But, after swallowing it - she frowned and shook her head and said "no" I asked her again if she liked it and she confirmed "no. no coffee" *whew*

- Abby said the other day that if we have a boy, we can give him to Jen (nanny).  When I pointed out that she would have a lot of fun teaching him things, she said "I can only teach girls, mom.  I can't teach boys anything!"

- We are hosting playgroup this afternoon and Abby is very excited.  I just got a report that she won't play with any of her toys because she wants to "keep things nice for my friends"

- Yesterday, I asked Abby what she wanted to be when she grew up.  She said "A garbage collector"  When I asked her why, she didn't miss a beat before responding "Cause I like the stinks"  What in the world am I supposed to do with that?  Other than laugh, obviously.  I like that "stinks" is plural.  She will make a fine garbage collector one day.

- E calls Abby "Babby"  and we sometimes catch ourselves doing it too.  Abby likes it when E says it. She doesn't like it when mom and dad say it.

- E loves to play with things that Abby is playing with, naturally.  She also likes just playing with things that are Abby's.  If Abby comes over and tries to take it back - then E gets aggressive and pretends like she's going to bite Abs (she's not going to actually do it - but it makes Abby let go so quick, that E knows it's her most effective strategy)  BUT - if Abby is sad about not playing with something - if she is hanging her head, pouting, or crying....E can't stand it.  She always comes over and gives the toy to Abby and says "here ya go babby"  It's sweet.  So far, Abby doesn't seem to realize she could manipulate this.

- Abby is at the age of wanting to understand everything and wanting to be included.  It is commonplace for her to interrupt me or Kyle while we're talking with an annoyed "WHAT are you guys TALKING about??"  So, we're working on manners that revolve around waiting your turn and not interrupting - but once we explain what we were talking about - she's satisfied.  I kinda like that she wants to understand.  I remember feeling that way as a kid, too.  Listening to my parents talk and feeling frustrated that they weren't talking on my level.  It's tough being a kid, sometimes.

- I've now taught E that my belly is synonymous with baby.  I'm 100% certain she has no concept that there is an actual baby in there....but, she will "play along" and hug my belly, pat it, kiss it, or poke it and say "baby!" or "hug baby!"

And now my lunch break is over.  I'll write more later :)