Love stinks!

Alexandra has two new habits that, well, stink.

#1
When she gets bored, or sometimes in the middle of playing, sometimes she will take off her shoes and socks, toddle up to the nearest adult, and say, "You want to smell my feet?"

#2
Potty training is going well...for weewee. Poopoo is a different story. She still insists on going in her diaper, but immediately tells me she needs to be changed. As soon as I get her onto the table, she always says, "You want to look at my poopy now?"

Sigh...not really, but at this point there's no way to avoid it.

Meet Flopsy...

My daughter has started making things up.
Not bad things. Nothing dramatic, or mean, or to save her butt from trouble. So I wouldn't call it lying...

"Did you meet Flopsy?" she asked me the other day, holding out her hand, palm facing up toward me.
"No, baby," I said, trying to take her hand, thinking that she was reaching out for me to hold it.
"NO! You're hurting Flopsy!" she howled.

As it turns out, Flopsy is an imaginary boy bunny that she carries in the palm of her hand.

I am sort of embarrassed, but I have now been using Flopsy to entertain guests and family members. As in, "Oh, have you met Flopsy? No? Allie, can you show Flopsy to Mama's friend?" At which she will immediately respond by holding out her empty hand, palm up, a huge smile on her face.  "He's very soft," she will say.

My amazed friend will giggle, not sure if it's ok to laugh, until she sees the grin on my face and breaks down to laughing herself.

So maybe I am not making fun of my daughter's wild imagination after all. I like to think I am just sharing a few smiles.

I can't hear you...

Scene: the bathroom.
Time: to get out of the tub.

Mama: Allie...
Allie (puts fingers in ears): Gagagagaga!
Mama: Hee hee...Allie...
Allie (puts fingers in ears): Gagagagaga!
Mama: Hee hee hee...It's time to get out of the funbath, baby.
Allie (puts fingers in ears): Gagagagaga!
Mama (trying to regain composure and speak sternly): Alexandra.
Allie (puts fingers in ears): Gagagagaga!
Mama (laughing hysterically now): Allie, where did you learn that?
Allie (puts fingers in ears): Gagagagaga!
Mama (hugging squirmy toddler and still giggling): I love you, sweet pea.
Allie: I love you too mama.

Ok, seriously...where did she learn that?!

A final observation: Strawberry-banana bubble bath - organic and all natural though it may be - was not meant to be smelled by people who have spent the afternoon at a wine gulping tasting.

Houston...?

Hearing grown-up expressions coming out of my toddler's mouth is always hilarious to me for some reason. Not the embarrassing stuff she repeats, but the everyday phrases she interprets in her own ways.

Today, Allie woke up saying, "Mama, there's a problem! Mama, you have to come!"

She didn't sound distressed, so I wasn't worried. I went upstairs, cracked open her door and peeked in. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I asked what the problem was. Then I noticed she was naked.

"I can't get my foot in my jammas, Mama."

Sigh. Smile. "That's ok, baby. It's time to get dressed anyway..."

My baby is growing up!

This weekend's naps were big on entertainment, but way short on sleeping.

Saturday, I was doing things in the kitchen, listening to her "read" books from memory in her crib for an hour. Then it got quiet and I said to Mark, whew I think she finally fell asleep. I went outside and Mark went into his office. I hadn’t even gotten to the garden yet when he yells out the window for me to come in for a second. He had just sat down at his desk when something caught the corner of his eye. He looked over, and there was Allie sitting at the bottom of the steps.

"Hi Daddy," she said. "I just wanted to come downstairs."

Sunday, I came into my office after I put her down. A few minutes later, I heard little feet running back and forth upstairs. After 10 minutes, I figured I should go tell her to get back in bed. As I got to the top of the stairs, I could see her waiting for me, outlined in the darkness.

"What are you doing out of bed...and, oh God, where are your pants?"
"I had to go potty, Mama."

I went into the bathroom with my half naked child to find that she had taken her stuffed animals from her bed, arranged them around her potty, taken off her pants and diaper, and - indeed - made weewee, all by herself. And tried to wipe herself - not with the wipes that she couldn't reach. With the toilet paper. Yards of it. Draped in, over and around the toilet, wicking the water out and making a soggy mess everywhere.

I hugged her and laughed so hard for 10 minutes I almost peed myself. And not in the potty!

My only regret is not thinking to take a picture.