A Conversation with Eliza

--What kinds of things will baby do when she is born?

E: Baby will drink mama's milk

--What else will she do?

E: Pee and poop in her diaper.  Yeah, babies do that a lot.  Yeah.

--Where is baby now?

E: In there -- a uuuuterus.

--Do you have a uterus?

E: No.  No.

--Are you sure?

E: I'm a girl.

--So don't you have a uterus?

E: Yes!  And when I'm older I'll make babies in it.

--How will the baby get out?

E: From her pa-gina.

***

--So what will you do when baby sister comes out?

E: Just hold her! Yeah. She won't be able to walk. No. 

--What do babies do?

E: They just cry to tell us what they want. Like milky, I think.  I used to like milky a lot.  It was pretty good.  

[pause]

My mama is named Ella, and my Dada is named Andrew.

Heard in our house lately.

"It looks incredibly different down here!" --upon seeing the basement after we cleaned out half of it and organized it.

"I'm just so happy." --when she couldn't fall asleep one night, she said this to Andy as he was singing to her.

"Mom, here's the plan..." --she says this anytime she clearly wants to control the situation (so, um, basically all the time). She gives me  The Plan and then follows it up with: "okay mom? okay does that sound like a good plan?"

"I love baby." --this is heard around here a lot lately.  She is getting increasingly impatient and wondering why baby sister is taking so long to get here.  Poor thing, I can tell she is excited in her own little way and wants baby to get here - and soon.  She is always being so lovey-dovey with my belly and saying how much she loves baby.  Talking to her, singing to her, and always in the cutest little voice.  It totally slays me.  So adorably sweet.

"I'm a helper girl!" --with the exception of that one time she up and quit, she loves being a helper around the house.  She seems to take great pride in the work she can do and how much it helps us out.  We thank her and tell her that she's part of this family team and we definitely need, expect and appreciate her help.  And I have to say, as a parent, it is pretty damn rewarding to watch your kid truly want to/try to/actually help with chores.  I just wonder how long this lasts......?

"I QUIT!"

Eliza has been such a big helper lately.  She loves trying to find things to help with around the house.  The other day, she successfully switched the laundry for me - put the dry laundry in the laundry basket, and then put the wet laundry from the washer into the dryer.  BOOM.  We've made it.  The girl can do stuff for us.  USEFUL STUFF!

One of the other tasks we commonly ask her to do is to put away the clean silverware from the dishwasher.  So yesterday I asked her to do this as I was putting away the rest of the dishes.  She was reluctant at first, which was unlike her, but I told her I needed her help and this was one of "her jobs" that we expected her to do when we asked her... I went on and on about how we need her help, she's a part of the family, etc... blah, blah, blah, Mom Talk, blah, blah, blah.

In the middle of my soliloquy, she looks up at me and says - totally seriously - "MOM? I QUIT!"

I could hardly contain my reaction - it was so freaking hilarious!  They are not kidding what they say about the similarities between 3-year-olds and 13-year-olds.

(Yes, I followed up with lots more Mom Talk... don't worry.  But seriously?  It was so funny.  I almost just threw my own arms up to declare the same thing.  I feel 'ya, kiddo! :)

Lucky to be busy!

Sorry - I sort of fell off the face of the blogosphere there, didn't I? It's been a busy 3 weeks!

What's been going on around here? Let's see....

• Eliza's Birthday Party
• Weaning (yes! It happened, and I'm as shocked as you are)
• Eliza's first (real) dental appointment
• My orchestra concert
• A newborn photo session for a good friend (with one of the cutest babies I've ever seen!)
• Thanksgiving
• Eliza's 3 year check-up
• Christmas tree hunt (and subsequent decorating!)
• Lovely neighborhood cookie party hosted by awesome new friends
• The launch of the christmas crafts and cookie baking season! 
• I accepted an adjunct teaching gig for Spring semester

This family has been busy in a happy-good-thankful way.  We feel grateful on a daily basis, even when the daily grind of parenting our dear girl can get frustrating... I could blog about that someday too, but y'know, I'm pretty sure most people already know what I'm talking about ;)

I hope to blog about much of the above in the coming week, but for now I'll leave you to watch this (sorta crappy) video of Eliza answering a few random questions on her birthday.  

Eliza Quotes

"Grandpa, you don't have much hair."

"I'm going to grace you with a lima bean kiss!" (eating lima beans this evening for dinner - her request - I don't know where she learned about the word 'grace'!?)

"I'm helping you buy lots of healthy food, Mama" (at the grocery store this evening, as she put raspberries into the cart, followed by an apple and a pomegranate).

"I am old enough to eat popcorn and when I am 55 I will drink beer."

"What was your favorite part of our day today, Eliza?"  "Going to the comic book store with dada and eating applesauce at the [brunch place]. And healthy food." (I swear we're not crazy with the healthy food talk!  We just mention it when we talk about growing up big and strong... she's really interested in that right now I guess!)

"Come on in, Mama!" (She says this to me each night when it's my turn in the bedtime parent rotation - after daddy sings and reads a book, I'm up.  She waits by her door for me, opens it when I get there, and says this, complete with hand gestures.  It's the cutest thing.)

...

Just a few I didn't want to forget.  Love this age.  She says the cutest and most random things!

Some Eliza Quotes

"I can hardly handle all my muscles, Mama!" (while doing a bridge yesterday in tumbling class)

"It changed out I like spicy!" (she says "changed out" instead of "turns out")

"No deal, mama" (this is a line that she uses when she doesn't like what I'm suggesting)

"When I am three I'll be done with milky.  It makes me a little sad, but I'll be okay." (aw, this one sort of breaks my heart.  We are working on weaning by age 3 and have been talking a lot about it.  I'll post more on that another time!)

"I heard my baby's heartbeat! It's a floaty baby and it goes SHHHHHHHHHH!!!" (this is apparently what she thinks the doppler sounds like when we listen to the baby's heartbeat)

"Breakfast is far away, it's hard for me to wait." (she says this at night when she decides she's hungry.  Sorry kid, you had a chance to eat at dinnertime!!! :)

In Which I Get All Sappy On You

Eliza is nearly three years old now.  We will be celebrating a birthday in just five short weeks!  This girl has changed so much in the last year, it is really remarkable.  I've been so caught up with my own drama, that my girl hasn't gotten much attention on the ol' blog lately.

So what's she been up to?

Questions.  Oh the questions!  She is naturally curious about everything.  The 'why?'s, that started nearly a year ago now, have blown up exponentially and are never ending!  It often reaches the point where her 'why?' questions no longer makes sense, and we've started to try to help her rephrase her questions, challenging her to think about what she's really trying to ask.

She is NOT a morning person.  Mornings are... rough, to say the least.  It doesn't help that I am also not a morning person.  The two of us do not make the most enthusiastic or good natured duo between 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning.  That's usually when an episode of Mr. Roger's is watched while we try to wake up (or sleep a bit more, in my case).

Fears.  Fears are creeping in - she is learning and sort of experimenting with them.  Figuring out what other people are afraid of, and "testing" them out.  Most recently, she's not quite sure about the radiator in her room, which she can see at the end of her bed (our new house has radiators, our previous house did not, so they are new to her).  "Cover it up with a blanket, mama, so I can't see it", she requests each night before bed.  But then the next morning she'll say "I'm not scared of the radiator, he's just a nice guy who keeps us warm.  He's a silly warm guy!".

Nakedness.  Oh boy, does this child like to be naked.  She takes any opportunity.  When she has to pee?  Why not do that completely naked?  When she doesn't want to spill on her shirt during breakfast? Meh, Imma just gonna take off all these clothes, Ma.  Who cares if it's 50 degrees outside?  Let's go outside naked too (she did do that once and immediately came screaming back inside the house).  And then, when it's time to get dressed again (for the 30th time in a day)?  She needs an entirely new outfit.  Of course.  Why not?

Friends.  She has made so many new friends lately (primarily thanks to our move - we live in the best neighborhood that is FULL of kids!), and she loves it.  I love watching her develop relationships with other kids.  It's so sweet and innocent.  Let's be real, though, there are times when she can be equally as UN-friendly as she is friendly with her friends.  The normal preschool relationship stuff, I guess, nothing out of the ordinary... the occasional violence, difficulty sharing, etc.  It's definitely there.  But then she reaches out and wants to hold their hand, she shares a toy or snack, gives them a hug and kiss, talks about them randomly when they aren't there ("Isaac is my favorite friend!", "I want to draw a picture for Ingrid", "I love my ECFE friends!")... and I know that the makings of an amazing friend are there - somewhere inside, developing quietly, waiting in the wings.

Blossoming Foodie.  The girl eats everything - well, okay, that's an overstatement.  But she'll at least try anything.  It seems she favors international foods more than anything - especially mediterranean (well, except for the general food group known as carbs.  Oh the love this girl has for carbs is astounding... sorry honey, but you didn't get that from me!).  We were at a housewarming party the other day and she loudly announced "I WOULD LIKE MORE OLIVES AND HUMMUS AND PITA, MAMA!".  She also likes Vietnamese food (above!).  A family favorite is Pho, and she's been eating at our favorite Pho place since she was a teeny tiny baby (and in fact we went there today for my dad's birthday!).  It's nice that we can take her anywhere and know that she'll be able to eat what we order, and that she'll be relatively well behaved at the restaurant (let's just say she's had a lot of practice).  We are trying our best to raise her to appreciate not only good food, but the culture of food and how it can bring people together.  How we relate to each other via food, over shared meals, etc.  Sharing meals together is as important to us as healthy, balanced food choices, and we hope that Eliza will grow up and feel the same.

Sleep.  As I mentioned before, she sleeps.  God Bless America, this child sleeps.  And we are so happy (and rested).  Not only does she sleep, but bedtimes are a lovely, easy experience for everyone involved.  Daddy gives her a bath, brushes her teeth, reads her books/sings her a song, and then it's "mama time": five (or so) minutes of milky in her bed, followed by singing "Simple Gifts".  I stay with her for a few minutes (or as she says, "lay with me in a minute, mama"), and then I tuck her in and say goodnight.  She is awake when I leave, and she falls asleep on her own.  This may not sound like much to some, but here in this house? It's nothing short of a miracle.  We are so very proud of her for this.  She really is turning into our big girl.

Teh Sweetness.  She has her moments, but oh is this girl sweet.  Just so so sweet (when she wants to be!).  She expresses real, genuine love for her family and friends quite often.  It's so cute.  And the way she's already so excited about her baby brother or sister?  There is nothing sweeter than hearing her talk about the baby in mama's belly.  She slays me.  This afternoon, I wasn't feeling particularly well, and I finally told her that (previously I'd just been trying to power through, but couldn't do it anymore today). She immediately told me to "lie down mama!", and she brought me a pillow, put it under my head, and then asked me if I'd like a blanket.  Then she brought a pillow to put over my belly, "for the baby" (uhh, yeah, we'll have to make sure she knows that's not cool once the baby is out!), and then sat with me and cuddled.

...

Okay, enough sap (and length - geesh!) for tonight.  Guess I could write a novel about that girl of mine.  Don't worry though, another day I'll write about those moments, those oh-my-god-get-me-out-of-here-before-I-scream moments that we all feel as parents.  Because believe me, they are numerous around here!!!!

That Happened.

I was that mom today.

In the grocery store parking lot, I was that mom whose kid yelled at the top of her lungs: "OW YOU'RE HURTING ME! YOU'RE A BAD MAMA!!!"

Awesome.  

I was walking to the car holding Eliza's hand and two bags of groceries*, and she wiggled her way from my grasp.  We have a firm parking lot rule about holding hands with a grown up, so of course I immediately told her she had to hold my hand and tried to grab it.  She darted away from me and so, I did what any parent would do... I grabbed her arm.  As I did so she turned, thus making it so I was was essentially twisting her arm.  Great.  Not what I was trying to do!  And that's when she lost it and started screaming that I was a bad mom.  Right there in front of the five o'clock yuppie rush.

Sigh.

On our way home, I explained to her that I wasn't trying to hurt her, I was trying to keep her safe and when she runs free in a parking lot, I can't keep her safe, blah blah blah... I was being all calm and explaining all this to her in a soothing way, in my best "mama loves you" sweet mama voice, apologizing for accidentally hurting her... mommy would never hurt her... etc... 

And then, from the back seat:

"You're a bad mom."

Seriously?  Those words?  Almost made me cry.  

Ugh.  This parenting stuff is hard sometimes!

*Stupid Whole Foods Paycheck and their no cart caddies in the whole entire freaking parking lot... you have to leave the grocery cart at the front door and haul your bags to your car, or leave your kid in the car while you go return the cart.  Guess I know which I will be doing from now on!  And also, as long as we're on the subject, why must you be so gosh darn appealing, Whole Foods? Why? You and your organic blueberries that taste so damn good I must go back for more as soon as I run out.  You and your amazing salad bar for $7.99/lb, your 2/$5 sale on my favorite Kombucha.  I swear to MOSES I went in there today and I just needed, like, 2 lemons and a box of cereal, and somehow I left $30 poorer.  How does that even happen?  Do I enter some sort of time and money warp when I walk through your sliding doors???  WTH????

Just a Few Quotes.

"I made this card for Auntie Kelly, Mama.  Now let's put it in a cantaloupe so we can send it to her."

"Can you sing me 'Simple Presents' again?" (she says this every night after I sing her the song 'Simple Gifts' - this one cracks me up every time!).

"I am two but I will be three in November." (she pulled this one out at the park yesterday when she was meeting a new friend.  Totally did not realize she knew that!  My smart girl :)

"When I am THIS TALL I will be old enough for a dog!" (She reaches up above her head, which is apparently when one is old enough for a dog...)

"I will share my Milky with my baby brother/sister (depends on the day), s/he can have this side and I will have this side." (She is CONFIDENT that this scenario will work out perfectly for everyone whenever the time comes...)

"I love you, too, Mama" <----- my favorite.

My 2 Year Old Says Random Things

• On her way to go forage for blueberries at a neighbor's house, she said to my mom: "If there are blueberries I will put a smile on, and if there are no blueberries I will take my smile off and throw it in the garbage!!

• Upon discovering that it was raining one day: "Mom! Mommy! Come with me outside and thank the rain for watering our Mums!"

• Listening to music in the kitchen, she will often say: "I just tooted to the music, Ma!"

• Eliza: "I would like some M&Ms before lunch." Me: "Well, I'm afraid that's not an option, Eliza." Eliza: "You don't need to be afraid, Mama, our new house doesn't have any monsters!"

• After being told she could not have a drink of my margarita: "But I am old enough to bowl!!" (complete with dramatic hand gestures).

• "I'm a Kale girl!" 

I got the idea from a friend to post the random/funny things Eliza says on my blog.  I need to remember more of these day-to-day, because some pretty hilarious and random things come out of that girl's mouth!

At 2 years, 2 months (and a few days)...

My dear Eliza, here's a little summary of what you're up to lately (haven't done one of these in a while!):

• you love garbanzo beans.

• you named your kitty figurine "Gabba Babba".

• you sing "row row row your boat", "twinkle", your "ABCs", and Florence + The Machine's "Shake it Out" (well, the chorus at least!).

• you use the word "mostly" in the most interesting ways: "you mostly go over there, mama".

• you still love your mama's milk.

• you have started asking for a baby brother or sister (though I think your Dada had something to do with this...!).  You say "I need a baby {brother/sister - but usually it's sister} so I can share my {bread/milky/toys/etc.} with her".  I think you would make a marvelous big sister, and I would love to see you in that role someday!

• you can count to 11, usually in order, but not always.

• you are finally big enough to face forward in your car seat.

• you have found a new passion for putting things - random toys, balls, food, sippy cups - into plastic baggies so you can "save them".  Then sometimes you will put them in the refrigerator!  You're a silly one.

• you are a carbivore... but you'll eat (or at least try) almost anything.

• you love holding hands with your little friends.

• you are potty trained.

• you love your uncle Reid and aunt Kelly and always ask me if they will have any "em-ee-ems" (M&Ms) for you.

• you "play" with your words... you like to rhyme and make silly words (right now you are saying "fruit-toot-fruit-toot-woot-toot-woot-toot".  It's very purposeful and you know you are being silly and speaking nonsense when you do it.  Of course we take this as a sign of great intelligence ;)

• you love books, and of course you especially love it when we read to you.  I think you could probably sit on my lap all day long and read book after book.  A few of your favorites right now are Llama Llama Red Pajama, Mousework, anything by Dr. Seuss (maybe that's where you found your love of rhyming!), Strega Nona, and Owl at Home.

• you love wrapping your toys up in paper or napkins and giving them to people as "presents".

• you are sleeping in your new big girl bed for half the night, and in mama and dada's bed for the other half.

• you love caring for your baby dolls - nursing them, putting them to bed, taking them for walks in their stroller.

• you are a mama's girl, and that is just fine :)

Love you, sweet girl.

Some of my favorite Eliza-isms

This girl is unstoppable in the language department lately.  I am soaking up her little phrases, and all the cuteness that comes with them - the broken English, incorrect pronouns and plurals... I love it!  Is it weird of me to say that I'll miss it when she can speak proper English?

Here are some excerpts from the past few days:

"Pick you up, Mama?" (you = me)

"Dark is chasing me! Turn light on make dark go away."

"Sometimes food is healthy in my tummy"

"Make crayons be nudey!" (as she strips the paper wrapper off)

"That's a raw egg mama, I have to cook it.  See raw egg Maxx?  It's too yucky.  I cook it."

"Santa might bring Eliza a tiny candy cane.  Only ONE tiny candy cane.  Santa bring Mama and Dada a BIG candy cane.  Bring Eliza a tiny candy cane, just my size."

"Is too windy, Mama.  Need your hood on" (as she pulls my jacket hood onto my head).  Aww.

"Eliza running like a crazy girl!"


I love that crazy girl.

What she said.

My little chatter box is saying so much lately, I just can't keep up!  So many parents note (and remember!) when and what their little ones say down to the exact word and day, and I feel horrible because I can't even tell you which new words she learns on a day-to-day basis -- I just can't keep up!  She says new things every day, makes new sentences, comes up with things I know we didn't teach her... it's amazing to see her vocab and her speech grow by leaps and bounds!

• Eliza said to me this morning as we were getting out of the car: "Eliza want to make cake".  I had to tell her that it was nap time so we couldn't make a cake right then.  To this, she replied: "Eliza sad".  

• Discussing her Halloween adventures this afternoon with her grandpa, she told him: "Uncle Reid give Eliza candy".  It's true.  My brother gave her as much candy as she could eat on Halloween night when we drove over to their house for a surprise trick-or-treat visit.

• As we lounged on the couch this afternoon, she told me: "nice nose, Mama!", followed by "nice chin, Mama!", and finally: "nice eyes, Mama!".

• She really likes to recite the rhyme (with hand gestures of course) "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors see all the people!".  It comes out more like "Here church, here steeple, open.........see peeeeeeeeeeople!" 

• Eliza was sitting on a stool at our kitchen counter while I was making dinner tonight, playing with our jar of coins, a dish towel, and a magazine, and eating cheerios.  She said "Eliza having party!"  It was so cute!  And then she randomly said "Eliza funny".  She says this a lot.  She must think she is pretty funny :)  She is right, of course.

• Counting is big in Eliza's life right now - we count everything these days.  She often counts my earrings, her elbows, her eyes, the cats... yes, counting to the number 2 is big around here!  She can count to five, too, but so far, it is coming out: "one...two...five!"

• Some other favorites: "Belle chasing you!" (when she says "you" she really means "me"), "Eliza run away" (whenever she doesn't want to do something she is supposed to be doing - e.g. getting dressed).  "Eliza have one" (and she hold up one little finger when she says this).

My girl is talking up a storm these days - I wish I could remember every little thing she says.  This is just a handful.  It is just astounding how quickly she picks up new words and phrases.  I am really loving this age.  It comes with some extra challenges, sure - just like every other stage - but the ability to communicate with her is so cool...and handy!