September 2010 Tidbits

When I pulled out the turkey for Tess' lunch today she asked, "Mom, you like turkey?"

"Yes, I like turkey. Do you like turkey?"

"I like turkey, I do. Dad likes gummi bears!"

I know Tess has to go to the bathroom when she turns to me and says, "Mom, I playing!"

Tess found an empty paper towel roll, held it up to her eye and said, "Look, Mom, I a CAPTAIN!"

Tess, pointing out a fellow toddler having a fit in the store: "That girl a little ornery!"

Tess came home from playschool with a picture she made using apple stamps. She was very proud to show Dad her picture, and he suggested we hang it on the fridge. "Yes," she agreed, "It look nice there!"

Tess had her first day of playschool with a few other friends. Before heading to her friend's house, we discussed how one of the rules was no crying in school. On the way home from picking her up, I asked how school went and if she was a good girl. She said, "I a good girl, Mom! I played outside and fell down on the grass. I did no crying." Aww--my boo-skee-boo!

"Cranes and planes, cranes and planes, cranes and planes. Mom, words a-rhyme!" (Cranes and Planes is the name of the book Curious George checks out from the library.)

The other night at dinner, Tess was being quite the card. Pleased with the reaction she was getting, she started handing out laughing assignments. "Dad, you wanna laugh? OK, you laugh." Then she'd tell her joke and Ry would laugh at the appropriate time. "Mom, you wanna laugh?" She'd tell her joke and it was my turn for laughing. Then we had to take turns telling jokes. "Tess, you wanna laugh?" Nothing like organized humor.

Tess at dinner tonight: "I wanna go to my Nana-Papa's house. Have dollhouse downstairs and upstairs and downstairs have snowman."

Tess in the bath tonight: "I wanna go to I-a-ho and see Dipsy's Papa and Dispsy. I do. Have bedroom for me and bedroom for Lauren downstairs."

"Tess what should we have for dinner tonight?"

"A-boo-ba."

"What?! We can't have a-boo-ba for dinner! Do you even know what a-boo-ba tastes like?"

"Tastes like chicken!"

This morning Tess & Ryan were looking at all the things in her Nature Display box from Cousins Camp. When they got to the pinecone (which she calls a "pinecorn"--she mixes up "acorn" and "pinecone") Ryan said, "Did your pinecone come from the Wild Woods?" She responded, "No, it came from the swimming pool!" He corrected her, "No, remember, we found your pinecone at Dipsy and Papa's Wild Woods." Finally I had to fess up--she was right. Her Wild Woods pinecone fell out and we replaced it with one she found near the swimming pool. I think she was about ready to explain to Ryan that this variety of pinecone is not native to the Wild Woods of Idaho. So much for authenticity and provenance.

Tess was examining one of the flowers in her display box and asked, "What's that, Mom?" I told her it was the petal of the flower. Her response: "Oh, I see! Like the pedal on my bike!" Sort of.

Yesterday Tess was on her bike, and when she backed up Ryan started making a "beep, beep, beep" noise. Tess chided him: "Dad, it's a bike not a car."

Tess is going through this phase where she obsesses over random objects. She latches onto them and has to carry them with her everywhere she goes. Recent obsessions: a pair of headphones that she calls her "microphones;" an old camera (pre-digital era) that she trails behind her on a cord and calls her "puppy"; a paintbrush; and various lids to random bottles (which she calls her "shapes"). It's getting a little old trying to keep track of these things.

I have no idea why, but Tess has a new name for the mall: "The Parents." She loves to play on the ride-on cars at the mall and will ask, "Mom, let's go to The Parents to ride on the cars. Pl-e-e-a-a-s-s-e?"

Another new funny phrase that Tess picked up from both Ry & me: "Sounds good?" She'll propose her idea for a plan and then add a very upbeat, "Sounds good?" at the end.

Tess: "How about chocolate milk and a show a me? Sounds good?"

Tess: "How about we go a The Parents and ride the fire engine and the pink car and the airplane and the roller coaster and the laughing car? Sounds good?"

If Tess' proposal gets shot down, she's learned to employ the "After" technique of negotiation.

Tess: "How about we go to The Parents and ride the fire engine and the pink car and the airplane and the roller coaster and the laughing car?"

Me: "Well, Tess, right now it's time for a little nap."

Tess: "How about The Parents after? Sounds good?!"

Tess also doesn't like it when I use delaying tactics.

For example, If she wants a popsicle and I say "Not now" because it's too close to dinner, she'll respond:

"Mom, you no say 'not now!' You say 'yes!' I say 'yes!' No 'not now!' Sounds good?"

Tess has very much internalized the difference between "escalators" and "elevators." Everywhere we go, she wants to know which one they have. If I tell her they have an elevator, she'll say, "They have no little moving stairs. They have anelevator."