So many of my posts are problem-focused, I would like to take some space to tell you how much I freakin' love this kid. Seriously.
One of the things I love about children is how RANDOM they are. I was reminded of that today when Q wrapped her hair bow around the old insulin pen I gave her (don't worry, it's empty) and said, "Pretty shot!" (She recently had her 18-month-old shots and made a MUCH bigger deal about getting weighed and measured than she did about receiving the actual needle. Now no more immunizations until age 4!) She's also beginning to be able to speak about things that happened in the past. "Teepee!" she said today, alluding to our trip to visit the teepees that are temporarily set up in the empty field along Maple Ave. She thought a moment and said, "Inside teepee." (I made a big deal about us going inside the teepees and not just playing on the nearby playground.) It is a new experience for me to hear her remember things and be able to vocalize them.
She makes me laugh every day. When she's being bad and I take a stern tone with her, she starts yelling, "Time out! Time out!" I haven't tried to implement a time out in over a month, I think. She runs away from me at bedtime, toddling awkwardly down the hall while she cries, "Run away!" She also likes to hide now, and always announces it beforehand by saying, "Hiding." Hiding, to her, can be as simple as turning her head away so she can't see us. Of course we play along.
We are spending time in the backyard every day, and it has become our little sanctuary. It's a small, rectangular yard with a slide, a baby pool (when it's not too cold), and a couple of little outdoor toys. I sit in the grass and weed while she explores. Sometimes she comes up beside me and pulls out a handful of grass with her fist. "Weed," she informs me. She also INSISTS that I put on my "suncream." And if I try to get away with only putting it on my arms, she says, "Chest! Neck!" and helps me rub it in. She appears to be mildly afraid of bugs. And she takes great pleasure in drinking from the sprinkler.
Oh, and she's a great eater. My brother says she traded in being sociable for being a good eater. She'll try almost anything, and even if she doesn't like it for the first one or two bites, she'll try again. She eats almost everything we eat. Tonight she ate pork chops with rhubarb relish. I recall being quite a picky eater as a kid, so I think I just got lucky with that one! She doesn't seem to require much snacking, so she chows down at mealtime. I hope this adventurousness in eating and healthy appetite continue indefinitely!
She is now at an age where she will tolerate having her toenails painted, and I think it helps contribute to a more "girly" look, which we sometimes struggle to achieve because I don't like too much pink and she doesn't have long hair. Not that it really matters, but the number of times she has been called a boy despite wearing frilly clothing (just because of her hair, I assume) is startling. Plus, painted toenails are dang cute on a baby.
Oh, and I thank you all very much for your comments on my last post about her excessive shyness. I have come to the conclusion that you're right. She is who she is. And she's still extremely young, so she might grow out of it. I'm not going to "force" her to be friendly. I will always encourage her to be polite, but I won't make a big deal out of her clinginess and will simply spend my time enjoying the close bond that we have. These slow days of routine and exploring and errands and cleaning are special to me. I thank God for lending Q to me--she helps me see the world through different eyes.
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