Almost two, always cool

LG is going to be two in a couple months (HOW?) and I haven’t done an update on the little tyke in quite some time (WHY?) (LAZY), so I thought I’d update the ol’ baby book (THIS BLOG) with her recent goings-on.

Much like with walking, LG is slow to talk, which is another thing in a long line of parenting things that I just don’t care about. I mean, I care of course, but I am not worried. I just don’t think she’s going to be 30-years-old and still signing “milk” when she’s thirsty, you know?

Teacup feet!!!

She is quite good at identifying animals (“a-animal”); lions “roar” (which she’s known for quite some time) and cows “moo” (that’s a new one) and she knows rabbits (signs “rabbit”) and ducks (“DUCK!”) and tries to oink like a pig.

She knows what apples (“a-apple”) are from a book, but when I gave her an apple, she wanted nothing to do with it. She still eats almost everything and anything. Eggs and cheese are staples in her diet, as well as pasta and lunch meat (sometimes) and bananas, unless she absolutely does NOT want a banana, in which case she shakes her head no and pushes it away.

Bananas are good. Today.

It used to be ever-so-slightly infuriating to have a person clearly say they wanted a ‘nana and then — even when you’d asked them, to make sure, “Do you want a ‘nana?” and held it up so they knew you were talking about a BAnana and not a grandma — refuse it. I decided not to get mad, though, but rather to get even, and so now when that happens, I put the offending ‘nana in the fridge and later mash it up in some oatmeal and serve it to her for lunch.

Mom: 1, LG: Zero.

She’s started to hit for fun, which is a phase, I’m sure (I’m not sure, however, where she gets that — Chris and I don’t hit her or each other, so I imagine she sees that at school? Or is it just a natural thing? I don’t know), so lately we’ve had to show her how to be “nice.” Now she goes around saying, “Nice, nice” and petting my leg or (deigning to; see below) give me a hug.

Something Chris and I noticed fairly recently is that she totally gives bro hugs. Months back, her school BFF hugged her when we arrived at drop-off and the look on LG’s face was nothing but disgust and disdain. (Another thing I don’t get, because we are big huggers, really.) Once over the initial shock of that public display of affection, she has started hugging, but she is in and out. Lean in (BARELY), tap tap, AND I’M OUT, BRAH. No time for hugs — these books aren’t going to read themselves.

Duly unimpressed with this kid trying to mack on her. Also…Not sure about the robe.

For all the toys she’s got, she much prefers reading the same books, over and over (and over and over) again or going on a “walk.” Chris has passed on his habit of pacing and the two of them — or the two of us, if Chris isn’t around, although I prefer to not pace — will walk hand-in-hand over to the front window and monitor what’s happening outside. Neighborhood watch is in full force here — don’t try anything funny.

She has learned that always saying “no” as a knee-jerk reaction to questions isn’t really working for her, so when we ask her something (for example, “Do you want some milk?”), she very, very solemnly nods “yes.” She also has learned that before meals and/or baths, she has to clean up all her toys and books and she is quite the mother’s helper with throwing things away (no car keys have been trashed…yet) and cleaning up her spills and messes. She’s also very particular about her stuff — she likes things stacked in a row and just so — so it seems I’ve passed that bit of OCD on to her. Sorry, kid.

Suffice it to say, LG is pretty rad these days — incessant whining aside, OMG what is that about — and I’ll refrain from getting all mushy about her, but let me just say: We taught her to high-five and fist-bump and IT IS AWESOME.