Penny for your thoughts; Month 19

Little Penny Poo Poo-

I am officially not smart enough to keep up with you. You are clever and mischievous and every day I have to figure out a way to stay one step ahead of you.

In your 19th month, you decided to start repeating pretty much everything anyone says. It's so awesome. I can't even list all the words you say because there are too many. Lately my favorite past-time is listening to you sing while you play your xylophone or while you watch Signing Time or listen to music. We've put Weezer's Island in the Sun on repeat for like, half an hour at a time because you ask for "hip hip" (lyrics in the song) nonstop. You often sing a rainbow song from Signing Time, and while the only words you say are "colors of rainbow," you have the tune down pat. IT'S FREAKIN' ADORABLE. Your voice is so sweet and high (when you're not throwing a tantrum) and many people comment on its cuteness.

Each week we enjoy a good mix of friends and home time, and I love the rhythm we have. In addition to time at the Library, the Treehouse Museum, the gym and playgroup, we spend time in the backyard (hello, mildest-winter-ever!), at Emilie's and Yao's (EMMY! YAO! SYD!), and in your room playing with different toys/having dance parties. In the middle of February, dance parties became your favorite thing. When you put on your piano's music, it was mandatory for me and Maddie to be in the room, dancing. If anyone left, you would constantly call out (MAMA! MAIIIIEEEE!) for the deserter to return and DANCE. I am so glad you love music and movement. I look forward to getting you into lessons that will help you develop your interests and talents. And I will once again tell my own mom I'm sorry I quit everything.

As you grow, your independence is constantly asserted. When you choose to ignore warnings, you in turn choose time out. Whenever I warn you that time out is next, you always say "HI MAMA!!" as some sort of apology for the previous offenses. Some days we have two time outs before breakfast is finished, and other days we avoid it completely. I love the days when you only need two warnings to move past the inappropriate behavior. I love the days when I can turn on your "hip hip" song and calm you down. I love the days when I sing you a lullabye and you nap like it's your job. We will get past these unbearable tantrums because you are a sweet little girl, and we all know you're just trying to figure out life. It can be hard to be little.



Since Jesh, JuJu and Lani are soon moving away to live official, grown-up lives, we have been getting together more often than usual. It warms my heart that you often ask for them by name, and that we'll have some memories of nakie baby baths at Uncle Seth's to keep us going between visits in the future. We are so happy to have such great Uncles and Aunties in your life! I hope we can figure out a way to still let you cousins grow up knowing each other despite of the distance we'll soon face.

Speaking of distance, your Auntie Phia is in Chile serving a mission and she loves to hear about your growth, and to get photos to show her new friends. I imagine you'll fall in love with her all over again when she returns, and I look foward to spending time with my favorite sister again soon.

When it comes to other developments in your life, I want you to know that when you say the word "salsa" I about die from cuteness overload. You love both to eat salsa and to talk about it. I love it too, because it totally counts as vegetables. Sometimes you eat it by dipping the same corner of a chip into your bowl over and over and over... sometimes you eat it with a spoon... and sometimes you just drink it, chunks and all. Basically, you're in love with salsa.

And we're in love with you.

Love,
Mama