Embarrassing Observations of a Two-Year Old

OBSERVATION ONE:

Anya: "Mommy, he has a baby in his tummy!"

I think to myself, not a big deal, she sometimes says that about herself, about me, about anyone really. Then I look around to see who she is talking about. Great, she is talking about a man, who fortunately is too far away to hear anything (I think, I hope!), but who does indeed have a pot-belly.

I just ignore her, but that doesn't work with Anya. She just repeats it until I acknowledge her.

Me: "No, he doesn't have a baby in his tummy."

Anya: "Well, then what is in there?"

Me: "Uh, that is just the way his stomach is . . . see that tree over there? Is it turning red?"

OBSERVATION TWO:

Anya in the grocery store: "He has a ponytail Mommy!"

I try the distraction method, asking her which bananas she wants. I guess I forgot that doesn't work, she has to be heard! This time the man is in hearing range. She is mostly just stating it is an observation, since in her world, she doesn't really have any male friends with ponytails. I am just hoping he takes no offense :)

OBSERVATION THREE:

We are walking outside, Austria is in the stroller, Anya is helping me push it. She sees two Indian women approaching and stops. She looks at them and points, "Mommy they have owies on their heads!" They just wave, so maybe they didn't hear her? They move on, as do we and I try to explain to her that they like to wear a red dot of makeup between their eyes . . . but I can't remember what it is called or why they do it (these women were older), so I tell her we'll look it up when we get home.

Boston Top Ten

Anya and Austria's Top Ten To Do list for Boston is a little different than what you will find in travel books and on websites. Here they are, randomized by John's secret formula in excel:

1. Make sure you wake up all 17 people, from 3 different time zones at 6 am. (No photo of this, for obvious reasons.)

2. Be with Daddy, because he didn't have to go to work/school!

3. Play with leaves.

4. Walk around with your new hat over your eyes.
5. Watch Jeff do interesting things (and try harder than anyone to get a hug out of Anya).

6. Play with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

7. Play with former Atlantan's and borrow all their stuff.

8. Smell the flowers at the temple (could also be, suck pacifier constantly).

9. Smell the flowers at John Adams' home.
10. Play at a park.


Boston was a blast--wish we could have stayed longer! But like Anya said, "Boston is cold, at our house it is warm."

Words from our Wisest

Me: "It's time to kick the paci, Anya."

Anya: "That's not a good idea."

Anya after whining a lot: "It's crying day."

Anya when she needs something to eat: "I'm kind of starving."

Anya: "Mommy?"

Me: "Yes darling?"

Anya: "I'm not darling! I'm Anya!"

Anya: "No?!? What does that mean?"

Anya: "But I WANT to be naughties!"

Anya to John: "Do funny things so I can laugh."

At the grocery store, Anya is holding my list. Anya: "Hmmm. What else do we need?"

Me: "What else does the list say? Milk?"

Anya: "No, it says Ice Cream!"

After handing her something she requested she tells me: "Thank you sweetheart."

When I ask her to do something, she exhibits evidence she reads her scriptures (at least until 1 Nephi 3): "I will do."

Anya likes to watch TV while she sits on her potty. However, I think we need to establish a new habit, like book reading. One night at the table we were talking about Curious George. Anya: "PBS kids!" John starts laughing and says, "PBS kids?!" To which Anya replies, "Dot org". (For you non-TV watchers between shows they have a commercial of sorts advertising PBS kids and the website.)

Anya thinks she can get away with anything once. The if-you-do-it-one-more-time and there will be some kind of punishment/removal of a priviledge technique doesn't work for Anya. She is constantly doing things she knows are not right and then saying: "If I do it one more time you will take it away/move me/etc?"

After watching one of those self-propelled toy cars zip away after she winds it up, Anya asks me, "How does that little car go by itself?"

Caffie

In August we had a visitor! We were beside ourselves with joy.

Cathy--or Caffie, as Anya called her (among other things, Little Caf, etc)--made the trek by plane AND car to the deep South. We hope she will come back. She watched our kids while we went on dates, packed a one-year old up Stone Mountain, sat in the back-seat and entertained our girls on long drives, washed the dishes and occupied our children. She even talked to John one night when he went off on a topic, and you know how he can go off. I tired of the conversation WAY before she did. Now, I know I will soon be flooded with comments on how YOU can get Cathy to visit you . . .

Style

Anya is quite particular with her clothing, hair, shoes, socks . . . right down to the paci (which IS an "accessory" in her world). Here are just a few examples of what I am talking about:

Example 1: UNDER this dress is a slip. She loves it. She once wore it all day and all night.

Example 2: She likes to wear sunglasses inside. I guess this Playdough is too bright . . .

Example 3: She wore this swimming top for DAYS. We peeled it off her finally and washed it. Then we hid it :) (And look at her mammoth hands . . . )

Example 4: The headband . . . sometimes it matches, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it is worn 60's hippie style.

Example 5: The bath-time up sweep. A must.

And she is passing along some of her good taste to this little cutie. This looks exactly like my 7th grade photo--including bangs so high, they are cut off by the camera!

Poor girls. We are looking for a fashion consultant for hire. With the parents these two girls have, they don't stand a chance of being "in style" but they certainly have unique style.