MUSHROOM & GREENBEANS (33 MONTHS)

Yesterday, momma made mushrooms and greenbeans mixed together. S loves both mushrooms and greenbeans and seemed excited about it when momma said that's what she's making for dinner. But, at dinner time, S had a fit when momma put the mushrooms and greenbeans down on her plate. Momma wasn't sure what was wrong, but daddy saved the moment!

Daddy just asked if she wanted him to separate it. She nodded and he did. Then, she just quietly ate her mushroom and her greenbeans separately.

HUNG ART (33 MONTHS)

On Wednesday morning, Momma sneaked away while S was busy in the kitchen to take a shower. S was cutting, coloring, and sticking up a storm. When momma came back, S had used her stickers to hang up her "art" on the window. When momma went to take pictures of it, S said, "I'm going to hang everything up on the windows."

P.S. Daddy thinks it awesome that S taped up the picture on the window like that, four pieces, one on each side to hold up the "art."

CUTTING (32 MONTHS, 4 WKS)

S new favorite activity is cutting. She recently learned to do it well enough to make a simple cut. It's still very awkward for her. She opens the scissor with both hands then put it on her fingers. Then she lines up the scissors on the paper and closes it down. Often, momma has to hold the paper for her. She doesn't cut very straight, but she has managed to learn how to cut across a sheet of paper. She often says when cutting, "I like the sound. Snap. Snap."

Here is a picture of her diligently cutting and a picture of her hard work.

MONSTERS (32 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

Often, momma asked S to get a small blankie for bedtime. Lately, she has been refusing to do it by herself and insists that momma comes with her. But, on Saturday, S went to get it by herself. She came back and said, "I ran fast so the monsters don't get me." No wonder S wants momma to come with her.

P.S. Momma and daddy are so surprised by how well she can articulate her thoughts.

I NEED SOMETHING (32 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

S has been coughing so much because of her tonsilitis. Sometimes, it causes her to throw up.

During naptime today, she started having a coughing fit. It was followed by calling out for momma. Momma thought she just woke up and wanted her and went to go get some medicince. While in the kitchen, momma heard, "I need something; I need something" from S's room. When momma arrived, S had thrown up in bed and it was all around her neck, clothes, blankie, and animals. She did need something: help.

S was so upset that the only way momma convinced her to clean up was to hop into the bathtub with her and take a bath with her. After a quick rinse to get most of the vomit out, momma sat in some murkey water to wash S completely. Of course, there was no more naptime after this!

DRY (32 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

S has been doing GREAT with her potty training. She's dry all or most of the time now. She's had two nights in February where her pull-ups were wetand one day where she had an accident (see blog about being locked out). She has also started taking the initiative regularly letting either momma or daddy know when she needs to go and going a couple of times by herself.

Momma wonders when she'll start taking the initiative and going by herself at night?! There's been a couple of nights where S shouted from her room, "momma, I have to go pee-pee," standing outside the bathroom door and waiting for momma to come.

For every night or day that she's dry, momma and S put a sticker on the calendar for that day. At the end of February, as a reward for being dry, she'll get a flashlight, just like daddy. Eventually, momma will fade the reward system away like she did with the potty charts.

P.S. S has started wearing panties at night. Occassionally she will ask for a pull-up. During her last visit with Mimi, Mimi kept her in panties during the day.

I WANT MOMMA (32 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

Since S has been sick, she has a low tolerance of daddy. On Saturday, daddy took her to the Central Market playground. She didn't like him following her around the playground and kept telling him to go away. Of course, daddy wasn't gonna go away. When daddy didn't let climb up the slide backwards, S blew up. She cried, "I want momma." She ran off the playground and into the store to look for momma. Daddy had to drag S out.

Later, when daddy was taking S for a walk around Central Market, S decided she had enough and wanted momma again. She was getting tired so daddy picked her up. She started crying out, "help, help" in daddy arm. Daddy thinks it's because S thought daddy was going the wrong direction, i.e. away from momma. Daddy was worried that he looked like he was kidnapping S.

Poor daddy! What a weekend for him!

LOCKED OUT (32 MONTHS, 3 WKS)

On Wednesday, S locked momma out of the house by accident. S closed the garage door and locked it when she saw it opened. The only problem is that she can turn the lock counter-clockwise but the opposite motion with her hand is too difficult for her.

Momma called out to S from the garage and asked her to open the lock. Momma could hear S trying to turn it and after awhile, S was frustrated. Momma suggested getting a stepstool, but still it didn't help. After awhile, both momma and S were both panicked and S began to cry. Unfortunately, the situation was too overwhelming for S that she had an accident.

When momma didn't hear S anymore, she tried to go to the backyard and try the emergency lock box. Momma didn't remember the combination, but fortunately, S was saw her in the backdoor. She was able to open the lock because turned counter-clockwise to unlock, opposite of the garage door.

After some more tears from S and consoling from momma, momma was back in the house. This is was more than enough excitment for S and momma.

GO TO BED (32 WEEKS, 3 WKS)

Recently S started copying her friend Talia's behavior after a tantrum. After seeing her friend Talia demand to go to her bedroom after having a tantrum, S has asked to go to her bedroom when she was upset too.

Initially, after laying in bed for a couple of minutes, she asked if she could sit with momma. Recently, during a tantrum, S wanted to go to bed. She asked momma to come lay in bed with her too.

MEOW MEOW WOOF WOOF (32 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

S often pretends to be either a kitty cat or a dog. She gets on all four and meows or barks and asked to be petted. She gets her inspiration from Comet the neighborhood cat and Neo, Aunt Fiona's dog, or Sasha, Uncle Joe's dog. Sometimes, she even asks for a treat.

Two months previous, she was a frog and would jump (hunched over, knees bent, feet on floor and hands supporting her) around the house and croak "ribbit."

SIGNING (32 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

Although Sarah's been signing since 14 months old, she's begun to sign again for fun. She often looks through the book "My First Sign" and tries to duplicate them.

Her finger coordination at this age is so much better now and the signs actually resemble what it is meant to be, such a cereal (index finger crawling across the chin). Recently in her high chair, she signed "I love you." She pointed to herself, crossed her hands over her chest and pointed to me and follwed up with the words. Momma was so surprised at such a sweet expression!

MARIA'S SICK (32 MONTHS, 2 WK)

Maria came to play with S on Tuesday. S and Maria were blowing bubbles in the backyard when Maria accidently drank the bubble water in the bubble pipe. She ran into the house and started to throw up. The bubble water, although non-toxic, tasted bad and burnt Maria's throat.

Unfortunately, the entire incident scared S. The sudden commotion and wretching from the vomiting scared her. She refused to play with Maria for the rest of the hour. For the past couple of days, S keeps asking momma if Maria is still sick.

FOLDING AND TYING (32 MONTHS, 2 WKS)

S has been recently fascinated by folding and tying. She tries to fold up pieces of paper or her pretend map. The paper usually looks wadded up, but she tries really hard and is proud of her work. She also taken momma's ribbon and ties up her teacups and teapot together and drag them through the house. She also attempted to tie up a balloon to her high chair. Usually tying up involves winding the string several times around an item. Although it's a little frustrating, after some more practice, she'll get better at it.

BLOWING HER NOSE (32 MONTH, 2 WKS)

S is starting to blow her nose properly. With her allergy to cedar fever, she's had plenty of practice. But the main motivation is that she prefers blowing her nose to having momma suck it out with one of those uncomfortable rubber suction bulbs.

P.S. Last week she had only one potty accident. She got a "handy dandy notebook" for being accident free. She is also waking up to go to the potty (with little or no fuss.)