Zoey!

Kaia has affectionately referred to Zoey as "That" for almost a year now. (I know it's affectionate because she refers to many important women as "that," including Maren, Jen, and Jen Seguine - all of whom we love dearly.)

This morning, just this very morning, Kaia was upstairs and wanted Zoey. She stood at the top of the stairs and yelled, "Zoey!" as clearly and loudly as I would myself. I was so excited.

ALL morning Kaia has been using her name to identify anything that belongs to Zoey. "There's Zoey's seat!" "That's Zoey's coat!" "Zoey's shoes off!" Zoey's light on!" It's like something just clicked.

The best, though, was when we picked up Zoey from school. Z jumped in the car and Kaia said, "Hi, Zoey!" as if she has been saying it for months. Zoey was so excited and responded with a huge smile, "Good job saying Zoey, Kaia! Good job, sister!"

It was a really sweet interaction. I love those.

smart girl

This afternoon the girls and I were running last-minute errands, including our tenth visit to the post office (not everyone in my life completes all things Christmas a week before Christmas, but I love them anyway).

I drove up to the large drive-thru mailbox, slipped in a large pile of letters (not mine, I promise - I was doing someone a huge favor), and drove away.

Zoey: Mommy, how do all those letters get where they need to go? Does the mail man deliver every single one? There are so many mailboxes and letters!

Mommy: Yes, the mail man delivers all the mail, but there are lots of mailmen, so they all do a little bit and it gets done.

Z: Phew! That's a lot of work.

M: Yes, it is a lot of work.

Z: That's why I am going to move to England and just be a queen.

Smart girl.

more on Kaia

Kaia is learning to communicate a bit more effectively, i.e. with less screaming and tantruming. She knows what a cup is and uses the word correctly,  but she also refers to any water as cup. Rain = cup, toilet water = cup, a puddle = cup, bath water = cup, even a river, lake, and ocean = cup. It's cute, though sometimes confusing.

Last week she picked up some new words: Awa for Joslyn, Gaga for Jenica, Ally for Jilian, Mame for Jaimee, and Baba for Uncle Stuart. Maren, who loved on her the most, was affectionately referred to as "That." (Sound familiar, Jenifer?)

She also learned to say coat but puts a k sound at the end so it sounds like coke. She puckers her mouth so cute that I never correct her. It reminds me of how Zoey used to call her hood a hook.

The funniest thing right now is her use of the word car. Again, she uses it correctly when referring to a car, but also uses it when something is not in her sight. When Daddy is at work? He's in the car. Our family we just visited in Missouri? Apparently they've been in the car for almost a week now. Kaia's cup she misplaces every 10 seconds? It's in the car, too. Oh, and she puckers her lips for this word, too, so it sounds like carrrrrr.

The cutest is how Kaia says yes. It's almost always in a whisper and sounds more like yash, also with puckered lips.

Not as cute is how she yells says no about a thousand times a day. Now she has added a little pointed finger action when she does so. I have no idea where she picked up that.

prone to violence

There's a bully in Zoey's preschool class. That's a long story.
Today when she got in the car after school Zoey said, "Megan pinched me and Peyton today."

M: Oh, dear. Not again! I think it's best if you don't play with her anymore.

Z: Yeah, and I think she should be put in jail for hurting me and my friends.

M: Jail? That would be sad to have a little girl your age in jail.

Z: It would? Then I guess we could just throw her out the window.

Admittedly, I laughed for several minutes, which probably is not an appropriate response, but I couldn't help it. Even now, when I recall her saying it so matter-of-factly, it makes me laugh.

smart jeans

This morning at 6:30 AM...
Z: Mommy, I know how to make apple cider.

M: That's because you got Daddy's smart genes.

Z: Yeah, Daddy has jeans that walk and talk... are those smart jeans, Mommy?

baby babble

Kaia is speaking a few more words these days. She says mommy, daddy, car, up, down, yes, ruff, that, ball, cup, shoe, Zaza (Zoey), sister, toe, and Kaka (Kaia). All her words are deliciously cute, but her baby babble cracks us up. If she's telling us something really serious, she uses her pointer finger while talking. She also loves to stand in front of the stove and watch her reflection as she speaks. Kinda cute.

potty talk

Zoey came out of our guest bathroom this afternoon and said, in an exasperated tone, "Mommy, why do all the boys in our house forget to put the lids on the toilet seat down? They shouldn't be playing in the bathroom, anyway."

We have "all" of one boy in our house.