She keeps me on my toes…
(We’d try to sing some Christmas songs and read from our Christmas Book every night. Jess would run and get the bells for us to ring while we sang. That black eye was her souvenir from the Ward Christmas Party) A few weeks ago we went to visit our friend Riley who had just gotten a dog. Riley wanted Jess to play with the dog so she showed her how to use the toy and the dog jumped up on Jess and I said “Whoa.” For a full week after this happened, Jess would make the motion of twisting the dog toy, she’d say “up” (or jump), and then she’d say “Whoaw, Whoaw.” She’d do this at least 3-4 times daily. Now she just talks about it occasionally. Last week we were preparing some beans for dinner. I asked Jess if she wanted to help me snap the beans and she looked at me and then started snapping (a skill she picked up after watching our friend Lincoln practice). I set to work and I gave her some beans to practice with. I looked up to find her trying to snap with a bean between her finger and thumb. She’d try one and then try again with another one, it was pretty hilarious. Once she caught on (translation: once I figured out how to effectively include her) she was actually very helpful. Today at the grocery store when I asked her if she thought we should get some beans, she started snapping. I just looked at her and laughed.
(Loving her doll from Grama & Grandpa)
She loves broccoli. If there is broccoli on the table, in the fridge or on any surface within her reach (which is now about 4 inches in on countertops), she will either ask for some “bockie” or she’ll just grab it and start gnawing on it. Really? Sweet.
This morning I heard the tell-tale sound of the toilet lid so I made a mad dash to the bathroom only to find her standing there swishing the toilet wand around in the water. Her expression said “I think I’ve got it down, this is how you do it right mom?” I’m surprised that she even knows what that wand is for because of how rarely I use it.
(Opening her Nativity from Aunt Heidi & Uncle Mark)
One more…our Baby Jesus (who is now missing an arm) has been thoroughly loved this holiday season. Yesterday morning as Jess climbed up on the piano bench for her daily visit, she signed/said “Cold” (I love that she still signs this every time she says it, it’s a fun sign and she does it with so much gusto). I said something like, “Oh, you think he’s cold?” To which she replied “Yeah.” Later in the day, maybe because I didn’t do anything about it or maybe because she thinks I’m slow, she climbed up again and told me “Baby-noonie” (translation: “The Baby is a noodie” and possibly “Mom, he’s just got this little swaddling thing draped across him and until you get some clothes or a blanket on him he’s gonna be cold.”) I said, “Yes, the baby is noonie” and I laughed. Again. I love this kid, she’s a kick. It’s grand being able to hear what she’s thinking about.
