More Widget tales

[siercia]

This afternoon, we were watching Blue's Clues, and they were singing the song with the line "Thanks for doing your part, you shure are smart..." Now, the moms n my friend's list probably know that when they sing that line they tap their fingers against their foreheads - the pantomime equivalent for showing smarts, right? Well, Widget is singing and pantomiming along, and... manages to stick her finger in her eye instead of tapping her forehead. What was that about smart?

She's doing this new thing when she gets frustrated or mad. Instead of crying like she had been doing, she's been screaming these loud primal screams, and thrusting her face forward when she does it, with her little mouth open wide and her teeth bared. Everytime she does it, she reminds me of some kind of aggresive monkey snarling at the other monkeys he's trying to intimidate. So much pent up Widget rage, who knew?

Going along with that is a new trend where, if she doesn't get what she wants (like today, when I told her she could only use the little slide at the playground, not the one twice my height), she decides she's finished completely - at the park, she decided it was time to go home. So far, this seems to come with a minimum of fussing, just a decision. I can only imagine that it's her way of trying to regain control of the situation - if she can't get what she wants, she'll at least get to decide to go home instead of taking an inferior substitute.

She continues to be fascinated by the flowers growing, too. Today I saw that one of my crocuses had bloomed, and showed it too her. She kept touching it and trying to grab it, and everytime we went outsode today, we had to go see the flower before we went back inside. I can't wait until there's bunched out there for her to see - especially the daffodils, and the spectacular yellow-red tulips. She's going to be so amazed.

You know, I was talking to Miss Shani today at lunch. She was expressing amazement at the leaps and bounds with which Widget is gaining language skills, and mastering abstract concepts. I looked at Widget, and said something like "Yeah, if you can wait 2 years or so, they become the most fasciniating little creatures, don't they? Of course, those first couple of years are an ungodly bitch" and I actually really meant it. I think that this may be my favorite stage so far (now that I've said that, the terrible twos will descend with a vengeance, won't they?) - she is infinitely more interesting than she was even a few months ago; putting together sentences, being able to express her feelings with words, starting to engage in imaginative play, more things than I can even think to list here, really. I don't know if I'll keep feeling this way, but this is definitely the most fun I've had with her since she arrived.

Comments

[sarahparah.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes indeed - those first two years ARE an ungodly bitch.

I am SO glad somebody else thinks so too. I adore you!

[siercia]

I adore you right back!

And in case I haven't said it before, thank you for all your support and listening and good advice over the last two years. It's been more valuable than you can know.

Does it actually get easier from here, or is that just silly hope rearing its head at me?

Re:

[sarahparah.livejournal.com]

:) I'm sure it goes in cycles .... I'd say three is the best age so far ... The rewards are really coming in. I can remember feeling in a hurry for those early milestones - crawling, walking, talking. Not so much anymore. I can relate to Poopsie now in a way that I couldn't when she was a baby. She is a real little person now, with her own articulated thoughts and with a bit of independence too, and that makes me so proud and happy.

Check with me again in about ten years though! ;)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I think that for the first year and a half or so, she's really, more than anything, an extension of you. And you, my dear, are an independent woman who doesn't have the need/want for an extension. :) So now that she's really becoming her own little person, it's no doubt things are more fascinating.

She's doing things because /she/ decides them. What an amazing switch!

[siercia]

You know, I hadn't thought of it that way, but I think that's a very good way to describe it - a very needy extension, at that.

You'll just be amazed the next time you see her - she's getting so much more verbal and self determining.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I imagine so. I want to see her so badly.

Bring her to Columbus! :) She'd be a big hit.

[siercia]

With you, sure, she's be a big hit. Not so much with all the folks trapped on the plane with us, really.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Hee!