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November 29, 2004
Thanks for Nothing, Santa.
Hmmm... Where were we? Let's see, on Wednesday, I worked part of the day and then spent the rest of the day in the hospital with my friend. She is having a baby and her husband was out of town. She got a stomach bug and got dehydrated and they wanted her IV-ed up to get fluids to her. So I got to know her better and even though I don't think she reads here, I will say that she is going to be an awesome momma. She was so calm and relaxed and I was so proud to be there with her. I can't wait to meet the baby in February.
Anyway, Thursday, Marc cooked a turkey and we had all the trimmings and everything was delicious. Sadly, Kelly couldn't stay, because she had her family thing, but we had a good feast anyway with Mom and Todd. Friday I worked part of the day and while I was gone, Todd and Austin came over, as did Eric. Marc and Eric went out and did whatever they do when out (I think it has something to do with Star Trek toys) and when I got home, Mom, Signa, Todd and Austin were eating. Signa is in love with Austin. She just doesn't stop smiling at him. It's so cute.
Saturday we had Gymboree and Signa's "teacher" had his last day. And right when she's learning to sing the songs, too. All the way home in the car, she sang, "Gymbo upandow upandow upandow!" In real life, the song is sung to "The Wheels on the Bus". "Gymbo and his friends go up and down, up and down, up and down." She does the melody just right, but leaves off words. As Mom said when she did it: "How much does it cost to buy a Gymboree?" She just makes you want to hand her the world.
Sunday we went to the mall and saw Santa. We geared her up for it all week. "Want to go see Santa?" "Is that Santa?" "Are you going to tell Santa what you want?" She always said, "Santa!" and ran for the door like we were going now. Got there and she made the Super Sad Signa Face and chanted, "'Fraid. 'Fraid. 'Fraid." But we did get this picture and she is very cute. Even if she was sad.
After that we went to Hallmark. Have you seen that commercial with the singing snowman with the dog that you can get if you buy 3 cards? Signa drops everything to run to the TV to watch it. In person, she lost her mind and forgot all about the horrors of the demon monster called Santa. So I bought three cards. Yes. I did.
Now she sings Jingle Bells much better.
Posted by Debbie at 04:37 PM | Comments (2)
November 23, 2004
Chuckie Kay and Other Signa-ese
A couple of weeks ago, when Signa and Marc were looking at their movie website, a picture of Chuckie came up and Signa said, "Chuckie!" Which was really cute.
Then a couple days ago, Signa got up and the first thing she said was, "CHUCKIE!" I thought she dreamed about him or something because she came in from bed, rubbing her eyes and yelled, "CHUCKIE!" happily. Which was really cute.
But then she said something after. What was it? Kay? "Chuckie Kay?"
Yes, she remembered the chocolate cake Marc made that she devoured the night before.
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She started playing like we do with her Fisher Price Little People. I make them talk to each other.
My Playing:
"Hi! I'm Girl with a Balloon. What's your name?"
"Hi! I'm Mr. Goat. Want to play with me?"
"Sure! Let's go down the slide. Weeeeeee!"
Signa Playing:
I like watching Signa do it.
"Eye! Wassa name?"
"DIE yah sors." ("Dinosaurs" is EVERYONE's name.)
"Pay?"
"Okay!"
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Signa just started the "singing" at Gymboree last week. It was "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" but we only get the row part. "Row row row row row row row row..." and so on. There was another one she does. It's the Laurie Berkner "Moon Moon Moon" song. Supposed to be, "Moon moon moon. Shining bright. Moon moon moon. My night light." etc. Signa: "Moon moon moon moon moon moon moon..." and so on. But she has the melody of the first few rows and moons down so we at least get it.
Friday she started a new chant that we still don't get. She says something that sounds like: "Dinga" then a pause "Hey!" Dad and Molly's dog is Dinga, but it just seems like she's doing more of a song or something. I'll let you know when I figure it out. Hopefully it's more interesting that Chuckie Kay.
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Signa cannot take off clothes or put them on. She does not speak that clearly (except certain words) and she doesn't have a clue about washing and drying her hands (she holds them out and whines). She can't draw any sort of anything on purpose other than scribbling around. She does name all her body parts (the major ones), build towers out of about 15 - 20 blocks or stacking cups, brush her teeth (with help or she just keeps chewing on the toothbrush- I have to do mine and the same time and we make faces and laugh in the mirror). She does throw balls overhand, but when she jumps, she just goes up on her tip toes. She can balance on one foot, though.
And just yesterday she saw a picture of herself with Marc and said, "Daddy and SIGNA." That is the first time she recognized she had a name. You could see it click and surprise her.
But when playing with the Fisher Price Little People, her name is DIE-yah-sors.
Posted by Debbie at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2004
Signa's Word
When Signa wants something when we are eating, she generally whines increasingly louder and points to the kitchen. Not just pointing. She makes a pointing finger and then extends her arm and then bends it and extends it. Over and over. She she's basically saying, "Go over there and get me what I want!"
We go to the pantry and fish things out. "This?" And she yells no. "This?" No. And so on. If we get to the thing she wants (it always is different), she just laughs.
So last night we were eating chicken and she starts Signa Pointing. But instead of the whine, she was saying a word. What word, you ask? I know NOW, but at the time, I had no idea. I tried and tried to figure it out and she just kept yelling it louder and pointing more frantically.
"Kitty chup!"
She to dip her chicken in catsup.
Posted by Debbie at 01:18 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2004
Guess Who?
Guess who went pee-pee on the potty? Besides Marc and me.
Yep. Signa. For the longest time, we've had a potty seat for her in the bathroom that was the kind with the little pot. She would sit on it, but not really. She knew that the potty was where WE sit. So we got a little seat for her that sits on top of our toilet and she climbed up there naked and went potty.
I got a little tear. Until she decided that when I go, I should also use her potty seat. She had a tantrum (arching back wailing tantrum) and when she stopped I explained about butts. "Momma's butt is too big for your potty seat. And your butt is too little for mine. So we each have our own."
She can only comprehend a few words at a time. She repeated, "Momma big butt". Then she pointed at her own and said, "Little."
Posted by Debbie at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2004
Amazing Dad
Molly just called and said that at Dad's appointment today, he found out his kidney numbers haven't changed a bit. And the doctor used the word, "Amazing" at least four times.
Go, My Amazing Dad!
Posted by Debbie at 11:25 AM | Comments (1)
November 09, 2004
Up and Down
Last night Signa was obsessed with "up" and "down". She took her Godzilla figure and put him high in the air (to Signa) and yelled, "UP!" Then she put him on the floor and yelled, "DOWN!" Over and over. So we played Signa Up and Signa Down, which she thought was hilarious. This was all just before bed.
This morning, in her sleep, she turned to me for a kiss, then to Marc and within 30 seconds was doing up and down in the bed. It amazes me not only how fast she wakes up, but how much she remembers in the morning.
Another amazing thing today was there wasn't a single email in my inbox asking me if I wanted my penis bigger. Red letter day.
Posted by Debbie at 08:58 AM | Comments (1)
November 08, 2004
Potty Mouth & Other Such Nonsense
On Saturday night, Signa and I were playing with Play-doh. I made her a little person and then a baby. She held up the baby and the little person and said, "Hi!" "Hi!" over and over, in different voices, making them talk to each other.
Then she held up the Play-doh baby and said, "Pee You, Tinky!"
I said, "Do you need to change the baby?"
She went and got the pad we use to change her and laid it out and set the Play-doh baby down on it. I gave her a Play-doh wipe and a Play-doh diaper and she said, "Legs up!" and wiped and diapered her tiny, itty bity Play-doh baby. Totally killed us. We were laughing so hard.
So then I thought, well, her baby doll has a diaper on and it's legs don't fall off repeatedly causing Signa to repeatedly say, "OH NO! WHAT HAP NET?!?!", so I suggested she change her baby. The baby doll. The Play-doh baby was tossed aside (literally) and she went and got her neglected baby doll. She put it on the pad and took off the diaper (Okay, *I* took off the diaper after she tried for 1.2 seconds and then had a whine-fest). I gave her a real wipe and she wiped and everything. Then I handed her the doll diaper and she had a Rain Man moment. "NO NO NO! PEE YOU TINKY! POOP DIAPER!"
Crap. She knew it was the same diaper. I mimed washing it and she began crying. "NO NO NO! TINKY! CEEEEEEEN DIAPER!"
Crap. This doll came with pjs, a bottle, and ONE diaper. I pretended to grab a new diaper from the diaper area and she started to go for it, but then saw the Play-doh remnant stuck to the back. "NO NO NO! CEEEN DIAPER!!! PEE YOU TINKY!" Crying hard now with no hope in sight for a way out.
Crap.
"HEY! Maybe the dolly wants to go pee pee on the potty!" (good one, huh?!??!) Diaper is abandoned and she and the naked doll run for the bathroom. She flings off the top to the baby potty and shoves the doll into the hole. Then she made me sit on the real toilet. "MOMMA POTTY! MOMMA POTTY!" So I'm on the real toilet (with clothes) and her naked doll is on the little potty seat and she starts playing with the soap in the tub. No. This isn't right.
"Signa, do you want to show your baby how to go pee pee on the potty?" I knew the answer was yes when she started whining and pulling at her clothes. So then she was naked and sitting on the real toilet and her doll was on the little one and she said, "NO!" She got off and tried to throw the doll into the real toilet so she could have the little one. Whatever. So she sat on the little one and then wiped and clapped (didn't pee or anything, but still).
Sunday morning she did it again with the doll (since there are still tantrums whenever I try to put the diaper back on the doll...). Then we were all messing with the doll and we swaddled it like we used to do her. She got mad, but then had me swaddle again and she rocked her and kissed her and hugged her.
Marc and I said, "Ahhhh" and looked at each other lovingly. Then Signa threw the doll really hard onto the floor and said, "Oh no! What hap net!?!?!"
Twice.
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In non potty news, Signa says, "Daddy" at the end of EVERY request now. Marc taught her too well. "Appo jew, Daddy?" "Down, Daddy?" "Up, Daddy?" "Out sigh, Daddy?"
Marc was not with us.
Speaking of appo jew, We can't figure it out. She asks for it all the time, but means milk. We say, "No, Signa, that's milk" and she just laughs and says, "Appo jew!"
Posted by Debbie at 12:48 PM | Comments (0)
November 06, 2004
Dung
Signa can tell a joke (when she feels like it). It's really cute (when she does it).
"Signa, what's brown and sounds like a bell?"
"Dung!"
Sometimes she just grins wildly instead of saying, "Dung." Mostly this happens just after we tell someone, "Signa can tell a joke."
Yesterday, Marc got a Disney movie from Netflix and as the Disney en-tro was going, he said, "Look, there's Tinkerbell!"
Signa said, "Dung!"
Posted by Debbie at 05:42 AM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2004
Appo Jew
Remember the conversation yesterday about "appo jew"? Sounded clearly like "apple juice" to me, but turns out that it may not be "apple juice".
This morning while spinning around with Henry the Octopus from the Wiggles:
"Ree Appo Jew!"
Hmmm...
"Signa, can you say, 'Apple Juice'?"
"Appo jew!"
"Signa, can you say, 'Octopus'?"
"Appo jew!"
Hmmm...
Posted by Debbie at 02:03 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2004
More Politics. Oh, and Some Conversations
Conversation overheard this morning:
"Let me change your diaper."
"No!"
"Signa, your diaper is full."
"Tinky! Pee You!"
"Signa, don't make me come over there and get you. It would not be a happy experience for any of us. Thank you for your cooperation."
Conversation at the dinner table the other night::
"Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew!"
"Signa, would you like some apple juice?"
"Noooo!"
"Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew Appo Jew!"
"Signa, you need to eat. You ate like shit today."
"Shit! Appo Jew!"
"Signa, would you like some apple juice?"
"Noooo!"
Conversation with her Play-doh after crumpling it all up into tiny pieces:
"OH NO! What hap net!"
Yes, oh no! What happened?!? Yesterday was Black Wednesday. Not because of the election results, but because it was cold and thundering and lighteninging (I know it's not a word) for hours. BOOMING loud thunder. Flashing lightening. Black as night at noon.
Weird. I'd say God hates George Bush, but: a) we are in California who gave 55 electoral votes to John Kerry; and, b) I believe in separation of church and state. So I don't think God hates George Bush at all. I think He just finds him annoying.
I couldn't listen to his victory speech, but I read it online. I hate the part where he says, "And we will uphold our deepest values of family and faith." Um, I don't think that's in his job description. In fact, I think the First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." If there isn't a law, there isn't anything to "uphold".
I mean, I'm glad he has his family values and his faith. Good for him. Go, George! But I have my own family values and my own faith. And mine are different than his. In this great Melting Pot, I should be allowed to have my own values and my own faith and not be worried that someone is going to bombard me with the upholding of theirs.
But maybe he won't. Maybe he'll be too busy making good on this part: "So today I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust. A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation. We have one country, one Constitution, and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."
He wants my support and is going to work to earn it. That's very cool. I want to give him my support. Really and truly, I do. I like it when I like my President. Again, go, George! Surprise me.
Please, please surprise me. I'm begging you.
Posted by Debbie at 03:11 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2004
Wiggles and Politics
My pal Lara from The Baby List[TM]* posted this. I'm in shock and awe. A Wiggles Fan Fic page. It was too funny to even read through, so I have no idea what the fiction is like, but that it even exists is funny to me.
* The Baby List is my group of mommy friends that I've been with through thick and thin. "Thick" being pregnancy, "thin" being... well, maybe someday again.
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Today is Election Day. I think it's the most important one ever. In my lifetime, anyway. I was happy to have my family with me at the polling place. And even more happy that Signa is too young to parrot in public all the icky things I've said about our President. Kerry is my man. Bush is not. But I'm still glad Signa did not announce that in the crowded polling place. She did, however, announce, "DOWN, DADDY!" rather loudly. I wonder how much of Marc's votes were actually Signa randomly pressing buttons on the screen before I was done and took her?
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As of this moment (4:17pm Pacific Time), Bush is getting 34 electoral votes and Kerry 3. Even though those were a given as far as how they'd go, it still makes my nerves hurt.
On a different, still political but not so controversial, topic, what do I tell Signa when she asks why we have an Electoral College? Why don't we just count the votes and the winner wins? I have to refresh my political science perspective before the next big election...
Posted by Debbie at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
October Pictures!
Check them out here.
Posted by Debbie at 07:35 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2004
I Want Candy
We had a house-full of people for a party yesterday (more on that later) and Signa had such fun with her cousins. This morning when she got up she went into the living room and made back-arms (arms swung back in a questioning manner) and said, "Gone!" How sweet, I thought. She misses her family. "Yes, Gramma is gone and so is Melanie and Conner and Deborah."
She made back-arms and said, "Gone" again, but this time she was annoyed. And she started searching. She found her empty candy bag from last night and the "gone" turned into a whine and she ran to the kitchen screaming, "Gone! Gone! Gone!" and then had a meltdown tantrum pointing at the candy bowl on the counter. "CANDY! CANDY! CANDY!"
It was 6am.
Two days ago, my beautiful, healthy 2-year-old thought raisins were candy (not because they are healthy or anything like that, but because I don't like to share my candy). Anyway, as of yesterday, she needs to go to CA (Candy Anonymous). She is addicted. One Tootsie Roll and she went bonkers. Won't eat or do anything else and you can see her little addict eyes scouting for more candy at all non-candy moments.
During trick-or-treating, she thankfully didn't realize that they were giving out candy. I think she thought we were visiting. People would open the door, she'd say, "ChikoCHEE!" and then they would smile at her and she'd be looking through their legs and into the house to see if they had dogs, totally missing the candy part. Then she'd say, "Sinkooo" (with prompting) and we'd move along to the next house. After about four houses, she was dragging me up and down driveways like an old pro.
We had our Trick-or-Treat Team: Mom (The Cat in the Hat), Danny (Scary Mask Guy), Melanie (Beautiful Princess), Cindy (The Cool Kind of Clown), Paul (Scary Mask Guy Also), Conner (Red Ranger), Deborah (Care Bear), Signa (Super Girl) and me (witch). We went to our immediate neighbors' and then up Heather to Bill and Nicole's and down that side of the street and back home again.
Can I just say that everyone should have babies, just so that you can go trick-or-treating again? I remember that it was fun, but not THAT fun! Anyway, when we were done, we went home and Marc was on the doorstep dressed in a super scary mask and wearing old bulky clothes to scare the kids. Signa shook me off and ran to him and said, "Hi, Daddy!" and climbed on his lap. Didn't even miss a beat.
Then Marc took her to a couple of houses, but she somehow learned it was candy they were delivering and that she already had a bag full ready for eating. So she had tantrums to eat it all up. She was much more fun before she knew the skinny on "CickoCHEE".
Anyway, the party was great. We ate a lot of snacks and then went to the pumpkin patch, which is really a giant farm with fun things to do. We started off with the pony rides (Signa's first). Auntie Leslie splurged and paid for all the kids to go on it. Signa was so amazed. She just rode and rode (I walked along side and between that and trick-or-treating I got in my exercise for the day). When it was over, she said, "'Gain! 'Gain! 'Gain!" and then when we were leaving the pony area, she put on her So So Sad Face, which includes silent tears and the turned down lip and actually usually makes me cry, too. Gramma said she'd buy her a pony if she'd just stop making the So So Sad face.
Happily, she's two and her short attention span quickly got side-tracked to the corn maze and the pumpkins. We ran around the farm for a long time and then visited the animals on the other side of the walking bridge. Melanie was holding Conner's hand and I overheard, "I'm Mrs. S. and you are Mr. S. which is why we are holding hands." Melanie is 6, Conner is 5, they are cousins, AND S. is Melanie's last name, Conner's. She is a riot and a half. Conner was so cute to just go along with it all like a good sport.
Deborah and Signa pretty much followed along, doing their own things, but together in the group. It was a very happy day for me and I hope for everyone. I know we can't do it every year, since Halloween isn't on a weekend, but I think we'll do the pumpkin patch part every year.
On Saturday night we went to Monty and Allison's annual Halloween party. We took Signa this year and she had a really good time eating cookies. Great. A weekend of sugar. I had forgotten about all the cookies. She even got over her fear of strangers if they even LOOKED like they might give her a cookie.
I also wanted to mention my cow costume for that party. "One size fits most." I am no longer "most"? What the heck? I had to cut it in half and ditch the top, as it was way too small. So I spent the night pulling up my cow bottoms and tucking them into the waistband of my pants, which, thankfully, I wore underneath. Signa also kept looking at me and saying, "Piggy!" and then snorting. Didn't help my image of not even fitting into the "most" size.
Posted by Debbie at 10:51 AM | Comments (0)