Tuesday, March 24, 2009

An evening with a toddler

I'm really digging Evie's ingenuity lately. Maybe that's not the best word for it. I'm not very strong at articulating what I am thinking & feeling...
I'm enjoying Evie's boldness, her communication development, her creativity in conveying her message and her remarkable ways to resolving issues that sometimes seem way too big for a 20-month-old to problem solve.
Its also her brevity. Her way of walking up to me (as soon as I walk in through the front door after work), taking my first finger in her hand and leading me into the dining room where da-da is currently occupying one chair at her mini play table for two. Da-da looks at me, pained (this cute, directness Evie has recently adapted can also turn into demanding persistence that we sit with her at the little table until she releases us... which is never). "Deep be bah bah, da!" she points to the table. I sit. Evie furrows her brow, obviously I have misunderstood her very clear and articulate directions (how dare I?). I pull her onto my lap. Also not the response she wanted. I get up and put her on my seat. This is OK, for now... until dad sees an opportunity to escape. Evie is again unhappy until I quickly move in to the now vacant guest chair. All is, again, temporarily, right with the world.
To break up the chatter-chatter of Evie's nonsense, I make suggestions of what we could do at the table. She stands up and points to the wall (through it is a direct line to her bedroom), "Bah bah bleee kah kah? [furrowed brow again] Kah, KOW?!." I'm not understanding what a Kah-kow is so I suggest, "Do you want to color at your table?"
"Tay!" Off she scampers.
Evie has VERY recently developed this "Tay!" word. Rob and I think its her way of saying "OK!", as in "K!" but it comes out, "Tay!" She will understand nearly everything you say to her and respond in the affirmative, "Tay!" if it is something she wants.
"Do you want to help Mommy clean up your bath toys?" "Do you want to go brush your teeth?" "Go pick out some books to read." "Go give daddy a hug."
"Tay!" "Tay!" "Tay!" "Tay!"
Its all pretty spectacular.
Makes my heart melt and sing at the same time.
Not to go all Hallmark-moment on you - but this really is THAT moment in time you will later tell your kid about when she is 16 and just doesn't 'get it' when you want to know why she won't hug you g'night anymore.
So, Evie goes into her bedroom and closes the door. She has to then open the closet door that is directly behind it (old homes = bad layout). I can hear all kinds of noises from the dining room doorway watching her closed bedroom door. Its like listening to a muppet show in there - all these exaggerated noises. *scrap, drag-drag-drag* Evie must now be pulling out her plastic bin (She has a clear 1 1/2ft. tall case with lid that contains coloring books, crayons, markers, paper, etc. Its honestly pretty hefty for someone about 2 1/2 ft. tall). *grunt* [pause] *drag* *grunt* [pause] *c-r-e-e-k!* [that was the closet door closing] *grunt* *drag-scrap* [bedroom door flies open and slightly klonks the closet door behind it]. Evie emerges holding the case up against her chest. *huff! huff!*, she takes 2 steps and puts down the case. [pause] *grunt!* Evie picks up the case and takes 2 more steps before dropping it again. I finally break my gaze and lean forward to take the case from her.
"Ba-kah be blah bloh."
"Yup, that's right. We'll color."

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