Avery-isms

Only two months to go until we have a two year old running the house! What is our spunky monkey up to these days?

EVERYTHING. She is constantly busy, and I don't think she has stopped talking long enough to take a breath in weeks. She is also developing a vivid imagination, and I really love watching her play. Here are a few moments and quotes from our little bug:

1. "Frogs'll eat 'em." We aren't really sure where she picked this up, but she constantly throws food on the ground (outside, in the house, at restaurants) and assures us that the "frogs'll eat 'em." My best guess is that the origin of this habit is her catching me throwing crumbs from her carseat onto the parking lot ground. She was upset and wanted the crumbs back, so I told her the birds would eat them and I'd give her fresh crackers at home. We've never, ever seen a frog in Japan, though, so I'm not sure how that evolved. However, I am about to go buy some frogs to clean up all the food under the dining room table!

2. The "-ing" ending. She has figured this one out (or two thirds of it, at least) and is now overgeneralizing in very cute ways. She dropped a water bottle off the patio the other day (5 floors up, no big deal), and was so proud of herself she grabbed Elmo to show him. "Lookin', Elmo! Avery droppin' da bottle down dere!"

3. "Already did." This is her excuse to get out of everything. It's time to clean up? Already did. Go potty? Already did. While technically this may be true, we're struggling to get her to accept the fact that she may be have to use the toilet, clean her messes, and take a nap more than once in her lifetime.

4. "Fish stars" are favorite. She is learning her shapes and she especially loves stars, which can ONLY be referred to as Fish Stars. Christmas was especially fun because of all the fish stars on the trees. Every day was, "Lookin', mommy, a fish star on a top a da tree! Avery helpin' daddy put a fish star on a top a da tree!"

5. "Songin'." Avery looooooves to sing now. She does the ABCs, twinkle twinkle, head & shoulders, the wheels on the bus, Old MacDonald, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and baa baa black sheep. My favorite is that she refers to it as "songin'." "Wissen, mommy, Avery songin' ABCDs!"

6. "Baby/Avery." For the longest time, she referred to herself only as baby. Now she finally refers to herself as Avery, but now all baby things are Avery things. So kittens are "Avery kitty cats" and puppies are "Avery puppy dogs" and baby fish are "Avery fish."

7. "JapaKNEES!" Avery has figured out that not everyone talks the same out here. I've been trying to teach her basic Japanese phrases for awhile, but she just didn't care. Then we ran into a preschool class on a field trip at the park by our house last weekend, and she had so much fun playing with the kids. She realized they weren't speaking the same language and kept repeating to them, "nashi masu, nashi masu," which is her attempt at repeating the Japanese recording in our elevator. On the way home from the park, I explained that they were speaking Japanese, and tried again to teach her some phrases. By the time we got home, she was really excited about JapaKNEES (she touched her knees when she said it and shouted the KNEES part), and was making some respectable attempts at "konichiwa," "ohio gozaimasu," and "arigatou." Now whenever she sings, "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" she remembers her JapaKNEES and starts telling me "konichiwa" and talking about the kids at the park.

8. "Elmo Jean." This might be my favorite thing ever. We call her "Avery Jean" more often than not, and a few nights ago as I was leaving her room at bedtime I said, "I love you, Avery Jean, goodnight." She responded, "Goodnight mommy. Goodnight, Elmo Jean." Ever since, she has been referring to Elmo as "Elmo Jean" during tender moments between them (when she puts him down for naps and or if he gets hurt). It is the sweetest thing.

9. "Bun Cakes." It's what she calls bandaids. Not much else to say, but it cracks me up every time.

10. "Prisints" She loves everything about presents. Between Christmas and a few recent birthday parties, she has embraced the idea of gift giving (and receiving). Bows are her favorite. At least 4,000 times a day, she gets one of her treasured bows and sticks it onto something (usually a book) and proudly gives it to me and says, "Happy birthday, mommy!" The correct etiquette, if you are wondering, is to respond with, "Happy birthday, Avery!" and NOT with "thank you" or anything else (the nerve!). Sometimes we wrap up her toys just so she can carry a "prisint" around for the day; she helps me wrap them and put the bows on, and rips them open at bedtime.

11. "Makin' a zoo." Her favorite game these days is to build an enclosure with her blocks. Then all the animals from her Noah's Ark toy go inside, and then the plastic food from her kitchen is fed to them. She usually tries to charm me into giving her real water to give the animals, too. Her elephants and zebras have been living on a steady diet of corn on the cob and eggplant these past few days, while the giraffes get the "broccoli tree." Then they usually snuggle for a little bit before taking a nap.

The beach and the park are still perpetual favorites, or course, as is talking to Grandma on facetime and operating the Keurig.  If Avery could be granted one wish, I think she would wish for unlimited access to the step stool and the cupboard where the sprinkles are stored. If I could be granted one wish, it would be for her to stay this age forever.