Ariana's word of the month is "Push." As in, mommy sits down next to her and Ariana doesn't want mommy in her space, so she puts both hands against mommy and shoves hard, saying "Push. Push."
Translation: I'm trying to push you away b/c you're cramping my style, Mom.
And to think she's only 19 months old...
Fortunately, she is very fair and does this to daddy as well, so mommy doesn't have to develop a complex...
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Future Dog Trainer
Ariana has a little stuffed dog she inherited from the Bignells. It has wooden wheels and a rope attached to its collar. She has not understood the rope deal or been that interested in the dog... until this week.
She fished the dog out of the toy box, studied it for a minute, then put the dog on the floor, adjusting it carefully until it was balanced on its wheels, then she took the rope and began to tug the dog across the floor.
Each time it tipped over, she would stop, put it right side up again, and then continue to pull it across the floor.
Then she stopped, walked over to the dog, held up her hand the way a police officer would who was directing traffic to stop, putting her hand right near the dog's face and then, enunciating clearly and carefully so the dog would understand, said, "No."
Then she put her hand up again, and said, "No," one more time.
So, then I told her that the dog had obeyed her (it wasn't jumping on her, was it?), so she needed to praise him, so she immediately squatted next to the dog and patted its back.
Then she stood up, held out her hand and said, "No."
Then I told her to praise him, so she squatted down again patted him.
We did this for about ten minutes, and her dog never broke his "stay." I was so very impressed. Seventeen months old and her dog already obeys better than the dogs that I trained do. I am so passing the baton on to her.
She fished the dog out of the toy box, studied it for a minute, then put the dog on the floor, adjusting it carefully until it was balanced on its wheels, then she took the rope and began to tug the dog across the floor.
Each time it tipped over, she would stop, put it right side up again, and then continue to pull it across the floor.
Then she stopped, walked over to the dog, held up her hand the way a police officer would who was directing traffic to stop, putting her hand right near the dog's face and then, enunciating clearly and carefully so the dog would understand, said, "No."
Then she put her hand up again, and said, "No," one more time.
So, then I told her that the dog had obeyed her (it wasn't jumping on her, was it?), so she needed to praise him, so she immediately squatted next to the dog and patted its back.
Then she stood up, held out her hand and said, "No."
Then I told her to praise him, so she squatted down again patted him.
We did this for about ten minutes, and her dog never broke his "stay." I was so very impressed. Seventeen months old and her dog already obeys better than the dogs that I trained do. I am so passing the baton on to her.
Pretzel for Mommy
Earlier this week, Ariana was in Josh's office and she helped herself to a pretzel from his big container on the floor. Then she walked over to me and sat down on my lap, protesting being forced to hang out in Daddy's office while he packed up. So, to entertain her, I said, "Will you get Mommy a pretzel?"
To my absolutely suprise, she stood up, walked over to the pretzel container, opened it, stuck her arm in, grabbed a pretzel, shut the lid, walked back over to me and put the pretzel in my mouth.
Blew me away! It still amazes me how much she understands!
To my absolutely suprise, she stood up, walked over to the pretzel container, opened it, stuck her arm in, grabbed a pretzel, shut the lid, walked back over to me and put the pretzel in my mouth.
Blew me away! It still amazes me how much she understands!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Josh Beckett, You Are About to be Replaced!
Last night, we went to dinner at a very cool restaurant in the woods to take advantage of such a beautiful evening. We had a table by the railing on the second floor balcony, and it was just a perfect spot. Ariana was enchanted (obsessed?) with the pepper shaker and was standing in Josh's lap peppering the table. Then all of a sudden, she takes one look at the railing and then hurls the pepper shaker right over the railing!
At the time, she was a good two or three feet from the railing. One attempt and GONE! We rushed over to the railing to see where it had landed, but we couldn't see it. Fortunately, there was no shattered glass on the sidewalk, which hopefully meant it was in the dirt beneath a plant.
So Josh took Ariana downstairs to search for the flying pepper shaker. They found it beneath a fern, intact! Go, Pepper Shaker! So, Ariana took the pepper shaker, grinned up at me (I was watching from our table), then flung the pepper shaker into the dirt again, grinning with absolute delight.
No, she didn't drop it. She HURLED it.
The girl was on a mission to bury that sucker neck deep in dirt if it was the last thing she did that night.
Needless to say, Josh commandeered the pepper shaker after he retreived it a second time (fortunately, it was right by his foot so he didn't have to go far), but not before we both told Ariana that she had a great arm.
She agreed.
At the time, she was a good two or three feet from the railing. One attempt and GONE! We rushed over to the railing to see where it had landed, but we couldn't see it. Fortunately, there was no shattered glass on the sidewalk, which hopefully meant it was in the dirt beneath a plant.
So Josh took Ariana downstairs to search for the flying pepper shaker. They found it beneath a fern, intact! Go, Pepper Shaker! So, Ariana took the pepper shaker, grinned up at me (I was watching from our table), then flung the pepper shaker into the dirt again, grinning with absolute delight.
No, she didn't drop it. She HURLED it.
The girl was on a mission to bury that sucker neck deep in dirt if it was the last thing she did that night.
Needless to say, Josh commandeered the pepper shaker after he retreived it a second time (fortunately, it was right by his foot so he didn't have to go far), but not before we both told Ariana that she had a great arm.
She agreed.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Milestone of the Week
We so had a milestone today!!
I put Ariana down for her nap, and, as always, we snuggled up in the rocking chair with a bottle. Sang a little, hunkered down under her blanket, lights out... usually a perfect recipe for heavy eyelids and deep breathing. Not today.
She finished what she wanted of the bottle, then rolled onto her belly, propped herself up on her arms, looked me in the eye and started yammering. She clearly had many things to say, of which I could understand nothing, but she was wide awake and thinking very seriously.
After chatting with her for a few minutes, I looked her in the eye and said, "It's time for your nap now, isn't it?"
And she nodded.
Suprised I didn't get tears and an argument, I then said, "I'm going to have to put you to bed now, okay?"
Again, she nodded.
Um... where's the temper tantrum? We have gotten to the point where we can put her down without tears if she's thisclose to being asleep, but wide awake? Not a chance.
So, I put her in the crib, and she was giggling and talking, so we chatted for a bit, and then she popped up to her feet as I walked out. And I looked back and she blew me a kiss... still no tears! So I blew her a kiss back and pulled the door shut, waiting for the tears....
Still nothing.
So, I went downstairs and fired up the computer, listening to her sing for a while, certain that once the adrenaline wore off, and she got tired, she'd start crying....
But she didn't! She simply and very happily just went to sleep.
MILESTONE ALERT! MILESTONE ALERT!
Our little girl is growing up....
I put Ariana down for her nap, and, as always, we snuggled up in the rocking chair with a bottle. Sang a little, hunkered down under her blanket, lights out... usually a perfect recipe for heavy eyelids and deep breathing. Not today.
She finished what she wanted of the bottle, then rolled onto her belly, propped herself up on her arms, looked me in the eye and started yammering. She clearly had many things to say, of which I could understand nothing, but she was wide awake and thinking very seriously.
After chatting with her for a few minutes, I looked her in the eye and said, "It's time for your nap now, isn't it?"
And she nodded.
Suprised I didn't get tears and an argument, I then said, "I'm going to have to put you to bed now, okay?"
Again, she nodded.
Um... where's the temper tantrum? We have gotten to the point where we can put her down without tears if she's thisclose to being asleep, but wide awake? Not a chance.
So, I put her in the crib, and she was giggling and talking, so we chatted for a bit, and then she popped up to her feet as I walked out. And I looked back and she blew me a kiss... still no tears! So I blew her a kiss back and pulled the door shut, waiting for the tears....
Still nothing.
So, I went downstairs and fired up the computer, listening to her sing for a while, certain that once the adrenaline wore off, and she got tired, she'd start crying....
But she didn't! She simply and very happily just went to sleep.
MILESTONE ALERT! MILESTONE ALERT!
Our little girl is growing up....
Do I Have the Dogs to Thank For This?
Ariana Story of the Day: This afternoon, I was changing her diaper pre-nap, and I (as always) endeavored to distract her long enough for me do to the quick-change before she decides it's time to get up and move on, so I gave her the koala bear baby that Josh had brought home from Australia for her. We were pointing to various body parts and discussing them, like the fact that there was no nose for the poor bear because the dog ate it. She pointed to the eyes and said "Eye" and I agreed, then she pointed to the nose and said "nose," and I agreed that that's where the nose should be, and then she turned the little bear around pointed right below his tail and said "Poopie." At first, I was a bit confused, and then when she pointed again and said "Poopie" again, I realized what she was saying. We then had a long moment of cheering for such an excellent observation on her part. Who would have guessed that all those trips to the field to exercise the dog would translate into her knowing where a stuffed koala bear would go poopie? The girl is brilliant, I say, brilliant!
Clearly, we are ready for potty training, don't you think?
Clearly, we are ready for potty training, don't you think?
The Girl on The Trapeze
For a few days, this blog will also be catch-up stories, not just current ones, as there is such a plethora of little tales that need to be recorded.
Two days ago, I lowered the front rail of Ariana's crib so I could change her in her crib (we often do this in the mornings when she's still lounging happily in bed, enjoying a slow wakeup). Then she wanted to read so I turned to her bookshelf to pick a book out for her, and she promptly vaulted over the rail of her crib before I could stop her. She didn't quite land on her feet, and she was a little startled by the movement (tears for about fifteen seconds), but I could see that gleam in her eye that she had just discovered a very interesting fact about the crib. Obvioulsy, the front rail went back up, but I have a bad feeling that she's going to be one of those kids who starts vaulting out of her crib the first instant she's capable of doing it. Toddler bed, here we come....
Two days ago, I lowered the front rail of Ariana's crib so I could change her in her crib (we often do this in the mornings when she's still lounging happily in bed, enjoying a slow wakeup). Then she wanted to read so I turned to her bookshelf to pick a book out for her, and she promptly vaulted over the rail of her crib before I could stop her. She didn't quite land on her feet, and she was a little startled by the movement (tears for about fifteen seconds), but I could see that gleam in her eye that she had just discovered a very interesting fact about the crib. Obvioulsy, the front rail went back up, but I have a bad feeling that she's going to be one of those kids who starts vaulting out of her crib the first instant she's capable of doing it. Toddler bed, here we come....
Monday, July 23, 2007
See Ya!
Welcome to Ariana's blog! I swear I'm going to try to post frequently, but we shall see how it goes...
Today's Ariana moment: I was leaving our tennis club today and I waved farwell to the guy mangaging the front desk and I said, "See ya." And Ariana immediately said, "See ya," with my exact intonation and in perfectly clarity! She's never said that, and boom! It just popped right out of her mouth. Then she continued to repeat it for the next ten minutes...
Sure made me glad I hadn't said anything I didn't want repeated...
Speaking of which... yesterday, Ariana and I were in the car and the country music song by Kenny Chesney called, "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" came on the radio and I started singing and dancing, so of course Ariana did as well, and she started saying "szzzy" with great fervor and excitment and I didn't know what she was saying until I finally realized she was saying "sexy!" So I immediately tried to get her to say tractor instead, but she was having none of it. "Szzy" became the word of the hour. Fortunately, no one else would know what that meant... unless, of course, they read this blog...
Today's Ariana moment: I was leaving our tennis club today and I waved farwell to the guy mangaging the front desk and I said, "See ya." And Ariana immediately said, "See ya," with my exact intonation and in perfectly clarity! She's never said that, and boom! It just popped right out of her mouth. Then she continued to repeat it for the next ten minutes...
Sure made me glad I hadn't said anything I didn't want repeated...
Speaking of which... yesterday, Ariana and I were in the car and the country music song by Kenny Chesney called, "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" came on the radio and I started singing and dancing, so of course Ariana did as well, and she started saying "szzzy" with great fervor and excitment and I didn't know what she was saying until I finally realized she was saying "sexy!" So I immediately tried to get her to say tractor instead, but she was having none of it. "Szzy" became the word of the hour. Fortunately, no one else would know what that meant... unless, of course, they read this blog...
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