This n' that

Last week Maddy and Daddy were outside, waiting for me to get everything together to leave on an outing. Daddy often takes her to our crab apple tree, they have been watching the leaves grow and the flowers come out and now? Apples are growing! Maddy was carried up the the tree, when she promptly announced "TWEE". Daddy said "Yes! And these are baby apples". Maddy thought about it for a few seconds, then said... "App-el twee". That is when Daddy's jaw dropped to the grass.

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Maddy has been announcing to us, for days, "WE SHIT DOW" (aka we sit down). And it's been a bit of a mystery what we're shitting down for. But today I remembered that the kids are told to sit down for both snacks and for reading. I think she's announcing her hunger, or her desire to be read to. Glad I have it figured out now!

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I am not really sure that Maddy understands "no". When we ask her if she wants a snack, she shakes her head and says "no". No matter the snack, the drink... it's a shaking no. But then she clamours for a something out of the snack cupboard. I think that is a testament to the fact that we're trying more to encourage the good behaviour (and redirect the bad) instead of just yelling no. But... well... it's a little challenging when your child knows what they want, but can't name it. And can't quite get "yes" and "no". "Maddy, do you understand what no means?" Shaking head, "no!".

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Maddy is standing by me, reading the Elmo book aloud. She turns each page and babbles a few words, flips a few flaps. It's a riveting story... The dogs were in the background, fighting over a nylabone. Maddy stopped her reading, turned and said, loudly, "PUP-PEE NOO!" Maybe she does get it... 

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Maddy is working very hard on eating with her spoon. She holds the spoon in her right hand and has become quite adept at delicately shoveling bits of food into her mouth. It has added considerable time to meals. There are points when ever Maddy is done with the slow eating and grabs handfuls of food and puts them on the spoon. And then that is still slowing her down? She just pops a few handfuls in her mouth. Learning still has to be efficient! 

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Today we were almost home when a slurpee craving hit. We snaked through the residential roads to get to the 7-11. As we were driving there we passed a road-side lemonade stand. On the way back we followed the same circuitous route to get back. I hopped out of my car with my twonie, the the little table with the "lemonade 25 cents" sign (with an "e" backwards, of course). I asked for 2 glasses, from the 2 little boys. A third child, a girl, came running from the front steps to help. The mom was patiently sitting on the stairs, watching over her brood. She called down to me, to take as much change as I should get in return. I told them to keep the change, one day my little girl may want a lemonade stand... She laughed and said they boys have wanted to do this for so long. By craving iced pop syrup, we were given the opportunity to help make a little boy's dream come true. Taking the detours in life can lead to wonderful things.