ada's commands

Our cute cuddly little baby is turning into a very opinionated, bossy (and still cute and cuddly) little girl. She is getting more and more comfortable with her place in our family and as such, she has started to do what I'm sure she will try to do for the rest of her life - boss us around. She has a few favorite commands that she uses over and over again.

Sit Down (while patting where she wants you to sit). I know where she gets this one, it is from me. It is a combo of two of our most common interactions over the first 21 months of her life. The command 'Sit Down' we use a lot. Mostly when she is in her high chair and is trying to stand up. She does this A LOT, so she has heard 'Sit Down' many, many times. The patting of the location where she wants you to sit is one I've used since she was mobile. I use it in a very similar way as Ada does, and that makes me smile every time she does it.

"I want pizza" (while banging her fists on her high chair tray) Not really a command but she sells it like it is one. We have Ada's auntie Katie to thank for this one. And she has started to use it for her other favorite food - chicken (well Dino chicken). She has actually become very adamant about her food lately. She knows what she wants and when she wants it. And heaven forbid you try to give her blueberries when she really wants yogurt. Watch out. At least she doesn't throw the unwanted food (YET) - but the fit, and the tears (oh the tears) are pretty much unbearable.

Sit ups (while pushing your back down to the ground so you can do sit ups). Ada has a strong future as a personal trainer, and she is learning her skills from her father. We all have a stretching routine before we go for a run, but Elliot has more of a ritual. He doesn't just do the normal stretches (calf, hamstring, quad, butterfly) but he also does a big back arch and a set of sit ups. Ada thinks both of these additions are HILARIOUS. So much so - she thinks everyone else should do them too. So she'll do her first set of "sit-ups" with Elliot then she'll move to me and push me down to do my set of sit-ups, only she doesn't let me off with a measly 25. Nope. Just when I think I'm done, she pushes me back down, shouts "SIT UPS" like a baby drill sergeant, and starts counting again. Only we never get to 25 because she only knows two numbers - 1 and 5. So our count goes something like this "1, 5, 1, 5, 1, 5 ... SIT UPS". I would have to pay a LOT of money to get some stranger to do this to me, Ada does it for free.

"Get me, Get me" This one is also a combo, I think. I have been tickling Ada since she was born and will often say something like "I'm gonna get you". She has also witnessed her favorite big cousin Maia running around the house yelling "Chase me, chase me" several times. But Ada doesn't have a big open living space to run around so she has had to adapt. Instead, she gets up on our bed and runs around in circles, waving her hands in the air, and shouting "Get me, Get me, GET ME" over and over again. Stealing glances at us while she is running around. When she does this I have to resist every urge I have to immediately swoop her up, plop her down on the bed and tickle her until every last giggle has been giggled. Of course I eventually give in.

And now you all know, it isn't just her Daddy that Ada has wrapped around her little finger. Mommy is right there too, wrapped around the pinkie not occupied by Elliot. And right now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.