jaguars

We went to the zoo last weekend and spent a good three hours there walking around to all sections of the zoo. This is different from most of our trips to the zoo where we stop by to shout 'Hey' to the elephants and the monkeys, eat some popcorn and then hit the road. This time however we went by many more animals including all of the cats. Now when we asked Ada if she wanted to walk by the cats I'm sure she pictured cute cuddly kitties not large predator type cats who would be eyeing her like a tasty little snack since we happened to swing by the cats right around lunch time. Most of the cats were quietly stalking back and forth in their cages, quietly waiting for their trainer to bring lunch by. The Jaguar however was loudly growling for all to hear, eyeing every small child and calculating what it would take to squeeze his big head through the bars of the cage and how hard the parents would fight. Ada picked up on this. Boy oh boy did she pick up on this.

Later that night as we were eating dinner I asked Ada what her favorite part of the zoo was. We are still working on the concept of having a favorite so she didn't really answer me, she just said, Yes, which is what she says when she doesn't really understand what we are saying to her. Anyway, I digress. So when Ada said, "Yes" to my question about her favorite part of the zoo I started probing, was it the sky ride? was it the elephants (a usual favorite)? was it lunch? was it the monkeys? or was it possibly the Jaguar? Which prompted this conversation:

Ada: Jaguars eat people

Me: Well in the wild they might, but the one at the zoo gets served lunch from their trainer

Ada: Jaguars are scary

Me: Yes, I can see how they could be scary, but don't worry you are safe here

Ada: Jaguars are going to come eat me

Me: Oh no, the Jaguar can't get to our house, he doesn't know where we live

Ada: (quizzical look, questioning my sanity)

Me: Think about it, Jaguars don't have a car so they would have to walk the whole way

Ada: (nodding) They would have to use their feet

Me: Right, and they would have to go on the highway so people would see them and report them to the police.

Ada: (nodding some more) That is a long way

Me: Yes, and they don't know where we live so they would have to find the right house

Ada: I live in MY house

Me: Yes, and even if the Jaguar guessed the right house, they couldn't open our door because they don't have thumbs

Ada: I have THUMBS!!

Me: Right, so you could get inside but the Jaguar couldn't. You would be safe.

Ada: Jaguars don't have cars, they can't drive

Me: (nodding, thinking this is actually sinking in)

Ada: And they don't have thumbs, so I'm safe. Jaguars aren't scary.

Me: That's right, so what was your favorite part of the zoo?

Ada: Yes!

Totally cool that we are starting to have actual logical discussions with Ada. Dinner time is going to be much more fun from now on.

hungry

On Monday Elliot and I decided that it was time for a family night. Neither one of us had urgent work to get done, and we have not had a sit down family meal where everyone ate at the same time in, well, months. So after we got home, we ran a few errands together and then started cooking. Everyone helped, Elliot prepped the chicken with a new Asada sauce we picked up at Costco on Saturday, I chopped pineapple for grilling (Ada ate some pineapple), and then Ada and I snapped the asparagus so that only the ripe portion would be grilled. Ada loved this activity although on more than one occasion she ripped off the top rather than letting the natural snap occur, but she is two, so we forgave her.

Once the meal was cooked (thanks to Elliot), we all sat down to eat. We had debated earlier about cooking Ada one of her go to meals (pasta with cheese on top or mac-n-cheese) but decided that for family night, Ada could eat what we were eating. Ada seemed Ok with this (with the exception of the asparagus) and even decided that she would take 5 strips of chicken in her bowl - yes - that is more than one third of the chicken we had prepared!! We thought there was no way she would ever finish it and figured we would just keep her leftovers for sandwiches the next day. Well, as seems to be happening a lot lately, we were wrong. Not only did Ada eat all 5 pieces of chicken that she put in her bowl, she also demanded the last piece that was left after Elliot and I were done, plus a slice of grilled pineapple!!! Not sure where she put all of the chicken but it is safe to say that that was her largest meal to date.

Not surprisingly she didn't touch her lunch the next day and only ate a little bit of pasta with cheese on top for dinner last night.

Given all of the things out there for us to worry about, the one thing we can cross off the list is 'Getting enough to eat', because Ada proved that when she needs to, she can pack it away with the best of them.

terrible twos

It has been a while since I have posted anything and most of that falls on me, I've been busy. But a part of that, a small part, well maybe a little more than a small part but definitely not a large part of that is that Ada has hit the terrible twos. Not a whole lot to blog about when Ada is constantly screaming, saying NO, hitting, throwing herself on the floor, and basically acting her age.

But, every so often there is a ray of light, a moment when Ada forgets that she is supposed to be acting terrible and does something very cute. Case in point, the other morning, after dramatically getting ready for school, with a tantrum or two thrown in there for good measure we finally get loaded into the car, Ada is sort of pouting, because well, that is what she does these days. I got into the groove of the drive and hadn't really noticed that Ada had started munching away on her waffle that Elliot sends us off with each day. Ada usually eats about two bites of her waffle and then sets it on the seat next to her - but this morning was different. Instead, she ate THE WHOLE THING, and when she was done, she handed me her paper towel that was previously holding her waffle and said in a very astute voice, "Daddy makes good waffles". I couldn't help giggling slightly, yes dear, Daddy is a pro at pulling waffles out of the freezer and putting them in the toaster. That slight giggle was enough to pull Ada right back into her terribleness, after all I was mocking her and Daddy! So she spent the rest of the ride in adamantly defending her Daddy's cooking skills. Yelling and screaming over and over again that "DADDY MAKES GOOD WAFFLES!!!!!!"

Count down to her third birthday begins! 4 Months and 12 Days.

imagination

I can now see the end of the tunnel on toddler-dum. I know - Ada is only two and a half, but ever since I returned from Hawaii her vocabulary and her demeanor has gone above and beyond what I would consider truly in the heart of the toddler-dum.

We now have conversations that involve full sentences, subtle jokes, and logic. This is cool in so many ways but the other thing that I find supremely cool is that Ada has discovered her imagination and she is not afraid to put it up on display.

I'm not talking imaginary friend imagination, but exploring the options of life through the power of her mind. How cool is that? Now when we are stuck in traffic on our way home from school, rather than asking for pink cookies that we absolutely DO NOT have in the car. She understands that things like pink cookies do not just appear out of no where, nope those cookies are bought at the store, and are now sitting on the counter right next to the pile of junk mail waiting to go out to the recycling bin. So instead of asking for them, she just starts acting out the activity of pulling her stool over to the counter, opening up the package and taking out a cookie. And then she starts eating the cookie - and she doesn't just do it half way. NOPE. Ada eating an imaginary cookie is just as good and funny as Ada eating a real cookie - with the possible exception of cookie crumbles dancing across her shirt. And it doesn't just end with cookies, she picks flowers, eats strawberries, and creates art all there in the little land that is her mind.

I hope we never lose this version of Ada. Not the two and half year old part, or the part that hasn't quite mastered the art of not peeing on her shoes. But the part that is so sure of what she wants that she won't let a silly thing like the physical presence of her object of desire stop her from pursuing what she wants and going after it.

motivation

Most mornings these days Ada drags out the process of getting out of bed, getting dressed, putting her shoes on, and finally letting me brush her hair. I'm counter balancing this by waking her up a little earlier than I normally would but letting her hang out in her room for an extra 10 minutes getting used to the idea that it is time for her day to start.

Basically, I'm her human snooze alarm.

Well this morning Elliot and I were already planning a quick trip to Starbucks so we didn't have to wash our coffee pot and milk steamer dishes, so when I woke up Ada I told her that if she got ready quickly we would go get coffee.

Ada LOVES coffee (aka chocolate milk).

I left the room thinking that she would hang out and wait for me to pry her little body from her bed and coerce her into going potty. I started to dry my hair and before I knew it I felt a tugging on my hair dryer cord. I glanced down thinking it was caught on the sink or something and to my surprise I saw Ada. She was dressed and ready to go in about 10 minutes and then spent another 10 running around Elliot and I trying to get us to speed up so we could get out on time.

Remember this Nana. We aren't opposed to bribery. Use it to your advantage all weekend long!

movie stars like Ada

Every night we read three books to Ada.

Fancy Nancy
Purplicious and
The Little Engine that Could

In that order. If we deviate we ruin the whole night.

Fancy Nancy has to go first because this is the book that Ada gets involved in the most. First she likes to repeat most of the lines, especially the fancy lines. But by far her most favorite line is when Fancy Nancy's family arrives at the Kings' Crown (if you don't know what the King's Crown is you obviously don't have a Fancy Nancy fan in your house). The line goes something like, "When we arrive at the King's Crown everyone must think we are movie stars". One of the thousands of times I read this line I must have said something like, "Look they have sunglasses on like Ada." Which she immediately heard as, "Look they are movie stars like Ada." So now, when we read that line she stands up, (even though she was just under the covers) puts her arms straight out, and does a slow shimmy as she says, "Movie stars like Ada."

And as if that wasn't cute enough she follows it up with a giant smile to say Yes, I am cute and I know it! Watch OUT!

on this day in history...

Today on the way to work/day care Ada and I were listening to the events around the inauguration on NPR. Most of drive was descriptions of who was wearing what color and how big the crowd was, but right at the end of our drive the big wigs started to take the stage and there was a lot of applause and playing of patriotic music. Ada got into the whole thing and started chatting up a storm. Thinking that she was really interested in what was going on I started explaining what today was, and how this was a very important day in the history of our country. She even dutifully repeated the name of Barak Obama back to me. Then after a short lull in our conversation, after hearing a smattering of applause and music, Ada started clapping herself and started wiggling and dancing in her seat. Then with the biggest grin a 2 year old can muster she leaned forward in her seat and shouted up to me, "O Canada, O Canada".

At least she got the patriotic part correct.