The Talker

this is noah's yoga pose he invented.

Noah has a lot to say. And ask, and question, and disagree with. He often says "actually" and "that's what I shwink. "

He can't say R's or L's, and yesterday we asked him to say some things.
"I really like to take pictures with my camera of purple ravioli and lolarosa lettuce."
=
"Oy weewee wike to take pickchas wit my camia of poypo wavi oyee and wowa wosa wettis"

I measured how tall he was, and when I told him he's three feet tall, he insisted he doesn't have 3 feet, only two. He likes to measure me also, with his measuring tape. He measures from my chin to my knees, or other random things. "Fwum heeah to heeha is twenty weven."

river = weveh
level = weveh
trailer = chwai weh

He likes to do things he's not supposed to, but he also likes to share the fact that he did. So he'll run to me with a big mischievous smile and he'll tell me he just did something he's not supposed to. Big smile on his face, he'll say "I did something I'm not supposed to!!!" and he'll show me. Sometimes it means the sink is running with water overflowing in a bowl in the sink. Or he put the salt/pepper shaker into the water table. It's bad but not really that terrible. I hope he continues to think of these things as bad.

this is the nest for the chicken and the pig, both of whom lay eggs

The Toddler

she slept like this for an hour

Aviva's words, in speech or sign, as of now are:

• Daddy
• doggie
• Mama
• Nana (or banana) (or any fruit)
• yes
• no
• up
• down 
• hi
• done
• change (diaper)
• more

She's walking a lot. Toddling, rather. Yesterday she was pulling my shoe by its shoelace, like it was a dog. She likes to pull things and push things too.

Camping pictures

And why is that because?

Noah's language is great. He talks about everything and remembers things also. He talks to himself sometimes. He sings to himself. And he tells us exactly what to do. Today, he insisted that I sit with my legs straight out, my arms both straight and outstretched, and he wanted to sit on my lap and my arms that way. (He wanted to be held like a baby, which is common lately). Anyway, he asks so many questions, really wanting to know, and sometimes we just sing "because, because because". The other day he wanted to know why something or other was the way it was, and he asked "why is that because?"

Why is that girl smiling? Why is that sign blue? Why is it a long line? (because everyone wants to get pizza) Why does everyone want to get pizza? (because it is good.) Why is it good? Why did the man say the music is too loud? (because it's too loud)...

Also, we were talking about fruit flies. He said their paws are so teeny tiny you can't even see them.

Any sound I make, out of surprise or disappointment or anything, will lead to a question. "Why mama say 'argh!'?" or "why mama say 'huh!' like that?" or "woah!" or any expression of surprise or impending danger. Even if I spill something and I say "oops", there is a question about why.

The other day I suggested that we play hide-and-seek with his giraffe, GirGir. Actually, it was more like I suggested that I hide GirGir somewhere and he would try and find him. He didn't like that but instead wanted to be the one to hide GirGir. He closed the door of his room so he could do it. Then he said he was ready. He was laughing and laughing. And pointing to where he hid him, and said, "That's where I put him!" I tried to explain that I was going to guess and look, and he shouldn't tell me. We did it again, and he was laughing so hard, and he pointed again. (Also, keep in mind that he didn't exactly 'hide' GirGir, because he was right on his bed. Or right behind his chair. Or even on the chair.) Anyway, it was the funniest thing to him. And me too, because he thought it was so funny. We did this for 15 or 20 times or something, and then he said GirGir wanted a turn to hide himself. So we closed the door and GirGir was in the room by himself. Doesn't make sense, but still so so soooo funny.

GirGir in the middle of the room, laying on a book = funny.

Noah still can't say the letters R or L. The other night we had ravioli. Or rather, we had awee oyee. Our plum trees in the front yard have many poems that are falling when they get ripe. And he told me the other day that he really loves Daddy a bunch. So much he loves Daddy, all day long, all the way to the earth. That's how much!

one, two, twenty

Aviva is totally walking. The toddler is toddling. She's also giving open-mouth kisses, and she pats Noah and gives him hugs. She says "up!" when she wants to be picked up. "Up" also means "open" but it sounds more like "oop." She eats a lot, especially eggs, bread, banana (2 entire bananas in one sitting) and strawberries, yesterday. But the way she eats is with her thumb in her mouth. She'll put a handful of something in her mouth and before chewing it, she'll put her thumb in and suck on her thumb. After a while, she'll put another handful in and then her thumb again. She's kind of collecting things in her mouth, and sometimes it's 20 minutes later when she finally swallows it or spits it out. Lovely habit. Gotta break that one.

One habit that isn't bad but rather interesting: putting things into socks. She likes to fill her socks (while holding them, not wearing them) with rocks. Or little cars. Or magnets, but the best thing is sand.

We went camping last weekend with Dorian to Mendocino Lake, and went into the water. We also hiked and cooked and made s'mores and stuff. It worked better to put her car seat in the tent, and buckle her in and everything. She slept well that way.

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this is what animals do