‘Twas the night before Christmas and I had still had gifts to wrap! Alexa, Minna and I had baked fresh chocolate chip cookies intended for Santa, only to be quickly devoured by Alexa (and Mommy and Minna!)! Thankfully she (we) left a few and we set up a glass of cold milk and some cookies for Santa to enjoy while he stopped by and dropped off our gifts!
Early Christmas morning, Alexa, Mike and I got up to find “lots and lots” of presents waiting for us under the tree. Alexa was delighted to find that Santa had eaten the cookies we had left and even wrote her a thank you note!
Alexa picked up each gift and checked the tag to make sure it was intended for her. I really think she is recognizing the letters that spell out her name!
One gift she picked and shook. She looked at Mike and I inquisitively and exclaimed, “Do you hear that noise?” It sounds like toys!” She received several Calico Critters, and A Baby Alive doll, complete with real food and juices. Alexa and I chose peas to feed her and quickly found out why she is called baby alive! I had no idea that while I was working so hard to get Alexa out of diapers, I’d be helping her to clean a doll’s diapers! She, on the other hand, thought it was fantastic. Tonight, as we were getting ready to go out for dinner, the baby doll, (whom I’ve affectionately named Penny, although it really doesn’t seem to be catching on with Alexa) suggested that Alexa play with her. Penny said, “Let’s play!” Alexa promptly responded, “No, I’m going out now.”Despite this, she has been incredibly attentive toward Penny. When Penny asks for a hug, Alexa is quick to oblige her. When Penny says she’s thirsty, Alexa asks me to fill her bottle. When she uses her potty successfully (I’m not kidding), Alexa cheers her on and says she need a treat! We put Penny to sleep tonight in her new pajamas and soothed her with a pacifier. She is currently lying next to another sound asleep baby in my bed!
And a special thanks to the Colquhoun Family for allowing me a glimpse into a future where I don’t have to do all the dishes!!
Alexa fell asleep earlier than usual Christmas night, on the couch with Minna while watching “The Last Unicorn.”
Saturday we hit up the mall for some after Christmas deals. Today we went to the bridal store to find a dress for Alexa to wear at her Aunt Chrissy's wedding. She was happy to try on the three selections that we picked for her. For those of you unfamiliar with a bridal store, there are many, many mirrors and many women admiring themselves! Alexa stepped out of the dressing room to find some young women looking over their gowns, when she exclaimed, "Two ones? Two princesses?" Needless to say, the two customers were feeling flattered and found Alexa to be entirely too cute! For every adorable comment that comes from Alexa's mouth, there at, at times, some that are a little less comfortable for Mommy and Daddy. Today when she noticed a larger woman behind the counter at a store, she said, "That one has a big body."
Sunday night, Mike took Alexa bowling. I joined them a bit later and played one game. Alexa seemed to enjoy herself, but definitely looked distracted at times and eventually found the combination of hardwood floors and bowling shoes to be perfect for some dancing.
Today it snowed a fairly steady snow. Minna broke out the sled again and we pushed Alexa down the little hill in the front yard before we got too coldy and came back inside.
Alexa knows how to get what she wants. Whether it’s, “One more time.” Or “Okay, Mommy, just one more.” Or "Again." She knows that one more can be ten more as long as she asks in that sweet little voice and with that sweet little smile. All I do is remind her to say please and then give in, over and over!
Today in the car Alexa suddenly said, "Oh my God!" And last week when Ptah was telling her to get her slippers on, he referred to them as booties. Alexa quickly corrected Ptah, "Those not booties. Jesus!" I suppose it could be worse, but nonetheless, I don't want Alexa to offend people! That said, I can't help but giggle when she says these kind of things! After all, she learns them from me!
A few weeks back, Alexa asked me to put in a movie. When I turned on the tv, I suppose she was expecting it to begin immediately, but I hadn't switched it from tv to dvd so instead she saw whatever was playing on the tv station. As it turns out, the character on the screen was a young man she seemed to believe looked like Brian (my brother/her Uncle). In her frustration she said, "No, I don't want to watch the Uncle Brian show."
Alexa was recently educated about the body and bones through an episode of Curious George. She has been fascinated with playing doctor and especially giving shots, (which she does with a Motrin dispenser) and sending her patients home to rest. This may have been the influence for her comment about the woman at the register in the mall.
These are some of the things I want to always remember. Things that make me smile, make me laugh. Things that remind me of the innocence of children. The ways a toddler makes sense of the world around her. Creatively, inquisitively, enthusiastically. It's really amazing to watch as her vocabulary grows and her understanding and comprehension widens. Alexa makes connections between concepts on an advanced level. She is an utter joy to be with and I am so grateful she is mine!
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