Jubilee and I were having lunch at Boston Market with a friend and her 3 year old daughter. My friend’s daughter was much more compliant in staying near her mommy. Jubilee, on the other hand, roamed around…everywhere. She even almost escaped because a door was left ajar. But the worst, in terms of embarassment, was when she began running around with her milk carton. She sloshed milk everywhere. There were white spots of milk throughout the entire restaurant. And don’t think I didn’t try to catch her!
As funny as it was, my heart still cries out: Lord, teach me to teach her how to stay near me when in public.
(Click image for larger version.)
Gratuitous mother moment… I thought David had put goofy words on the refrigerator, but it turns out he only wrote “faxes.” Jubilee added “ooco” and “ug.” While not words that will pass in Scrabble, they’re certainly pronouncable. Please also note that Jubilee added the division sign. Clearly, my daughter can do higher level math that is unrecognizable to the average person.
Today I introduced Jubilee to alphabet magnets. At one point, Jubilee ran up to me and exclaimed, “Why, why, why?!”
Now, Jubilee has never asked me “why” about anything before. I was certainly confused. It turns out I was confused because of a little something called a homophone.
I looked at her and realized she was signing the letter Y! In actuality, she was saying “Y! Y! Y!”
And, she was holding the magnet letter Y!
To top this amazing moment, she then pointed to one of her favorite games, Yahtzee, because she knows it begins with the letter Y!
Jubilee is now eating her toe jam.
Eeeeeeewwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!
Okay, I’m exaggerating. I just wanted to elicit a reaction from you. Actually, it’s the sock lint that sticks between her toes. I don’t think babies get toe jam.
Can I gross you out even more? She started doing this while wearing her red socks. So that’s strawberry toe jam!!!
I had just left the bank and was driving down an expressway when I heard Jubilee giggle. Not just a “haha”, but a definite laugh of delight. She isn’t normally giddy while in her carseat, so I adjusted my mirror to take a look at her. To my horror, she was about face looking at all the cars behind us! (Mommy had forgotten to buckle her seatbelt.)
Now I know there are two ways to suspect your child may be in danger or up to no good. The first is, of course, when it’s too quiet. The second is when your child’s laugh comes at an unusual and unexpected time.
I enjoy pretend playing with Jubilee and she loves it too. Yesterday we were playing with her Noah’s Ark animals. I took Mr. and Mrs. Zebra to the feeding trough. “Yum yum yum yum” I imitated them eating. Jubilee got a big kick out of it.
Now she takes the zebras and brings them to the feeding trough. “Ah-may-um ah-may-um” she says while they eat their food. Also, she eagerly asks me to feed them as well. I love playing pretend with my daughter.
We have a front loading washer and dryer and the buttons are just above the door, as opposed to on a “backsplash.” Jubilee loves electronic buttons and these “toys” are no exception. Often, while I’m putting on my shoes, I let her play with them. She’s allowed to press all the buttons and turn all the dials with the exception of start (for obvious reasons). She’s pretty good about complying to this rule. The only time she’s ever pressed start is…when I have to go to another room.
Jubilee’s first combination of signs! She loves grapes. And she figured out that signing “please” often gets her what she wants.
So we’re eating breakfast. Breakfast is cereal. The only exception is on vacation when grandparents are spoiling taking care of Jubilee. (=
Jubilee looks at me earnestly and signs, “Grapes, please.” I was so impressed! At first I said, “No, you can’t have grapes.” But then I thought to myself, Well, why not? So I made an exception, hoping this wouldn’t become a habit. After all, grapes are a natural sugar high and I don’t always have them on hand.
But her signing was sooooo cute!
(original date…?????)
Most children are finding ways to climb out of their crib. Jubilee has sort of tried, but not really. But what she has begun doing is try to climb into the crib. Today I was reorganizing the toys in her crib, she climbed onto the (lowered) crib rail, then placed her foot onto the mattress and tried to hoist herself up. She didn’t get very far, but it was interesting to watch. And scary, knowing that she will eventually figure out how to get both in and out of her crib.
I take Jubilee outside to play in the backyard. Dinner is still cooking, so I have to check the stove every once in a while.
Check #1
Go inside. Stir food. Go back outside. Can’t. Jubilee has taken my shoes and moved them over to the lawn.
“Jubilee,” I call. Please bring back Mommy’s shoes.”
Jubilee runs over to where she moved them. “Ungh,” she points. Translation: You mean these shoes?”
“Yes, please,” I reply.
“Oh!” Jubilee returns the shoes to the door in the way I left them.
Check #2
Go inside. Stir food. Return. Jubilee is nowhere in sight.
“Jubilee,” I call again. She’s around the corner, most likely picking paint flakes off of our chimney.
Jubilee returns. She seems to have grown facial hair. After blinking, I realize it’s a dirt moustache and goatee. Then I recall how earlier, as I left for Check #2, she was raking the dirt vehemently. When I say vehemently, I’m talking raking in such a way that was creating a dust cloud and spewing dirt behind her like a really bad vaccuum. Apparently Jubilee ate some appetizers beforehand.
