sumodancer

Ballet Bug

Maybe it was June on "Little Einsteins." Maybe it was the dance talk of my cousin's kids when we were in Maryland. Bug caught the dancing bug and made it known before we left Maryland that she wanted to be a ballerina.

Mom Mom even bought her a ballet outfit.

She began ballet classes at the beginning of the month and LOVES it. And while I can't stand that I can't hang out and watch her classes (the set up of the place sucks), Bug thoroughly enjoys playing teacher to me and Jem, who loves doing tippy toe turns with us.

Imagine that. We have a girly girl.

Princess Knows Where Everything Goes

After Bug lost tonight's television privileges for not listening at bathtime, an opportunity affording mutual retribution became apparent to me as I tripped over the toys all over the playroom floor.

When I brought up the idea to Bug, she was happily dancing around the room, both legs through the same holes in her underwear so it was around her waist, singing, "I'm a princess!" (Uncanny how the child never tripped on a toy as she spun.)

"Bug, how would you like to earn back tv time tonight?" I asked.

"Ooooh! Yeah!!" she bounced.

"If you pick up the playroom and put all the toys where they belong, you may watch a show tonight."

"Ok!" She could barely contain her glee as she began running toys to the bathroom and to the bins in the playroom, her chant becoming, "Princess knows where everything goes!"

Doug Henning Has Nothing on Her

Once upon a time we saw an episode of Dora that made all of us laugh, but it was accidentally deleted from the DVR. That was sometime in February, and since then this particular episode became the holy grail. While many episodes were played repeatedly on the three channels that show it, this one never came back up. Every day I would scour the guide, checking the information on the multiple showings of Dora, only to see the same titles over and over again.

Then, one day in June, Bug and I cuddled up on the couch for our morning Dora fix. And there it was. Benny the Potato! In the episode, Benny the Bull happens upon a magic wand. He decides to use the wand to turn a big rock into a potato, but accidentally turns himself into one instead. Dora and Boots the monkey put Benny the Potato in a wagon and take him to the wizard, returning his wand so he can turn Benny back into a bull.

Wickety wackety wool!
Wickety wackety wool!
Turn Benny the Potato
Back into a bull!

The episode is so ridiculously hysterical, and we were thrilled to find it available on DVD. It's wonderful to know that we can share it with Jem when she's old enough to appreciate it as well.

This morning Bug joined me in my bathroom as I got ready to take her to school. In her hand was one of K's golf tees. She held it in the air and said, "Look what I have, Mommy! I have my magic wand, and I'm going to use it to turn you into a potato!"

And while I tried to hide my laugh behind the righteous indignation of it all, I couldn't help but reminisce about her Little Bunny Fufu phase about a year ago, when she would point both index fingers at us with a halting, "sha-DAM!" to turn us into newts.

The Lyricist

After sitting on the potty this morning, reading The Potty Book and "trying really hard" to pee, Bug decided she was finished. So she cut loose with her own rendition of the "We Did It" song from Dora.

::wiggling arms back and forth::
We did it! We did it! We did it! Yeah!
Lo hicimos! We did it!
We read The Potty Book and sat on the potty!
We did it! We did it! We did it! Hooooo-RAY!!
I sat on the potty and...
Mommy, you get The Best Nest to read to me?

Greek to English in Three Words

One day during Mom Mom's stay, we were sitting in the kitchen eating lunch. At one point, Bug started asking for something. "Mommy, I want a buy-men. Can I? Can I? May - I - have - a - buy - men - please?"

What? Beat me. Beat Mom Mom. So we interrogated. What is that? "Buy-men." Where is it? ::pointed to something we couldn't see:: Is it something you eat? "Buy-men." Do you want a waffle? More milk? A bear? The list went on. (Yes, it was that frustrating.)

Finally, Bug revealed all by using the following phrase: "But Mommy, I want a buy-men; it make me big and strong!"

Aha! "Big and strong!" This is what we say when luring/bribing/encouraging Bug to eat her gummy bear vitamins, something she has been very fickle about, eating them with relish some days, and spitting them out with an, "I don't like that. It tastes yukky" on others. "Buy-men." Makes perfect sense.

Movin' to the Groovin'

The temperature Bug had when she awoke this morning is gone. She's been a happy little girl all morning, relaxing and watching shows.

We just finished watching an episode of "Blue's Clues" where Steve and Blue did a lot of dancing. Bug was inspired to leave her perch on the couch to jump, twirl and dance with them.

It was what happened at the end of the show that surprised me the most. When Steve was singing the good-bye song ("Now it's time for so long, but we'll sing just one more song. Thanks for doing your part. You sure are smart! You know with me, and you, and my dog Blue, we can do anything that we wanna do!), Bug sang along, even doing the sign language (holding up number one, thanks, smart).

Love and Dora

Bug: Mommy, I love my geatah.
Mommy: Why do you love your heater?
Bug: My geatah keeps me nice and warm. ::Hugs heater::

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Bug and I ventured out to WalMart this morning to pick up some crafty stuff. The plan was -- keep reading for the explanation on the past tense here -- to have a Christmas tree decorated entirely by Bug.

Once in the car, Bug started singing.

Bug: Come on, dominos. Everybody, let's go! [mumble mumble] do it. I know that we can do it!
Mommy: Where are we going?
Bug: AwlMort!
Mommy: Where are we going?
Bug: AwlMort!
Mommy: Where are we going?
Bug: AwlMort!
Mommy: Where are we going?
Bug: AwlMort!

On the way out, after riding the firetruck and the schoolbus, the singing started up again.

Bug: We did it!
Mommy: We went to WalMart!
Bug: We went to AwlMort!

At home, we took our booty straight to the kitchen. After scouring the internet for ideas, we were going to dip yarn in craft glue and wrap it around balloons to make ornaments.

Bug: Mommy, you had me at "balloon."

No, she didn't really say that, silly. She may as well have, though. She also didn't delight AT ALL in getting sticky fingers from the glue. ("Mommy, my fingers are sticky! Get it off!") She then sat and played with a yellow balloon while I finished her ornament and cleaned up.

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As you can tell, Bug has really taken a shine to Dora (see also previous post about this). She regularly uses phrases from the show such as:

• "I need YOUR help!" Trying to tackle hug Mommy and make her fall down. She'll ask for my help to put my hands out in front of me and PUSH PUSH PUSH!
• "You'll never find it now!" Trying to get dressed in the morning, she'll grab her clothes and throw them in her tent or elsewhere far away from me.
• "Say 'Backpack!'" At the breakfast table, she'll consider what she needs to eat her breakfast. She'll say she needs my help to check her backpack for something.
• "Abre!" and "Espera!" are still said regularly. She'll have us open our mouths, and whenever I head into another room without waiting for her, she'll tell me to wait.

Bug also has started to learn how to count in Spanish. She'll count the stairs as she walks down them: "Undah, backoat, ticoat, donoh, backoat, ticoat!"

Yay Bug!!

She woke up dry for the first time ever.
Mommy: Do you want to use the potty?
Bug: No. I want to watch Pooh.
We watch Pooh.
Mommy: Do you need a diaper change now?
Bug: No. I want to use the potty.
And there you have it.

Dinner Theater

What makes up for substandard food when eating out?

Several repeat performances of "Itsy Bitsy Spider," complete with hand/arm gestures and each starting with "I want to sing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' Mommy! You ready? Here we go!" by an enthusiastic toddler, and her willingness to take requests for other songs in between.

"Farmer In the Dell" Bug Style

This song was delivered by Bug from the backseat of the family truckster without any musical accompaniment at all.

cow takes wife
cow takes wife
hi ho day-yoooooo
cow takes wife

dog takes cheese
dog takes cheese
hi ho day-yoooooo
dog takes cheese

cheese stands aloooooone
cheese stands aloooooone
hi ho day-yoooooo
cheese stands aloooooone