Advances in the Mia department

Probably saying "cheese"

I'd be so remiss if I failed to document some of the really neat things Mia is up to these days.  As one should expect, her vocabulary is rapidly expanding.  Beyond the list I shared a few months ago, here are some new words:

Muah!

• Pawpy (for potty--thanks to Jackson for this book at Christmas time! It may be the best $6.99 you e'er spent)
• Mank moo (for thank you)
• tcheez (for keys)
• chair
• clothes (conga)
• pants
• shirt
• button (bonga)
• elbow
• knee
• chin
• car
• carseat
• mirror
• Braden (B-hen)
• Abby
• Manda
• Uke (for Luke)
• away
• Mia
• yes
• TV
• puter (for computer)
• puhs (for grapes)
• more
• all done
• down
• up
• towel
• hat
• socks
• apple
• Dorothy (thanks to Elmo's fish)
• Elmo
• titar (guitar)
• iPhone (the last two are totally because of Greg)

There are so many little things she notices or says.  I did not extensively teach her sign language; just a few signs here and there that she's really taken to like milk, more, thank you, eat, all done, down, etc.  But like any educator will tell you, kids are really drawn to movement and learning kinetically and Mia is no different.  If a song has movements in it, she will try to learn it. 

Nana & Granddad were here the other week right after Abby was born and Mia learned the song, "Where is Thumbkin?"  It was originally on Sesame Street and Nana, being the music educator she is, taught it to Mia.  Mia can't quite sing all the words, but she knows when to put her thumbs out and when to put her hands behind her back, and she even signs "thank you" at the end of the song, which was not taught to her in that particular song!

The summer she was born, I went to a couple baby sign classes at the local library and they handed out a few story books with the signs shown with the words.  We received "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and the "Itsy Bitsy Spider."  I read TTLS to her a lot and try to show her the signs for:

twinkle, little, star, how, you, up, world, diamond, sky

and just today she did almost the whole song with me.  I love seeing her brain make connections and store these little bytes of information in her mind!  

Greg & I often try to figure out what songs she is learning in bible class so we can figure out what she is singing.  I've only sat in there once or twice and they keep the class moving and do lots of movements or use objects with songs, and we'll see Mia rolling the gospel chariot along, or building houses, or shining her Christian light.  It's hilarious.

Riding the train at Wiregrass

Mia's favorite kids TV show is Sesame Street, probably because that's the only designated kids show we actually watch with her.  She'll watch the Today Show, some sports, or some design shows with us occasionally (yeah, I waffle on that at times!) but during a SS episode the other day, in the Elmo's World segment, as he was telling his goldfish Dorothy to say hello, I heard Mia say quite clearly, "Hi Dorothy!"  I guess it just goes to show ME that kids actually do hear what they're saying on television.  So I guess I should probably stop watching all those raunchy shows.  JK.  I don't watch them, unless "Say Yes to the Dress" is considered raunchy.  Which...is debatable.  I do love a good wedding show though.

1st time on stage at Storytime!

She does so many other funny things, like mimicking my movements when I get dressed.  She also puts unusual items in her potty, and tries to stuff toilet paper down her pants.  What can I say, she follows me just about 24/7.

And...she may have inherited her mother's knack of imitating others using different voices.  Greg & I were joking around the other day using my "tough guy" kind of voice and the next thing I know, Mia's mimicking my manner of speech with even her lips pushed out!!  What will Greg do with two maniacs??? Only time will tell...

She drives me nuts some days, but we do love her.  She's pretty partial to her mommy, daddy, uncles, B-hen, and grandparents.  And the little girls at church.  Tonight after church, she was walking around the foyer holding hands with a hilarious little tot named Corrine.  Melt.Your.Heart.  I think she's a keeper.

PS: People always say, "It goes by so fast," and this time I'm not going to try to buck the trend.  It's true. Here's a picture on this exact day last year of Mia & Greg.  She's just a little squishy baby!

January 23, 2009