What Toddlers Get Up To

J loves...

Music.
When the radio comes on in the car, she rocks back and forth or sways side to side. When Beth's Yamaha DVD is played, she positions right in front of the TV to watch. Her favourite song is Big Whales Sneeze. She loves to go "Ah...Ah...Ah Choo!" like in the song.

Drawing.
She has taken to using Beth's whiteboard markers to decorate the whiteboard in our backyard, and sometimes her hands and clothes too.

Food.
She has a great appetite and needs to eat all the time. She knows how to ask for her water bottle (by pointing and making agitated little noises) and food ("mum mum"). She can feed herself and drink from a cup, albeit messily. The floor is frequently littered with remnants of food and spilled drink after a meal. She enjoys playing with her food. For example, if given a bowl with pieces of bread, she might pop them into her cup and watch them get soggy.

Company.
When she's alone with me, she wants my full attention. If I'm on the computer, she comes and sits on my lap and starts pressing the keys. When I hold her and shut my eyes, she yells at me to wake up. When I walk away to do something else (like go to the toilet), she screams. This full-on demand for attention can be extremely draining. She's only happy when surrounded by people. At Mon playgroup, she enjoys the company of the other kids so much she usually doesn't notice if I go out of the room for short periods. Sometimes, CA and I think she might be ready for childcare.

It's amazing how J understands so much, even if she can't articulate it.
When I hold out her pants, she sticks her leg out.
When I tell her to sit down and put on her shoes, she sticks out her foot and tries to insert it into the shoe.
She can say "ball" ("bah") and "nose" ("no") and "blue" ("boo") and identify the corresponding object.
I recently taught her Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes and she can now point to her nose and say the word, though it comes out as "no".
She also knows the Everybody Clap song from The Wiggles and can put her finger to her lips at the part where the song goes "Bear's now asleep, shh shh shh..."