Monday, July 14, 2008

Tiny Talk Tuesday

At 15 months, Esmé has been the best of mommies to her dolls and monkeys. She tries to keep them with her at meals to feed bread or juice. She covers them with blankets and sings lullabies. She makes them kiss. She brushes their hair. She pushes them in her stroller.

She has recently discovered belly buttons and nipples. Now she is "breastfeeding" her rubber duckies in the bathtub.


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Occasionally Esmé manages to nab my mascara and eyeliner. She then proceeds to meticulously “apply” them to her own eyes. (She only managed to get the lid off the mascara once, so the mess hasn’t been too bad.)

What I don’t get is the way she scrunches her eyes and opens her mouth wide as she’s doing it. Do I really do that?

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Esmé’s become more proficient on the phone. Last week she nabbed my cell phone and was jabbering away on it, nothing unusual. Until I heard a voice from the other end. Fortunately it was just her Daddy she had called.

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More words to add to her vocabulary list – I love how this keeps getting bigger and bigger! Some of these have been around for a while but didn’t make it on Friday’s post. All some of her favorite things!
  • Button
  • Bun (bunny)
  • Mon (monkey)
  • Baa (sheep)
  • Key
  • Book
  • Ear
  • Nose
  • Eye
  • Face
  • Foot
  • Mouth
  • Bus (for "Wheels on the Bus" song)
  • Watch (and I must mention that mine has gone missing. Last I saw, she was talking on it – she talks on anything with buttons. Maybe I’ve read I’ll Love You Forever to her too many times.)
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We are still working on sign language. I’ve been trying to get the “All Done” sign downpat forever, but she prefers just handing me the bowl when I sign and ask her if she’s all done with her food.

She does sign quite a bit during the Signing Time songs, but most of the signs haven’t made the transition to the rest of life. She LOVES action songs! For a long time she’s been spinning in circles and then dropping to the floor (as in "Ring Around the Rosies").

This last week she starting running with big steps and in big circles, bobbing her head from side to side. This bewildered me until I remembered she’s been watching the Rooster dance on Monkey See, Monkey Do.

She’s finally putting together words with music in her actions. For instance, she’s loved "If You’re Happy and You Know It" forever, but just did the clapping and stomping and shouting throughout the song, not when it was being sung for. Now she’s getting it right, and I can mix the verses up, too. And same with "Father Abraham." She moves the arms and legs at the right times and turns around and sits down exactly on time.

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Does this learning pace ever slow down? I don’t think I can keep up!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there sweet Esme! We miss you so much! Don't learn too many things before we get back - or maybe you'll be talking a blue streak and even know our names!! Your U.S. cousins all say Hi and Janelle and Marquelle promise they'll be back soon to hug you! Love to your mom & dad too! Your new bunnies are cute & J&M are envious! Tell Groban he better not have any bunny snacks! Love you lots, my lil' niece! Can't wait to sing action songs with you again...! Tia Susan

Becky @ BoysRuleMyLife said...

We do a lot of signing around our house, too! Love Signing Time! My 2 year old is the "master of sign". LOL! The 1 year old will only do "more" occaisionally and the 5 year likes to make up his own! It's fun... and quite useful at church when I want them to "sit" and be "quiet".

Nice to meet you... I'm over from Mary's TTT. Have a great day!

Lori said...

way to grow! isn't it exciting to see the big and little changes

Anonymous said...

Hi Esme & her Mommy! Seeing what you are up to is the highlight of my day! Don't feed too much juice to your dollies or their eyes won't open any more. That's what my Raggedy Ann book tells me...

Mary@notbefore7 said...

Hey there sweet little one...you have quite a list of words. Good for you! David is going to write you a letter on Thursday...be sure to come see it :)

BTW...nursing the ducks cracks me up!

Danielle said...

wow! It sounds like she is really learning a lot. I can't wait for Eliza to do some of the signs we are working on- but she is only ten months so I think it will be a while.

Andrea said...

I know...it seems they learn SO fast! And the things they pick up from us or from movies or other people they see are too funny sometimes. :)

Tara R. said...

So sweet! When I kids were younger I tried teaching them Sign too. Now with both well into their teens about the only ones we still use are 'no,' and 'I love you.' My daughter actually chose Sign Language as her foreign language in high school.

Anonymous said...

I know she is learning so very quickly but isn't it fun!??!! Each stage seems to be filled with learning of new sorts.
I enjoyed my first visit to your blog. My husband and I have heart for missions so I LOVE reading about others on the field. HE actually is in the ministry, just based in the states. :)

Christie O. said...

she's breastfeeding!! that's hilarious!!

and that is so funny with the mascara. i apparently do that too!

Pregnantly Plump said...

How fun and sweet! I love that she breastfeeds her ducks. Little Elvis isn't that nurturing with his toys, although he does like for me to kiss his bears.
We have that I'll love you forever book, too. But I don't read it very often because I can't make it through to the end without crying.
Thanks for visiting my blog!