Yarden's language skills and hygiene skills happen to be developing at the same time, which often leads to one of two conversations.
Mommy: Yarden, are you ready to go to the the party?
[takes off pants]
Yarden: My pod-dee?
Mommy: No, Sofie's party. We're going to see Sofie.
[takes off diaper]
Yarden: My pod-dee!
Mommy: Yarden, put your clothes back on. We have to go.
[half naked toddler runs away]
Yarden: My pod-dee!
OR
Mommy: Yarden, do you have to go potty?
Yarden: (singing) Happy burt-day to you.
Mommy: Thank you, not it's not my birthday. Do you have to go potty?
Yarden: Happy burt-day mommy!
Mommy: It's not my birthday. Do you have to go potty?
Yarden: My burt-day pod-dee?
Mommy: Not a birthday party. Just potty. Do you have to go potty?
Yarden: My burt-day! My burt-day!
[Yarden blows out imaginary candles, then gets half naked and runs away]
Both conversations usually result in some kind of present. I'll spare everyone the sticky details, but Aliyah and I have come to understand that having a child who is marginally more independent requires both more and less supervision. Our favorite event so far is the time Yarden asked Aliyah for a sticker (we are bribing her with monkey and dog stickers for every time she uses the potty). Now Yarden still had her pants and diaper on (for once) so Aliyah was dubious that Yarden had earned a sticker, but she agreed to check anyway and mysteriously there was some golden fluid in the potty. It turned out Yarden had taken her apple juice poured some in there.
There's other hygiene-language comedy going on. We're trying to get her to understand that while she is technically correct "wipe your mouth" does not mean she should shove the napkin inside her mouth and scrub down her tongue. This is usually preceeded by Yarden asking for one of the lingering jars of baby food, which she calls "apple sauce." Old MacDonald apparently only has ducks on his farm. She finally outwitted us and peed on the couch. Actually that last one wasn't funny.
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