Jailhouse Rock

Monkey doesn't like to go to bed.

If we let her, she would continue to run (Yeah, um, sorry downstairs neighbors. Is that why you are moving to California? Oh, really? Ha, yeah, ok I actually meant that as a joke, well then, safe travels and, um, sorry...) around the apartment for hours past her bedtime.

She has a whole veritable cornucopia of stalling and delaying tactics, which include being cute, playing us off of each other, asking for milk, pretzels, water (with ice! WITH ice!), another book, the light on, elmo, etc. etc. etc. You get the drift.

But her latest thing? It kills me. Once we decline to engage in a debate about the 8 gazillion things she asks for to delay going to bed and we close the door to her room? She plunks down on her crib mattress, grabs her sippy cup (with ice), and drags it across the crib slats.

Kind of like a prisoner with her tin cup.

Phew, let me undo this top button here....oh, that's better

So the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. Yup, that's right, I finally told my boss that I was pregnant. And MAN does it feel good to stop sucking in my stomach all the time! And I can stand up STRAIGHT and stop slouching all the time!

And, glory be, I can wear maternity pants to work and revel in the goodness that is known as an expandable waistline.

My boss, who is a great guy, was thrilled for me. Despite the fact that I got to drop this wee bombshell on top of a career conversation. What can I say, I'm glad I work here.

Meanwhile, think we can convince Monkey to be as thrilled?

Poor Ollie

I must confess, I am pretty impressed at how tolerant our cat Ollie is....she lets Monkey hug her, pet her, even touch and grab her feet and tail (and that's something, in a cat).

But the other day, Ollie had enough. She took a swat at Monkey and even growled/hissed.

What drove this kind, munificent cat over the edge?

Well.......Monkey tried to blow her nose - the cat's nose. You know, with a kleenex.

She chased Ollie around and around and around and kept putting the kleenex to her nose. I about fell over laughing, it was so funny.

Yes, we know about Meerkat Manor

New words startle me!

Monkey's daycare is closed for the week. I love this Montessori School more than I care to admit, but this whole mimicking the school schedule drives me crazy. The school year "ended" and there were parties, and now it is closed for just over a week, to reopen for "summer school." Meanwhile, those of us that stay stateside for the summer scramble to find daycare for a week!

Luckily, or maybe because I am anal and plan waaaay far ahead, I was able to arrange for Monkey's favorite teacher from school to watch her this week. And yes, I asked months ago.

Vicki had one minor conflict, which was attending the 8th grade graduation of her cousin, Skye. She even lined up an alternative sitter for me (another teacher from the school, whom I didn't know would sit on her days off - score!) but then something came up for her, too. Medical stuff. So Vicki decided, in typical teacher fashion, to roll with the punches and come up with a solution. Which was, to take Monkey TO the graduation ceremony and family party in Brooklyn. I was all, um, you ok with that? But Vicki assured me it would work out well. Besides, her mom wanted to meet the "baby with all the hair" as Monkey was referred to in the beginning....now she's the insane toddler with all the hair. Heh. (see? how cute was she!)


Not only did Monkey enjoy the graduation ceremony (the kids sang songs) but she SAT STILL FOR AN HOUR playing with Vicki's sidekick and wallet. Hopefully Monkey didn't text any ex-boyfriends by accident....

I know, I actually typed out the words in the paragraph above. In caps. And no, I don't believe it actually happened. I think Vicki is delusional - my insane toddler, the one that runs all.the.time....she sat still? Unthinkable.

Monkey's exceptional behavior continued at the party where she sat still to polish off her lunch and ask for more, politely. Vicki was laughing when she told me about this - because at this point her family starting insisting that Monkey HAD to be older than 22 months....since no 22 month old would actually behave that way. See, they witnessed this and they didn't believe it, either!

After the party, in a good mood, Monkey and Vicki went to the Prospect Park Zoo. And Monkey loved it. Now she knows what the zebras and monkeys are, so spotting them is fun. Vicki parked the stroller and Monkey ran (making up for lost time and reverting to the mean...) the entire time they were there.

When I came home from work last night I asked Monkey about her day, and asked her what she saw at the zoo. I expected her to say giraffe, elephant, monkey, or even cow (from the children's zoo part). Nope. She looked at me and said "meerkat."

There was a 2 or 3 second pause as my brain scrambled to understand this word. Monkey pronounced it correctly, I just wasn't expecting it! It honestly startled me.

I figured that this was a fluke, but when M got home Monkey also reported to Daddy that she had seen a meerkat at the zoo.

And this morning? She asked for a meerkat when M went into her room after she woke up.

This kid cracks me up.