The four of us (CootieMom, O, little D and me) were out in the backyard playing yesterday after church. I had to step back inside. Then I hear my naming being screamed out. Turns out CootieGirltook a tumble (she is clumsy) and banged her mouth/chin right into the edge of our deck and gave herself a nice scrape on her chin and must have bit down on her tongue some since her mouth was a little bloody as well.

No stitches needed, just lots of love and a few bandaids, but a little un-nerving. Otherwise, the kids just started getting colds. I blame Aunt Jen who was here for a weekend visit. Thanks, Jen!

CootieGirl likes to sing. She’ll sit in her playroom with her toddler piano and pound on the keys, singing her little songs. But now she’s actually starting to sing the words to actual songs.

Last night when she got home we were all standing outside (we always inspect the flowers before coming in for the night) and CootieDad said that she was singing “The Wheels on the Bus” in the van on the way home from daycare. So we all started singing, “The mama’s on the bus go,” and then she held her finger up to her mouth and said, “Shh! Shh! Shh!” Then we sang, “The babies on the bus go,” and she put her fists to her eyes and said, “Wah! Waah! Waaah!”

We eventually went inside, and a little while later we were getting her ready for bed and had her sit on the potty for a few minutes. To keep her occupied I started singing “Wheels” again, this time doing new choruses that she might not have heard. So we sang about the wipers on the bus going swish, the driver saying “Come on in” and the wheels going round and round. Then just for fun I started singing about the cows on the bus, the cats on the bus, the dogs on the bus – she was giggling and loving it. Then we sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Row Your Boat”. What was amazing to me is that instead of her sing-song gibberish she occasionally sang the actual words. My baby’s growing up. *sob*

So yesterday CootieDad had CootieGirl present me with a red tulip from our garden in honor of Mother’s Day. He helped her with her announcement by coaxing the language from her:

“CootieGirl, say ‘Happy Mother’s Day!’”
…
“CootieGirl, say ‘happy’.”
“HAPPY!”
“Say ‘mother’s’.”
“MOTHER’S!”
“Say ‘day’.”
“DAY! AMEN!” Then she leaned over for a hug and a kiss.

Too cute.

Today was CootieGirl’s day care recital. There were about six or seven girls on the stage all dressed alike in red dress with poka dots. CootieGirl was the youngest and smallest of all the girls, but she was leading the way. Very cute. You can see some pics from the event on CootieGirl’s photoblog.

CootieGirl danced, sang and banged her tambourine along with the other children. “Now I know my ABCs” was the show stopper. She seemed to enjoy performing. She only got distracted by Daddy in the audience once or twice, but she soldiered on through it. The show must go on.

The show lasted about fifteen or twenty minutes, or maybe it just felt that way. Either way, I took video of the recital so CootieMom could see CootieGirl’s big day. We might just have a future triple threat on our hands, dancer, singer and model, or is it actress?

I have been meaning to tell you this story from a couple days ago. CootieGirl was laying on the couch under a big blanket watching tv. CootieDad was sitting on the other side of the couch, helping CootieBoy walk in the space between the sofa and the coffee table.

CootieBoy kept grabbing at the things on top of the coffee table, including some pictures that CootieGirl had brought home from daycare. She giggled and said, “CootieBoy!”, thinking this was very funny (but still taking the paper away from him). He quickly reached out and grabbed another picture that she had brought home from daycare. Another giggle, another “CootieBoy!”, another reason for her to lean over and take the picture from him.

It happened again and this time CootieGirl was really giggling hard and didn’t realize that each time she reached over she had scooted forward, closer to the edge of the sofa. And with the big blanket over her she really couldn’t see where the couch ended and open space began. So in mid-giggle, CootieGirl reached out to take the paper from CootieBoy and when she went to balance herself on the sofa, she felt nothing but air and went sprawling headfirst off the sofa.

Now, I was on the other couch and saw it in slow-motion. And thought it was hilarious. I knew she wasn’t hurt because she landed half on the carpet and half on the big blanket that went with her. But the sight of her feet in the air, body tangled in the blanket and head disappearing below the table just really struck me funny.

Of course, CootieGirl didn’t find it funny and when I managed to get her out from the blanket and standing she let out a huge cry. But knowing she wasn’t hurt but shocked, I quickly put her back on the sofa and gave her a quick hug, saying, “Wow – you were so excited playing with CootieBoy you fell right off the sofa! Isn’t that funny?” She let out one more soft cry and then snuggled into the blanket, so for good measure I repeated that it was funny and she smiled a bit.

No more playing with CootieBoy though. She’d had enough of that.