Practicing for Drivers Test
For the last 2-3 weeks, Katherine been saying “Drive drive drive” incessantly. Whether we’re driving around town or she’s in the house, she turns her hands like she’s holding a steering wheel, and she wants to get behind the wheel! Steve and I discussed this weekend how to address the situation. We decided to go to Toys R Us to find a car for Katherine. ๐
She loved car shopping. Katherine got behind the wheel of a low slung mini cart, checked out a Barbie Beetle and tried to climb into a bigger Jeep. We ended up choosing the Barbie Beetle because she could easily open the door, walk into the car, reach the pedal and turn the wheel. We ended up visiting two stores with Steve finding a Beetle (in an unopened box) in Lynnwood.
Katherine was super excited to go home and check out her new car. Unfortunately, we finished our bath, toddled downstairs to find 20-30 pieces of the Beetle all over the driveway – some assembly required. So, Katherine patiently sat with her thumb in mouth and Lambey in hand on her folding chair watching Steve assemble the car for 90 minutes. (I told her that if she kept walking all over the garage, we’d have to go inside.) So, with this in mind, she sat tight in her chair and occasionally crawled into my lap for a better view.
Once she even tried to help by pointing out the hubcap that needed to go on the last wheel – as if to say “don’t forget dad, there’s one more hubcap!” At 9:30PM (way past her bedtime), Katherine got to climb into her car and drive, drive, drive.
The 6 volt battery needed charging, so Katherine didn’t get to zoom around in her car until tonight. After we all ate dinner, Katherine waited while we put on her coat and shoes. She grabbed my “keees” (keys) and Lambey and headed straight to the garage. Funny enough, she walked to the Volvo driver side door as if to drive “Daddy’s car.” I explained that we were going to drive her car, and she got the biggest kick out of making the car go. With a towel behind her, she held the wheel at an angle and just kept driving around in circles in the driveway. Steve would ask “are you done driving?” and she would shake her head no and keep her foot planted squarely on the pedal.
Sand Box
Katherine is talking up a storm these days. She really understands what’s going on and these little stories really help bring this to light. Yesterday, we went to Costco and bought a pineapple (or “pi”). When we got home, Steve opened the trunk and the pineapple fell to the garage floor with a thunk. He suggested that we cut it open, since it had gotten bruised. Well…we were playing with some new plastic fruit and her shopping basket (name that fruit game) and we were talking about the plastic pineapple. I mentioned that our pineapple from Costco went “boom” and that Daddy said we should cut it open. Katherine then got very animated, ran to the counter, pointed to the real pineapple, said “Daddy” something else and then “Boom.” Later last night and even this morning, we would ask…”Katherine, what did the pineapple do when it fell out of the car?” and she would say “boom!”
Tonight, I got home and Patty explained that K’s combo sand and water table was missing the plug for the water side. Patty suggested looking in the trash can since the garbage is picked up on Tuesdays. So, when Steve got home I relayed the message. Katherine got excited saying “pug” and “trash” and “agua.” She was telling Steve to look in the trash can for the plug to her water table!!
Trash is a new preoccupation. K loves to take trash and put it in the garbage can. For instance, she was finishing up her plastic cup of milk from Nordstrom the other day. After she finished it, she motioned to the nearest mall trash can and dumped the cup in saying “trash!” She will also pickup dirty tissues (or clean ones) or dog hair and attempt to put it away. She is a very tidy child – must be from me. ๐
Other Words
Let’s see…other words from her books or conversation in general: Trash, Tractor, Bike, Bus, Doll, Hat, Shh (for fish or Quiet), Cheese, Ice, Juice (of course), Up/Down, Peas (for Please), Boot, Shoe, Babee, Dance …. I can’t begin to remember all the words that she has used…
We have another new game, courtesy of our photo printer. I ordered a plastic photo holder that should arrive any day. The idea is that you put pics in the holder and hang it up. So, I printed pics of family and her little friends. Tonight, she said “pa” for Paulette, “paw paw” for Grandma Chang, “Babee” for Baby Tyler, “wawa” for Lambie, “Ke” for Kevin, “Wa” for Will, “Sss” for Sid and “Auey / Audey” for Audrey. She really loves her pictures – I’m going to have to start taking pictures just for her hanging photo album.