Maybe she just doesn't like it when I go sharp

There is a sort of gray area, I've found, between rudeness and cuteness, poor manners and respect.

Actually, it isn't that hard to discern - rather, it's just that sometimes some of the rudeness that comes out of Savannah's mouth is so funny.

And then once I make the mistake of laughing at her, she thinks it's ok to continue. So I let her. Until about the 56th time when it's not so cute anymore, and then I descend upon her with wrath and warnings, and she probably wonders what brought about the change of heart....

We like to sing. We're always humming or making up silly songs or singing tunes from Dora and Trebellina and Strawberry Shortcake.

But on occasion, when I would break out into song on my own, something about it apparently rubbed her the wrong way, because she would say, "Don't sing, don't sing!"

Which was cute and funny and I hahaha'd for the first couple dozen times it happened.

Then it gradually became less funny, and finally one day I just had it.

"Do NOT tell Mama she cannot sing. That is not nice. If you say that again...." And the dire consequences were laid out in no uncertain terms.

The next time I started to sing, I heard her say, "Mama, don't - " she broke off abruptly, and then changed her tune, her tone, her face. "Mama," she said, sweetness oozing out of her, "Go ahead. Go ahead and sing, Mama."

Why, thank you.

And then a couple of days ago, I could tell that "Don't sing, don't sing", was on the tip of her tongue, but she called to remembrance those consequences that surely awaited her, and she said instead, "Mama - enjoy your singing!"

Do you like your nose to be running or legs better?

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

When you're 3, the only reason to bow down...

I read Savannah a Bible story every night before bed. Her attention span varies - a lot of that has to do with how exciting the illustration that accompanies the story is. So far her favorites are the picture of Samson rending the cords that the wily Delilah had bound him with...



...the picture of the fiery horse and carriage that took Elijah up to heaven...




...and the Golden Statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (she was so convinced this was the Statue of Liberty for the longest time).






Last night we read about Balaam and his talking donkey, which had this fine illustration next to it.




She took one look at it - Balaam prostrating himself before the fearsome angel of the Lord with terror and repentance.

"Mama," she said, "Is he....coloring?"

Guess she had something like this in mind...

But I still like Lemon Meringue and Angel Cake

2 seemingly unrelated things:

1. Savannah has a DVD, a gift from Uncle Jeremy, called Spring for Strawberry Shortcake.

2. Today was a terribly windy, dusty, ugly day.

Allow me to now show you how the two are related.

We were driving this afternoon, and Ricardo commented on the huge piles of dust that were blown up against the wall that encircles the subdivision.

"Wow, look at that," he said. "I can't believe how windy it was today."

"I know," I sighed. "I really hate this wind. I think this is why I no longer like spring....because of the horrible New Mexico wind." (Yes, I was complaining. Sorry. And to clarify, we get seriously awful winds every spring...and apparently they have started early this year).

From the backseat, Savannah pipes up. "What!? Mama, what you not yike anymore?"

Once again shocked that she was listening in, I laughed and said, "Spring, baby."

"Ohhhh....you not yike the Strawberry Shortcake anymore!" She nodded with complete understanding.

And that's how you get from a windy, ugly spring-ish day to Mama not liking Spring for Strawberry Shortcake.

I think she's sharper than I will ever hope to be.

Maybe it tastes like a donut

I am not a huge fan of co-sleeping with Savannah, but I have to admit there is something cozy and special about snuggling up with her for a nap.

Today we were in our bed in lazy Sunday afternoon fashion, with Savannah in between us, trying to take a little nap. She had already taken hers earlier that day so I knew she wasn't going to sleep, but she didn't want to be left out. So she burrowed in and closed her eyes, and automatically popped her right thumb into her mouth.

Yeah, we haven't made any headway in breaking her of that yet.

I gently tugged it out of her mouth, and her eyes snapped open as she tried to yank her hand away.

"Hey," I told her, "why don't you try your left thumb? Try your other one, k?"

She looked mighty dubious, but brought her left hand up to her mouth, awkwardly, as if she didn't quite know how to plug it in. She took a few tentative slurps, and then took it out and shook her head.

" I don't yike it," she announced.

"Why not?"

"It doesn't taste good."

Apparently her right hand is much better flavored then her left.

And I want fries, too

I can't begin to tell you how much coughing has been going on around here these last few weeks. I think we are slowly starting to pull out of it, but it was awful to look at Savannah as she coughed up a lung and then said in her most pitiful voice, "Mama...I can't stop coughing!"

On Sunday she was really bad, and she had a high fever, so we took her to the doctor. She bounced around the office while we waited for him to come in, and she and Pooh Bear took turns sitting up on the examination table and admiring each other. When the doctor came in, she sat very still as he listened to her lungs. When he poked the light into her ear, she said, "Oooooooohhhh...."

Apparently that really thrilled her.

But it also revealed that she had an ear infection, so he gave us a prescription and we were on our way. We stopped by Walgreens to get it filled and I told Ricardo to just go through the drive thru to drop it off.

As soon as we pulled up, she started hollering that she was sooooo hungry.

"Ok, honey...we'll eat when we get home, ok?" She kept on clamoring, but we ignored her as we fumbled for the prescription and answered questions from the pharmacist.

I promise, we do not go eat fast food very often. But the few times that we have must have made a big impression on her, because she knows what happens - or what is supposed to happen - at a drive thru window. The pharmacist was standing right by the window, tapping on her computer, and since the parents were ignoring her, Savannah took matters into her own hands and yelled up towards the window, "Hey, I like some chicken nuggets, please!"