Growing Notes

Just a few notes/observations about Reese this month:

* Her vocabulary is out of control. Almost everyday she uses at least one new word that leaves me asking myself, "where'd she hear that one?" She hesitates with multi-syllabic words, and often cuts off the first syllable. Examples: harmonica = monica, protect = tect, umbrella = brella etc.
Strangely, she doesn't truncate multi syllabic names--she can say Catherine and Malcolm perfectly.

*Phrases: Reese is now talking in short phrases. I hesitate to call them sentences, but it's still progress. Most of them start with "I": "I got it!" "I hold you." "I see it" "I miss _____" "I love you." She is very hung up on manners, though, and always tells people thank you, your welcome, and bless you.

* Now that her vocabulary has improved I'm constantly amazed by Reese's memory. She will tell me about events that are weeks or months old when something reminds her of it. Sometimes the memories seem to come out of left field and it takes me a minute to recall why she's talking about someone or something that's not present, but I'm always amazed with her persistence and accuracy of memory.

* Reese is in love with her friend Reed. Reed is three weeks younger than Reese, but her partner in crime. We try to have play dates at least once a week because they play so well together. Often on our way to meet Reed, Reese will tell me, "I like him," or "I hug Reed." Last week it was "I kiss him." And, it's true, she does try to hug, kiss, and hold hands with Reed. Today she told me, "Reed [is] my buddy."

* Reese knows EVERY book on her bookshelf--which is quite an impressive feat if you consider how many there are. She now requests them by title (or her version of the title), and continues to want to read 5 or 6 at a time. I never thought I'd be the parent who hides books from their child, but I admit that on a few occasions I have hidden some of her LONG favorites behind others in hopes of limiting our pre-bedtime storytime to a more reasonable length of time.

*Reese has started singing songs to herself. Just don't let her catch you listening or watching her--she gets shy and clams up immediately. Her songs are mixtures of songs she knows as well as lots of scat singing noises.