conuly

For a while now, Ana's been asking why, why, why. Not random whys, like "Why is the sky blue?" yet, but whys after we tell her she needs to do something, or we need to do something, that sort of thing - especially things she doesn't like, of course :)

Even though she understood the point of asking why, and could understand the answers and adjust her behaviour, it took her forever to be able to *answer* why questions by doing more than repeating her statement: "I like books. Because I like books!"

At the same time that she was figuring out the use of the why question, we were asking her why a lot, especially questions like "Why did you do that?" and "Why don't we do that" after she's done something she shouldn't do.

So she picked up a few rote answers that she could use appropriately. Why don't we touch the stove? Because it's dangerous. You can hurt yourself and get a very big boo-boo. Why don't we hit? Because it's not nice, and it hurts people. Why, Ana, did you just say I had to use two hands to get the milk (I was honestly curious)? "Because! *sigh* You could spill, and then I hafta clean up!"

These answers, of course, all came from the simple lectures she gets when she asks us why on those same issues.

And she also picked up that horribly rude phrase "Cuz I said so!" Picked it up from her mom. I hate that phrase as a child, and in response to this new phase in Ana's development, I've ressurected a stock phrase of my own. "Ana, that's not a reason."

I've also carefully pointed out that it's rude to say that. "But Mommy says 'cuz I said so'!" Yeah, sweetie, I know what Mommy says, but it's rude for *you* to say that.

It's eventually gotten to the point where, when watching Backyardigans, when one of the characters says "Because I said so!" Ana will turn to me and say "Connie! That not raisin!"

She still uses the phrase, though. Stupid frakkin' phrase.

So, now, the other day after she told me I shouldn't change the baby's diaper "cuz I said so", I took her arm before she could run off and carefully pointed out, again, that that's not a good answer and that it's not very nice to say. "So, Ana, why don't you want me to change the baby's diaper, honey?"

Oh, be still my beating heart, this is the answer I got: "Because I ssssss... Because it hurt her! And then she cwies, Connie. She cwies."

That's not only a good answer, it's touchingly sweet! Wrong, of course, because the baby absolutely cannot sit in her own piss, but sweet.

Plus, it's a unique answer - she's finally gotten the concept! And today, when we were playing catch-the-nose, and she freaked a bit in the middle and told me not to get it "Because I said so", she changed her answer, when prompted, to a completely spontaneous "Because I scared, and you could hurt me!" (which was a bit sad, I hadn't meant to scare her, we'd been running around giggling).

Still. She's got the concept down. FINALLY.

It happened on the way to the Museum Friday. We were walking the last leg of the way, when a woman came by with one of those big greyish-brownish dogs. I called Ana to me to hold my hand, reminding her that we don't go near dogs unless we ask first.

Ana was very excited that the dog's tail was moving. After the dog had passed, I asked if it was a big dog or a little dog.

Ana: Um... Little dog.
Me: Little dog? No, I think it was a big dog.
Ana: No! Little dog!
Me: But Ana! That dog was bigger than you were! It was a very big dog!
Ana: Connie! I not big!

Today we went, last minute, to the Natural History Museum. I'll post about it later, I suppose.