Ana-cdotes!
Jun. 14th, 2006 11:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
1. We visited Jenn's office today. Ana loves the water cooler - she's the self-designated water-fetcher.
Naturally, we don't let her do this unsupervised. She tends to pour water into the not-a-drain if she forgets she isn't allowed.
So after she ran off to get some water, I tailed along behind her at a discrete distance. I'm not sure she ever even realized I was there....
Which may explain how I overheard her conversation with herself.
Ana (counting out three cups): One. Two. Three! Ana, Mommy, Connie. *pause* onetwothree Yeah, that's right. First I do Mommy's cup. *fills up a cup halfway, walks past me to give to Jenn, returns* Now. Do I do Ana's cup, or Connie's? (in high-pitched playpretend voice) ANA! Okay...
What's notable about this is that she clearly is able to recount a correspondence between the number of cups, and the number of people who may possibly accept water from her. I'm choosing to believe that's advanced for her age.
She's also, finally, figured out that if she starts counting anyplace other than the end, she needs to stop and start over, properly. She didn't used to do that, so she'd end up getting quite the wrong number.
Life isn't all fun and games, of course. She's had her moments... today she had a massive tantrum on the bus because she wanted to sit on Jenn's lap (not happening, Jenn had the baby), and when that didn't work she simply wanted to sit anywhere but *my* lap, except I wouldn't let her because at that point she'd already screamed in my ear and failed to be even marginally polite. Between the boat and the very first stop, she proceeded to scream, scream, scream, pinch, bite, hit, and kick me. So we got off at the first stop, the two of us, and transfered to a different bus. We would've waited for the next boat to come in if she hadn't calmed down - I do so dislike inflicting a screaming child on a bus full of people. And this is the sort of trick that can seriously backfire on you. Indeed, as we got off, her screaming and kicking only intensified because I was, unfortunately, taking her away from her mom.
Luckily, it did work, and she calmed down enough that we could get on the bus right behind. And then she cheered up, though she got upset again when Jenn almost beat us home. I don't know what's into her lately, though, if her appetite is any judge, she may just be growing. I'll start bringing more snacks with us, small, healthy, high-energy stuff. She runs around a lot. Because she's three.
2. Earlier today, we'd been on the train, singing a silly song about the sounds of various things we might meet on our way to town one day. I'd sing the first part, Ana'd fill in with what we met on our way, and then she'd fill in the sound at the end.
She came up with some good ones, too - we met a metrocard (ssssssswipe!), a ghost (boooooo!), and, my favorite, a light.
Me: A light?
Ana: Yes, a yite!
Me: Um... Are you sure?
Ana: Uh-huh.
Me: Okay. This had better be a good one. As I was going to town one day, I met with a light along the way, and what do you think that light did say?
Ana: HOT!
At this point, she started clutching her crotch. Oh dear. "I just trying to keep the pee in so my pants don't get wet"
So we left the train to find a public bathroom. And there are bathrooms at 34th street. Unfortunately, in order to get them unlocked (according to the homeless guy, whom I assume would know this sort of thing), you have to leave the station. Without an unlimited? Riiiiight.
So I went with option two - move Ana into a secluded area, block her from view, down with the pants (barely - couldn't see anything, and I was just about crotch level), up with the diaper, whole thing is done in half a minute or less.
And you know what? She didn't even pee in her diaper, but held it until we got to her mom's office.
This is really pathetic, but it's the sort of thing that we get really proud over - oh wow, she didn't wet her pants, despite having a tiny Ana-sized bladder. Yippee.
I was more proud of that than of the fact that she climbed up a difficult playground structure without getting stuck at the top and asking me to spot her*. (I don't help her, I just stand there and tell her she can do it. This generally works.) She was more proud of the latter, which is good.
*She didn't strictly do this by herself. She had a very sweet 4-5 year old boy there encouraging her. "C'mon, I know you can do it, just climb up to me! Yeah! YOU DID IT! *clapclapclap*" I could've hugged him, quite unlike the boy in another playground who, noticing Ana for the second time, said "I know you, you're the black girl." Him, I wanted to give a firm talking to. One doesn't go up to people just to tell them they're different. It's not nice.
Naturally, we don't let her do this unsupervised. She tends to pour water into the not-a-drain if she forgets she isn't allowed.
So after she ran off to get some water, I tailed along behind her at a discrete distance. I'm not sure she ever even realized I was there....
Which may explain how I overheard her conversation with herself.
Ana (counting out three cups): One. Two. Three! Ana, Mommy, Connie. *pause* onetwothree Yeah, that's right. First I do Mommy's cup. *fills up a cup halfway, walks past me to give to Jenn, returns* Now. Do I do Ana's cup, or Connie's? (in high-pitched playpretend voice) ANA! Okay...
What's notable about this is that she clearly is able to recount a correspondence between the number of cups, and the number of people who may possibly accept water from her. I'm choosing to believe that's advanced for her age.
She's also, finally, figured out that if she starts counting anyplace other than the end, she needs to stop and start over, properly. She didn't used to do that, so she'd end up getting quite the wrong number.
Life isn't all fun and games, of course. She's had her moments... today she had a massive tantrum on the bus because she wanted to sit on Jenn's lap (not happening, Jenn had the baby), and when that didn't work she simply wanted to sit anywhere but *my* lap, except I wouldn't let her because at that point she'd already screamed in my ear and failed to be even marginally polite. Between the boat and the very first stop, she proceeded to scream, scream, scream, pinch, bite, hit, and kick me. So we got off at the first stop, the two of us, and transfered to a different bus. We would've waited for the next boat to come in if she hadn't calmed down - I do so dislike inflicting a screaming child on a bus full of people. And this is the sort of trick that can seriously backfire on you. Indeed, as we got off, her screaming and kicking only intensified because I was, unfortunately, taking her away from her mom.
Luckily, it did work, and she calmed down enough that we could get on the bus right behind. And then she cheered up, though she got upset again when Jenn almost beat us home. I don't know what's into her lately, though, if her appetite is any judge, she may just be growing. I'll start bringing more snacks with us, small, healthy, high-energy stuff. She runs around a lot. Because she's three.
2. Earlier today, we'd been on the train, singing a silly song about the sounds of various things we might meet on our way to town one day. I'd sing the first part, Ana'd fill in with what we met on our way, and then she'd fill in the sound at the end.
She came up with some good ones, too - we met a metrocard (ssssssswipe!), a ghost (boooooo!), and, my favorite, a light.
Me: A light?
Ana: Yes, a yite!
Me: Um... Are you sure?
Ana: Uh-huh.
Me: Okay. This had better be a good one. As I was going to town one day, I met with a light along the way, and what do you think that light did say?
Ana: HOT!
At this point, she started clutching her crotch. Oh dear. "I just trying to keep the pee in so my pants don't get wet"
So we left the train to find a public bathroom. And there are bathrooms at 34th street. Unfortunately, in order to get them unlocked (according to the homeless guy, whom I assume would know this sort of thing), you have to leave the station. Without an unlimited? Riiiiight.
So I went with option two - move Ana into a secluded area, block her from view, down with the pants (barely - couldn't see anything, and I was just about crotch level), up with the diaper, whole thing is done in half a minute or less.
And you know what? She didn't even pee in her diaper, but held it until we got to her mom's office.
This is really pathetic, but it's the sort of thing that we get really proud over - oh wow, she didn't wet her pants, despite having a tiny Ana-sized bladder. Yippee.
I was more proud of that than of the fact that she climbed up a difficult playground structure without getting stuck at the top and asking me to spot her*. (I don't help her, I just stand there and tell her she can do it. This generally works.) She was more proud of the latter, which is good.
*She didn't strictly do this by herself. She had a very sweet 4-5 year old boy there encouraging her. "C'mon, I know you can do it, just climb up to me! Yeah! YOU DID IT! *clapclapclap*" I could've hugged him, quite unlike the boy in another playground who, noticing Ana for the second time, said "I know you, you're the black girl." Him, I wanted to give a firm talking to. One doesn't go up to people just to tell them they're different. It's not nice.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-15 10:33 pm (UTC)Actually, I believe the boy was asking her name.
Also, wouldn't telling the boy off just give him the impression that "the black girl" is an insult? It doesn't sound as though he meant it as one (although you'd know better, you heard his tone-of-voice).
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:30 am (UTC)I don't think he meant it as an insult (that would be another thing altogether), but using the incredibly unscientific method of looking at his height, he's presumably old enough that if I don't tell him off in my reasonably polite manner ("You know, honey, most people don't like it if you come up to them just to tell them something about themselves. It makes it sound like whatever-it-is is a bad thing"), somebody else is going to do it worse.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:49 am (UTC)It makes it sound like whatever-it-is is a bad thing
Does it really? I would think that depends heavily on tone of voice.
(I hope I don't sound belligerent here; that's not my intension.)
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:59 am (UTC)I actually thought, at the time, that he meant more "Gee, you again? Why are you following me?"
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 03:01 am (UTC)Perhaps. *shrugs*
no subject
Date: 2006-06-15 10:33 pm (UTC)Actually, I believe the boy was asking her name.
Also, wouldn't telling the boy off just give him the impression that "the black girl" is an insult? It doesn't sound as though he meant it as one (although you'd know better, you heard his tone-of-voice).
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:30 am (UTC)I don't think he meant it as an insult (that would be another thing altogether), but using the incredibly unscientific method of looking at his height, he's presumably old enough that if I don't tell him off in my reasonably polite manner ("You know, honey, most people don't like it if you come up to them just to tell them something about themselves. It makes it sound like whatever-it-is is a bad thing"), somebody else is going to do it worse.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:49 am (UTC)It makes it sound like whatever-it-is is a bad thing
Does it really? I would think that depends heavily on tone of voice.
(I hope I don't sound belligerent here; that's not my intension.)
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 02:59 am (UTC)I actually thought, at the time, that he meant more "Gee, you again? Why are you following me?"
no subject
Date: 2006-06-16 03:01 am (UTC)Perhaps. *shrugs*