Alida Hazel Sarina Myers

With little children, it's the little stuff that takes your breath away.  I, Jason, have been given the task of attempting to tell about some such, which comes our way courtesy of Alida.  In doing so, I run the risk of seeming droll, since no one but the doting parents probably experiences quite the level of transcendence when the child in question's particular brand of cuteness works its wiles. The same goes for "amazing" things one's child does.  They usually only amaze those who are totally vulnerable to such amazement due to their infatuation with the tyke.

That having been said, the following is a smattering of cute/amazing stuff Alida has been doing lately, just because we feel like recording it for ourselves (especially Alida), for posterity, and for you, dear reader!

Let's start off with a video of Alida and her version of "I don't know":



A few of Alida's favorite things:

1) Her great-grandmother's apron, worn with or without other clothing.  It is usually a cooking or dance outfit.
2) Wagon rides, powered by Kali.
3) Jumping on the trampoline...she likes to put those thighs to work!
4) Cell phones...or anything resembling them (or not resembling them at all), into which she says, "Yeah, hm.  Hi.  Oh!  Yah."  And more.
5) Doing anything, no matter how dangerous, on her own.  An emphatic "SELF!" is perhaps her most common word, though when she can tell by demeanor that it's a lost cause (as in the case of wanting to add wood to the fire "self"), she'll back down graciously if she's not too tired.
6) The word "safe," which she uses any time she stands up on the bed, climbs a chair, or positions herself precariously.
7) Collecting the eggs.  Now if she gets wind of the fact that I'm going out to collect eggs there is no way to distract her or otherwise satisfy her..."COME!", she says.  Then "Cayoo" ("carry you"; a request to be carried), followed by "bucky", which refers to the egg collecting basket.  If it's dark out, she insists on bringing the "yight" and shining it everywhere but on the path before us. Upon return to the house, she announces "EGG" to Janelle, who asks how many.  She always says, "Five."  There are never five.
8) Teasing.  She'll get a twinkle in her eye when eating, then offer an adult food from her tray, holding it out in a hand usually sticky with food residues and baby saliva.  The adult obliges by leaning out to receive the morsel between the teeth...BUT NO!...the sneaky baby has fooled him or her once again, snatching it back at the last moment and giggling, sometimes gleefully stuffing her own mouth instead.  Blast!  We've been had.  How gullible we all are!
9)  (Jason hasn't read my posting yet. Clearly this story struck both of us so I'll leave in his version!) Target.  The store.  We never shop there, but where else do you buy a watch in Harrisonburg?  We didn't know so we shopped for Kali's watch there last evening.  Alida took one look at the store front and said, "Sookoo" (circle).  Then she noticed, incrementally, the lengthy series of large red balls decorating the sidewalk.  "Bah" (ball).  "Nahyall" (another one).  "OH, MY!...NAHYALL!"  Her astonishment was real.  Sorry, little one...I guess we don't take you out much, do we?

Evidence that this child is growing up:

1)  She likes to take turns.  Really.  O.k., most of the time.
2)  If Mommy hadn't been so distracted trying to iron out our cell phone situation, Alida would probably be now finishing up her fourth day with dry panties.  We honestly never made a decision to potty train her, but she's been steadily working on the basic skills and all of a sudden everything kind of came together when Grandma bought her a collection of Hello Kitty panties.  Is she done?  I don't know.
3)  She translates visual images in terms of her experience.  Like the other day I was reading her "Guess How Much I Love You", and she saw the picture of the big bunny cradling the little bunny and said "Mook." (milk).  She thought it was nursing.  Then on the last page, Little Nutbrown Hare has fallen asleep and is laying on his or her back with limbs stretched out, while Big Nutbrown Hare stands nearby.  Alida said, "Dahpoo" (diaper).  Obviously this was a diaper-changing illustration.
4) She can now say all of her name ("Eeda Hazo Mayos") except the Sarina part.  We can't figure out where she pulled that from...we don't use her full name with her almost ever.

Well, it's time for bed.  If you were here, you might hear Alida shout out to me or Kali from Janelle's lap on the rocking chair in our bedroom.  "Come", she'd say.  Then "Keese."  In we would traipse, whereupon Janelle would ask, "What should they do?"  "Keese" she'd repeat.  I'd give her a kiss.  "Mama", she'd command, and I'd kiss Janelle.  She might, if not too tired, command a repeat performance by grabbing each of our heads in one of her little hands and colliding them not very gently.  We'd oblige.  Awkwardly, given the rough handling.  Then a similar routine with Kali.  Finally satisfied, she'd say "Nighty night", carefully pronouncing the Ts.  Then "Goobye...see ya."