• We’ve been slacking with homeschool…again.  The kidling has began *sort of fits*, now and pregnant mommy is tired and easily frustrated, so we’re just kind of doing whatever will hold her interest these days.  I know she’d do a great job with all of the activities I did have planned, but quite frankly…I have no energy.  So, we’ll fit them in when we can and not worry about it for now.  With both mommy and toddler ready to throw a tantrum, I think we both just need some R&R.
• Sort of Fits.  She hasn’t gone into the total tantrum throwing phase yet like I’ve seen in some kids (but, I do know that I have a good length of time that this could still happen.  Woohoo), but she does get into little bouts where she gets really frustrated and chooses to act that out with whining and some flailing of her head/arms/legs, all the while hanging on to something.  She also usually watches me when she does this, and I choose to ignore her and simply tell her to “Work it out or use your words.”  It might seem mean, but it works.  The words “work it out” alone really seem to help her focus, and I’m not sure she understands the “use your words” part yet.  Either way, fits won’t get you anything in this house except nap-time.
• Two new words:  Hotdog and…well, the next one is the sign (language) for “thank you.”  Oh, and “sock.”  She knows 3 new ones now, I guess.
• Pottytraining…would be so much easier could we find a potty that FIT her.  Lorelei is still very much enamored with her potties.  She will go to them, sit on them - and sometimes she will go to the trouble of taking her pants (and socks ) off and point to her diaper to tell us she wants it off.  If you ask her if she’s “wet,” she will spread her legs a bit and grab the diaper, as if she’s hoping it’ll come right off (she also will say “WET!”).  BUT, the 2 potties that we have don’t fit her.  One is for teeny little guys…like for Elimination Communication, and the other was obviously built for a much taller 19 mo old or for a 2 year old.  So, now we are looking for a potty that doesn’t need a lot of scooting back, and one that doesn’t stick to her butt when she stands up (which could result in a really gross mess).
• On developing relationships.  Lorelei is still doing great with other kids, and is still pretty shy with adults.  She will warm up (somewhat) with adults after 30 min-1 hour, but if she doesn’t really know them, she’s a totally different L.  Her favorite people remain those that she sees really often (every week).  She has different levels of relationships already and has preferences between those relationships she’s already formed - all of which is very obvious when you watch her interact with each of them.  Some people, she will call by name and ask for them, and when she sees them, she gets super excited and shouts their name.  With those people, she thoroughly enjoys her time with them and doesn’t mind if she stays overnight.  Then, in some of her other relationships, she KNOWS who they are but hasn’t given them nicknames or won’t use their name and doesn’t always want to go to them.  While she will mostly warm up to those individuals after a bit, you can still tell that she’s not quite comfortable because she talks less and seems to backtrack a little in regards to her abilities.
• Thumb-sucking.  Lorelei was never much of a thumb sucker as she got older and could walk, but when I got sick she used that and her blanki as sources of comfort.  So, she went from only thumb-sucking at night and naps to WHENEVER.  Now, the blanki has been taken away except for sleeping, and the thumb seems to have mostly followed it.  Occasionally, she’ll still use her thumb (especially when we are out and shes tired…or sick…or upset…or bored), but for the most part when can ask her why she has her thumb in her mouth and she’ll giggle and take it back out.  Other times, we joke with her and pull her thumb out and offer her ours and ask to use hers…which she thinks is both hilarious and absurd - so, she GETS IT that big people don’t suck thumbs.  Also, when she’s bored, simply pulling her thumb from her mouth and giving her something to do with her hands works extremely well.  Then, when she’s sick or really upset, we just let it go…but that’s not often.
• We’re slowly progressing from sippy cup to a specially made toddler cup that is basically a cup with a snap on lid and straw.  It’s really well made, though so it takes a bit of rough-housing to make it leak.  Which is good - because, she still tries to “shake” the cup.
• Lorelei has gone from being able to help clean herself in the shower to talking one totally solo (with supervision, of course).  She knows where the soap is and how to use it, lathering it between her hands and then washing her belly, face, legs, feet, arms, etc.  Unfortunately all of our most gentle products (that won’t burn eyes) are all in liquid/gel form…which she wastes, so we’re not on the lookout for a barsoap for babies…she is a bit obsessed with bar soap right now.  Anyhow, she can rinse herself and will also let us know when she’s had enough and would like to get out.  She’d get out on her own if the tub/shower’s walls were just a tiny bit shorter…and, I’m sure if given enough time alone in there, she could probably even figure that out (like she figured out how to get on top of the coffee table…).
• Discipline has been interesting…  For the most part, she’s sensitive and aims to please (while still being VERY independent and easy-going), but occasionally she gets a little cocky and tests boundaries.  And, mostly she will respond really well to us simply asking or telling her to stop and giving her something else to do.  Timeouts are a joke (for us) at this age and she only understands limited amounts of OUR reasoning and words, so negotiating and explanations would fall on deaf ears.  We don’t really “spank,” but we’ve had to give an occasional “pop” to the bottom or thigh and she seems to understand that.  I’m really looking forward to the development of more comprehension and language in this kid, so I feel like I have more choices in disciplining when she decides to totally disregard anything that even looks like rules (which isn’t often, but is still annoying).
• She’s still napping for several hours straight during the day.  HER preference and I’m definitely not complaining.  She will ask for “bed” or “night night” when she’s ready for bed (and “eat” when she wants to eat, or “juice” when she wants anything to drink).  She goes to bed by 9pm mostly, although there is nothing strict set down - and, we generally like that she can roll really well with whatever our schedules produce.  Most days, if she wakes up before us, she will talk to herself for a bit quietly and then play for a bit before she demands to actually get out.  I love this kid.
• Foods.  She’s back to eating really well.  She demands “apple” a lot, but it seems like she likes the word much more than she likes the fruit, which she’ll only eat a few slices of.  The kid rarely requests “nana” (bananas) anymore, but will eat them (or most of them) for breakfast.  She also is really into grapes, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  She can eat an entire soft shelled taco or a double cheeseburger from McD’s (chill, she ate it once.  It was a giftcard and we were all starving).  The kid can eat 10 pizza rolls in one sitting and still want a snack a little later.  If she likes what she’s eating, she’ll eat a lot of it.  Otherwise, she picks.  Right now, her favorite snack foods are toast, craisins, raisins, fruits, cheese, crackers, Kashi fruit bars, Kashi puffed cereal, and noodles with sauces.  Oh, and tomatoes.  She’ll still eat them like some of you eat apples.

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