Nicole is full of imagination. She likes to 'invent' things. She invents songs, dances, sentences, phrases, etc.
Now the routine is mummy reads her a new story at bedtime and the next night, she will be the one reading it back to mummy (obviously by looking at the pictures). So the story one night was 'Good Knight, Sleep Tight'. On one page, the king was desperate as the baby princess did not stop crying, so he said, "Give that pillow to the child or I'll go BANANAS!!..." Nicole seemed to be so amused by the expression of 'go bananas'. She knew now that it meant to go crazy.
Come the next night, she read the story back to mummy. She was very good and spot on with the story. On that particular page, she said, "Give that pillow to the child or I'll go CARROTS!!.. (??!!@@??)"
Obviously she remembered it had something to do with a fruit, so smilingly I said, "No baby, it's not carrots, it is bananas.." We both had a good laugh..
Her latest song now always starts with, 'If you want to sing like me.....' of course with body swaying left and right, hand gestures and expressions like a pop star.
So the song goes..'If you want to sing like me...you have to practice a lot... (she noticed a glass of water on the table)... you have to drink a lot .... (remembering what mummy asked her to do after a bath) you must wipe yourself dry after taking a bath...(remembering mummy said try to think of nice things before going to bed to get nice dreams).... you mustn't get bad dreams... if you want to sing with me.....'
'If you want to sing like me... you must practice with your heart... (eyes closed and face tilted upwards expressively and hand on heart)... you must sing nicely.... or people will say Boo....Boo...Boo... (this obviously remembering a disappointed audience on a TV programme)..'
and the song goes on and on and on.... mentioning whatever is in her sight and whatever she remembers at that time.
After cooking pasta, cauliflower and cheese for her dinner, I put her plate on the table for it to cool down. She gingerly stuck her finger and tasted it, "Mmm, yummy, mummy. You made it yesterday and again and again..." (??) "I haven't made this for ages, babe.."
"I love it mummy."
"Thank you, Nicole," I said graciously.
"I love you too..." awww, isn't she sweet?
"I love you more, Nicole.."
"I know.." by this time her attention was already grasped by Scooby Doo.
Oh, okay then.
"Mummy, you forgot to bring my milk!"
"Oh yes," I reached for the glass of milk on the kitchen counter.
"Err.. what about my orange?" she pointed to the bowl of fruit that was to be her snack with the milk.
"Oh, dearie me..., mummy is so forgetful, Nicole," I said.
"Yes..." she gave a chuckle.
"That's what happens when you get old, Nicole, you become forgetful."
"Well, I am not old," she said. "I am new." (???)
"No, baby, you are young," I corrected.
"I am young AND new," she insisted.
"Okay," by this time I was wise enough not to argue.
She will pretend painting faces by scrutinizing mummy's face and making strokes on the wall - like an artist making a real life painting. When asked, 'Who showed you how to do that, Nicole?' She will give an 'exasperated' sigh (oh mummy, must you ask?? kind of sigh) 'It is from my imagination, mummy...'
Now the routine is mummy reads her a new story at bedtime and the next night, she will be the one reading it back to mummy (obviously by looking at the pictures). So the story one night was 'Good Knight, Sleep Tight'. On one page, the king was desperate as the baby princess did not stop crying, so he said, "Give that pillow to the child or I'll go BANANAS!!..." Nicole seemed to be so amused by the expression of 'go bananas'. She knew now that it meant to go crazy.
Come the next night, she read the story back to mummy. She was very good and spot on with the story. On that particular page, she said, "Give that pillow to the child or I'll go CARROTS!!.. (??!!@@??)"
Obviously she remembered it had something to do with a fruit, so smilingly I said, "No baby, it's not carrots, it is bananas.." We both had a good laugh..
Her latest song now always starts with, 'If you want to sing like me.....' of course with body swaying left and right, hand gestures and expressions like a pop star.
So the song goes..'If you want to sing like me...you have to practice a lot... (she noticed a glass of water on the table)... you have to drink a lot .... (remembering what mummy asked her to do after a bath) you must wipe yourself dry after taking a bath...(remembering mummy said try to think of nice things before going to bed to get nice dreams).... you mustn't get bad dreams... if you want to sing with me.....'
'If you want to sing like me... you must practice with your heart... (eyes closed and face tilted upwards expressively and hand on heart)... you must sing nicely.... or people will say Boo....Boo...Boo... (this obviously remembering a disappointed audience on a TV programme)..'
and the song goes on and on and on.... mentioning whatever is in her sight and whatever she remembers at that time.
After cooking pasta, cauliflower and cheese for her dinner, I put her plate on the table for it to cool down. She gingerly stuck her finger and tasted it, "Mmm, yummy, mummy. You made it yesterday and again and again..." (??) "I haven't made this for ages, babe.."
"I love it mummy."
"Thank you, Nicole," I said graciously.
"I love you too..." awww, isn't she sweet?
"I love you more, Nicole.."
"I know.." by this time her attention was already grasped by Scooby Doo.
Oh, okay then.
"Mummy, you forgot to bring my milk!"
"Oh yes," I reached for the glass of milk on the kitchen counter.
"Err.. what about my orange?" she pointed to the bowl of fruit that was to be her snack with the milk.
"Oh, dearie me..., mummy is so forgetful, Nicole," I said.
"Yes..." she gave a chuckle.
"That's what happens when you get old, Nicole, you become forgetful."
"Well, I am not old," she said. "I am new." (???)
"No, baby, you are young," I corrected.
"I am young AND new," she insisted.
"Okay," by this time I was wise enough not to argue.
She will pretend painting faces by scrutinizing mummy's face and making strokes on the wall - like an artist making a real life painting. When asked, 'Who showed you how to do that, Nicole?' She will give an 'exasperated' sigh (oh mummy, must you ask?? kind of sigh) 'It is from my imagination, mummy...'
