Robot Parade

Petra has been riding the bus with Mama to day care in the mornings (day care is at another location this week, not around the corner, sigh.). She loves it, and told me all about how she "sat in my seat" and "looked out the windows." Today was standing room only. She announced to the bus that she was "holding onto the bar," which prompted someone to say that she was a good little girl. Being in her Plex persona though, she responded "I'm not a little girl, I'm a robot!" Absolutely adorable!

Catching up

So much going on! Sorry there haven't been any postings. Petra has been busy!

Spent a couple of days at a beach condo in Carlsbad. "Our teeny tiny house" she called it. Lots of playing. Visited the San Diego zoo again. I think she had more fun riding the bucket in the sky, and playing in the amphitheater than she did seeing the animals, but as long as he is having fun, I'm happy!

Petra's imagination is working overtime! For a week or so, she decided we were a family of seals, and everyone was "dada seal" "mama seal" and "baby seal." She would keep this up even when waking in the middle of the night. Then we were bears, then "baby super bear." Most recently, we've all been the Yo Gabba Gabba! characters. Petra is "Plex" the robot (or, naked robot at bath time), Dada has been "Muno" and Mama has been "Foofa." We played Curious George and I became "Dada Yellow Man the Hat" for the day. She's also been "superman" with a cape, and a mermaid with a crown and headband around her chest (no seashells). I'm amazed that she will stay "in character" for days or a week at a time, morning, noon, or (middle of the) night. Such an active imagination!!

I said catching up, and I mean that literally as well as figuratively. Petra has become quite a runner (I've told about her running around the block saying "better hurry!" before). Last week we went from the park to the fish taco shop for dinner, and she ran 3 long blocks saying "I'm running for fish tacos!" After dinner, she ran all the way home- OVER A MILE!! Non-stop (except when scooped up to carry her across busy streets), with us trotting along after her trying to keep up. The whole way she was talking about being "super baby bear," and she certainly is!

Remember how Petra bathed in the kitchen sink, once a week whether she needed it or not? We finally tried her out in the "big huge bathtub" in the "beautiful bathroom," and she loves it! Suddenly she is taking a bath every night! It's completely changed our evening routine. We used to have book then boob then bed in the living room, and I'd carry her to bed and tuck her in. Now, after her bath she is dried and put into her jammies, and she climbs into her crib, mama tells her a story, and we turn of the lights. After a week or so, she's started crying a bit for another story, or for "Muno" to come be with her, but for the most part, a whole new routine just appeared out of nowhere.

Petra came to work with me on a Saturday morning (I was interviewing prospective students). She was very well behaved, with Desiree taking good care of her. But then she spent all week saying that she was "crying for Dada," and that she "rescued Dada from Desiree's house." My hero!

Meeting the Mouse

We took Petra to Disneyland for the first time Sunday. She was excited about going (with no clue what she was excited about), but most excited about seeing Katie. We took the train from the main entrance to Toontown (Petra didn't like it at all- go figure! Too many tunnels I guess). The girls just ran around and played there for quite a while. Minnie made an appearance, and Petra jumped the line to go give her a hug. She then took Minnie by the hand and lead her away, up the walk to "Minnie's" house. Minnie seemed thrilled (as far as someone in a big fuzzy suit can 'seem' to be anything), and Petra loved her!

We rode "Small World," which Petra found mildly interested in, but mainly she was hungry by this point, and was snarfing all the Pirate's Booty that Katie would hand her. So after the ride we went and got pizza for lunch. The girls were having a great time together, walking hand in hand, sitting together to take a juice break, or trying on hats together (Petra ended up with Minnie ears).

After lunch, we took the girls to Autopia, so Petra could drive. She found that fun for about 30 seconds, then it was "here Dada, you drive." She was clearly getting tired and squirmy, and ended up bonking her head on the seatback and bawling for Mama the last few minutes. As soon as we popped her in the stroller after the ride she was out cold until we arrived home. Luckily, we didn't feel we had to do a death march, because Tim works for the Mouse, and we could get into the park for free. Thanks Tim!

Pesky Time Change

5 am footsteps in the hallway. "Eat breakfast now" she says. Managed to get her back to bed though. Then at 10 to 6 we hear her singing "Mary had a little lamb" to her friends. Super cute! That we can handle.

In the News:

Petra walks into the living room looks at me and says "Hello Richard" then turns to Mama and says "Hello Alison." Uhoh, is she going to be those "modern" kids that address her parents by their first names? I was still waiting for "I love you Daddy," but instead got an "I love you Richard" on my way to work in the morning.

How did she suddenly develop a fear of "scratchy monsters?" We certainly never brought up monsters at home. She also did a little freakout when the pop-up dinosaur book had a T-Rex head come out at her (I warned people the pop-up book might be a little too much for her right now). So much for dinosaurs! Everything is a phase!

Her "Ow, kiss it!" has now turned into "I have a scratch. Kiss it!"

We noticed that Petra's other 2-year old friends don't talk nearly as much as she does. At first, we were saying, "isn't it weird that they don't talk?" But now we have realized the truth- PETRA is the weird one! She talks up a storm, has a vocabulary that is frighteningly large, and remembers EVERYTHING that she ever hears, and can recall it when needed weeks or months later. Yikes! We have a prodigy!