A Star Is Born/ Shake Your Buddha

Mariella loves to sing.  She sings in the car, in the house, and pretty much anywhere in public.  Lately she has really been picking up the lyrics on her songs.  We play CD's in the car and in her playroom which have tons of great kids songs.  She calls them "my music" and any other sound that has the audacity to leak from the car speakers is adamantly struck down and declared "not music."

One day, we were strolling around the grocery store, one of her most favorite concert venues.  She was singing "Shake Your Booty" by KC and the Sunshine Band.  Now, to be clear this is not a song from her kiddie CD's.  This song she picked up during the era of "Dance Swords."  What is Dance Swords you ask?  Ok, we'll back up a little bit.

About a year ago, we took Mariella to the Halloween store, just for fun.  They had a decent kids section so we had a look at some costume options.  We found foam swords in a bin, right next to a speaker that was playing some dance music.  Daddy picked up a sword and started dancing around and jabbing us with the sword.  Mariella thought this was just the greatest thing and "Dance Swords" was born.  We bought three swords, skipped the costume, and went right home.  Chris put an LED light bulb in the light fixture in the living room that blinked in 20 different colors and even came with a remote control.  He had gotten it for her for Christmas the year before just to stimulate and interest her.  With that, our living room disco was created and Dance Swords commenced.  We put on KC & the Sunshine Band and danced around with our swords.  Best time of our lives.

Months later, we're in the grocery store and Mariella is loudly singing "Shake Your Booty"  only she is pronouncing it "Shake your Buddha!"  I kept requesting that she sing it quietly but she didn't feel the need.  Just then, a fat old lady in a motorized cart came by and stopped near our cart.  Mariella leaned over in the basket, nodded at the woman and said "Hey, hey.  Shake your Buddha."  The woman just looked at us like our heads fell off.  "I leaned toward Mariella and whispered, "Mariella, not everyone likes to shake their Buddha."

The other day, we were walking in the park and Mariella was yell-singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" but only the Weee Ummum Oway part.  Over and over.  Again, I asked her to sing quietly to which she replied, "No I not.  I sing loud.  People wanna hear me."

The Mariella Lexicon Continued

"A Full Load"----- a dirty diaper
Opatus---- octupus
Hongry--- hungry
"You be me happy?"------ what she says when she knows mommy is not happy
"You wanna love me?"----- what she says when she knows mommy is really not happy
"Rerry not rerr come!" ----- Ready or not, here I come!
Babin' suit---- bathing suit
Heepo---- hippo
Blinket---- blanket (revised from "glee glit")
Itty Bitty Mouse----- Stuart Little
Bay Naid----- Band Aid

Dicken Around

Awhile back Mariella and I were looking for something fun to do, just to get out of the house.  It was early spring but the weather was great and we wanted to play.  So, we went to Fulton Farms in Troy.  I thought they might have some small farm animals we could feed or pet.  When we got there, they were still setting up the store for the season.  They weren't officially open yet but the girl there said there were animals out back that we could visit.  They had a very large, very disinterested pig, a pen full of goats that clamored at us like hungry zombies, and some pretty cool chickens and ducks.

Now at the time, Mariella was still struggling with some sounds and she pronounced her "ch" sound like a "d" sound.  But she was pretty excited to see the birds and went about talking to them like they were her friends.  We approached the fence and she knelt down and said, "Hey dickens, how ya doin?"  I tried hard not to laugh out loud but she just kept saying it over and over.  "Hey, dickens, how ya doin?  How you doin', dickens?  Look mommy, dickens!"

There were a lot of dickens.  They were very perky, strutting dickens.  Some were bald dickens, some not so bald.  But when the dickens started to peck at Mariella, I decided it was time to go.  We have a lot of time to deal with exposure to dickens.

Two Minutes

Lately, we have had to institute the Time Out for Mariella.  For awhile, we experimented with it, trying new spots to call the "Time Out" but each time, she managed to find a way to enjoy it.  Finally, we settled on the chair in my office.  It is just off the living room so it works well to separate her from the activity but not isolate her too much.  She has not yet found a way to enjoy it, so it has become our regular go-to spot.

When we sit her in the chair, we tell her what she did wrong and then we say "Two minutes," so she knows how long she has to sit there, not that she can tell time, but it has become part of the routine.  So, for instance, when she throws her toys, we take her in there, sit her down and say, "Mariella, do not throw your toys. Now sit in here for two minutes." Then I usually show her two fingers and I say again, "Two minutes."

The other day, Maggie was the one to get in trouble.  She has developed a stealth lurk and will strike for your food the minute you blink.  She likes to steal Mariella's food for all the obvious reasons.  When she scores, I usually hear Mariella cry and yell, "Mommy, Maggie eatin' my cookie!"  This is what happened the other day.  Well it happens almost every day.  Anyway, when I got to the scene of the crime, Maggie was slinking around the table.  I yelled at her and chased her into the den and told her to "get in her bed!"

Mariella came running behind me and stopped in the doorway to the den.  She threw her arm forward and pointed into the den and yelled, "Two minutes!"

Mommy Fahted

The other day, Mariella and I were sitting at the kitchen table.  She was making her usual attempt at a Guinness world record for the slowest eater and I was not so patiently sitting there staring at her.  Anxious, I folded my arms on the table and sank into them with a big sigh.  When I did this, my bare arm rubbed against the table and made an unflattering noise.  Mariella said to me with a mouthful, "You fahted?"
No, I did not fart, Mariella.  It was my arm on the table."
You fahted?" she asked again, interrupting my explanation.
"No, honey, I did not fart."
"You fahted?" she asked again, this time her mouth clear of food and her spoon pointing at my face.
"No,"  I said getting annoyed.  "I did not fart."
"Mommy, you fahted?"
"No."
"You fahted?"
"Nope."
"You fahted?"
"Mariella.  I did not fart.  When I do, I will let you know.  Okay?"
She sat quiet for a minute, looking down at her bowl.  She moved some food around with her spoon as if she was contemplating.  Then she spoke very decisively.
"You fahted."

The Mariella Lexicon

Here is a growing list of Mariella's words and their meanings:

Meno--- tomato
Mena--- banana
Memo--- Nemo
Memaw--- grandma
Monga Fan---- Grandma Fran
Glint Glint--- yogurt
Glee Glit--- blanket
Peda Bahter--- peanut butter
Cutie--- Clementine (tangerine)
Chickmunks--- Chipmunks
No!  My do it!--- I want to do it myself!
Itty Pahder--- spider
Beza--- zebra
Cawee--- crayons/color
B--- bottle
Babbit--- rabbit

more to come.......

Itty Pahder

Recently, Mariella has learned some new songs and like most two-year olds, she has her own interpretations of these songs. The following are Mariella's lyrics:

Itsy Bitsy Spider, aka "Itty Pahder"

Itty Pahder inna water
down keam nawain an wassa uh
owkee sun ana wanna wain
itty pahder inna water.

Ring Around the Rosey, aka "Wing Awound a Wodey" version 1

Wing awound a wodey
asses, asses, asses, asses
We down!

Ring Around the Rosey, aka "Wing Awound a Wodey" version 2

Wing awound a wodey
pokka posey
asses, asses,
all fall down!

Here's the Church

Na church
ana teeple
open na door
anna people!
Yay!