Three things about Humuhumu and one about Keiki

[nanila]

[Humuhumu asleep in the big bed.]

Humuhumu has three modes of expressing when things have happened: "yesterday", "now" and "later". I particularly love that anything that happened in the past that she can remember was "yesterday". If it was three weeks ago that we ate the chocolate ice cream after dinner, or two months ago that we had her friends over for her birthday and they ran around the garden screaming, she refers to that as "yesterday", and seems to take as much pleasure in the reminiscence as if it really had been yesterday.

~*~

She loves being the little spoon when she's going to sleep. She doesn't mind being transferred to her own nest in her room later, but she almost always wants to go to sleep with one of us cuddling her in the big bed. Just before she falls asleep, she flips over, puts her arms around our necks, heaves a deep sigh and lies still for all of four seconds before twisting back into little-spoon position and passing out. It has got to be one of the sweetest things I've ever experienced.

~*~

She carries on being wonderfully perceptive. One morning I apologised for speaking sharply to her for no reason and explained, "Mummy sometimes gets grumpy when she hasn't had anything to eat yet." A few mornings later, she noticed me getting stressed while I was preparing breakfast. She got a dried apricot out of a tupperware container and brought it to me. Holding it up, she said, "Mummy, you need to eat this," in exactly the tone of voice we use with her when we're being no-nonsense.

~*~
Keiki has finally, definitely-without-question-referring-to-the-subject, said his first word.

I don't think anyone will be surprised to hear that it was "cat". Nor that he has now said it about fifty times and with great enthusiasm every time Telstar enters the room. "Cat! Cat! Cat! CAT!" The fervour and the adoration in his voice is, I'm afraid, entirely lost on the object of his affections.

Comments

[recessional]

A few mornings later, she noticed me getting stressed while I was preparing breakfast. She got a dried apricot out of a tupperware container and brought it to me. Holding it up, she said, "Mummy, you need to eat this," in exactly the tone of voice we use with her when we're being no-nonsense.

BWAHAHAHAHA. Awesome.

[nanila]

Yeah. Fortunately I had enough sense left to know I'd been properly told, and ate it!

[ironed_orchid]

I'm not seeing the images here, or on the chainsaw post. Maybe something to do with permissions?

[pbristow]

Same here. [SAD BOY IZ SAD]

[pbristow]

...But loving the text anyway. =:o}

[nanila]

Google Photos is being a PITA. I wish they'd stop messing about with it, especially since I can't tell what's causing the problem. None of the albums these photos are in are public.

[ironed_orchid]

I've had issues with various hosting sites, so i feel your pain.

[weaverbird]

I can't see the pictures, either, but OH how I love these stories!

[nanila]

I'm glad the words were enjoyable, at least!

[silveradept]

A very perceptive Humuhumu, who will hopefully use that power for good. And occasionally getting Dr. Nanila to eat while grumpy.

First word is cat! Hopefully Telstar feels suitably proud to have been the word.

[nanila]

I don't know how I produced Humuhumu. She's very wise for age three.

Telstar is, I think, feeling quite satisfied with his endurance of having "cat" shouted at him by two overexcited children this evening. Because the elder has at last figured out how to open and deliver packets of gooshy food into his bowl!

[silveradept]

Working with young children exposes me to a lot of their wisdom on a regular basis. Which is usually very helpful at the moment of being given.

Telstar must be very happy, then, now that someone else can be bothered to give him the gooshy foods. Perhaps the older small one is more easily persuaded.

[askygoneonfire]

I am always absolutely bowled over by the perceptiveness of small children, like the instance you relate. Sometimes they seem so wrapped up in being small people and dealing with all the things they are discovering about themselves and then suddenly, out of nowhere, come these wonderful moments of insight. Totally brilliant.

The image of her proffering the apricot, along with her stern instruction, has made me do a wheezy giggle.

[nanila]

I wish I'd been in a state to snap a photo of that moment. As it was, all I could do was meekly accept and eat the fruit!

[davidgillon]

The sleep thing is sooo cute! And the apricot story is another delight.

[nanila]

Hee! I'm glad I made time to write them down, or they would've faded from memory, I'm sure.

[lark_ascends]

Absolutely gorgeous. Particularly: "Mummy, you need to eat this," in exactly the tone of voice we use with her when we're being no-nonsense.

[nanila]

She knows how to give orders! :)