You may have notice that I have been going for quality, rather then quantity, with my posts lately. Well, at least, that is my excuse for posting less frequently. When the muse strikes, and I have time to heed her calling, I post. Looking back I realize it has been a while since I've written about Cosette, so I thought I'd give a little update in the form of some random observations.
Cosette likes reading books; last night she grabbed an old Tom Clancy paperback off my nightstand and, opening the pages while holding the book upside down, started chattering away as if she was reading out loud. I took it away though, because I don't think it was appropriate for a 21 month old. Also, she was ripping the pages. The first time she ripped a page it was an accident, probably because most of her books are of a heavier board composition; but then she thought it was neat and did it a few times on purpose.
Cosette is very particular about which book we read at night. We read the same 4 or 5 every night for a few days, then she varies it up. Right now she likes Hokey Pokey Elmo, Dear Zoo, Where is baby's Daddy? and Good Night Moon. When we read Good Night Moon, Cosette's favorite part is "Goodnight nobody." That blank page fascinates her. Juliette used to like the "goodnight, air" page; and at least that page had some stars on it that we could count. Staring at "nobody" gets tedious.
Recently Cosette decided that she, like her sister, needed a blankie. So, ready to oblige, I told her to pick one out of the drawer full of options she had to choose from. One by one she pulled them out, and with barely a second glance announced "No." before she tossed it over her shoulder onto the floor. Until the drawer was empty. I tried to sell her on several of her choices, but she would have none of it... until I found the red fleece printed with cows and moons. "Look! The Cow is jumping over the moon! Just like in Good Night Moon!" Sold. Now Cosette has her own blankie, too. I told you Good Night Moon was a favorite. Now when we read the "Cow Jumping over the moon page, we have to look at the cows and moons on her blankie.
Another current favorite book is a giant lift the flap book about colors and patterns. On one page it asks "What is red and juicy and is used to make ketchup?" and under the flap is a tomato. But Cosette insists that it is an apple. "No, Cosette, that is a tomato." "No, Mommy, apple." "Tomato." "Apple." "Tomato." "Apple." "Tomato." The argument ends when she declares: "Yucky."
Despite her obsession with the Lift the Flap Colors book, I am beginning to grow concerned that Cosette is color blind. It seems that the only color she sees is blue. What color is the moon? Blue. What color is the flower? Blue. She has a chunky board book, Purple. As you might imagine from the title, the entire book is purple. She hands it to me to read her and I say "It's the purple book! OK, what color is the crayon?" Blue. "What color is the kite?" Blue. "What color are the grapes?" Blue. If I correct her, she argues with me. "No Cosette, that's purple." "No, blue." "No, purple." "Blue." "Purple." "Blue." "No, Cosette, the grapes are purple." This will go on for a few minutes, until she gives in. "Gapes," she points to the grapes, "red."
Is it obvious to you that she will be two pretty soon? I have decided that right around her second birthday we will start potty training. She already loves to sit on the potty; every time I change her diaper she insists on running to the potty. The problem is, of course, that I am changing her diaper because she has already gone to the bathroom. But she runs to the potty, sits on it for a split second, then jumps up, throws her arms above her head, and exclaims "I did it!" I don't want to burst her bubble; that optimisim will help when it is really time for her to learn to use the potty, so I give her some toilet paper to wipe, flush, wash her hands, and then chase her around until I can catch her to finish diapering and dressing her. She likes to make me chase after her.
Her vocabulary is really expanding, but she doen't always enunciate very clearly, and she often leaves out some of her consonants. uh-uh for example, is yogurt. bavy- this one took me a while to figure out- is gravy. Teat is treat. Ekfast is breakfast. She likes to sing, but she can't keep up with the music a lot of the time, but when she can get a word out in sync with the CD, she shouts it as loud as she can. Right now she is obsessed with the Wiggles (again); her favorite songs are the Wags the Dog song because she loves the "arf arf" parts; the monkey song because she loves to Roar like a lion and ooh-ooh ah ah like a monkey, and "Toot Toot the big red car" because she loves the "toot toot" part. Although, if you asked her, she'd insist the car was blue.
