kid vignettes

We went to the Museum of Art on Friday, our first visit there since Rooie started walking. Gone are the days when we could buy a drink and listen to the jazz performance from the stairs in the great hall. The best part was when we got to the ramp near the gift shop (which has always been a favorite spot for da Shmoo). Roo started to walk up, then paused and you could just see "mind=blown" in her face. Descending was also very amusing, when fat little legs could no longer keep up with the body's inertia. There was much "uh-oh"-ing and dusting off of the chubby hands.
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This morning.
Shmoo [looking all around]: Where's the trash can in [Roo's] room?
Me [nursing Roo, therefore unable to gesture]: It's between the changing table and the crib.
Shmoo locates it and discards his used wipe.
Me: Shmoo, that was good listening.
Shmoo: Yep, my ears are up.

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Roo has begun using a version of "May I please" when she wants something. It comes out a bit like "bay'p-EEZ" in a whimpering, panicked tone, accompanied by leaning toward the desired object and fingers waving. HPR pointed out that all the work we've done to try to instill manners in da Shmoo are paying back now that the second child is imitating the first. For once, one facet of parenting is easy.

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Shmoo has been pretty exact in language from the start. It seems to be part of his personality. So his flubs are that much more amusing to us. Some recent examples are "I'm be-carefulling" and "I'm make-suring there are no ghostes." He also mixes up "braid" and "shave." Out of the blue yesterday, Shmoo said "[female relative] has whiskers. She has to braid them."