Hey, this entry is about Ari

It's probably about time I did another Ari entry, huh? I've been holding off because I wanted to get some pictures to accompany the entry, but that doesn't seem like it will happen anytime soon. I do want to get some videos soon, too, but those will also have to wait.

Like a lot of toddlers, Ari has learned that trick of grabbing a hold of someone's finger to get them to come somewhere with her. When she does this, though, she says the word "pull." So instead of "Mommy, come," it's "Mommy, pull." Even though she's the one doing the pulling.

I said the phrase "holy cow" the other day, and Ari instantly repeated it, and something about her tone of voice just cracked us both up. We had her repeat her performance for several other people throughout the day, but I haven't really heard her do it since. But more and more lately, she's starting to repeat what we say--she'll often latch on to the last 2 or 3 words one of us says. Which means we need to start being more careful what we say in front of her.

She's also started saying "woo hoo" which is just the cutest thing, because I know she got it straight from me. I often say that to her when she does something, because saying "Good job" gets old after a while. To hear her little voice say "woo hoo!" in the same high-pitched tone I use just cracks me up. It's so fun when you know that they learned something specific directly from you (as long as it's something good, not bad).

She's starting to talk in complete sentences much more now. Sure, she'll still communicate just by stringing a few words together, but more often, she's putting together really decent sentences. Yesterday, I was getting ready and was only half-dressed, and she kept saying, "Where'd Mommy's shirt go?"

She still loves to watch "movies" (i.e. YouTube videos) online with us, and she has a new favorite: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," featuring a singing hippo and a dancing dog. She even sings along with the "ah wee mo way" part.

Speaking of singing, she is definitely learning the concept. Tony sings this one song to her at bedtime that has a line that goes "La dee do la dee do dah day" and she loves to sing that part right along with him. I even caught her singing quietly to her baby doll in the car the other day.

She owns several baby dolls, and they are her latest obsession. She loves to bring them everywhere we go, and likes to make them do the same things she does. When we get in the car at night, she'll tell me the baby is sleeping. When she's hungry, she'll tell me the baby wants to eat (and will even try to feed it, if you let her). Last night, she put her baby on the potty, and kept telling me the baby was crying (since it's one of those dolls that cries when you tip it a certain way). When she told me the baby was hungry, she put it in her highchair. And if she takes a baby doll to bed, she insists that you cover the baby with the blanket, too.

She's still working on her ABCs and her numbers. Tony wrote the numbers 1-10 on our back porch a few days ago (in chalk) and when Ari was out there with me yesterday, she was walking along the line of numbers, murmuring, "7... 8... 9... 10." I don't think she knows which number is which yet, but at least she's starting to get the order right. Last night in the bathtub, she was playing with her foam numbers and letters, and holding them up and declaring what they were. Of course, she was completely wrong every time, but very cutely so. She'd hold up a letter, and proudly shout, "E!" And I'd smile and say, "No, baby, that's an L." Then... "S!"... "No, sweetie, that's the number 8."

She's known our "real" names for a while now, but lately, she's actually started to call Tony "Tony" on her own. It used to be that she would only do that right after hearing me say it, but now she does it unprompted. I have to admit, it's pretty cute to hear her little voice calling, "Tooooooonyyyy" when she's looking for him. But, never fear--I always make sure to correct her, and she happily complies and changes her song to "Daaaaaaddyyyyy."

I have a small pillow that my grandmother made for me. It's made out of Strawberry Shortcake fabric, and has a small pocket sewn into one side (it was my tooth fairy pillow when I was young). That pillow has been in Ari's crib since before she was born. She's mostly ignored it, though she often likes to sleep with her head up against it, at the head of the crib. But in the past couple weeks, she's taken to laying her head on it, and it makes me smile.

I saved the best story for last. Tonight, I was changing her diaper before bed, and Ari was reading one of her books--it's a book my mom got her that tells the Christmas story. As she turned to one page, she set the book down on her belly and started trying to fold her hands together. I was confused until I glanced at the book and saw that the illustration was a little boy praying beside his bed. "Ari, are you praying?" I asked. She just smiled at me. "Do you want to pray before you go to sleep tonight?" I continued. She gave me a small "Yes."

I sat her up, and asked her to fold her hands. She tried to lace her fingers together, concentrating carefully but still having trouble. "Here, do it this way," I suggested, placing my hands palm-to-palm. She did that with no problem. "Now, close your eyes," I instructed, and I watched her squeeze her eyes shut. Then I tried to get her to repeat after me, but she got distracted by something.

I called Tony upstairs, and started telling him what had just happened, but he just nodded and simply said, "Yeah, I taught her to pray last night. Here." He kneeled down beside her bed, got her to put her hands together and close her eyes, and repeat after him. "God..." he started.

"Goh," Ari repeated.

"I love Mommy."

"Luh Mommy."

"I love Daddy."

"Luh Daddy."

"And pray for Lorraine."

"Pay Low-ain."

"Amen."

"Men."

Amen.

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