Saturday, September 13, 2008

The Importance of Being Ari

Just another random string of Ari stories...


Ari woke up easily for me one morning last week, and was chatty and happy as I got her dressed. I decided to carry her out to the car, since I was in a hurry, and as I scooped her up, she laid her head down on my shoulder, sighed a little, and said, "Nigh-night time." She remained that way all the way out to the car.

Then, at the babysitter's house, when I picked her up to say good-bye, she did the same thing--laid her head on my shoulder (this time, with an "awww") and stayed like that for a while. I love it when she's in a cuddly mood like that.


She's starting to get so silly. I was putting on her pajamas the other night, and as I pulled her shirt down over her belly, she looked down and said "Bye-bye, belly button." The next morning, as I put her shoes on, it was "Bye-bye, toes."


She's adopted a new phrase into her vocabulary: "back there." I'm not sure where she picked it up from, but she understands that it has something to do with location. The only problem is, she doesn't quite understand the meaning. If I tell her we're going, say, to Target, she'll pipe up, "Back there?" And then I'll end up saying something like, "Well, no, it's not 'back there.' It's up there, ahead of us." But every so often, she gets it right, too.


She's also learned other phrases like, "Where'd Daddy go?" and "Do it again" (mostly when she wants me to replay a video we just watched online). And, just recently, "way up high" which refers to anything higher than her head.


Discipline has been an interesting adventure with her. We've adopted some new methods with dealing with her. For example, when we specifically tell her to do (or not do) something, we'll follow our request with a "Do you understand?" and wait for her to say "Yes." I tried this with her the other day--we were in the hospital, and I told her she needed to sit in the chair next to me and stay there. "Do you understand?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered.

I decided to push it a step further with another question, to see if she truly understood. "OK, so what are you going to do?"

"Be quiet," she said, echoing Tony's latest directive to her (after she kept yelling and talking very loudly).

I suppressed a smile and asked, "Right... and what else?"

"Sit, chair," she replied.

"Good job."


The other night, Ari belched in the middle of talking, and immediately interrupted herself to say, "Ari bless you." Tony has taught her to say "Bless you" when someone sneezes, but apparently she applies it to burping too. And also doesn't understand that someone else is supposed to say it to her.


She was eating her last chicken nugget from dinner one night, wandering around and playing with the dogs. I told her not to give it to the dogs, and when I noticed it was gone just moments later, I suspiciously asked her, "What happened to your chicken?"

"I lost it," she replied.


She also says "Oooooh!", "Whoaaaa!" or "Wow!" (or sometimes a combination, like "Oooh, wow!") when she's excited about something. I need to get it on video, because the way she says it is so excited and exagerrated that it almost sounds like she's being
facetious. Wait. Maybe she is.

She also says "Woo hoo," which she totally got from me.


Tony and I have both noticed that when he's on the phone with me, as soon as he says the words "I love you," Ari will yelp, "Mommy!" Because she knows that's who Daddy says "I love you" to.


And last, but not least, a video. My favorite parts of this one are when she says, "Hi, camera" and "I love you."


Untitled from Sariana on Vimeo.



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5 comments:

Mary said...

I like it when Matthew's cuddly. I'm trying to treasure them now, since I'm sure they will get fewer and far between-er (hee hee) as he grows up.

I love the silly stories! It's so cute that she said bye bye to her belly button and toes. What a goofball :)

That's good that she understands when you guys give her commands. I'll have to remember to do that. I mean with the whole "do you understand" thing. It's a really good idea.

And the bless you with the burping--very adorable :) She is doing so many cute things! Thanks for telling us about them. It's so fun to read about my little niece.

Ooh, the video is great too. I love how she goes right up to the camera, and I love that you both are on it. I thought it was so funny that she went running up to Ivan and stopped short right when you said "gentle." It was perfect timing.

Moz + Pam said...

I chuckled @ the Ari's stories! What a goofball! She gets cuter every day! It was fun having you 2 girls over for dinner tonight! It was good you got to see Dave & Jess, too!

Steve and Eden said...

Love the Ari stories! She's growing up so fast!

Dave + Jess said...

I think "back there" makes total sense. She means, "we're going back to Target? Awesome!"

Thanks for sharing all the cute stories.

Dave

Fizzrate said...

LOL! "Pincess Shoes". haha she is so cute. hello sara and tony.

ps im justin just in case you dont recognize the fizzrate name :)