Hide (over there) and Seek

Anna has started wanting to play hide and seek from time to time. It came out of the blue (for me, at least), so I'm not sure if Beth started playing it with her, or if she learned it in preschool. Her version of the game is pretty easy.  Last night, she asked to play and wanted me to count first.  So I closed my eyes, counted to ten, and said, "Ready or not, here I come!"  When I opened my eyes, I turned my head and saw her laying on the couch with her eyes closed.

I took a turn hiding, and on her next turn hiding, she "hid" on the couch again, only this time mommy sat in front of her to at least partially hide her.  When I came in the room and said, "Hmm, where is Anna," Anna yelled out, "I'm right here behind mommy!"  Then she said it was my turn to hide, and she also told me to hide on the blue couch. I guess not knowing where I'm hiding made the game too hard for her.

You make a good argument

Anna has been in her "no" phase for awhile now (sometimes the 3's seem harder than the 2's), but has also started explaining why she's doing something that we tell her to stop ("but I'm just…"). She's also started trying to make her case when she really wants something.

For example, Anna recently received one of those plastic candy canes that are filled with candy.  After preschool and before dinner, she wanted some, then made a very convincing argument after being denied:

Anna: "But mommy, i'm really hungry for these!"

Mommy: "Maybe after dinner."

Anna: "But mommy, they're for my mouth!"

Firetruck Santa

In our neighborhood, Santa doesn't travel on a sleigh.  He rides on top of a firetruck decked out with Christmas lights, escorted by an ambulance and two other fire trucks, all with lights flashing and sirens blaring when they're on the move. He drives through our neighborhood waving, and when they stop, elves emerge from all the vehicles bearing candy canes for all the waiting kids. For a nominal fee, Santa will even make a special visit into your house.

Last year when Santa drove through, mommy was gone, and daddy took the girls out to see the trucks and wave to Santa. They both liked the lights, the candy canes, and Santa.  This year, mommy took Cara outside by herself to see Firetruck Santa, because for some reason, Anna was terrified of the sirens, especially when they got closer. She would cover her ears and start screaming and crying if the door was open and the sirens were on, and she wanted no part of going outside.  So while mommy and Cara were outside, I went to our upstairs bedroom so we could look at the firetrucks and Santa from our big window.

Fattening waterway

Me: Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…

Anna: Marely, marely, marely, marely, like a butter dream!

Also, Cara has picked up on Anna's love for "Ring Around the Rosie," only when she's walking in circles, she falls down whenever she pleases, making Anna remind her that she is not supposed to fall until we sing "ashes, ashes." Sometimes Cara will then skip right to the "aaaatches, aaaatches" part when the song starts, just so she can fall down sooner.