I've hit a block while typing a blog about our trip. I'm trying to keep it concise while wanting to include the highlights (which were abundant). In the meantime, here are a few recent sayings from Olive:
-While on our longish drive from Dingle, on the west coast of Ireland, back to Dublin, she was making requests for me to draw things for her - Papa, me, a cup of yogurt - and when I handed her the pad with the sketch of a strawberry yogurt she praised my efforts: "Ah, good job, Mom!" "Mom" has become a sort of saying with her, much like man or dude, and doesn't apply necessarily to me. I'm still "Mama" to her, for now.
-When leaving Marie's house in Prague (Marie hosted us through couchsurfing.org), she began wishing her a happy birthday (we'd just come off of Rob's and my birthdays and she was finally prepared to wish someone a happy one, even if it was two months early).
-Yesterday I told her I liked her blue eyes. "I like your brown eyes!," she replied.
-"Oh, beautiful Gray!," she's been saying lately to our cat, Wendell. It wasn't an adjective we'd ever used in reference to him, that's for sure. Not that he's not a handsome cat, but his dopey ways override his good looks.
-Overheard while playing with her Quantum Leap globe (If anyone knows a kid that is passionate about geography, I suggest getting this toy. It's great). "Mongolia! Good job, Mom!" She's also been asking for help locating "Opiopia" (Ethiopia), bringing me back to the time in my childhood when I couldn't get enough of our globe and finding the countries in Africa. She's delighted that she can pick out Prague and Vienna amongst the crowded mass that is Europe. Despite bringing her at such a young age, I believe she'll retain quite a bit of it, as long as we continue to revisit through stories and photographs.
-She's proving to be an effective tool for quitting my near-lifelong nail biting habit. Today in the car while I was gnawing on a fingernail she chirped from the back seat, "Don't put your fingers in your mouth!" Busted.
-While waiting at the post office this morning she was saying, to no one in particular, "Hi. My name is Wanda." We're not sure where this Wanda business came from, but it wasn't the first time she'd made an appearance.
