Gender Confusion

Kyla is starting to point out differences between boys and girls.  For example, she tells me that boys don't wear jewelry or make-up or dresses.  I have tried to explain, with minimal explanation, that some boys DO actually like to wear earrings or rings or bracelets or make-up, etc. and that some girls actually do not like to wear them.

The other day at Kohl's, she was explaining that boys don't wear jewelry.  Then, as chance would have it, our male checker was wearing diamond stud earrings.

Kyla, loudly( toddlers have 2 volumes, loud and LOUDER):  Why he wearing earrings?
Me:  I guess he likes them.  Do you like them?
Kyla:  Oh, yah.
Me:  Why don't you tell him you like them?
Kyla:  Hey.  Hey.  I love your earrings!
Checker (smiling, perhaps embarrassed):  Thanks.


Then this weekend at the airshow, at lunch we sat across from a nice man who struck up a conversation with us.  He and Jedd started talking about their airplanes.  Kyla tried to interrupt and for some reason I can't explain, I knew she was going to ask an inappropriate question.

Kyla:  Hey.  Is you a...
 - (Mom sense:  red alert!  red alert!) -

Me:  Kyla you need to wait until Daddy is done talking.  What do you need?
Kyla:  Is her a...
Me (quietly):  That is a man.
Kyla (pausing to figure out how to proceed):  Why she a man?

 

Who's Who

Kyla is all about identifying family members.  When she is eating, she will point out the different sizes of food and say that one is the mommy and one is the daddy and point out the babies.  She will hold up a blueberry and say, in her 'this is so precious voice,' something like, "Oh, look at da little baby one!"  And continue with each and every berry, declaring it a baby, sister, "brudder," mommy or daddy.

The other day Kyla, Maxx and I were playing tea party.

Kyla:  Okay, I da mommy and Maxx is da daddy.
Me:  Can Maxx be the mommy?
Kyla:  No.
Me:  Why not?
Kyla:  Cause, girls are mommies and boys are daddies.
(Oh, right!  Of course...)

And today while we were reading books, out of the blue, she said, "Hey, mommies are mommies and daddies are daddies.  And Kylas is Kyla.  And Tyler is... (pause to think) my cousin!"

 

Baby

Kyla came downstairs the other morning with her Care Bear stuffed under her dress.  I calmly asked what was going on.

Kyla:  Mommy, I want you to have a baby in your belly.
Me:  I already had 2 babies in my belly, you and Maxx.
Kyla:  But I want you to have another baby.
Me:  We have a baby, baby Maxx.
Kyla:  Nooooo.  I want you to have a baby girl.

Then yesterday, she told me she was a doctor and would tell me what to do.  A lot of times this involves a series of physical activities; hop up and down, spin like a ballerina, march in a circle, etc.  This time she pulled out her picture book, filled with pictures of family and friends.  I put it together when I was pregnant with Maxx and trying to teach her everyone's names.  The first picture is an ultrasound of Maxx.

Kyla:  Okay, I da doctor.  I tell you what you need to do.  (She flips open her book to the first picture.)  Okay.  First you need to have a baby in your belly.

I didn't hear anything after that...

 

Definitions

Kyla is starting to expand her vocabulary.  She is trying out new phrases and exploring cause & effect and putting abstract ideas into words.  And while some of these words and phrases are grammatically accurate, it is clear that she doesn't quite yet fully understand all of the meanings.

Yesterday I heard her talking to Jedd.
Jedd: Where is Maxx?
Kyla:  Oh, Maxx is downstairs.  He is just playing.  He is playing with his toys.  It is his fault.

Or when she made this announcement:
Kyla:  Mama, you are boring.
Me:  Oh?
Kyla:  Yah, you are boring, cause you are just feeling a little nervous.

 

Weeds

Today, as we pulled out of the driveway, our neighbor was (annoyingly) doing yard work.

(It is only annoying in so much that we do not do yard work regularly and seeing him out there makes us feel guilty.  and like bad neighbors.  and ashamed of our pitiful, half-effort attempts to "landscape."  However, we do enjoy having that family for neighbors because they are nice people and we get to view their well groomed lawn & landscaping.)

Anyhow, Jedd says something to the effect that Dave is making me look bad, because I never weed.  To which I respond with something akin to "the yard is your job, not mine."  Kyla then chimes in.

Kyla:  I will help you weed, Mom.
Me:  You will?  That is nice of you.
Kyla:  Yah, you get the weed seed and I will dig the holes.  You have to get a hoe.  And then we will put the seeds in the hole.

And Jedd makes a smart-ass remark about if that's what I've been teaching Kyla, no wonder we have so many weeds!  Maybe I should be offended by that.  But I'll just add that to the list of reasons why the yard should be Jedd's job.

 

Karate Chop

Jedd taught Kyla to karate chop the toilet paper instead of just tearing it off.  Now she gets really upset if I forget.  She says, "No mama!  I need 'rah-tay-a shop' it!"

 

Food

Last night Kyla and I made cookies.  When she tried one, I asked if they tasted good.

Kyla: Mmm.  Oh yeah.  I like cookies!  Cause cookies are my faaaavorite flavor!


Today for lunch, I heated up some soup for Kyla.  As I was cooling it down for her, she looked in and asked,

Kyla: What are those, those chickens?
Me: Dumplings.
Kyla: No, those chickens?
Me: That's beef.
Kyla: Oh, I like those beef chickens.