Funny Things We've (Inadvertantly) Taught Our Kid

I have at least 3 other long posts I need to write, but for right now I'm taking the easy route. It's a gorgeous day and I'm sitting on my back patio watching Kaycie chase Casper (or Capber, as she calls him) around the yard and creating messes with the water from her water table. It's just too pleasant to write about serious things...

So, on to my list. First, new things Kaycie is saying that we find hilarious:

"Hi, everybody!" She started this randomly Saturday night while visiting with my in-laws. It took me a few minutes to realize it's the opening to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She says it with much enthusiasm, and at totally random times. Like while we're riding in the van.

"OH NO! Train tracks!" This started with a particularly rough crossing near our house that's on the way to school, but has expanded to refer to any bump on the road.

"Red Line bus! AAAHHHHH!" This one she learned today, and it's in reference to the new shuttle system at UMC. The Red Line bus goes through the traffic circle at the School of Nursing and is a little scary if you're in front of it about to get run over. She said it over and over all the way home, with much enthusiasm.

"Applenuts!" No idea what that means, but she's said it several times this weekend. It's not apple juice, she says that clear enough.

"Ta Da!" Greg taught her this during the few hours we were at the beach. She's clung to it mercilessly and it has kinda become her motto.  She pokes the pup with a stick, "Ta da!" She throws dirt on something I told her not to, "Ta da!" She climbs up on something that she will inevitably fall off of and bust her head, "Ta da!"

I had to go back and edit this post because I left out her favorite word of the moment - "BLOCKBUSTER!" It's also her favorite place. Don't even ask. But Saturday when I went to put her down for naps and told her we'd go on an adventure when she woke up her first response was, "BLOCKBUSTER!" (No, dear, we're going to see your grandparents...) And any time we leave the house as soon as we pull out of the driveway she yells, "BLOCKBUSTER!" Sigh.

She will also randomly break into song. She can sing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme, which sounds something like, "Mick Mouse... house! (mumble mumble) side! (mumble mumble) side!" as well as the Elmo's World song. She can also sing her version of MMC's Hotdog Dance song, but it's totally incomprehensible unless you recognize the tune.

She's also found much use for the word "no" of late, but that's not nearly as funny.

She's recently developed a great love for rocks. Not fancy rocks, plain ordinary gravel. Or asphalt chunks. She's started hiding them in her carseat and around the house. I can't tell you how much driveway gravel I've thrown away lately.

She's also discovered a love for the crane games at Walmart. I totally blame her father for this, as he's been obsessed with them for much longer than I've known him. Together they are 100% when it comes to getting little plastic balls out of the ball machine. He'll line up the claw and she'll push the button. This didn't work so well for me this morning, and she pushed the button as soon as I put the money in. But thanks to her dad, she expected a prize to appear!

I'm sure there are half a dozen more things I'm not thinking of at the moment, like her love of hopping instead of walking, but my kid is now soaking wet from the water table and covered in dirt after finding my bag of potting soil and deciding to refill (by hand) the pots of now-dead petunias we planted in the spring.  It's all good. My kid's adorable.