Saturday shorts

Six Saturday night short excerpts from Alice at seventeen months:

1. During the pre-bedtime cuddle, I'll often wind her - from habit rather than a genuine need. She leans over my shoulder and pats and winds me right back.

2. Some nights she shh's us back as we are leaving the room. Her finger is usually firmly hooked in one nostril, rather than over her lips, but she has good intentions.

3. By day, she can now get through most of a meal on her own with her spoon, which makes dining together much more satisfying since everyone can actually dine. Tonight's shepherds pie, "per-pie", and peas were consumed with minimal assistance. This is a good milestone.

4. In other table manners news, the nice daycare ladies have taught her to put her spoon in her bowl when she has finished and to pass her plate. We are a long way from the old days of projectile food spitting and throwing things on the floor, thank goodness.

5. She is generous with her kisses and will press her mouth to your cheek, then pull back and say "mwah". It's pretty damp, but heartfelt and appreciated. Enthusiasm did build to a point today where I had to ask her to refrain from using teeth and/or tongues.

6. She yells "poo" at the top of her voice every time I use a public convenience. When corrected, she simply hollers, "weeeee-eeee?" until we leave the vicinity. I have started to wait until we get home.