Knowing her limits

We have nice little chats, Alice and I, and she is keen on attempting or succeeding in copying words and singing along to songs. I told the doctor this week that she was a good little talker ("talker", repeated Alice) and when complimented on eating her dinner last night, she reminded me that she was doing it "nicely". Twinkle, twinkle remains a favourite ditty - she can sing along to every second word if you do it slowly and, more importantly, if the inclination takes her, but the obsession of the moment is Maisy Mouse and anything that Maisy does/sings/says/looks at, is commented upon and repeated ad nauseam, hundreds of times a day.

There's a few incidences of Maisy hiding in the DVDs which are such a hit after 5pm. Although Alice has seen these many times, she always feigns or demonstrates ignorance of where Maisy might be. "Ahd-no", she shrieks [I don't know].

We also have a Maisy book where the crucial question of Maisy's domicile is raised - Does Maisy live in the hen house/ the stable etc etc. Alice lifts the flaps to reveal the real owners of each abode. We read it A LOT and she's usually word perfect. This morning we read this book quite early on and Alice was still a bit dopey. This exchange followed:

Slightly bored but playing along mother (SBBPAM) reads: "Does Maisy live in the hen house?"
Alice: "Noooooooo".
SBBPAM: "Who does?"
Alice [shrugs shoulders, lifts hands, open palmed, into the air]: "Ahdno"
SBBPAM: "The hen's do"
Alice: "Milk?"
SBBPAM: "You've had your milk. [reads] Does Maisy live in the pigsty?"
Alice: "Nooooooo. Milk, please?"
SBBPAM ignores her and reads: "Who lives in the pigsty?"
Alice: "Mummy"*
Not so bored now mother: "Does Maisy live in the stable?"
Alice: "Nooooo."
NSBNM: "Who lives in the stable?"
Alice: "Ee-i-ee-i-o. Daddy?".

*I think she and her father have been ganging up on me and discussing my housekeeping skills or lack thereof...

We have also been preparing Alice for her impending baptism and reading bible stories to her. Nanna brought over some biblical board books which also have flaps to lift. We like Noah especially, because of all the animals and I enjoy it because I never quite know how Alice is going to fill in the gap at the end of the last line while she faffs around with the rainbow flap that pulls down to reveal the word, "thank you". Noah says, "It's time to say to God..." and Alice has provided suggestions of bye bye, go! [watching too much Big Brother?!], night night and ta.

We read the Good Samaritan too, which causes much joy because somehow the illustrator woven pictures of birds into the story. There aren't quite so many opportunities for animal noises, although lots of places where Alice can join in saying "No" along with the characters. She's always game to try out new sounds, so I decided to test her, "Can you say Samaritan, Alice?".

"Noooooo", she said.