all tucked into bed

Mila took a nap today. Now that she doesn't take regular naps (sadly), if she does take one, come bedtime she is wide awake. She walked out of her room around 9pm, just as Trav and I were sitting down to watch a show. Normally I would carry her back to bed, tuck her in, and remind her that to earn TV in the morning she must stay in bed all night.

But this week has been hard. I've been working every day because it's the week of our annual company conference. (My normal work schedule is M-W-F, so I usually have T-Th all day home with the girls.) When Mila climbed onto the couch and sat next to me, I realized how much I've missed seeing her. So I pulled her on my lap and she snuggled with us while we watched Parenthood.

When the episode ended, I carried her to bed and tucked her in. She wrapped her arms around my neck and said:

"I got some Mommy snuggle time and some Daddy snuggle time. I'm glad because I love you and Daddy more than anyone else. Because you're awesome. And your glasses are cool."

I sure love my Mila Bean.

kissing cousins

One thing I love about living in Utah again is being close to so many cousins. We get to see cousins at least once a week, and the girls love it. I love it! The kids all get along really well (of course with a healthy dose of arguments and tears). But most of the time they really love seeing each other.

Mila and Tave have been getting along super well, and Tave's name is mentioned daily at our house. Here are a few tidbits I remembered to write down.

Conversation while coloring -
Kapria: Mila, I don't like your scribble scrabble.
Mila: Tave loves my scribble scrabble. [said so matter-of-factly, then walks away.]


Mila to Tave: The dentist said 'no more pacifier for Mila!' But I want my paci back.
Tave: Just use your fingers. Like me.
[Then he sticks his two middle fingers in his mouth, as he's done since he was a baby. Mila tries it, then takes her fingers out of her mouth immediately. Over the next few days I notice her trying to suck on her fingers at random moments, probably when she's missing her paci.]

Mila at the dinner table: Tave said 'I eat poop!' Ha ha ha! Poop. Poop. Poop. Ha ha ha!

Mila to me: Can I call Tave to see if he misses me and I miss him?

She also is convinced that she and Tave will get married when they are older. No amount of explaining has helped change her mind. And every so often she'll attack him and try to kiss him. She nearly bowls him over in her kissing attempts or, if he's lucky and sees it coming, he runs away. I think all kids have a crush on an older cousin at some point. (I know I did.) So I'm not worried about that. But how did my sweet baby girl become such a kissing monster?

mila conversations: 2.5 years old

Mila talks really well, and we have great conversations. Most of the time I can understand everything she says. But every so often she says a word or two that I just can't understand. Of course this has happened every since she started talking. But how the conversations end always makes me laugh (and leaves me surprised and a little sad too).

This morning, Kapria and Mila are watching Return to Neverland.
I'm cleaning the house, and Mila wanders over every so often to report what's happening in the movie.

Mila: Jane yelled at her mom and brother.

Me: Oh, that wasn't very nice of her, was it?

Mila: No it wasn't. Jane's {running}.

Me (not quite understanding that last word): Jane's running?

Mila: No. Jane's {running}.

Me: Jane's . . . yelling?

Mila: No.

Me: I'm sorry, I can't understand what you're saying. Can you tell me one more time?

Mila: No. I don't want to tell you one more time.
And she's done and runs away.




This happens any time I don't understand her. She'll look at me for a minute, then if I ask her to repeat it one more time, she'll say, "No. I don't want to tell you again." She clamps her mouth shut and the conversation is over: you got two chances, and that's that.

It does make me laugh, but I feel sad that I'm not understanding what she wants me to know.

So I'm warning you now: If you're ever talking to Mila, you better use your chances wisely.

dessert conversation

The girls are sitting on the bench eating their ice cream cones.
I'm eating a bowl full of my current favorite kind, too.
I share a spoonful with Kapria, then a spoonful with Mila.
Then Mila dips her finger in her ice cream and says, "Here, Mom, taste mine."
So I do.
"Do you like it?" she asks.
"Yes, it's delicious."
Then she hands me her sippy cup and says, "Here, have a dink."
I say, "I need to drink from my cup."
She says, "Please, Mom," and pushes the cup toward me.
"I have a runny nose," I say, tapping my nose. "I don't want you to get my germs."
She looks at me like I'm crazy.
"Use your mouf, Mom. Not your nose."

I love her logic!

(And then I realize that I've already spread my germs by licking her finger. There's no point trying to keep the cold germs confined around here. I forget just as soon as I remember. So I take a drink, and she smiles quite happily now that I've accepted her sippy cup benevolence.)