New Stuff XXIX

At 2-1/2 years old, Jillian keeps letting loose with all kinds of crazy and interesting things:

1. The Puma and the Polar Bear : If you want to see Jillian get all excited and run around like a wild-girl, just mention "the puma and the polar bear" to her, and then step back! We have no idea where it came from, but whenever she talks about the puma and / or the polar bear, she immediately starts screaming, and maybe even hiding or wrapping herself up in blankets. She also wants us to get involved, either running away with her, or saving her from them.

2. "Rojo" : So, red is not just red anymore; now it's rojo. When we come up to a stoplight, Jillian starts yelling "stop Daddy, it's rojo". Yet another Dora influence.

3. The Wrestler : Another way to get Jillian all worked up is to lay on the floor where she can attack you. Then, it becomes a big wrestling-fest. Jillian will begin by throwing herself at you just like in WWF, so it's best to keep a close eye on her. Her next move is to grab you by the head and squeeze. Meanwhile, she screams and laughs. Lastly, she loves to jump up and do the "knees to the stomach".

4. The Good Mommy : When she's not destroying things, Jillian is nurturing her little baby doll that she calls "Apple Dumplin'" (from Strawberry Shortcake). She wraps the doll up in blankets for night-night, and takes the doll for walks in her little shopping cart. And of course, the doll gets to go to bed with Jillian.

5. "Save Me!" : Not only does Jillian like to get tickled, she also likes to yell at whoever's nearby, saying "save me". Once she gets saved, she goes back and says "tickle me", which is immediately followed by another "save me", again and again.

6. "Do you see my little tear?" : Jillian asks us this after she has been crying.

7. The Prayer Book : One of the baby shower gifts for little Jillian was a book called "Baby's First Prayers", which contains over a dozen small prayers for kids. We've read this off and on for quite a while, and apparently Jillian was listening, because now when we read it to her before bedtime, she'll recite every prayer. Not only that, she recites them loudly, so that everyone in the house can hear her!