Life With Jenna

When Jason and the kids are gone for the day, this is a sample of the conversation between Jenna and I. It rarely changes. See Jenna has a routine. I can expect to hear the same things that she said yesterday, again today.

"I'm awake! Can I watch a movie?"

First thing she says to me in the morning. No "Hi, mommy." or "I love you mommy" or even a simple "Good Morning." Nope, its all about a movie. She has her favorites- High School Musical, Monster's Inc. & Finding Nemo.

"Chocolate chips when I go potty?"

This is her reward when she goes potty. It works. . . kind of. She goes potty, but it's usually only when she decides she's ready for a treat, not necessarily that she has to go.

"Friends come over?"

A definite plea. I think she gets a little tired of me.

"Go to the park and swing high?" or "Go to Chuck E. Cheese?" or "Go to McDonalds?"
Obviously her wish list.

"Let's read books."

Same books over and over. She's heard them so much she's starting to read them to me.

"I don't hurt Eric."

This is said as I am rushing into the room to the sound of Eric screaming and Jenna backing away from him slowly. Her latest torture is poking him in the eye.

"More juice."

This juice is really generic Crystal Light. She likes her cuppy and usually has more than 1 somewhere around the house. When I ask her where her cuppy is she points to the cupboard. She'd rather me get a new one out than look for the one she had just minutes before.

"I want candy" or "I want gum"

What 2 yr. old doesn't? For some reason she thinks that eventually I'll say yes, thus this is repeated over and over throughout the day. If she's lucky, she'll find gum left out (and when I say left out, I mean anywhere within reach using a stool or even her toys piled high that she then climbs.) She's very resourceful and will remember when gum is left out. She just bides her time. The locked cabinet idea is working, that is until someone forgets to lock it. She makes regular rounds in the kitchen just to check. If it is unlocked, then she is very, very quiet.

"Are you happy?"

I think this is her way of diffusing the situation when I am upset at her. It's hard to stay mad when she asks this of me. But she also just says this randomly throughout the day. I have no idea where she got this from.

"Kids come home."

Around 3:30 in the afternoon you can find Jenna on the front step looking for her brother and sisters to come home from school.

"Do you want to do something."

I laughed the first time she said this to me. It was her way of saying, "Stop what your doing and play with me." But in a much more grown-up way.

"I love ME!"

When I would say "I love you" to Jenna she used to point to me and say it back. Now she just points to herself and says, "I love ME!"

I love this stage. 2 yr. olds definitely keep you on your toes but life is much more interesting and happier too!