A Strong Argument for Using Code Names for Body Parts

Several of my mom girlfriends and I have gotten into deep discussion about the pros and cons of using code names versus anatomically correct names for body parts with kids. Ultimately, I think a lot of it depends on whether you have boys or girls or both. I have always felt that it just wasn't right for a 2 or 3 year old to be saying "penis" and "vagina", so I am a huge proponent of the code name choice. After much thought and discussion, Will and I settled on teetee and tuta for our code names. If you want to know how we came up with those, refer to my former blog post.

The other night, Anna made us both REALLY glad we had gone the code name route. We had gone out to dinner and were sitting next to another family. It was a buffet, so we had gotten our food already and the other family had gotten up to get theirs. The daughter came back first and sat down. Anna looked at me with worry and said, "That little girl is eating all by herself!" I assured her that her family was getting their food and would sit down with her in a minute. Sure enough, the dad came back and sat down. Anna, in her non-quiet play-by-play voice announced, "Her daddy is eating with her!" Yep, he is. The dad looked at us and grinned. I smiled back. Then, in the same volume, Anna looked at me innocently and asked, "Does her daddy have a teetee just like my daddy?"

Now, just you imagine how much worse this would have been if we didn't have code names!

Why?

Let it be known...we are officially at the "why?" stage of development with Anna. She asks it ALL. THE. TIME. After every request, every comment, every breath (it seems like). I try to remember that she is learning through this process and I try not to stifle the learning opportunities. For example, the other morning when Will was getting ready to leave for the office, she asked why Daddy always had to go to work. We explained that adults have to go to work to make money so that we can have important things like a house to live in and food to eat and clothes to wear. So now, in the mornings before Will leaves, she has to recite for us the reason for him going to work. The other day after Will picked her up from his mom's when I was working, Anna said to him, "Daddy, thank you for going to work so we can have a house and food and clothes." He could barely keep the car on the road after that response! How sweet is that? It lets us know that she is learning so much through this process. Interestingly, the house/food/clothes response has recently been expanded to include cars to drive and toys to play with!

As sweet and endearing as the "why?" phenomenon is most of the time, there comes a time when you don't want to answer it anymore and she's really just asking it to stall going to bed or getting in her car seat or whatever it is you are asking her to do. I have found me repeating the age-old "because I said so!" just like my parents did over and over to me. I try to limit it's use, but man it comes in handy sometimes!

Another favorite, especially when she is asking about nature or why the world is the way it is, and she has surpassed general knowledge or is getting deeper than I care to go at age three, the response "because that's the way God made it" works really well. I know I'll expand her knowledge later, but trying to explain why boys have tee-tees and girls have tu-tas really only deserves one response at this point: because that's how God made it.

I wonder how long this new stage is going to last? Fun, Fun, Fun!!

The Hands and The Feet

Oh, for the last, let's say, six months or more, Anna has been doing this quirky thing with her hands and her feet. She refers to them in third person. Here are some examples of the kinds of things we hear from her:

"The Hands don't want to get into the car seat."

"The Feet won't stop kicking the seat. I told them to stop, but they keep kicking!"

"Look what The Hand did! It picked the doll up and threw it!"

The Hands and The Feet get in trouble quite frequently and several times she has put them in time-out for their misbehaving. She has even gone as far as spanking them for not listening to her! It sounds and is a little crazy, but all we can do is laugh (or try really hard not to). I keep wondering if this is better then an imaginary friend? At least these aren't imaginary, although there are times it appears that she has little control over them:). Even for her lack of control, she does tend to discipline them fairly quickly for their actions, especially when reminded by Mommy and Daddy. For now we'll just continue to be entertained by The Hands and The Feet and see what other adventures they take us on!!:)

Oh, What a Year Can Do!

Anna's First Day of Preschool 2010

We were a little delayed with the start of preschool this year. Clemmons Moravian renovated their entire education building and, of course, the end date kept getting pushed back farther and farther. So, we started on September 21st and will go through the 10th of June, so we at least get our time back at the end!

We went to visit Anna's new teachers, Miss Susan and Miss Jane, last week and Anna was upset that the meeting was only 20 minutes long! Even though she just turned 3, she's in the 2-year-old class this year because of the August 31st cutoff. She'll just always be one of the oldest! She was so excited for school to be starting back again and to get to see Miss Linda from last year. There are 13 in her class on Tuesday/Thursday, which is quite a bit bigger than last year. Plus, she gets to go in the drop-off/pick-up line this year like the big kids did last year! She thinks she is hot stuff!

So excited!

Showing off the new backpack

Silly face

The annual standing with Daddy picture!

The first day went great and Anna got in the car rattling off the names of all the kids in her class! I can't wait to see all the cute things Anna does in school this year with Miss Susan and Miss Jane and how much she grows and learns. We're off to another fantastic beginning!

It Has Finally Started!

Ever since, oh about last February, Will has been in mourning over the loss of the wonderful pastime called football. And ever since they started talking about it again, say about July, he has been busting a gut for football season to get here. Well, this past Saturday was officially the first UNC home football game and the tailgate we have been planning for for months now. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about my hubby mourning for the season to start anymore...but maybe I need to worry about him mourning the UNC team that could have been.;0) Regardless, we had fun at the tailgate and even got to have a mini extended birthday party. Anna and Lawson, my friend Melissa's little boy, exchanged birthday presents and got to play with Dora and Diego while the adults caught up. We also got to rub on Talley's belly and congratulate Block and Talley in person about the coming of little Charlie. How different next year's tailgates will be with Jack and Charlie there to help cheer on those Heels!

Starting Gymnastics

At the beginning of September, Anna started gymnastics classes one afternoon a week. Will and I wanted to get her involved in something active that involved other kids, but we really think 2 and 3 is a little young for the semi-organized soccer teams and what-not. There is a gymnastics center close to us, so we went in for a trial session at the end of August. Anna LOVED it! I was impressed with all of that they had the kids do. Plus, I knew it would be great for her listening and following directions skills (because she got easily distracted with multiple classes going on at one time). Last week I was able to get some pictures...

A handstand with forward roll

Not quite sure about the whole train thing...

Through the tunnel

It is so stinkin' cute to watch her during her class, especially when she runs over and says, "Mommy, did you see what I did?" She's so proud of herself and is picking things up really quickly. She's the youngest in her class, so we'll see all that she learns this year!