Adventures With MissMunchkin

MissMunchkin has a little red plastic frog, which Mommy has no idea where it came from. It may be one of the few kid’s meal toys she’s actually gotten. (Most places advertise to ask for toys for kids under three, but it seems most stores haven’t gotten the message.)

The Frog seems to have an equal status, if not a different role, as MissKitty. MissKitty doesn’t feel good when MissMunchkin is sick: they are tired together, they must eat together, and they must sit with Mommy together.

If MissKitty is an extension of MissMunchkin, then The Frog must be her best friend. (Either that or he’s an idol she is worshiping.)

At first, he was just a bath toy. MissMunchkin would help The Frog jump on the edge of the tub and into the water. Then he was supposed to jump on his own. MissMunchkin would urge him on for a minute or two. When he wouldn’t jump, she would pick him up in the palms of both hands, kiss him and say, “Kay, (jabber, jabber) Kay.” He would then get to try again.

Then, one day, The Frog escaped the bathroom.

His jumping lessons now happen randomly throughout the day. MissMunchkin even teaches by example, jumping up and down in front of him. (Jumping with both feet is quite fun and she’s getting some real height.) Unfortunately, The Frog seems to have delayed jumping abilities.

MissMunchkin is very patient though; she has yet to give up. The frog gets lots of kisses, patting, and encouragement. Occasionally he is subjected to a MissMunchkin lecture, after which he gets more kisses and “Kay”s.

The effort may be paying off; Mommy is quite sure she saw The Frog leap out of MissMunchkin’s hands to fly across the living room this morning. He jumped so far that he seems to have disappeared, which is going to be an issue later…

He is still required for bath time. In fact, baths are often refused or result in tamper tantrums if we can’t find The Frog.

MissMunchkin and The Frog have long conversations while she carries him around, cupped in both hands. He occasionally even gets to go to bed, although that usually results with Mommy have to hold him until MissMunchkin is asleep. Yesterday MissMunchkin discovered if you put The Frog in a sunbeam, he appears to glow! She spent quite some time experimenting with this: putting him in the sun and taking him out, putting him only halfway in the sun, standing between the sun and The Frog…

Last week, The Frog got to visit Grandma’s, where he got much the same treatment as at home. He and MissMunchkin also met Grandpa’s frog, a heavy iron door stop that originated from somewhere up Grandpa’s family tree.

MissMunchkin decided it was to heavy to move (without pushing it with the door). Instead, she introduced herself and The Frog, then went on her way. The rest of the day, whenever she ran past the iron frog she would pause to pat it’s head before continuing on.

So, maybe, there is something special about all frogs?

(While Mommy was writing this, MissMunchkin looked under the couch and then ran over to her. “Where, Frog” complete with words and signs. Apparently he managed to jump under the couch and now has to be rescued.)

MissMunchkin was very busy for the holidays, or she got a lot of mileage at least!On the 22nd Grandma picked MissMunchkin and Mommy up, adding them to an already full van. (Her two uncles think they need two seats each to spread out on!) Then we were on their way to Mommy’s uncle (aka The Big Kid With The Red Beard) and aunt’s place for a family gathering. Four hours, one potty stop (for the young and the old), and one short nap later we arrived to the night’s restaurant. Just in time too, as MissMunchkin had been declaring it was time for another potty stop!

MissMunchkin wasn’t sure about all the new people, but the animals on the walls sure were interesting. After eating she roused a bit and starting tell everyone which animals were which.

Then it was time to go the the hotel (sending MissMunchkin’s uncles to have an X-Box marathon). MissMunchkin loves hotels, especially after such a long ride. It was even more exciting when she realized Grandma and Grandpa had an adjoining room! What fun it was, to race between rooms, jumping on beds, playing “Boo!” (a MissMunchkin mix of hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo), while squealing and giggling! It took Mommy and Grandpa to hold her still long enough to get pajamas on her. Miraculously, when the adjoining door was closed and Mommy turned the lights off, everyone went right to sleep.

The next day three of Grandma’s five siblings (plus Grandma!) and their families gathered at The Big Kid With The Red Beard’s house. There were lots of new people and people she hadn’t seen in a long time (by MissMunchkin time).

The Big Kid really wanted to play with MissMunchkin, but she decided quickly she was not interested. She pointedly ignored him, her nose stuck in a book. When he got down on the floor right next to her, MissMunchkin would not take her eyes off her book. He talked, tickled, even stuck his face between her and the book. She did not move or blink, she looked right through him, as if he wasn’t there. He finally gave up and left. MissMunchkin then ran right straight for Grandma.

There was a lot of good food which MissMunchkin enjoyed sampling throughout the day.

When it came to open presents, MissMunchkin was very careful about taking care of her paper. She would tear a piece off and take it straight to Grandma. After much work, we got them unwrapped. MissMunchkin received “Charlotte’s Web” or “Pig! Pig!” which has been added to the daily programming. She also received a stick horse which has been used as a broom, a sword, a cat pusher, and occasionally a horse!

By mid-afternoon MissMunchkin was going to Mommy and Grandma, signing “all done.” When that didn’t work, she changed to “all done” “home” (which sounds a lot like “ham,” which had been on the menu). She had made her (long) appearance and was ready to leave.

Once we were in the car, MissMunchkin was asleep within minutes. After an hour nap we put in the new dvd since it had gotten dark enough outside to see the screen in the van.

Between cities (where there were few places to stop) MissMunchkin declared, “Potty!” She managed to wait three exits until there was an appropriate place for a potty stop, even if by that time the “Potty!” requests were coming back to back. We made it in time though!

Instead of getting back in the carseat, she declared “Potty!” again. When Mommy called her bluff and kept buckling her in, a break down occurred. MissMunchkin had had enough and the thirty minutes back home proved it.

Once we got home, things were better, but we were happy to send Grandma, Grandpa & Company on their way. Sleep came shortly thereafter…

After a very long weekend for Mommy, MissMunchkin’s “Baby Signing Time” Marathon has ended. Well, maybe not quite ended but slowed significantly.

Yesterday we were finally allowed to watch something else or turn the tv off for a while.

Then the signing started.

MissMunchkin now has a blossoming signing vocabulary. And often those signs are accompanied with sound. Not quite words but getting there!

MissMunchkin now signs ball, bear cracker (teddy grahams), car, eat, potty (mostly after the fact…,) and best of all Grandma!

How she figured out Grandma and not Mom is beyond me since they are almost the same sign. But that is neither here nor there I suppose.

Grandma sent new “Signing Time” dvd’s and books for episodes 1-3. The dvd’s are not as captivating as the baby volumes but they have lots of new signs. The books on the other hand… Oh, MissMunchkin loves those books!

Now, see, MissMunchkin started signing this sign last night and I couldn’t figure it out. She was a bit upset with me but she moved on. (We were teething yesterday, MissMunchkin was a bit upset about everything.)

Then today FedEx shows up with these books. (Sidenote: How many doors do you think knock back when FedEx knocks on them? MissMunchkin’s does!)

I show her the books and she carries them off. I swear it’s not two minutes later she’s back with them. Okay, Mommy read to MissMunchkin. Happens regularly.

Nope, no read. She wants to show me the page with “grandma” and “grandpa” on it. Okay, yep, neat.

Then she starts making this sign, complete with “Gaa, gaa”. (You really have to hear it… sorry.)

One plus one equal two Mom.

The rest of the afternoon I get “grandma”, “car”, knocking on the door, “grandma”. Oh, then she’s starts crawling in her high chair. It sits next to the light switch when it’s not meal time. MissMunchkin likes to play with the lights. Not today. Today she’s trying to buckle herself in. Which with some (but not very much) help from Mommy we accomplish. Then she signs car.

If it’s not one thing with MissMunchkin it’s another.