Wild Thing

It's finally happened: you learned the word "no". You say no for everything.

"Sava, do you want some milk?"

"No!"

"Sava, are you hungry?"

"No!"

"Sava. . ."

"No! No! No!"

Funny thing is, you typically do want milk and food and everything else. But the word no is just so fun to say.

In addition to the new word, you also talk to yourself in your secret alphabet and you have begun kissing us almost all the time with your wet "Moah!" kisses. But you're fickle with your emotions and range between kissing your mother and I numerous times ("Moah!" "Moah!") and kicking and screaming when one of us picks you up or enter your space. In short, you're a little wild thing finding your independence.

Earlier tonight we went to a wine tasting event, during which you screamed every time I came near to you or tried to pick you up. But your mother needed to gather her things so we could leave and so I took you out into the hallway against your will and then tried to interest you in the pretty lights. Immediately you were glued to staring at the lights. Then I taught you how to turn them on and off with the light switch. You were so happy with this that you kept turning them on and off and on and off and you were laughing so hard about it all that you barely noticed when your mom arrived and tried to take you back into her arms. You just kept switching the lights and switching them.

Then we went out to dinner with some friends and the entire time you ran around the little stage and entertained yourself by stomping around with your arms crossed (the first time for that), crawling around on the floor, talking to people and dancing on the little stage. You were a little hit, at least with us.

But your memory is good, and even after we returned home, got you changed into your pajamas and said goodnight to everything in your room, you remembered the moment with the light switch and as I left the room, you started turning your bedroom lights on and off. I decided to leave the room and from the hallway I could hear you laughing as the light under the door went on and off . . . on and off . . . on and off. . . .

After about 10 minutes, I passed by your room and noticed that the light was on. I thought, I wonder what she's doing in there? Then I got closer and could hear you talking back to your talking Napoleon Dynamite doll.

Napoleon: "Hey, can I use your guyses phone?"

You: "NO!"

Napoleon: "You got like three feet of air that time, can I try it for a sec?"

You: "No!"

It was so cute and so perfect I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. You're a funny girl. I walked downstairs and cleaned up the kitchen, and when I returned 20 minutes later, you had turned off your light and put yourself to sleep.

I love you and all of your surprises.

- Dad