Helen is turning out to have quite a distinctive personality of her own (in case we ever doubted that). I won't think of everything I want to record about her now, but I want to get a few things down before I forget them all.
Helen is now clearly a person in her own right, with ideas and opinions in every matter. She may get frustrated when we fail to recognize this, or to respect this, but she never wavers in this reality. She is still so little, physically, that it is easy to dismiss her, but she doesn't let that go for long.
Helen has learned that manners may serve her well in life, and so has put them to good use. She might just be the most polite person I know right now - she almost always says "please" and "thank you" (granted, the thank you is a bit sub-vocal so you have to know what to listen for). She has even started to say "excuse me" after burping or passing gas. That made me crack up the first time I heard it. "Sorry" is harder to come by, but she is thinking about it.
These manners really do work to her benefit. It is hard to say no to her when she asks so plaintively and yet so politely. And for some reason, it strikes me as particularly funny for her to be so precise in her polite words while her grammar overall is still so odd. Thus, a common construction heard around here is, "Mama, book me, please." (Translation: Read a book to me.)
Helen is determinedly independent. "My do it!" is the refrain of the house. (We are working on distinguishing the "I" and "My" sounds - she finds the process hilarious.) She is also a fierce copycat. Thus, anything that any of us do, we can safely expect to find Helen trying to do it as soon as she witnesses it. This means she dresses herself (not too badly, actually); she gets my facial moisturizer out and smears it all over her face; she brushes her teeth regularly (and insists on the full routine - paste on the brush and then put it in the water); she tried to put my contact lenses in tonight (oh no!).
Helen loves to be outside, preferably to take a walk. If anyone puts on a coat or shoes, she appears instantly at his or her side, hurriedly pulling on her own outerwear and acting for all the world as if you have invited her to come along.
She is starting to use the toilet on her own, though it is still a bit sporadic. Most often, she asks to go right after she has already peed in her pull-up, but sometimes she gets the timing right. She particularly likes to visit any and all public restrooms, which makes outings with her a bit more complicated, now. At home, she knows where we keep the "potty treats" (a chocolate chip for a successful visit to the toilet) and has learned to help herself if not watched. She is tidy, though. The other day, I discovered a chair pushed up against the counter where we keep the treats, so I went hunting for trouble. I found her in the playroom, sitting calmly on the futon next to the other kids who were playing on the Wii. She had in her lap a plate filled with chocolate chips and was calmly consuming them as she watched the video game. I wasn't sure what to say - at least she was using a plate, which is beyond what I have managed to train any of the older kids to do!
She has definite opinions on clothing. I am not sure what they are yet, but they are definite. Some days, it seems that she just wants to wear anything that I haven't picked out for her, to assert her independence. If that is the case, her teen years might be long and trying.
I am sure there is much more to say, but perhaps for another day;.
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