Playing Favourites

Now everybody knows that parents aren't meant to have favourites amongst their children. Clearly for Aidan and I this is not a problem, as we so far only have one child. However apparently no corresponding rule exists for the children themselves, and nobody stops them having favourite adults! Usually, of course, it's just Elspeth and myself at home and she has no choice but to love me best. But today Aidan is home, and he is definitely the favourite - he is the one she wants to be near, to hug, to climb all over, and to slobber on. Last weekend at my parents' house, my mother was the favourite. Elspeth switches favourites like some people change underwear! Whilst it is nice to be her favourite, it is equally nice to get a break and let somebody else take the brunt of her particularly demanding style of attention!

Swapsies!

At some point in the distant past I started giving Elspeth juice in bottles she could drink from herself - that is to say, I no longer have to sit down, hold her, and hold the bottle, she drinks all by herself while wandering around. Now naturally she can't do this with a dummy in her mouth, so if she has one, I ask her for it before I give her the juice.
From this, she has gotten the impression that she can't have juice without giving me something first - swapping something! So every time I offer her the bottle, if she isn't sucking on a dummy, she goes to find something to give to me before she takes it!

The Flower of my Heart

Some weeks ago, to test Elspeth's vocabulary and understanding, I asked her to bring me a flower. To my delight, she went and found a flower, picked it, and brought it to me. Naturally I was thrilled, and praised her effusively. The natural extension of this is that she now thinks that bringing mummy flowers is a good and right thing to do - and so she does it all the time. I sat on the back step watching her play in the yard this morning, and every time the inclination struck her, she brought me a flower. Nine, in all. By about the third or fourth I was wondering if I should keep thanking her for them - she'll be picking every flower in the yard at this rate! But I would hate to scold her when she thinks she's doing something praiseworthy! So I simply said nothing as I took each flower from her (if I don't take things when she gives them, she shoves them at me, getting very aggravated if I don't accept!) and I guess after the ninth my lack of enthusiasm got through to her and she stopped. But I know she'll do it again tomorrow!

Foot claws!

A few days ago I wanted to cut Elspeth's nails. I got all of her fingernails done, and seven of her toenails. But the last three toenails have been the subject of an on-going battle! Each day I try at least once to make her keep that foot still so I can chop off those claws, to no avail! I've tried doing it while she eats, while she watches DVDs, and while she is sleepy, but each time she quickly becomes aware of my intentions and promptly wriggles her foot. 

Finally today I managed to cut two of them. Heaven knows how! She was watching Thomas the Tank Engine at the time, perhaps she just really likes trains. But I still can't manage the very last toenail!!!