Nell-isms vol. 2

Last time I did a post {my first one} of Nell-isms, it was really all about the language development.  But as that keeps growing by leaps and bounds, I'm realizing her wit and humor and personality are shining through more and more now, too.

Nell has an affinity for following me into the bathroom, where she offers commentary and encouragement as {not}needed.  Fun fun.  Recently, I sat down without realizing that her toddler potty seat was still lowered.

[Side note: we have a Bemis Elongated NextStep Slow Closing Potty Seat, which I highly recommend if you have little ones!  It's basically a small seat that folds down from up inside the lid of a regular seat, so everything is attached and all in one place - super convenient and easy to use.]

I laughed out loud and said to her, "I sat down on your little potty seat!  That was a surprise!  It's a seat made for little bums!"

She smiled at me sweetly and replied, "Yeah, Nell have little bum.  Baby Ree have teeny tiny bum.  Mommy have big bum."

Toddlers.  No one ever promised they were good for your self-esteem.

A few days ago I was running the garbage disposal, and Nell kept saying, "No-why.  No-why."

Sarah: I'm not sure what you're saying.  Try again?
Nell: No-why.  No-why.
Sarah: I can't understand you; I'm sure that must be frustrating!  One more time?
Nell: *pointing to garbage disposal area of sink, which was turned off by this point* Noiii!
Sarah: OH! Are you saying 'noise'?  Because of the garbage disposal making noise?
Nell: No, noi.  Just one.

And my mind was pretty much blown with that one, folks.  Because of course, the S makes the word plural!  And my two-and-a-half year old has that all figured out.

I've had a string of bad luck with my health recently, first an injury to my lower back, then sleeping on my neck funny resulted in several days of pretty severe pain, and then my left shoulder succumbed to what I finally diagnosed as "Mom Spine."  It comes from sleeping in strange positions and lugging children around and other such things.  

Anyway, I told Nell I couldn't lift her because my shoulder was hurting, and she said, "Oh I'm so sorry.  I'm so so sorry.  I'm going to bring you a toy to make you feel all dubbuh ("better").  Make you so happy!"

What a sweetie.

* * *

Nell: Bye bye, Mommy.

Sarah: Bye! Where are you going? I'll miss you!

Nell: I'm going to a restaurant with mine friends.

Sarah: ...

Nell: laughs hysterically as though she has made a great joke.

A few weeks ago I said I loved her, and then asked, suddenly curious, "Do you know what love is, Nell?" 

And she just looked clearly into my eyes and answered, "God."

Either she's somehow already aware that "God," "Jesus," and "The Bible" are always considered good answers in certain circles, or it was a coincidence, or... well, "a little child shall lead them."

* * *

She does want to talk about God a lot lately, and she's quite enamored with finding him in her picture books -- even though I've told her we don't have any pictures of God, since the Bible tells us no one has ever seen God, so no one knows what he looks like.  Still, she won't give up, and points to person after person: "That God, Mommy?"  "No, that's Joseph..."  "That God, Mommy?"  "That's Daniel..." etc.

* * *

And last night, after reading her a few sections from her Jesus Storybook Bible (such a wonderful book, and probably still a bit above her head, but she loves reading it with me and sometimes it makes me choke up, I love it that much), Nell said to me, "Mine Jesus book, Mommy.  Jesus loves me."