Nellisms, vol. 5

Nathan said last night, "If Nell's personality were to freeze at age three, it wouldn't be the worst thing," and I can't help agreeing -- for the most part.   Some of the whininess of Age Three I could do without, to be sure, but there is so much about this age that is tremendously fun that the whining pales in comparison.

She thinks that "How do you know that?" is a general-purpose exclamation of surprise, since I suppose she hears me say it in response to her in that fashion.  So if you tell Nell anything that makes her surprised and happy, you're likely to hear in response, "OH!  How do YOU know that?!"

For a long time she would put the emphasis on the word "Lullaby" at the end, because when you sing the Brahms Lullaby (which she loves), the emphasis sort of comes out that way in the music, so every night she would ask to listen to the LullaBY.  This one is slipping away now, sort of like how she's suddenly pronouncing "violin" correctly instead of "vileein."

But thank goodness she still says "ephelant" and asks if we can exercise and do "dumping dacks" together.

Sarah: "Do you need to go potty?"
Nell: "Not right now I think I'm just all set for right now thank you."

***

Nell: "Do we have any peanut butter?"
Sarah: "Yes!"
Nell: "Do we have any almond butter?"
Sarah: "Yes!"
Nell: "Do we have any Ree-Ree butter?"
Sarah: ".... ??"

***

Sarah: "Do you want to listen to music?"

Nell: "Sure! Maybe Brahms and then Bach."

She hates bugs in all forms, whether real or even just in picture books, and the worst is when we come to the page in her Little Golden Book about God that has -- "OH NO!  Two bugs!  Two!!  OH NO!"

***

Shortly before turning three, she began to notice and enjoy rhymes, but without knowing what they were called at first, she would proclaim, "Oh Mama!  Please matches cheese!" or, "Play matches today!"

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Her imaginative play is often with her play kitchen and/or her baby dolls.  And recently she sighed, sat down in her small armchair, and announced, "I'm just gonna open my bweast and nurse my baby now, okay?"

When she was singing in a particularly, shall we say, piercing voice one day:
Sarah: "Nell, do you think you could find your most beautiful singing voice to use?"
Nell: "Well I can't use that voice because I'm already usin' this voice.  And this is really hard music.  Okay?"

***

Singing improvisatorily one afternoon:

"Mama has big knives!  Mama has big knives!  But I caaaan't tooooouuuuch theeeemmm!"

***

Whenever she's trying to remember a song, she'll usually say, "Mama, where's The Happy Farmer?" or "Where's Jesus Loves Me?" or whatever other current favorite she's fishing around in her memory for.  Or occasionally, "Mama, help my mouth to sing it!"  I love that.

Upon hearing her Aunt Hannah telling me about how she stepped on a sliver of glass:
Nell: *dramatic sigh*  "I know, I know, everything is horrible."

***

Strapping her tiny violin case onto her back:
Nell: "I'm just really tired but I have to go play a concert."

***

Playing peekaboo with Ree:

Nell: *sigh*  "You do it now Mama; I need a break."

***

Sneezing:

Nell: "That was me! Whoa!  I blessed!"

Sarah: "How old will you be next year?"
Nell: "Four.  And I'll be big to the sky and fly with my happy wings!"

***

"Maybe when I'm four I can drink wine."

Sarah: "I love you, Nell."

Nell: "I love Daddy."

Sarah: "Well then.  Thanks."

***

Seeing a picture of Nathan:

Nell: "Oh, that's Daddy!  My cute Daddy!"

Talking to herself in her car seat:

"I'm sooooo fun to play with.  And I have a good heart."

***

"Mama, did you know what?  Dogs don't wear underwear."

***

Sitting in the kiddie pool: 

"I'm swimming in the water on my bum!"

***

Nell: "Mama, could I please have an orange that is... an orange... an orange that is that one kind..."  *hums "O My Darlin' Clementine"*

Sarah: "Oh! A clementine!"

Nell: "Yes yes could I please have a darlin' Clementine!"
{I thought that was very resourceful of her to communicate the word she had forgotten through humming.}

***

Nell: "I'm hungry."

Sarah: "Would you like me to cut up an apple for you?"

Nell: "Well, what about some tocklate instead." (chocolate)

***

Sarah: "Nell, could you please pick up your socks and put them in the dirty laundry?"

Nell: "Weeeellll... maybe you could just do it."

"Nell, make a silly sad face!"

"Nell, make a silly grumpy face!"