Month: May 2007

Leilani talks 5/07

Mostly German… here the transcript: Kind (child), baby, hallo, [does a somersault] somersault, somersault [laughs] another, [plays with plastic heart that opens and Leilani can’t shut it anymore] broken [Andy confirms] heart [I confirm]…[Leilani starts singing and playing xylophone and tambourine] Vidiralala, Vidiralala, … [sees her crayons] malen (painting) … ants … another dinosaurier … [chimes ring] dingdong… [Andy asks “Who’s that?”] dinosaur [Andy corrects, dragon, dragon makes music] Ei-ei drachen (petting the dragon) anziehen (meaning aufziehen, wind-up) drachen anziehen [ Andy turns it back on, asks if she is not scared ] das da? hallo hallo [music off ] anziehen [ music on ] Affi tanzen (Monkey dances)

Reading jetzt (now) Dinosaurier schau Mama (look mommy) Stegosaurus [I say “Wer is das (who is that)”] Tyranosaurus Rex… [ points to next book] Katze Paula (Cat Paula) [picks up a Lion mask ] Mamma Loewe anziehen (mommy put on the lion) Lani Loewe anziehen [ next book, children are fighting over a net, others carry a blow-up dolfin ] Mein Netz … Fine tragen (Carry [Dol]fin)…Segelboot (sailboat)…ruderboot … [ picks up a kleenex and starts wiping Andy’s ears ] Daddy ohren putzen (clean daddy’s ears)

Questions…

Leilani asks a lot of questions. I already mentioned the premature “Why?”, which btw. never went away, but is not a prevalent anymore. Maybe 3, 4 why’s a day now, all of them appropriate. On most other question however Leilani ommits the asking word – So she asks “… are you?” instead of “Where are you?” or in German “[Wo] bist du?”, another one “[Was ist] das da?” “… this here?” instead of “What is this here?”.

Recently she is able to answer more and more complex questions: Andy asked “Guess who is coming over this morning?” and Leilani immediately blurted “Jaya!” (sorry Leilani, it is Aunty Maureen) – Andy and I thought that was pretty advanced, and I mentioned Leilani couldn’t answer “What’s the name of Oma’s dog?” – I tried and she answered “Mutti” – that’s what I call my mom, her Oma. Andy then rephrased the question to “What’s the name of the dog who lives at Oma’s house?” and Leilani answered correctly. “Lara”.

Potty time!

We bought underpants for Leilani! She was really proud to wear them, called them petty (pretty) Unterhosen (German for underpants), showed them to Oma and Opa and wanted to wear them over night. Even though she has been waking up with a dry diaper often, and at least the last 2 nights and last 2 naps were dry, I decided not to take the risk, but it was not easy to convince her…

She has been doing really great, the last 4 weeks the only poop misses were at restaurants and during our trip to Kaernten, while all of us were distracted. She has been using old-fashioned porcelan night-potties as well as regular toilets, and has been running towards bathrooms yelling “Potty! Fast!” She pees in the potty about 3-4 times a day, but we still need quite a few diapers, especially because we go out so often.

More Vacation News 5/20/07

Today Leilani went to the bookshelf all by herself and pulled out a photo book about Kauai. That in itself was surprising enough… As she started to look at the pictures I jokingly asked if she had ever been there. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind*, pointed to a picture (of Kalalau Valley) and said “Nounou mountain!” Then she pointed to a photo of a hiker with hat and said “Daddy hiking.” [Proud Daddy’s heart melts after reading this.]

A few things Leilani said (funnier if you speak German):

“Another Bohne” – One more bean, Styrian fava beans are Leilani’s favorite
“No like it Blumi essen” – I don’t like it if (the toy horsie) eats the flowers (on my dress)… when Oma pretended that the toy horse was eating the flowers
“Opa (wo) bist du?” – Opa where are you (about 50 times a day, but instead of Opa also Oma, Mimi, Lara, Kiron…)
“Dinner time” eyes barely open waking up from her nap, about 2 hours after a huge lunch
“Oma catch me”
“Swimming pool in, in (25 seconds later) out, cold OOOUUUT”
“Mama weiter schwimmen. Mama Fischi. Underneath” – Mommy, keep swimming. Mommy dive (like a fish)
“Bye-bye Oma, bye-bye Opa, bye-bye swimming pool” – When it was time for a nap
“Lara fahrt mit” Leilani is always hopeful that Lara will ride in the car with her, if only to try to boss her around later (“Lara sit”)
“Stork coming” – there are a few nesting in Gleisdorf, but Leilani pronounces “Storch” very German…
“Gemma home” – Let’s go home
“Goodnight Mond” – Goodnight Moon

Another funny story: Leilani wanted out of her stroller, and then – next to the busy street – demanded to walk alone, and cried and stomped her feet when we tried to take her by the hand. But Leilani, I said, next to the street you either have to sit in the stroller, or have to “give your hand”(the German phrase “Hand geben” means both to shake and to hold hands.) With a dead serious face Leilani extended her hand, grabed my moms hand and said “Byb bye Oma….”

*that’s OK, I don’t get HER sense of humor either.

This car, an Opel GT is 40 years old, and both my mom and I drove one a long long time ago.

My mom Trude and her friends Putzi and Hannelore

My aunt Jutta (mom’s sister) and Matthias one of her sons.

Matthias and Jutta’s dogs Lucy and Linus

Louise is the daugther of a school friend – and the friendliest little girl I ever met, sharing, hugging…

Loreen is one of the 2 daughters of friends Thomas and Maria

Trude Oma reads a book to Leilani

My best friend during high school Andrea and her children

Friz Opa and his wife Christine in their house…

… and in their garden (with mothersday flowers they picked for my mom)

OPEN that door!!!!! Leilani, Aaliyah and the Moriz twins Sebastian and Alexander

My mom Trude and my dad Franz

Ambros, a school friend visits

Leilani shows off her cool new glasses (with Jutta)

Gerd my stepddad and Leilani are playing the Piano

Visiting with Ingo – my stepdad Gerd’s brother and his wife Edith, also visiting is Edith’s mom Rosie

Jana and Aaliyah.

Bye bye Uncle Sharif (Aaliyah’s dad)

Language development

Leilani was at the restaurant today. She saw the ice cream counter and yelled “Eis essen, Eis essen…!!!” (“Eat ice cream”)

We told her first was Pizza – then she yelled (even louder) “Pizza essen!!” (“Eat pizza”) I told her it was not ready, not to yell into my ear and to complain to the waitress. When we walked by the waitress Leilani yelled (at her) “Bringen!!! Pizza essen!!!” (“Bring! Eat Pizza”)

Aside from showing hunger and impatience, I think it also shows pretty advanced understanding, and great German. Oh, and I guess there is something new about her eating habits too… we’ll try to reverse that trend back home…