 | Diary Navigation:
|
June 13, 2003
Harvard Girl
Shortly after delivering Ella I received a letter from the Harvard Laboratory on Developmental Studies. Apparently they must get the list of newborns from my hospital and they send out letters looking for subjects to use in their developmental studies. Having been a psychology major in college, which required participation in similar studies in order to graduate, I was probably a bit more familiar with how most research is carried out then people who have visions of electrodes, drugs or even most things high tech. I took Ella to one about a year ago to a study that involved sitting on my lap with me blindfolded (so I couldn’t unconsciously influence her) while she watched a puppet show and they monitored where she looked to anticipate toys coming from. The whole thing took about ten minutes and she got a cute Harvard tee shirt and a crisp five-dollar bill.
Well, I guess we are in their database now as willing subjects and I occasionally get requests to come down as Ella ages in and out of different experiments. Last week I got the call and it was a day I was planning on being home with Ella so I said I’d do it. This time she again was on my lap and they now had fancy glasses for me that consisted of sunglasses with black electrical tape on it to prevent my unconsciously steering my daughter to victory. I think they should just stick with trust and having me close my eyes because Ella was very interested and distracted by mommy’s funny glasses at first. In any case, this time she watched a video they had made (when I told her she was going to watch a video she quick to request the Raffi one. Sorry, no go, kiddo!) in which they made up nonsense verbs (gorp, and stipe I believe they were) and tried to see if kids looked at one movie or another based on the other cues in the sentence (Gorping vs gorping her, for instance). Hey, no one can say I haven’t done my part in advancing science. We left with another shirt. No $5 but we also got a beanie baby with a Harvard tee shirt on.
Fart
On a less intellectual topic, Ella has learned the verb fart. I have to admit I know who the guilty culprit is, and that is none other then yours truly. Sometimes she will tell me ‘poop’ and point to her diaper. I have learned to check (unless the smell proceeds her) before I haul her upstairs. Sometimes the vessel is empty and so I tell her, “No, Ella, that must have been a fart”. It really is amazing how they pick things up from context because, of course, there is nothing to show her to get this idea and it’s even pretty hard to act out (NOT that I tried). But the other day she’s walking through the living room when she stops, looks at me, and says “Fart” clear as day. I couldn’t tell if she had or not so let it go but last night in the bath tell tale bubbles confirmed that she had, in fact, done the deed that she identified (twice) “Fart”. Should I be proud or embarrassed? I just hope she doesn’t go teach all her little friends at day care or I will be labeled as “That parent”. Well, actually Jamie will because I will promptly blame him. That’s more believable anyway, right? Ha ha. Sorry Jaim, but a girl’s gotta do what a girls gotta do!
Hair cut
Jamie and I go back and forth as to whether we want Ella to have short or longer hair. Short can be very cute and is easy to take care of but, of course, there is so much more you can do with long hair. Jamie definitely wants the long hair, and I agree that there is nothing more beautiful then a little girl with long hair in a cute little bow or braids. But I also know that, for every one day of beautiful coifs, there are many days of rats nests and fights and tears of brushing it, and I will most likely be the main participant in these battles. (All of this, of course, is just until she is old enough to make her own decisions AND agree to at least participate in the upkeep of longer hair, if that is her choice). Until now it really hasn’t been an issue since she is still growing her baby hair out but recently, as it approaches shoulder length, it has started to look a little bit shaggy. The hair on the side is much shorter and wispier then in the back and the back is longer in some areas then other. Possibly a side effect from her large bald spot she sported for most of her first year, I suspect. And the bangs, which I have been cutting since she was around 14 months are always needing to be evened out. Even Jamie admitted she was looking ragged and something should be done. While I assured him the door was still open for longer hair, I got him to agree to let me cut it all to closer to the length of the side wisps, so that they didn’t still out so much. The result is an adorable (if I do say so myself) little pageboy hair cut that I absolutely love. She looks like she should be holding a pillow in Kind Author’s Court. Jamie thinks it is too short but admits it looks cute (and that he couldn’t have done any better).
I would love to hear from parents of little girls as to how you decided to keep their hair when they were young. Longhaired moms, do you think the extra work is worth it? Shorthaired moms, do you feel like you are missing out? And while I’m asking questions about hair, what about bangs? Ella has them now but I can’t decide which is more of a trouble, having them needing to be cut at least every two weeks or growing them out and having them long enough to brush back. Oh, and other (related) hair issue, how the heck do you get your daughters to LEAVE THE BARRETTE alone?!?! Ella likes to have me play with her hair and will bring me a barrette or hair band if she finds one but within ten minutes she’s either skewed the whole thing up or pulled the hair item out completely. It is very frustrating, especially since she looks cute beyond belief with some cute little pink frill adorning her locks. Ug.
Well, color me tickled pink
Ella has learned all her colors. As many times as it happens, this kid just continues to amaze me when she shoots off some new skill. Of course, as days go by and it comes up Jamie and I always try to mention to her what color something is or how two things are different colors (look Ella, I am going to put the blue stacking cup into the red stacking
Cup). Also, we have a book called The Gigantasaurus Book of Colors that she likes to read. And I knew, from here and there, that she was getting them. But the other day, when we finished the aforementioned GBOC, on the final page they list eleven different colors—red, blue, yellow, pink, purple, brown, black, white, gray, green and orange—and she knew them all! She could point to them when I asked and I identify them when we pointed to the colors. Such a cliché, but she is such a SPONGE!
Father’s day plans
I’m not sure what we are doing this Father’s day, although if the weather is good (not likely if this month is any indicator) there is a festival going on down by the Charles River so we could go check that out. Originally Jamie said he wanted to postpone celebrating it until next week, where there is a “Picnic in Fenway Park” event going on. I thought it sounded great until I saw the tickets were $250-$500 EACH! Ha! Not likely! I did go out and buy him some boxers and then Ella dipped her hands and feet in paint and put the impressions on the butt. I know it’s kind of weird but he will think it is funny. It has been a tradition for me to get him wacky boxers so I might as well bring Ella into it.
Well, I guess that’s all for now…
Thanks for reading!
Bonnie
 |  |
|
want to keep a diary on iParenting?
Authoring a diary on the iParenting network allows you to chronicle your family's story, preserving it for years to come. It's also a great way to get the most out of the iParenting community. Click here to start...
|
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families. 
