Mimicry

We've been teaching Tess to ask for things politely rather than demanding something be done for her. So she is told repeatedly, "How about, 'Could you _____, please?'"

Today when I was reading with her before her nap, she gave me some of my own medicine. I had read Are You My Mother? to her twice. When she wanted me to read it a third time, I suggested that she read it to me. So she did, quite well for the most part. But after the first two pages, she stopped and told me that I needed to close my eyes. And then when I asked if she'd continue, she told me I had to say, "please! Please will you read it? You say that to me," she instructed. After every page, she'd demand that I ask her nicely before she'd continue. She has a very stern voice when issuing commands. I can't imagine where she learned that. ;)

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She also has been responding to Eric and I with, "of course!" We'll comment on something like how nice her drawing is, and she will say, "of course it is!" Or we'll thank her for something she did, and she'll say, "of course!"

I've been wondering about this for the last couple of days, but it was Eric who said tonight, "Tim always says that!" Tim, Eric's cousin, has been visiting us from Germany all last week. And he does say, "of course!" a lot. Just as Tess has been using it.

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The various visiting relatives made lots of impressions this past week. After Ida's visit, Tess was drawing, and she made a tiny little circle and then told me, "that is Ida. She is little." Then she drew a few very long lines next to it saying, "And this is TALL Campbell. And this is tall Natalia. And this is Dada. And this is Tess. I am BIG!" After drawing her lines, she went back to the top of each line and added dots saying, "and two eyes. And two eyes. And two eyes."

The day that Sven left, she drew this picture. She started with a line, saying, "this is Sven. He has a BIG neck." As you can see, he got his two eyes. Somewhere in the middle of the page is also a portrait of Claudie, Sven's girlfriend. Tess was smitten by beautiful Claudie. I think the only recognizable bit to everyone other than Tess, however, are the two eyes. Can you find them?

 This is Sven. Not sure if his neck is really so big, but he might appreciate that Tess noticed his upper-body build.

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And one last photo. This is an egg beater that Tess likes to play with out of my kitchen utensil drawer. She found him a hat.