Saturday, June 4, 2011

The Beginnings of Mischief

Raphaela has now adopted the classic Israeli kid behaviour of the one-shoulder-shrug, though without the classic "tick" sound effect that can accompany that small act of defiance.  Combined with her powerful "No," I can say that this truly represents the beginning of her independence as a person.

During bath time, she will pretend she has hurt her finger, start to wimper and present me with her hand so I can kiss it.  At which point she proceeds to squeeze my nose or various areas of my face, with a big smile, thinking she has tricked me.  It works every time, LOL.

Not satisfied with the toy cell phone I bought her, Raphaela loves picking up the land line phone and trying to dial out.  She will hold her head to the phone and start babbling, and I see a mirror of myself.  The battery -free TV remote does not fool her either, at the age of one a half she has more of a grasp on technology than I ever will.

Meal times have gotten more complicated as well; Raphaela used to politely hand me her plate and utensils when she was done eating, and now they are delivered generally via throwing to the floor.  If I am to fulfill my job as a parent, I must start setting boundaries and defining acceptable actions.

That being said, she has also shown an increadibly generous and affectionate side to her.  Raphaela freely distributes kisses and hugs, I often observe her talking to one of her friends at Gan, and holding his/her hand.  During meals,  Raphaela will make sure that I have enough food, to the point that she will hand feed me from her plate.  She will offer Harry a taste as well, or put a cup next to his face so he can drink.  The look on her face says that this is impotant to her, and I am glad that she has developed empathy and sharing skills.

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