Pretend Play

Isla has suddenly moved into using 2-3 word sentences for almost all communication - "Isla shoes off" ("I took / want my shoes off" - depending on circumstances), "Shoe stuck stuck stuck" ("My foot is stuck in my shoe."), "Isla Mommy's Pizza" ("I want to eat your pizza Mommy."), "Digger BeBe kissing." ("Look, my doggy, Digger, and Bear, BeBe are kissing."), "Isla swimming!" ("I want to go swimming" - shouted during our friend's ocean-side wedding ceremony.)

She is also talking about memories a lot more. She has been talking about "Melia's Wedding" all day and still mentions Noah's apple, which she witnessed being eaten two weeks ago. It is really cool, but it has its downsides too. I have been very careful to follow through on all promises and I can no longer distract her as easily once she's seen something she wants. It is also tricky because we can't reference our environment to try and figure out what she is talking about, so more things are going un-communicated.

We've also seen a burst of development in pretend play. She has become friends with her animals and shares her food and drinks and paci with them (and us - not always the most appetizing when she's already chewed on it a few times). She has loved imitating our day to day actions for a while now, but now she is stringing them together into nesting play sequences. Sometimes the results are hilarious. She'll play with a toy and then give it to her doll and wait expectantly for the doll to play with it too. She's been bringing toys with her on outings and she makes her toys copy everything she does. "Isla sitting cart! Dolly sitting cart!" Today she made her doll walk with us while we were looking at ships in the harbor. She leaned over and walked her doll along - it was a very very slow walk.

Her little independent streak is showing up more often too. Last night she insisted on 'reading' to me. I was allowed to read the words but she was in charge of holding the book and turning the pages. She loves arranging things and dressing up. On Friday I put on a shirt that I've let her wear in the past and she started crying.

One of the sweetest things is her love of music. She has loved music and dancing for a long time, but now she asks for favorite songs and sings a little bit in a sweet high little voice. "Baaabeee Luuuuga..."