Ever-Expanding Vocabularies

"No" is here. It arrived on Saturday, leaving Parki's little mouth and floating around ominously, just as one would expect from a proper harbinger of doom. Along with "no" tagged a couple of flailing fits, complete with faces down on the floor, arms wagging around and deep, heartwrenching sobs.

Those will, I'm sure, go over very well in public should we ever dare to venture out again. And I'm not sure we may. I gave potty training a cursory shot this weekend, too and yes, I know we're not really "supposed to" do that.

Parki weeweed in the potty again (which I suspect may have brought about the onset of "no") and we thought we'd see if Pipsi was game. She was very excited to get naked and sit down, smiling broadly and signing "chair" for about three seconds. Then she wanted to stand up and move the chair. Hubby and I were also preparing a bath for the Beans and, stupid grown-ups that we are, realized too late that this was one exciting event too many for the Beans. Pipsi went weewee not once, not twice, but three times on the hall floor between the potty and the tub and I pretended like she didn't go again once she got in the tub with Parki because there wasn't enough hot water left to refill the tub. I figured there couldn't have been that much anyway, considering how much she'd already expended in her efforts to yellow-flood the hall.

While Pipsi isn't quite as verbally-inclined as her twin, she's definitely getting her point across more and more every day and is particularly fond of the vigorous headshake for "no" and a big, giggly smile for "yes". For example, we were able to get to the park Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend, and the Beans were just pleased as punch at having the opportunity to play outside with other kids so much. When we returned home on Saturday, Pipsi was making the "more" sign. Hubby and I kept asking her what wanted. "More crackers?" "More juice?" "More cookies?" We were looking around helplessly for what it was she could possibly want when she stared right at us, made the "swing" sign and followed it with "more".

"You want to swing some more? More swinging?" And Pipsi smiled and giggled.

So I guess the Beans want what all babies want: more time to play and fewer reminders about their waste management habits. For the moment I'm happy to oblige. As long as I know that someday I'll be done cleaning weewee up off of the floor.