mystery solved

I think I've mentioned that when Ella is doing her business she requests that we "don't clap or say anything." I've always thought she was just being modest but today I learned that the real reason was slightly more pragmatic. 

"Mom. I've got to go potty. Don't twap or say anything because then I can't hear and don't know when I'm done."

Right-o. Logical to the nth degree. There's a reason she and Aunt Jamie get along so well...

don't clap

Oh, the many, many, ways you can scar your child's psyche, without even trying.

Ella's potty training has taken off this week (after I told her that we were all out of diapers and her options were to pee on the floor or in the potty). After her first success we hip, hip, hoorayed, clapped and called grandma. The next time she did the potty dance our conversation went something like this:

Mom: Ella, do you have to go potty?
Ella: Don't twap [clap].
Mom: What?
Ella: Don't twap.
Mom: Huh?
Ella: Don't twap when I go potty. Don't say anything.


And pretty much every time I ask her to go she tells me not to clap. The funny thing is my pediatrician told me the same thing, and I pretty much ignored him. Looks like Charlie knew what he was talking about, once again.

wolka dots

The other day Ella and I were driving in the car and I heard her say, "No, no no. You don't say 'wolka dots.' It's 'polka dots!'" "Ella, what did you say?" I ask. "Ah keeps saying 'wolkadots' and I am just telling her that they are 'polkadots.' She always calls them 'wolka dots'."


Nice work, El. Nice work. Way to keep that Ah in line.

thanks

Thanks for the input on the phones. I personally am a big fan of a live person (loved Molly's comment), but it's not completely practical right now. As a good first step we streamlined our phone tree. There used to be 38 seconds of "Welcome to Southpoint Pediatrics...our office hours are...our blogs is...our fax is...etc, etc, etc." and then the phone tree. Now it says, "Welcome to Southpoint Pediatrics. Press 1 to schedule an appointment {gets you to a live person}. Press 2 to leave a message for a medical assistant {gets you to their inbox, where they call back very quickly}. Our office hours are....the other 36 seconds..."

I'm still in favor of the live person answering the phone, at least when they can, but at least we are headed in the right direction. I mean, come one, no one wants to wait on the phone when you've got a sick kid.

In other news, today Ella pointed out that the Christmas lights weren't on. "You're right. I'll turn them on." I did, and was rewarded with, "I so proud of you, Mommy!"

Oh, Ella. When you're cute, you're cute.

***Okay, just called our office, and it's not short and sweet yet. But it will be. I promise.