Katie news

Almost two and a half – often will answer the question of how old are you by putting up two fingers. Initially shy with new people, but also fascinated by people, especially kids.

Verbal changes: asks a lot of questions – Did you have fun on the boat? Can I sit up there? What does it smell like? Where is my house? Also prone to screaming and crying when thwarted.

Sings songs: Favorites are still ABC and Itsy bitsy spider. Also Where oh where is sweet little Katie? and Dem bones (The Katie bone’s connected to the daddy bone. The daddy bone’s connected to the mommy bone… Her knowledge of vertebrate anatomy still needs some refinement.) Sometimes she gets part of Magalena Hagalena Ookatoka Wokatoka Okamokapoka was her name. Usually more like Oka moka shmoka poka loka… was her name!

Can recognize most letters most of the time (sometimes too busy to bother). “Reads” boo, zoo, moo. Loves to hear stories – we only brought a few books with us, so we have repeatedly gone through the anthology of 13 Dr Seuss stories (Thanks, Brian and Carol!), and, just recently, she’s begun to appreciate Frog and Toad. We purchased a book of stories compiled for primary school students in Namibia, which apparently deal with universal themes, as Katie certainly appreciates them. One day, Katie asked for a sad story, and I realized that the stories were all a little sad initially, but then a problem is overcome – a universal questing theme. For instance: A red ball gets stuck in a tree. A bird pushes it back to the children. Or, another example: Two kids are sent to get water, but the full buckets are heavy. They solve their problem by putting a stick through the handle and carrying each bucket together. In all fairness, we should get her some more local books: after all, her parents just bought 10 field guides! Katie also often asks for “Kaffy’s book,” which means she wants you to hold your hands like a book and make up a story about a little girl named Kathy who has adventures much like Katie. (What does Kathy do before she goes to bed? “Pees! Brushes her teeth!” Often followed by an emphatic, “Don’t have to go pee-pee.”)

Loves the beach. Katie will literally spend hours digging holes, looking for interesting objects cast ashore in the wrack, sticking gull feathers in patterns, or picking up eye-catching orange and white smooth stones (like grandma, like granddaughter). She has discovered that, if she squeezes the dried floats of bluebottles (easier to wrap your tongue around than Portuguese man-of-war) in her fingers, they give a satisfying pop when they burst, sort of like bubble wrap. This trip, she was initially a little frightened of the waves – I asked if she would come jump in them, and she just clung for a little while, watching the water pass underneath. But then she became more excited, standing up to take waves up to her chest, and squealing when I lifted her up to avoid the larger ones. “Go in farther, Mom!”

Most adorable when: chasing butterflies (the plants at the marine station are festooned with at least a half-dozen species); correctly distinguishes between oysters, clams, and mussels; just wakes up – very snuggly.

Favorite foods: apple juice, pasta, pizza, eggs, pancakes, ice cream (especially pink). Today, Katie and Alan went out for second breakfast together, and I heard the report later: “They didn’t have pancakes.” (Oh? What did you eat?) “I had toast. And eggies.”

Favorite games: Matching cards (a memory game of spatial locations where the child can already beat the adult); “You are the ant. I am the anteater.” (chase), calling Abby and Teddy or Grandma and Grandpa on the “telephone” (anything with buttons – usually hopefully not our actual cell phone).

Very minor emergencies: Katie usually has scabs on her knees. She’s reached down to lower steps twice now, falling and cutting her lip. She got terribly bitten by mosquitos on the first night of our most recent stay in Henties Bay. This is outside the malaria zone, but still distressing, so she had to wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks thereafter. Any ill can pretty much be remedied with a bandaid.