Reagan's First Slumber Party

I put the boys to bed tonight, and Reagan followed.  She crawled into bed with Colby.

Colby: "Mom, she wants to sleep with me tonight."
Mom: "But she talks too much.  She won't go to sleep."
Reagan: (perfectly clear) "Mom, I'll be good!"
Mom: "Did you just say that you'll be good?"
Reagan: "Yeah!"

A little background info may be in order.  Reagan is a light sleeper.  She has NEVER slept in the same room as another person (hospital room as a newborn excluded, of course).  In hotel rooms, we put her in the bathroom.  At my parent's house, she sleeps in a closet.  Oh, we've tried to have her sleep in the same room as another human.  It just always fails miserbaly, because she can't calm herself down enough to fall asleep.

 But tonight... "I'll be good!"  How could I say no?  The girl spoke a perfectly clear, full sentence, for goodness sake.  It's been 15 minutes, and so far, all is quiet upstairs.  She just might make it a full night!!

NEXT MORNING ADDENDUM:  Reagan made it until 12:30 am, when she started shrieking loudly.  She was brought into bed with me, where she began to squirm, ask for drinks, etc.  I simply said "Reagan, if you cannot go right back to sleep, you're going into your own bed."  She calmed right down, and slept til 7 am, when her brothers came down in a panic, wondering where she was.  Impressive first slumber party for a little girl!

Chatter Box

How is it that the genetic code of two introverted people combines to form REAGAN, World's Biggest Chatterbox????  It may not all be English, but she babbles on and on and on and on and on.  Loudly.  Constantly.  She was quiet for a few minutes tonight while watching TV, and Rob was actually stunned.  "I haven't ever seen her this quiet for this long!"  says he.

"SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"  says I.  "Don't ruin it!!!"  But alas, his comment DID ruin it, and she broke out of her quiet spell (it had lasted like 5 whole minutes maybe), and started the incessant chatter again.

We'll have peace and quiet again in about 18 years or so.

Grammar

Reagan's grammar is similar to Spanish at this point.  Noun first, followed by adjectives.  Example:
"Truck big!"  "Sky pretty!"  Same with verbs, now that I think about it.  "Cup find!"  "Mom, sit!"  I've really got to get her talking on video tape, because it's adorable.  She has a "baby accent" still, too, where words like "hand" don't have the "aaaaaaa" sound, but are prounced more like "ahhhhhh", so she sounds British when saying them. 

Life as a Pickle

Little Missy Lou Hoo has been rather a pickle for the past few weeks.  We're all fighting colds with the change of seasons, and I tend to blame the 'tude on that.  The boys, who have never witnessed their sister getting in trouble before, are truly enjoying the fact that it's not just THEM receiving the heavy hand of discipline in this house.  Not alot of sympathy from the big brothers.  Today, Reagan took her prescription multivitamin and a bottle of chewable vitamin C, and ate them all.  Luckily, the multivitamin was near the end - I think there may have been only like 2 or 3 left, and I found a half-eaten one on the floor afterwards.  And I know from previous experience that, according to Poison Control, a child can ingest unlimited quantities of vitamin C without ill effect.  No stomach pumping required.  Still, though, it was a serious enough infraction that Mom's voice took on the "Darth Vader" tone.

Mom: "REAGAN?  What did you do??  Did you climb up on the cupboard and get your vitamins?  That's is a NO NO.  You will get SICK.  NO NO."

She looked up at me with those big brown eyes, and.... crumpled.  I could see it start in her little lip twitch, before the entire wail let loose, and she dissolved into tears.  She has a way of making her mom feel like a heart-breaking monster.  Poor thing.  I just want you to be safe!  Honest!!  Her brothers are so used to the "Vader Voice" that it doesn't even phase them anymore.  Reagan's priveleged existence has been all sunshine and happiness until this past month.   At least I think that for now, a stern word really DOES make an impact!