Powers of observation

It is amazing to me, sometimes, to realize how much Julia is overhearing, noticing, and picking up, without Ethan or I directly saying things to her. I suppose I should know better by now, but it still surprises me when she comes out with something that I had never even realized she was aware of. For example, yesterday while we were out in the backyard playing with our neighbors, I mentioned to my neighbor Cynthia that we had to get more work done on our car, which, combined with the work we'd done about a month ago, was really starting to add up. I then commented that we have so many expenses on this month's credit card that it's going to be a pretty hefty bill. Julia unxpectedly piped in with, "Oh, and Cynthia, after we got back from the Texas trip, it wasn't on our credit card!" Referring to the fact that both our hotel and rental car expenses were not on last month's credit card statement, despite the fact that our trip fell within that month's billing cycle. I had commented on that to Ethan after receiving our bill, and Julia obviously overheard and still remembered that information over a month later. On other occasions, she has repeated things that Ethan or I think we've sneakily encoded (Ethan, driving: Oh man, that guy just effed me. Julia: Daddy, why did that guy eff you?) Or she'll catch me doing something, like eating a piece of candy mid-day (no matter how furtive I try to be about it) and persistently ask me why I'm doing such a thing when it's not allowed for her. OR, as she did last night, she will peek out her bedroom window when she's supposed to be sleeping and notice that Ethan and I are out in the backyard talking with Cynthia (with baby monitor in hand, of course!) and we will suddenly notice a little shadow on our back porch and Julia will denounce us for being out there ("Mama, I can't be inside with no grown-ups!")

Of course, she is not always quietly observant. Sometimes, as you all know by now, she is loudly contrary. Yesterday morning, she was mildly cranky that Madeleine was around so she couldn't play with her matchbox cars without Madeleine trying to get her hands on them. She asked me if I could put Madeleine up to nap, and I told her sorry, but it wasn't naptime yet. I could tell she was sort of glowering and feeling grumpy inside, but she didn't throw a fit or make a big deal over it. However, she clearly wanted some space, and I think she wanted something to be upset about, because she told me she needed a time out. I told her that was fine if she wanted some space, but I guess my answer didn't satisfy her. She exclaimed, "Mama, I'm NOT being on good behavior! Mama, I'm hitting EVERYBODY." Okay... I didn't even bother to get into the fact that she hadn't, in fact, hit anybody, or really done anything that was worthy of reprimand. I instead granted her request for a time out (which, in all reality, is just that - a chance to get some space and quiet and get re-centered) and let her go up to her room. So, to sum up this blog posting: Julia's powers of observation when it comes to noticing things said and done by others: phenomenal. Julia's powers of observation when it comes to accurately describing her own actions: completley delusional.