Monkey See, Monkey Do

We are really beginning to notice what a little sponge Caroline is. She is so observant for a 17 month old. She also uses her imagination really well. For example, she was just playing in her play kitchen, pretending to cook, when she walked over to the sink, "turned on" the water, and pretended to wash her hands. :) She also loves to take her tea pot, bring a cup over to you, and pour tea. The cutest part of this is when she makes a "shhhh" noise as she pours, just like the sound of someone actually pouring something. I started doing this when she got her kitchen from Santa, and she has imitated it ever since!

Sometimes I'll look over at her and she'll have a sock or a dish towel she's pulled off of the oven handle and she will be on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor! Other times she'll dust a table or wipe off a chair. She also loves to hand us the dishes when we unload the dishwasher. I know at 17 mo. you would think she would break everything, but she is really gentle....and it is especially helpful to me now that I am 8 mo. pregnant. It's great to not have to bend over!

Since Caroline is always fighting a cold of some kind, I've tried showing her how to blow and wipe her nose. My intention was for her to do it as I held the tissue, however, she will actually do it herself. The not so great side of this is that she has been known to blow her nose into a sock (she won't keep socks on her feet so you can always find a sock on the floor somewhere) or into her own shirt! Now I am POSITIVE she didn't learn that from me...but I think I do know who she learned that from...no names mentioned of course. :) One day she was rummaging through a basket of clean clothes, pulled our a dryer sheet, and blew her nose into the dryer sheet. We will have to keep working on using a tissue!

With Sarah Anne arriving in about six more weeks (although I'm hoping it will be a teeny tiny earlier than that!) I have been using some of her baby dolls to show her how to handle being around a newborn. I hold the doll the way I will hold Sarah Anne, feed her a bottle, burp her, show Caroline how to be gentle, etc. She is great with the dolls, and I feel certain she is going to be a great big sister (I'm sure there will be moments). Lately she has been picking up her dolls and holding them so sweetly. Yesterday she sat for about 5 min. and just rocked Baby Darla (her doll that cries, laughs, calls for Mama). She was really gentle and just loved on her. :)
All of this has reminded me how much she is always looking and watching, listening and imitating. Just as I've learned from being a teacher, actions really do speak louder than words. :)