Bad Words and Other Topics

Lydia learned the word "SHI_" somewhere along the line. My best guess is she learned it at the orphanage because she is clearly very comfortable using it and it seems to be an automatic, familiar thing. I don't think she's purposely trying to use a bad word but has a bad habit and doesn't seem to understand its impact. She uses it appropriately - when something goes wrong or she is frustrated so it's pretty certain she is saying that word.

My mom first heard her use it - apparently more than once - about a week and a half after her arrival in America. I personally first heard it yesterday - and then again when I picked her up today at daycare. Both daycare workers and I were watching her get off the computer to leave when something on the computer frustrated her and it flew out quietly but clear as a bell. Everyone gasped. The daycare worker said she'd heard it earlier on the playground but thought it might be something in Amharic. All three times we've heard it she's been told "No. That's a bad word." Hopefully she'll get that soon.

It reminds me of a funny thing that happened when Lalie was three or four years old. She started saying, "Get the HE__ out of here." Well, that was a shocker coming from a little tyke. I talked to her daycare provider and we couldn't figure it out. A few months later the mystery was solved. I can't even remember who figured this out but Lalie loved the movie "Home Alone" and I got it for her at a garage sale so she had also watched it a few times at home. At one point in the movie the boy tricks the burglars by playing an old TV western where the guy says that. I hadn't even noticed it before it was pointed out to me.

We visited the eye doctor Tuesday and Lydia's vision is good. She apparently though has extensive scarring on the cornea of her right eye but it is luckily just below her line of vision. The doctor thought it might be from a childhood eye infection that didn't receive treatment.

Did you know that if you wash a root beer chapstick and then dry the load of laundry without realizing it all the clothes smell like root beer and have spots on them? Apparently the chapstick disintegrates in the process as I never found the insides of the tube - just the outside and the lid. Lalie was bummed about her chapstick. Hmmm. I was bummed too.

Tonight Lydia got all excited and said, "Saturday, tomorrow, party?!" I said, "What party?" Eventually she got her point across. Last Saturday was an exceptionally warm and sunny day. It was fabulous. We first went swimming (indoors) and then came home with our friends and played for several hours in the front yard with the sprinkler, hose and buckets. The girls had a ball. Lydia poured bucket after bucket of water over her head. Apparently she thought that every Saturday was water party day. I tried to explain that this Saturday the forecast is for possible snow. Karleen's already got some at her house. Luckily I was able to tell her that we were going to an Ethiopian restaurant on Sunday where they have free Ethiopian dance lessons. It's at the Ibex Cafe in south Seattle from 2ish - 4ish every other Sunday if any of you want to join in. I told her she could have some fir fir and that made her OK with not having a water party - until later tonight when she asked again about the water.

The pictures above are from last Saturday's water party. The other is from Sunday - these are the outfits the girls each chose to wear to go shopping at Fred Meyer. Lydia had braided all of Lalie's hair.