Oma & Opa

Nora anchors her mornings and evenings with a little pattern we might call "The Ritual of Names." One by one, she lists the people she knows, casting her voice upward with a question mark. We answer by telling her where the people are, what we imagine they might be doing. We don't know if this is what she wants or needs, but it seems to satisfy her.

N: "Nonna nonna?" (always twice).
Mama: "She's on her way, Nora. She'll be here soon."
N: "Da? Dadee?"
Mama: "Daddy's at work."
N: "werk!"
Mama: "That's right."
N: pause. "Why-why?"
Mama: "Uncle R____ is at work, too."
N: "Anno?" (translation: auntie)
Mama: "Auntie is at her house."
N: "O? Owie?"
Mama: "Yes, Nora, Owie is with Auntie. And where's mama?"
N: blank look, then a grin, she pats Mama's arm and says firmly, "Mama!"

And so forth. "Mimi," Poppy, Mamba, "Leelee" (you all know who you are) -- the game is sometimes short and sometimes long, and the list she draws from grows.

This weekend, Oma and Opa were cemented into the mix. Oma went on a leaf-gathering mission with Nora, and Opa taught her some of the rules of the road (green light = go).

Thanks for the pretty jumper, Oma! She's finally tall enough ...