The inner monologue of a one-year-old

Hello readers.

I had to take a brief blogging break in order to write about 70 pages of travel guides, edit a theatre camp handbook, and create lesson plans. I'm actually not done with these things, so no promises about frequent blogging over the next little while.

But I did have two things to share today. I started thinking about this last night, and in light of recent events, it seems especially important to embrace joy, laughter and life. (Not to be irreverent to the memories of those whose lives were lost or threatened, but the only way to combat chaos and heartbreak is with joy.)

Anyway, some of my best friends are parents to an adorable little girl, and I've had the privilege of watching her a few mornings a week so her mom can go to class. She just turned one, and she's become more and more curious and busy by the day. She's at an age when she's a tiny "scientist," performing little experiments (which usually wreak minor havoc in the average home) to explore exactly how the world works.

But the thing is, her brain is, like, TINY, so to the adult outsider, her inner monologue seems to be filled with all kinds of funny sentiments. The other morning, I started imagining what those might be.

So here's an average morning in the life of a one-year-old baby girl, according to me:

"This is important. I must keep talking to these keys while I walk in circles around the kitchen table."

"Oh, a cell phone! I'll press these buttons! Oh, wait, these keys! I'll shake them! Oh, wait, a cell phone! I'll press these buttons! Oh, wait, these keys..."

"Hi, Liz!" (waving)

"This is the greatest room EVER! There's a mattress that makes a crinkly noise and a picture of a guy with big hair in here!" (picture is of Einstein...yesterday, she discovered the photo and was fascinated by it)

"Bead curtain! Bead curtain! Bead curtain!"

"There's another baby! It does everything I do! And when I hit it with glee it hits me back but it doesn't even hurt." (mirror)

"Hi, window!" (waving)

"This diaper bag is my purse. Bye! I'll put it on my shoulder. Even though I'm still learning how arms work and even though this is almost as big as I am and it's really heavy. It's my purse. Bye!"

"This muffin is for eating and crumbling into my hair."

"Hi, couch!" (waving)

"I like everything that I'm not allowed to play with. Especially books of poetry and the trash."

"Cheerios are better when they're on the floor."

"Hi, keys!" (waving)

She's adorable. 


On a totally unrelated note, this happened on facebook today, and I liked it: