Say, "Cheese" and ABC's!

Recently, we've come to the realization that Stella's toys really DO work! You know, the ones that you want to burn, throw out the window, toss in the trash? Don't do it! They can actually do some GOOD! Of those that I completely support are FridgePhonics and Fisher Price's Sing-Along Karaoke. Without really working with her, these two toys have taught Stella her ABC's (well, partially) and the songs Twinkle, Twinkle, Head Shoulders Knees & Toes, and The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Can she sing these songs from beginning to end? Of course not! But she can fill in the blanks at obvious pauses in the songs. Sometimes, she's not in the mood, so obviously these "tricks" are always done on her own terms!

Clearly, she wasn't in the mood for the entire version of Twinkle, Twinkle, but you get the idea! This should give you a pretty good impression of her ornery personality!

In other news, Stella has started to respond to "Say, cheese!" when we are attempting to take her picture. I was trying to document Alan renovating our bathroom and she ran into the picture and said, "CHEESE!" It was so cute.

Ha...you can tell by her smile that she's saying, "CHEESE!"

She enjoyed talking to Daddy while he painted the bathroom.

Just FYI - I read in Parents magazine that if you want "pleasing expressions and smiles" in pictures, avoid having your children say "cheese." More desirable expressions come from words like monkey and bye-bye! You be the judge...this photo was when Stella said, "monkey!"

I'd say "cheese" is more pleasing....