Three Weeks With J

The first three weeks in February I spent babysitting my three and half year old cousin while her regular babysitter was on vacation. For her age, she is extremely bright and very well spoken. She also has to tell you every little thing that has happened, is happening, or will happen, in precise detail. These are some of my favorite stories from those weeks (and the ones I remember).

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Thursday, February 4th:
I went to Target and Jewel with her, and while there, I gave her a "job" to do to keep her occupied (crossing off items on the list, but I had to point them out to her since she cannot read yet). When we got back to her house, I thanked her for her help.
Me: Thank you for your help today, J. You were really a big help.
J: K. I know.


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While at Target, I bought her a small Barbie bathtub set. She could not wait to get home and open it. She was so excited, she insisted on holding it the whole time while there and in the car on the way home. When we got home, I spent ten minutes opening it up, getting out all the little pieces, and removing all the plastic pieces that holds it all in place. When I was done, she sat down on the floor and played with it. Ten minutes later....

J: Uh, Jill, I don't want this anymore.
Me: What?
J: Well, I didn't really want this.
Me: Then why did you ask for it? You said you were sure.
J: Well, what I really wanted was the phone, not this. (We saw a fake cell phone there, too, which she fingered for two seconds.)
Me: Well, J, it's too late now. I bought it, paid for it, and opened it up. I can't return it now. You're stuck with it. If you don't want it, don't play with it.
J: Ok. 

The next day, she spent an hour playing with it.


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Friday, February 5th:
I was playing with her after I had come back from The Oprah Winfrey Show. I do not recall exactly what I said, but this is the conversation:
J: WHAAAAATTTT?
Me, laughing: Where'd you learn that? School, J? (Her brother's name also begins with J.)
J: Hannah Montana
Me: Oh. How lovely.
(Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana actually says, "Say what?" For those of you who do not know what that sounds like, watch this. J says it the exact same way.)


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J has a brother who is four and half years older than her, whose name also begins with J. They have a typical brother-sister relationship, except for one thing: J does not take any c*ap from her brother. In fact, for a three and half year old, she is downright bossy with him. For this story, she will be J1, and he will be J2.  

Tuesday, February 10th:
It is about 5PM. J's brother, J2, is home from school. I was upstairs in the dining room, reading a book, and J1 and J2 were downstairs, watching tv. I did not hear the beginning of the conversation, and did not really hear all of J2's part of the conversation, but here is what I heard:

J1: ...You hit pause, and don't unpause it. You can do that when I come back.
J2: Ok.
J1: J, just pause it. I'm going upstairs and when I come back, we'll unpause it.
J2 responded, which I did not hear.
J1: Ok, I'm going upstairs now. Don't unpause it. I'll be right back.
J1 runs upstairs and throws something away in the garbage. She then runs back downstairs, and I hear:
J1: J, you unpaused it! Why did you do that? I told you not to do that!

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Tuesday, February 16th:
We are standing outside, waiting for her carpool, and J was kind of gliding/sliding in the snow on the sidewalk.
Me: J, why are you walking in the snow?
J: I'm cleaning the sidewalk!
Me: Oh, ok. Good job. Keep going.

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Thursday, February 18th
We are playing Uno for the billionth time, and at one point when it is my turn, I placed a "Draw Two" card down and then it was her turn...
J (upon seeing the card): Whaaat?
Me, laughing: What?
J: Say what? Say what? Say what? (Just like the Hannah Montana video above.)
I cracked up.

Playing Chutes and Ladders, just the two of us:
J: We don't know who's going to win. Either you're going win, or I'm going to win. So it's going to be you or me.
Me: Yes, well, considering that it's only the two of us playing, then yes, it has to be one of us.

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Saturday, February 20th:

I babysat for them Saturday night, and before her parents left, they put her to bed. Her dad took her into her room for bed, and I heard:

J: Leave the door open because I'm going to get up later because I'll wake up.

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General J'isms:
J, when referring to anything in the past, no matter when: One daaaaay agoooo....

She also says "like" quite a lot (and she is not even a teenager yet).
J: Like, one daaaay agoooooo, I went to like, the store with my daddy, and like, we, like....


That is all I can think of for now, and considering my three weeks with her are over, I do not think I will have any more for awhile. Hope everyone got a laugh out of these!