Sometimes her instructions are quite specific. The other day, when I was humming one of Ruby's songs that I had stuck in my head, she requested, "Just sing it, Mommy. Don't pretend sing, OK?" And when her dad was using a low voice to depict one of the characters in a book they were reading, she directed, "Don't read it sad. Read it happy."
She now understands many of the rules of common courtesy and is more than eager to enforce them. When I try to put away a toy she's not done with, I'll hear, "Not avail'ble yet! Rubby's still using it. Wait your turn!" However, when she is the one who has to wait for something that is not yet available, she has often been known to screech, "Avail'ble! Rubby NEEDS it!"
One of my favorite pastimes is listening in on the conversations she has with her little friends, both real and imaginary. She especially likes to talk to her little buddy Ian on the days they get to play together. This week, when her singing doggie ran out of batteries, she explained, "Doggie is broken, Ian. Have to wait for Daddy fix it. Find new ba'rries." And when Ian was rough-housing on the furniture, she cautioned, "Be careful, Ian! Don't fall down!" I will often hear her taking care of her dollie (wa-wa), "Want to eat lunch, wa-wa? Here go. Want some water, wa-wa? Rubby get some water. Be right back."
It is getting harder and harder to slide anything past Ruby, as she picks up on everything and has the memory of an elephant. Therefore, we've learned not to make mention of something unless we are prepared to produce it immediately. We also have to be very careful of what promises we make because she will come to collect on it in due time. If we ever run out of something that Ruby is asking for, like a favorite food, we can usually appease her by telling her that we don't have anymore and that we have go to the store and buy more. Sometimes as soon as we tell her that we've run out of something, she will suggest, "Mommy buy more." However, her understanding of commerce is not air-tight. Ruby really dislikes having food stuck in between her teeth, so she enjoys flossing it out. One day, I was helping her floss her teeth, and she kept on asking me to do it more. I told her that she didn't have any more teeth gunk stuck in her teeth, to which she replied, "Mommy buy more."
Of course what makes the things Ruby says so hilarious is the painfully earnest way she makes each statement and poses each question. There is always a concerted effort on our part to respond to her seriously instead of just laughing in her face. We have to remind ourselves that as much as we want to just gobble her up, that she is not just a cute face - she's a little girl with some big ideas.
*Ruby's pronunciation of her own name has also evolved over the past year. Initially, she pronounced it "Yiby" as she could not pronounce the letter R and therefore substituted a random consonant anytime she encountered it. Then there was a brief transition period when she referred to herself as "Wuby." In recent months, she's switched over to "Rubby."
