Bean, The Scientist

I will try and put up a few photos later, but for now, you will have to be content with stories of the Little Bean. She has become my little scientist; always trying out new experiments to try and understand the world.

Her latest thing is understanding what happens when things get wet. As you know, we have been in a constant battle regarding the dog water. For the past month or so, she has not been drawn to the water and has contented herself with attempts to eat the dog food instead.

This all changed recently when she discovered that rather than putting her hand in the water, she could put THINGS in the water and they would get WET! Yesterday she was caught taking off her shoes and putting those in the dog water. Today, she managed to get a kitchen towel, her pajamas, and the dog collar into the water. When she was dousing the dog collar, I just watched her to see what she would do. Her face was the picture of concentration and study. She put it in, pulled it out, and then examined it closely. I didn't have the heart to stop her for a few minutes. It was clear she wasn't doing it to make a mess, but instead just trying to understand the phenomenon of wetness. I will keep you updated as to the next objects that find their way into the dog water.

Her other big step is her desire to feed herself with a spoon. As you can imagine, she is terrible at this and most of her food ends up on her face, on the tray, in the floor, and in the belly of the Puppy Bean who waits patiently under her highchair at mealtime! She is INSISTENT on trying though and throws a huge tantrum if you take her spoon away. Because she is a big eater, though, she is happy to have her mama or daddy shovel food in her mouth in between her crazy attempts to feed herself. I have been trying to use sticky food like mashed potatoes or oatmeal for her to feed herself with. I wonder how long it will take her to master this new little skill.