The Curious Case of Cutting and Buttons

Akemi is growing up fast and today she was showing off her PMS side. At supper time she was eating her "stretchy meatball" and wanted Silvina to cut it. So Silvina cut the end piece as requested (see near the fork handle) and she broke out hysterically "Don't cut them!". She was crying and repeating "Don't cut them!" over and over. Me and Silvina talked about the movie we saw last night - Tropic Thunder - quite funny. Still crying. I was then saying that I didn't think I was going to finish all the chicken. Still crying. Then we were discussing how irrational the tantrum was. Still crying. Then I was thinking I should take a picture, so I went to find the camera. Still crying. So then I was zooming in and out and trying different ways of framing the picture so that I got her face and the stretchy meatball in the picture. Still crying. After I took the picture, I cleaned up the plates. I noticed that the recycle was somewhat full so I took it outside. Still crying. Now noticed that the compost stuff was full so I took that out too. Some time later she had stopped crying and was good for the rest of the evening.

On a different note, last Tuesday I was looking after her when Silvina went to kendo. After I bathed her, I was combing her hair and wanted to give her something to fiddle with so she wouldn't grab the comb. I saw my pajama top, so I gave it to her and showed her the buttons. I gave her some instructions like "grab the button, put it in the hole, and pull it out". So I was busy combing her hair when I heard her repeating the instructions and saying it was done. I looked down and sure enough she had put the button through. I thought it might have been a fluke, so I undid it and asked her to do it again. This time I watched what she was doing. Sure enough she repeated the task again and again until all the buttons were done up.

I know that she has been trying to put her buttons on, but I've never seen her do it successfully by herself. Silvina was saying that probably it's because it's easier when the buttons are not on her chest. I'd like to think I gave her good instructions...