Actually.....

That's Bitty Girl's new term.

"That's my cracker, actually."
"Actually, my dolly goes here."
"I want some i-fream (ice cream) actually."

She uses it with this funny little finger point with her head cocked to the side. Hysterical. And sometimes she gets the context right too.

Last night we had dinner with my grandma, in the dining room of her retirement place. We always create a stir since most of the people light up like 200-watt bulb when they see kids. And all the ladies nod in appreciation when we introduce her--they like the good old-fashioned name.

Bitty Girl sat in a big girl booster chair like she was on the royal throne, barking orders at us through dinner. When the server came to take our order, she grabbed a menu and really seemed to read it, pointing her little finger and running it over the letters. She responded emphatically "RICE please!" when asked for her side dish choices and "PINK I-FREAM" for dessert order. She had to hold her OWN chocolate milk and get the ice out of her water glass BY SELF!

Next morning when she told Daddy on the phone about her dinner, here's what she said she ate. Jellies (jelly beans), chocolate raisins, i-fream and brownies. I had to throw in that she ate some ham and a breadstick with a pound of butter, clam chowder, sunflower seeds and croutons from the salad bar, and a little fruit. No wonder she stayed up chatting to herself in her bed for an hour before she fell asleep. She was flying on a sugar high, actually!


And on Sunday, when she was digging in Papa's garden and I tried to take her picture, she ACTUALLY held up her finger (see below) and said, "No pictures, Mama. Busy digging!"
Hmmmph.