new(ish) speech developments

what's going on?
for at least 2 weeks now, whenever the bean wants to know what i am doing she would come over and ask in a very serious voice, "what going on mama?"
like today. she had been playing on her own for a while when she must have suddenly felt the need for my company, so she came over to where i was hanging up the washing and even though she knew what i was doing, she still asked, "what going on mama?"
i was not sure if she referred to something more profoundly philosophical (such as the existential state of the world) but i just answered as simply as i could, "just hanging the washing to dry."

birthday celebrations replay
i don't know if it's the influence of the song "it's my birthday today" by justine clarke (on a cd - i like to sing - that is constantly played in the car) but this afternoon the bean informed me that, "my birthday today mama. i want presents. with big ribbons. purple. pink!"

where's the tickle monster?
since sunday, when dh or i asks her if she knew where the tickle monster is, she would point to some random place and say, "over there", knowing full well that one of us would be launching a tickle-fest on her by responding variously, "are you sure it's not over here?"/"no it's not; it's here!"

gender-bender & then some
i've posted about her referring to herself as a boy. well now it's a bit more precise: "little boy!"
99% of the time when i sayang her and say that she's "mummy's little girl", she'd retort, "nooo."
if i ask her, "then what are you?" she'd proudly/triumphantly/cheekily say, "little boy!"
but yesterday, instead of claiming to be a boy, she just went, "miao!" and miming a kitten bouncing off my shoulders and head, she went, "miao! miao! miao! little kitten! bouncing off mummy!" she was shaking with laughter and then she finally admitted to being "silly".

missing her daddy
last evening when it was nearing bathtime, the bean suddenly went very pensive and pouty. she moped around the living room and then declared, "i want daddy. where's daddy? i want daddy."
when i asked if she would like to speak to him on the phone (he was still at work) she said, "no! i want daddy here. daddy at home!"
this evening she missed him again at bathtime but it was just a one-line pout this time, "i want daddy."