Feeling nostalgic...

...so I decided to re-post my favorite video ever of Daisy. It is Daisy "reading" one of her Amelia Bedelia books to her dog Speck, and there is just so much of her little personality in the reading. You can tell that, even though she doesn't understand all the words, she has a strong sense of how to read dramatically; she knows how to create dynamics (there are soft parts and loud parts, dramatic climaxes and softer rising action) and that when you read dialogue, you should put on special voices for the characters. This clip was about the fifteenth time she was reading it (that's why she says "Again, again" at the beginning). Part of what amuses me is the terribly mundane nature of the story as related by an almost-two-year-old ('Oh my cream stuffs!' said Ame' Bede'. She ran to the stove--juuuuust right." "'What is that mess?' said Mr. Rogers. 'Cereal in your coffee,' said Ame' Bede'"). She is saying real words from the book at some points, and at others it kind of sounds like filler-babble. But she's got the tone of voice down so well, and she's so perfectly imitating the way I had read that book to her (a million times), with all the ups and downs and inflections, and hand gestures, and even full bodily movements to express the drama of the tale! She also does little little lip-smacking thing from time to time that she picked up from me and my mom, to add emphasis. She just seems so sweet and baby-like in this video to me. I can hardly believe it was almost a year ago.