What's That?

Anna loves to ask "What's that?" But she usually has an answer in mind. For example, we'll be driving home and Anna will ask "What's that?" Since she's in the backseat, I usually have no idea what she's pointing at or even which direction she's looking. So I'll start naming things like a crane, tractor, or a cow. She'll keep repeating "what's that?" until I managed to name whatever it is she's pointing at and then I'll hear a contented "yeah." To me that seems to defeat the point of the question, but what do I know.

Sometimes she'll point to something in a book and even though I can see what she's pointing at, I'm obviously not saying the right thing because she'll keep asking her favorite question.

Last night at dinner, I said to Dan, "Have you noticed that often when Anna asks, 'what's that?' she's got an answer in mind?"

Right then Anna said what sounded like, "I'm testing you, Momma." I still wonder if that's really what she was saying, but that's certainly what it feels like when she asks over and over again, "what's that?"

Her other favorite phrase these days is "I know." I'll say something like, "I need to get you your binky" and Anna will respond with a "yeah, I know." She's even precocious enough to use "I know" as her response when we tell her she's cute. I suspect that she picked up the phrase from her twelve-year-old Aunt Lauren.