Tall Boy, Skinny Waist

Daniel is now wearing size 2-3T shirts, but only 12-18 mo. shorts & pants.

"I Have Idea!"

During gym class today, Daniel holed up underneath a ramp that had been connected to the ball-pit (like a giant carpet slide, so kids could run down the ramp and jump in).

I wasn't sure what he was up to, I thought maybe he was just being shy, or punking out (like he's done a few weeks previously). Instead, Daniel pokes his head out and says to me: "I have idea!"

"Oh yeah?" I respond, "What's your idea?"

He ducks his head back into his hiding space. Then he pops out again and says, "I have idea!"

So I figured out what was going on: he was pretending that the space was his house, and he was using a red gym mat as his "computer" (he was typing on it), and the handle-slot to the ball pit (where the colors of the balls show through a narrow opening) was the "monitor."

I looked around at all the other kids. The way they were playing (and tend to play all the time) is different. They tend to "use" the all the play-equipment functionally (they slide on the slides, they jump on the trampoline, etc). Daniel does this, too, but after awhile, he likes to set aside some time for himself to find a quiet space and pretend-play.

Thank You, Public Television

Gym class today ended with a game that the kids had to play themselves (parents weren't allowed to help). The kids sat on a red gym mat, and Miss Julie was on the other side of the room with a monkey puppet. The kids would ask, "what time is it?" and the monkey would say 1 or 2 or 7. Then the kids were supposed to take that number of steps forward (until the monkey said midnight, and then they were all supposed to run back to the mat). The other kids caught on, and counted out steps, but Daniel either didn't get it or couldn't care less, and he ended up getting help from Mister Dustin. I felt like the other parents around me were taking pity on me because my kid didn't get it.

But then when we went to put on socks & shoes after class, Daniel went over to the puzzle-rack, and pointed to an alphabet puzzle. "The letter 'Q!'" he explained, pointing correctly at the letter Q.

"That's right." I said.

"Q is for Quiet," Daniel said.

All the parents around me turned and stared. None of the other kids in the class have identified any letters yet, not that I've heard, much less associated them with words. It felt like we went from last in the class to first in just a few minutes. I'm really proud of my little guy.

And I'd like to thank his Mom for reading to him every night. And thank you, Public Television, for Super-Why. He loves that show.

Will You Take the Call?

During a visit to the "Casseroles and Cocktails" exhibit at the Lakewood Heritage Center, Daniel discovered a Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone (70s style, baby) and a pink Princess Phone (slightly more up-to-date).  We came home with the FP phone and he's been chatting ever since.  This morning as I finished drying my hair, I heard Daniel explaining to Mr. McGregor (Peter Rabbit is a favorite bedtime story these days) that "was just the hair dryer" as he walked from the bathroom back to the living room, receiver to ear, phone dangling at his side.

He used the phone for his first pun (first I've heard at least).  He picked up the phone and said "is anyone HAIR?" and chuckled when Mommy repeated, pointing to her hair.  Another favorite game is rolling the phone into the sink in his play kitchen.  This produces a satisfying crash as the phone slams into various pans, dishes and toys.

Repeating Longer Strings of Conversation

I've noticed that Daniel is now repeating back entire sentences of what I say. It goes like this:

JARL: "What do you want to do today, Daniel?"

DANIEL: "want to do to-day..."

J: "Do you feel like going swimming?"

D: "Feel like go-ing swimming..."

J: "Do you think we should go into outer space and live on the moon?"

D: "Go space, live on moon..."

J: "Do you wish your head was a great big cookie?"

(pause, cogitation)

D: "Want cookie!"

Soft and Cuddly

For Easter, Daniel and I found a fabric bunny that we could stuff with catnip for Tashi.  Daniel loved carrying the bunny around, petting it, giving it kisses.  I asked him if the bunny was soft and cuddly.  He coveted the bunny all the more because Tashi was interested in it too.  Soon, Daniel would tell me that the bunny was "soft and cuddly" using the cutesy voice that he uses when he's being funny.

One night, we were making pasta for dinner.  Daniel knew that the uncooked noodles were too "crunchy" to eat.  So I told them that after we boiled the noodles they would be soft.  He then asked "and cuddly"?   Took me a second.  He's a funny kid.

Separation Time

During gym class today, we had our first ever "separation time," meaning the parents were sent to the lobby, while the kids played together with toys in the gym area. Daniel did a good job playing with (or at least among) others, and he lasted the whole time, only coming over to try and find me right as separation time was ending.

All of us parents spent separation time in a heightened state of anxiety. Separation time: one of the things that make your heart go, "uh!"

ABCs

Daniel is (correctly) singing the Alphabet Song!  We have "Super Why" to think for this achievement.  One of the characters, Alpha Pig, has a toolbox full of letters and he sings the alphabet (little different from the traditional "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" melody) while the letters fly from the box. 

Daniel sings very fast, often while hammering (imitating the Pig's tendency to construct) and wraps up with "sing with me!" (instead of "next time won't you...").

He also recognizes certain letters: P, B, U, O, L, Q, K (sometimes), E (sometimes).  The differences between capital and small letters is often confusing.

Another "basic" we're working on is responsibility.  I found a magnetic Responsibility Chart to hang in Daniel's room that's been a source of fascination.  The chart has various tasks (get dressed, brush teeth, share, pick up toys, say 'please' and 'thank you') for which you child is responsible.  Successful completion of a task earn him/her a smiley face that can be put on the specific day of the week next to the task.  There are many colors (pink, yellow, green, orange purple, blue, red) and messages ('You Did It!', 'Awesome', 'Lookin' Good', etc.) on the smiley faces.

Daniel really likes the smiley faces.  Here are the tasks we've had on the board for the last 2 weeks:

• Brush teeth
• Get dressed
• Take a bath
• Pick up toys
• Stop whining

So far 'brush teeth' and 'get dressed' have been successful every day but 'pick up toys' has only earned 1 smiley face in 2 weeks.  I'm planning to switch them up for next week.  When the smiley faces themselves stop motivating, we'll move to a system where the number of smiles in a week earns some sort of reward. For now, choosing the color of smiley face is exciting enough.