I guess it really takes a deep culture to develop certain habits. Not to mention that it helps if one is not a lazybone and bad morning person...
Just last month , my husband's sister came for a visit. She stayed 10 days. Anyone who has ever lived in German will asses that breakfast is an important meal there. Accordingly, my sister in law made a point of eating a healthy breakfast each morning. Jonathan seams delighted with the idea and gladly joined his aunt in the morning ceremony. And so, they ate cereals together every morning.(before this visit I sometimes gave Jonathan some cereal in a plastic bag – for the road, but there was no real breakfast – not surprising really, as my husband and I do not normally partake in this meal). A little cuddling after breakfast seamed just as natural and enjoyable for both aunt and nephew... During her visit Jonathan came late to kindergarten...
After the said aunt left, I decided to take a leaf from her book and try to establish the breakfast habit that was born from her visit. I dutifully set the cereals for Jonathan on the table and we ate together after we were dressed and only then did we leave for kindergarten. The habit lasted just one week! And this time it was not because of me! Jonathan lost interest!
My son, like his parents likes his sleep in the morning and does not have patience for breakfast. Nor does he mind leaving the house quickly. And so we are back to our old ways. We get us and get ready to go quickly and sometimes Jonathan gets a bag of cereal in addition to the morning bottle he takes for the road (a five minute walk around the corner to the kindergarten). And yes, I know how important breakfast is supposedly...
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Fears of a Traveling Parent
Its been almost a month since I returned from a 10 day business trip, and only now I am ready to write about my fears. I did fly once before for a weekend and was gone for three days – but this time it was a longer trip and my conscience played the mamba on the strings of my sole.
As I prepared for a 10 day trip abroad for business, I kept wondering exactly how long is Jonathan's memory. At almost two years of age, he was always showing us more surprising evidence of what he learns and remembers. He is especially good at navigating (just last weekend he took me to a house of another boy his age. He wanted to visit his friend and simply knew the way...). I was always wondering if he would forget me because of a long absence. Would he reject me? Oh! Just the thought pierced my sole.
There was also my husband. He was to remain home with Jonathan for 10 days straight! Alone!
I would be lying if I would write that I was not concerned. Not that I do not think my husband can care for the boy – of course he can! My concern was more for Jonathan's routine. In our household I am the stricter parent when it comes to routine. My husband is more easy going.
When my husband traveled abroad for 14 days two weeks before my trip, it took Jonathan about a day and a half to get used to him again when he returned, even though it was clear that Jonathan never forgot his daddy. During the time my husband was away, Jonathan stuck to me like glue (even more than usual)- it was as if he was feeling the loss of one parent (his absent father) and was thus guarding the remaining care giver (his mommy) with special care. He basically did not let me out of his sight and followed me wherever I went when we were together. It was because of this that I called on my mother and brother to visit and relieve my husband a little during my absence. This way, I hoped to compensate Jonathan for his absent mommy by supplying alternative sources of love. They both dutifully came and Jonathan got a little family TLC .
I dutifully called every evening to speak to him and insisted that he hear my voice. My husband was always happy to hear my voice and talk to me, but not so my son who did not want to talk on the phone. As the days went by, Jonathan rejected the phone more aggressively and my heart broke. I was already imagining that he would simply turn his back on me when I came back.
What actually happened was that the moment he saw me he hugged me and immediately sat on my lap and we watched DVD together the whole morning (I took him to kindergarten late that day – another compensation, trying to make up for the “together time” lost). The only problem we had was a renewed difficulty to separate from me, when I took him to kindergarten in the following days . The solution was that for a while my husband took him in the mornings to ease the separation process. Only now, after a month, I am seeing that he once again has no problem when coming to kindergarten in the morning – and even if he still does not like it that I leave he loves the care givers there and plays and is a happy and thriving boy!
Even as I was preparing for the trip it was obvious that everything will be OK. That the only party to suffer anything at all from thew trip is me. Ironically, the chances are that Jonathan will not remember the time that I was away (he is too small) when he is older. It is I who will always remember all the doubts and fears associated with the trip!
As I prepared for a 10 day trip abroad for business, I kept wondering exactly how long is Jonathan's memory. At almost two years of age, he was always showing us more surprising evidence of what he learns and remembers. He is especially good at navigating (just last weekend he took me to a house of another boy his age. He wanted to visit his friend and simply knew the way...). I was always wondering if he would forget me because of a long absence. Would he reject me? Oh! Just the thought pierced my sole.
There was also my husband. He was to remain home with Jonathan for 10 days straight! Alone!
I would be lying if I would write that I was not concerned. Not that I do not think my husband can care for the boy – of course he can! My concern was more for Jonathan's routine. In our household I am the stricter parent when it comes to routine. My husband is more easy going.
When my husband traveled abroad for 14 days two weeks before my trip, it took Jonathan about a day and a half to get used to him again when he returned, even though it was clear that Jonathan never forgot his daddy. During the time my husband was away, Jonathan stuck to me like glue (even more than usual)- it was as if he was feeling the loss of one parent (his absent father) and was thus guarding the remaining care giver (his mommy) with special care. He basically did not let me out of his sight and followed me wherever I went when we were together. It was because of this that I called on my mother and brother to visit and relieve my husband a little during my absence. This way, I hoped to compensate Jonathan for his absent mommy by supplying alternative sources of love. They both dutifully came and Jonathan got a little family TLC .
I dutifully called every evening to speak to him and insisted that he hear my voice. My husband was always happy to hear my voice and talk to me, but not so my son who did not want to talk on the phone. As the days went by, Jonathan rejected the phone more aggressively and my heart broke. I was already imagining that he would simply turn his back on me when I came back.
What actually happened was that the moment he saw me he hugged me and immediately sat on my lap and we watched DVD together the whole morning (I took him to kindergarten late that day – another compensation, trying to make up for the “together time” lost). The only problem we had was a renewed difficulty to separate from me, when I took him to kindergarten in the following days . The solution was that for a while my husband took him in the mornings to ease the separation process. Only now, after a month, I am seeing that he once again has no problem when coming to kindergarten in the morning – and even if he still does not like it that I leave he loves the care givers there and plays and is a happy and thriving boy!
Even as I was preparing for the trip it was obvious that everything will be OK. That the only party to suffer anything at all from thew trip is me. Ironically, the chances are that Jonathan will not remember the time that I was away (he is too small) when he is older. It is I who will always remember all the doubts and fears associated with the trip!
A Matter of Choice
As a toddler grows, so does he wish to be more independent. Each baby has his/her own way of challenging parents in the strife for independence – Jonathan way is being the king of choice.
Actually, the books say that choice is a very good thing for a two year old (the books say nothing about the wellbeing of the parents though...). Giving your little one a choice is a way to show your child that you trust them and want them to share in the burden of decision making. In taking part in such activity they build a strong self esteem and are supposedly more assured and happier.
Jonathan loves to choose, and I have discovered it is indeed easier if I let him choose – all within certain limits of course. For example: we use Pampers because this is more or less the only diaper big enough for Jonathan, but Pampers have different animal drawings on them (unlike Huggies, that are also big enough but all diapers in one package have the same drawing – usually Disney...but mommy did not choose Huggies...). So Jonathan wants to select which animals he may use as underwear each morning... At first the diaper drawer was full and Jonathan would turn over 10 diapers and make a big mess, until I lost my temper. It took me three days to think of a solution, but then I came up with the ingenious idea of hiding our diapers stock and putting only two units in the drawer that Jonathan knows as the “diaper depot”. This way he gets to choose between two units (and even returns the unchosen nappy to its place – he insists on returning it) and I get some peace. He also chooses his shirts, socks and trousers – this time its more difficult, because there are more than two options to choose from for each item.
The song says “Three is a magic number” and I admit being a family with one child is indeed magical, even if albeit hard work. But in the case of a two year old, two is definitely the magic number – two nappies to choose from, two pairs of shoes to choose from - two fruit juice flavors to choose from, chocolate or milk – two powders to choose from.
We have about 20 DVD's that are intended for children and are all located together in one box – so as there are more than two – we have a big mess and Jonathan has fun making it. Jonathan is always wanting to change the DVD that is playing – I have tried offering only two (or 4 DVD's) and yet he insists on having the whole box to choose from. I think what really turns him on in this case is operating the DVD player, and not so much choosing what will be played.
Jonathan has also two parents he can choose from – and he chooses where he feels he will get the best deal. If I do not allow something he will run to my husband and try again...
Like any two year old he has a preference for mommy, but the way I see it – when he is old enough to play soccer, my golden era will be over and his daddy (and grandpa) will be the star(s) of his life – that is until friends take our place...
Jonathan also has two languages to choose from. And it seams more clear as the days go by that he really does understands that there are indeed two separate languages; Hebrew and German. His father takes him once a week to a German speaking play group and we hope this will strengthen his German skills. After all, as Jonathan is growing up in Israel, he is surrounded by Hebrew speakers (kindergarten, family etc.) and German is connected only to his father who speaks it with him. I also speak German but only when I am with both my husband and Jonathan (other wise I speak Hebrew to the boy). Jonathan has already used a few words in German – mostly counting to three and protesting and saying no! (nein) when he disagrees with his father. If saying no in Hebrew does not work, he will try it in German – no matter with whom he is speaking. Jonathan is making the most of his choices in this case. (There is one word he has adopted from English – mouse, as in Micky mouse, he got it off a Children's DVD.)
Jonathan has also two favorite themes which he likes to talk about – animals and numbers. Again its all a matter of choice and two is indeed a magical source of options.
One of the clear choices Jonathan made recently was to choose to no longer sleep in a baby bed. One day he simply started laying down to sleep on the mattress I usually used to lie near him until he fell asleep (in the baby bed). And so we both lied don the floor together and read together and sang together until he slept. Therefore, we recently purchased Jonathan a bed for big kids, so now there are two mattresses to choose from. Jonathan has chosen to sleep on the lower one. At first I lifted him up to the higher one and then closed the lower mattress (its an opening bed for friends, and for parents that must stick around in the middle of the night...) but eventually I accepted his choice and even find it a bit safer – should he roll off the bed, he will only “drop” 20 cm from the lower mattress. IF he wakes me up in the middle of the night, then I sometimes lie (and fall asleep) on the higher mattress to be near him in comfort.
We even have two books we take to bed when Jonathan goes to sleep. One is a classical children's story about 5 balloons that I grew up with and Jonathan loves to tell me himself – by mimicking parts of the story (he still does not really talk except single words and syllables and distortions, no sentences). And another is a book with animal pictures, we have a song for each animal (did I mention he loves animals?). My Jonathan loves to sing! He sings better than he talks and he learns words from the songs. Just like in the ABBA song...
This singing and story telling time in the evening is some of the best “quality time” my son and I spend together, and yet I must shorten it, as I wish to teach Jonathan to put himself to sleep – in the hope that this way he will be board and will fall asleep faster. Today was the first trial and Jonathan chose to get out of bed and call us again and again, until my husband gave in and came to sit with him until he fell asleep – but we hope he will get the hang of it soon – after all this is one of choices his parents are making for him...
Actually, the books say that choice is a very good thing for a two year old (the books say nothing about the wellbeing of the parents though...). Giving your little one a choice is a way to show your child that you trust them and want them to share in the burden of decision making. In taking part in such activity they build a strong self esteem and are supposedly more assured and happier.
Jonathan loves to choose, and I have discovered it is indeed easier if I let him choose – all within certain limits of course. For example: we use Pampers because this is more or less the only diaper big enough for Jonathan, but Pampers have different animal drawings on them (unlike Huggies, that are also big enough but all diapers in one package have the same drawing – usually Disney...but mommy did not choose Huggies...). So Jonathan wants to select which animals he may use as underwear each morning... At first the diaper drawer was full and Jonathan would turn over 10 diapers and make a big mess, until I lost my temper. It took me three days to think of a solution, but then I came up with the ingenious idea of hiding our diapers stock and putting only two units in the drawer that Jonathan knows as the “diaper depot”. This way he gets to choose between two units (and even returns the unchosen nappy to its place – he insists on returning it) and I get some peace. He also chooses his shirts, socks and trousers – this time its more difficult, because there are more than two options to choose from for each item.
The song says “Three is a magic number” and I admit being a family with one child is indeed magical, even if albeit hard work. But in the case of a two year old, two is definitely the magic number – two nappies to choose from, two pairs of shoes to choose from - two fruit juice flavors to choose from, chocolate or milk – two powders to choose from.
We have about 20 DVD's that are intended for children and are all located together in one box – so as there are more than two – we have a big mess and Jonathan has fun making it. Jonathan is always wanting to change the DVD that is playing – I have tried offering only two (or 4 DVD's) and yet he insists on having the whole box to choose from. I think what really turns him on in this case is operating the DVD player, and not so much choosing what will be played.
Jonathan has also two parents he can choose from – and he chooses where he feels he will get the best deal. If I do not allow something he will run to my husband and try again...
Like any two year old he has a preference for mommy, but the way I see it – when he is old enough to play soccer, my golden era will be over and his daddy (and grandpa) will be the star(s) of his life – that is until friends take our place...
Jonathan also has two languages to choose from. And it seams more clear as the days go by that he really does understands that there are indeed two separate languages; Hebrew and German. His father takes him once a week to a German speaking play group and we hope this will strengthen his German skills. After all, as Jonathan is growing up in Israel, he is surrounded by Hebrew speakers (kindergarten, family etc.) and German is connected only to his father who speaks it with him. I also speak German but only when I am with both my husband and Jonathan (other wise I speak Hebrew to the boy). Jonathan has already used a few words in German – mostly counting to three and protesting and saying no! (nein) when he disagrees with his father. If saying no in Hebrew does not work, he will try it in German – no matter with whom he is speaking. Jonathan is making the most of his choices in this case. (There is one word he has adopted from English – mouse, as in Micky mouse, he got it off a Children's DVD.)
Jonathan has also two favorite themes which he likes to talk about – animals and numbers. Again its all a matter of choice and two is indeed a magical source of options.
One of the clear choices Jonathan made recently was to choose to no longer sleep in a baby bed. One day he simply started laying down to sleep on the mattress I usually used to lie near him until he fell asleep (in the baby bed). And so we both lied don the floor together and read together and sang together until he slept. Therefore, we recently purchased Jonathan a bed for big kids, so now there are two mattresses to choose from. Jonathan has chosen to sleep on the lower one. At first I lifted him up to the higher one and then closed the lower mattress (its an opening bed for friends, and for parents that must stick around in the middle of the night...) but eventually I accepted his choice and even find it a bit safer – should he roll off the bed, he will only “drop” 20 cm from the lower mattress. IF he wakes me up in the middle of the night, then I sometimes lie (and fall asleep) on the higher mattress to be near him in comfort.
We even have two books we take to bed when Jonathan goes to sleep. One is a classical children's story about 5 balloons that I grew up with and Jonathan loves to tell me himself – by mimicking parts of the story (he still does not really talk except single words and syllables and distortions, no sentences). And another is a book with animal pictures, we have a song for each animal (did I mention he loves animals?). My Jonathan loves to sing! He sings better than he talks and he learns words from the songs. Just like in the ABBA song...
This singing and story telling time in the evening is some of the best “quality time” my son and I spend together, and yet I must shorten it, as I wish to teach Jonathan to put himself to sleep – in the hope that this way he will be board and will fall asleep faster. Today was the first trial and Jonathan chose to get out of bed and call us again and again, until my husband gave in and came to sit with him until he fell asleep – but we hope he will get the hang of it soon – after all this is one of choices his parents are making for him...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Purchasing Phases
When you first have a baby, you have no true idea of the economic duty you have just taken upon yourself. Then you spend and buy for the new infant and once you have everything arranged (see list blog from 2008) you thinks its over! But no! The baby grows and you are rushing to purchase yet again...
Your baby's life cycle determines your expenses. Just when you think you have finished buying all the stuff your baby needs they have grown and need new stuff. And I believe this will go on until they are fully grown! And even afterwards...
The purchasing phases I have discovered so far:
1 - The newborn: baby bed, cabinet, trolley/stroller – these are the big items! Smaller things – like clothes (you will always have to buy some, even if you are collecting from friends) bottles and diapers top it all off. Clothes and diapers are a continuous phase (see below).
2 – Eating solids: now you have to buy bigger bottles but also solid foods, organic vegetables to cook and grind and of course the baby chair. Clothes are also of a bigger size, as are diapers – which are becoming more expensive (the clever diapers manufacturers do not change the price of the package they just lower the number of diapers it contains!).
3 – First shoes: you can buy the cute little slippers but soon they are too small and you need to buy another pair. Season changes are no help when it comes to the frequency of purchasing toddler shoes. Once you start with the shoes – its a continuous phase (see below).
4 – The big boy's/girl's bed – we have now just gone through this phase. The baby bed is not longer relevant and an investment made just 24 months ago is now sunk cost! In our case, the baby bed has moved on to my sister and it may be returned to us in the future when a new baby causes us to start the cycle again (anything you get as a gift or collect second hand is pure saving because nothing lasts in a baby's life for too long – their needs change – hence the purchasing phases...). We now bought a new bed, but this is not the only new thing to this phase – bed covers are required, enough so we can change them often because he might still wet his bed (now due to over-filled diapers and soon due to his potty training) and plastic protecting covers (did I mention wetting the bed?) and blankets, and new pajamas (its Winter and Jonathan is bigger...last years PJ's and baby blanket just will no longer do).
5 – Potty training: diapers are still in full swing but a toilet seat is required and so are pant like expensive diapers. Diapers will remain with us for the night time for some time to come but their consumption will eventually be reduced. We already purchased the toilet seat for toddlers because Jonathan is showing interest in it, but true potty training is planned for the Spring (he can then run about naked in the warm weather – I will save on detergents and water due to less washing).
This is as far as I have come...
Continuous phases
A - Clothes – season changes and a growing toddler mean you cannot collect or receive 100% of the clothes you require.
B - Shoes are also a frustrating investment because at the age of 2 they only last for an average of 3-4 months – the boy grows and his feet grow with him...
C - Toys too are a continuing investment and relevant for about 6 months – different development phases require new and more challenging toys as the toddler grows. The only bright light in the toy tunnel is that a two year old can find a new born baby toy totally fascinating, after all he has not seen such a thing for two years – hence it is innovative for him (in his fast paced world anything as new as 6 months is boring and familiar – but older stuff is vintage...).
I am sure there are more phases, but I need to determine them first. One thing I am now sure about – above the age of 1.5 years – one has nothing to do in a focused baby shop! Your toddler needs stuff you can find anywhere but there!
May the university tutorage payment be the last phase...
ahh, my parents are still spending on me, via Jonathan of course...
Your baby's life cycle determines your expenses. Just when you think you have finished buying all the stuff your baby needs they have grown and need new stuff. And I believe this will go on until they are fully grown! And even afterwards...
The purchasing phases I have discovered so far:
1 - The newborn: baby bed, cabinet, trolley/stroller – these are the big items! Smaller things – like clothes (you will always have to buy some, even if you are collecting from friends) bottles and diapers top it all off. Clothes and diapers are a continuous phase (see below).
2 – Eating solids: now you have to buy bigger bottles but also solid foods, organic vegetables to cook and grind and of course the baby chair. Clothes are also of a bigger size, as are diapers – which are becoming more expensive (the clever diapers manufacturers do not change the price of the package they just lower the number of diapers it contains!).
3 – First shoes: you can buy the cute little slippers but soon they are too small and you need to buy another pair. Season changes are no help when it comes to the frequency of purchasing toddler shoes. Once you start with the shoes – its a continuous phase (see below).
4 – The big boy's/girl's bed – we have now just gone through this phase. The baby bed is not longer relevant and an investment made just 24 months ago is now sunk cost! In our case, the baby bed has moved on to my sister and it may be returned to us in the future when a new baby causes us to start the cycle again (anything you get as a gift or collect second hand is pure saving because nothing lasts in a baby's life for too long – their needs change – hence the purchasing phases...). We now bought a new bed, but this is not the only new thing to this phase – bed covers are required, enough so we can change them often because he might still wet his bed (now due to over-filled diapers and soon due to his potty training) and plastic protecting covers (did I mention wetting the bed?) and blankets, and new pajamas (its Winter and Jonathan is bigger...last years PJ's and baby blanket just will no longer do).
5 – Potty training: diapers are still in full swing but a toilet seat is required and so are pant like expensive diapers. Diapers will remain with us for the night time for some time to come but their consumption will eventually be reduced. We already purchased the toilet seat for toddlers because Jonathan is showing interest in it, but true potty training is planned for the Spring (he can then run about naked in the warm weather – I will save on detergents and water due to less washing).
This is as far as I have come...
Continuous phases
A - Clothes – season changes and a growing toddler mean you cannot collect or receive 100% of the clothes you require.
B - Shoes are also a frustrating investment because at the age of 2 they only last for an average of 3-4 months – the boy grows and his feet grow with him...
C - Toys too are a continuing investment and relevant for about 6 months – different development phases require new and more challenging toys as the toddler grows. The only bright light in the toy tunnel is that a two year old can find a new born baby toy totally fascinating, after all he has not seen such a thing for two years – hence it is innovative for him (in his fast paced world anything as new as 6 months is boring and familiar – but older stuff is vintage...).
I am sure there are more phases, but I need to determine them first. One thing I am now sure about – above the age of 1.5 years – one has nothing to do in a focused baby shop! Your toddler needs stuff you can find anywhere but there!
May the university tutorage payment be the last phase...
ahh, my parents are still spending on me, via Jonathan of course...
Possession
I am not sure that Jonathan has an understanding of the idea of presents, he has just turned 2 years old and we gave him a birthday party. He loves tearing the paper off the packages, but there is no added value to the gift itself, after all, from Jonathan's point of view, he owns the entire world anyway, especially his mommy...
Possession is a simple concept for toddlers, what they are strong enough to take, is theirs to enjoy! This is true for games and toys (shoving other kids out of the way in the grabbing process) and for food (anything mom or dad or grandma eat is legally the child's property and is immediately confiscated by said child, and indeed given up by said parents/relatives).
This is doubly true for mommy – a toddler has exclusive ownership of their mother – at least in their eyes – and siblings and cousins are irrelevant! Climbing on my back at any time, pulling me about so that I will join him in any part of the house or any activity he is undertaking is all routine to Jonathan. Grabbing at my glasses or my clothes and shoving items under my shirt (and fondling me when trying to then pull them out) is all normal daily activity to him – after all, as a first child, “we are the king!”.
I admit I enjoy his climbing escapades and allow them. I try to put some limit to his peeping under my shirt and absolutely forbid him to hit me (which he does under protest, like all toddlers) so we do have some borders. Even though I am his! From his point of view and to be honest also from mine (his daddy however definitely does not share this opinion...).
My sister has just had a baby, a daughter who is now two months old. At last an opportunity has come, in which I am not too sick (a true Winter problem for parents – always a running nose somewhere in the family) and I could hold my new niece in my arms. I sat with her on my lap, just this last weekend in a family get-together. I enjoyed the new baby smell and the baby's mom enjoyed a break. The only unsatisfied party in the room was Jonathan.
As long as my niece is in her baby pen, Jonathan loves to look at her and instruct everyone to be quiet in her vicinity (finger to lips and shushing noises). But as soon as the “little startup” has dared to invade his property, and locate herself on HIS mommy's lap (actually the little baby was a passive party and I was to blame for this scandalous location) then all is fair in love and war!
While I was trying to encourage Jonathan to stroke and cuddle the baby, which he did, and to say “baby” in Hebrew, which he did, he was continuously pulling at the little girl's sleeve, trying to literally remove her from my lap. I naturally did not permit this and hence we were in a curious pulling war for a few minutes – Jonathan pulling at the baby and I pulling his arm away from her.
My sister, concerned for her new baby offered to take her away – I insisted at first that she remain where she is, after all, Jonathan should learn to accept other babies on my lap – or his future siblings (whenever they come to the world, and no, no plans or little secrets to hide) have no chance of a little TLC. If he cannot learn on a mere cousin, what will it be like with a sibling?
My older sister said her boy was just as jealous when he was two (said boy is now 8 years old). After all cousins and babies of friends are the “good guys” because they are temporary disturbances in the toddler's world. Its all over when one returns home alone with mommy and daddy! Yippee! Its the siblings (siblkings?) that are a constant problem (hence the so called“bad guys”) and which cause true and sometimes violent jealousy attacks.
Eventually I decided to end the training session and gave the baby back to its mother. My lap was now empty and everything in Jonathan's world seamed to have returned to normal. He was however not happy until he came and gave me a big hug, immediately after the baby was removed from me – testing 100% that the space is indeed free again. His so obvious relief at this new found space, and his staying in a hugging position for some time, all contributed to our glee at the irony of the entire situation and my sisters, mother, and I had a good laugh. Jonathan's sigh of relief was the cream on top of our cake....
Possession is a simple concept for toddlers, what they are strong enough to take, is theirs to enjoy! This is true for games and toys (shoving other kids out of the way in the grabbing process) and for food (anything mom or dad or grandma eat is legally the child's property and is immediately confiscated by said child, and indeed given up by said parents/relatives).
This is doubly true for mommy – a toddler has exclusive ownership of their mother – at least in their eyes – and siblings and cousins are irrelevant! Climbing on my back at any time, pulling me about so that I will join him in any part of the house or any activity he is undertaking is all routine to Jonathan. Grabbing at my glasses or my clothes and shoving items under my shirt (and fondling me when trying to then pull them out) is all normal daily activity to him – after all, as a first child, “we are the king!”.
I admit I enjoy his climbing escapades and allow them. I try to put some limit to his peeping under my shirt and absolutely forbid him to hit me (which he does under protest, like all toddlers) so we do have some borders. Even though I am his! From his point of view and to be honest also from mine (his daddy however definitely does not share this opinion...).
My sister has just had a baby, a daughter who is now two months old. At last an opportunity has come, in which I am not too sick (a true Winter problem for parents – always a running nose somewhere in the family) and I could hold my new niece in my arms. I sat with her on my lap, just this last weekend in a family get-together. I enjoyed the new baby smell and the baby's mom enjoyed a break. The only unsatisfied party in the room was Jonathan.
As long as my niece is in her baby pen, Jonathan loves to look at her and instruct everyone to be quiet in her vicinity (finger to lips and shushing noises). But as soon as the “little startup” has dared to invade his property, and locate herself on HIS mommy's lap (actually the little baby was a passive party and I was to blame for this scandalous location) then all is fair in love and war!
While I was trying to encourage Jonathan to stroke and cuddle the baby, which he did, and to say “baby” in Hebrew, which he did, he was continuously pulling at the little girl's sleeve, trying to literally remove her from my lap. I naturally did not permit this and hence we were in a curious pulling war for a few minutes – Jonathan pulling at the baby and I pulling his arm away from her.
My sister, concerned for her new baby offered to take her away – I insisted at first that she remain where she is, after all, Jonathan should learn to accept other babies on my lap – or his future siblings (whenever they come to the world, and no, no plans or little secrets to hide) have no chance of a little TLC. If he cannot learn on a mere cousin, what will it be like with a sibling?
My older sister said her boy was just as jealous when he was two (said boy is now 8 years old). After all cousins and babies of friends are the “good guys” because they are temporary disturbances in the toddler's world. Its all over when one returns home alone with mommy and daddy! Yippee! Its the siblings (siblkings?) that are a constant problem (hence the so called“bad guys”) and which cause true and sometimes violent jealousy attacks.
Eventually I decided to end the training session and gave the baby back to its mother. My lap was now empty and everything in Jonathan's world seamed to have returned to normal. He was however not happy until he came and gave me a big hug, immediately after the baby was removed from me – testing 100% that the space is indeed free again. His so obvious relief at this new found space, and his staying in a hugging position for some time, all contributed to our glee at the irony of the entire situation and my sisters, mother, and I had a good laugh. Jonathan's sigh of relief was the cream on top of our cake....
Friday, October 9, 2009
A Jonathan Great Moment - Elevator
October 9th, 2009 – 1 year and 10.5 month old
Jonathan ordered a lift for himself and almost used it too.
Jonathan loves elevators, the buttons light up when pressed and the movement underneath his feet is a thrill! When we are in a shopping mall or a hotel, he always runs to the excallators or/and the elevators. He has already once almost crawled into an elevator in a large baby shop when he was about 6 months old!
We were visiting friends and Jonathan just pressed the button and the elevator came. The doors opened and he simply walked in. I noticed it just as the doors were closing. I quickly pressed the button and the doors opened again – with my boy with a delighted sunshine smile on his face appearing before me, totally unconcerned that he had been closed in an elevator all alone, just glad to see that mommy has come too, I guess...lucky that it was a small building, so even if he had managed to press buttons and use the elevator, I could have easily found him.
Jonathan ordered a lift for himself and almost used it too.
Jonathan loves elevators, the buttons light up when pressed and the movement underneath his feet is a thrill! When we are in a shopping mall or a hotel, he always runs to the excallators or/and the elevators. He has already once almost crawled into an elevator in a large baby shop when he was about 6 months old!
We were visiting friends and Jonathan just pressed the button and the elevator came. The doors opened and he simply walked in. I noticed it just as the doors were closing. I quickly pressed the button and the doors opened again – with my boy with a delighted sunshine smile on his face appearing before me, totally unconcerned that he had been closed in an elevator all alone, just glad to see that mommy has come too, I guess...lucky that it was a small building, so even if he had managed to press buttons and use the elevator, I could have easily found him.
Starting All Over Again
My sister had a baby – her daughter is just soooo small and dainty! I feel like I am starting all over again. I dug up all the baby clothes an toys from our high closet, took out the baby bath and baby sense, stroller, car seat, bottles and pacifiers etc. My sister's baby came early and they had nothing prepared – so it was up to me mostly to provide all the equipment. Luckily I still have everything on hand.
Then there was also remembering things again, as my sister called to ask questions and to get tips. It's her first child...Its amazing how easy it all seems, the baby just eats and sleeps. No need to chase and run after it... I remember that when Jonathan was born, his total dependence on me was so shocking for me that it became an extra weight. My sister seems to be more relaxed and is basking in her new motherhood status. All this makes me think that a second child is not going to be such a great shock as Jonathan was. I guess the shock is what compelled me to start this blog...now its just fun to document whatever is going on and what new things Jonathan does as he grows bigger and stronger every day.
Then there was also remembering things again, as my sister called to ask questions and to get tips. It's her first child...Its amazing how easy it all seems, the baby just eats and sleeps. No need to chase and run after it... I remember that when Jonathan was born, his total dependence on me was so shocking for me that it became an extra weight. My sister seems to be more relaxed and is basking in her new motherhood status. All this makes me think that a second child is not going to be such a great shock as Jonathan was. I guess the shock is what compelled me to start this blog...now its just fun to document whatever is going on and what new things Jonathan does as he grows bigger and stronger every day.
Thinking Processes and Improved Speech
Jonathan is still not talking – actually he is talking non stop, tone and all (true language melody included) just not any coherent words we might understand (and we understand 4 languages between my husband and myself). Still his speech is improving and slowly talk is becoming linked to actions. Despite the speech deficit, he has no problem whatsoever to manage his little world and all the adults in it!
Pulling me about and telling me I must either stand up (KUM is masculine imperative for get up in Hebrew) or sit (“Shev” is masculine imperative for sit down in Hebrew) is by now routine for Jonathan. If I do not sit to his liking, he will pull me up and show me the correct place in which I am to sit.
He now exercises this authority also on my parents (his grandparents), my husband (his daddy|) and my siblings (his aunts and uncles). All adults tend to obey his wishes, and his cousins too.
He goes willingly to bed when I ask him to, but he wants me to stay in his room. At first I was told that I must sit with him – Shev, he said and indicated a chair in his room. He even dragged the chair for me so that it would stand nearer to his bed. Now I am required to stay and sleep - “Shon” (short for “lishon” sleep in Hebrew) he says, standing perched inside his high bed and indicating the floor. I now have to lye down next to his bed for a while. If I do not, he will get us and stand in the bed. To be fair to my little tyrant, he has dragged over a small mattress we have in the living room for his use, so that I can lye on that in his bedroom in comfort, while I keep him company in the dark.
Yesterday, as I went to his room in the morning, he stood up in the bed and said “TUL” - short for “Chitul” which means nappy in Hebrew – the boy indicated his pants and showed me he was wet and that his nappy was full. He clearly was asking me to change it (even if he did not point to the changing table, as he had done before).
Today was the first time he informed me of the fact that he had just now pooped in his nappy. He was in his bed for the afternoon nap and I was on the mattress on the floor as usual, and he got up and said “kaki” which is children's language for poop in Hebrew. I change the diaper and then he quickly fell asleep, dry and comfortable with nothing pressing in his belly...
He slept 4 hours this afternoon and when my husband went to help him out of bed he repeated the announcement that he had a diaper full of “kaki”, as indeed it was. It's really cool to see how he is finally connecting words to deeds and how he is discovering himself.
It is nice to watch how his thinking process becomes more clear and focused. One morning he got up and ran directly towards the television. This was nothing unusual, as DVD is his main indoors activity – but this time he saw that our TV was not ready for the DVD. The cables were wrong. So he simply fixed it – he changed the cables, putting in the ones that belong to the DVD in the correct sockets (they are color coded) and brought me a DVD CD so that I place it in the player for him.
We were eating ice cream today and for the first time Jonathan ate alone from a plastic cup. I ate with him, from the same cup and using a different spoon. Jonathan decided to feed me and at first he offered me bites with his own spoon, then he decided that was not good enough and taking my spoon, he tried to transfer ice that he scooped up with his spoon, into my spoon so he could give it to me from my spoon. Although he failed miserably, got all dirty and sticky in the process and I got to eat no ice cream, it was so cute to watch his intention.
Jonathan can also count! He has no problem counting up to three! He can clearly count in Hebrew and associates counting before certain activities – like when I help him jump, or when I lift him into the bath tub. Recently he also started counting in German with his daddy. He also says goodbye in German (Tchuess) and NO in German (Nein). He clearly also reacts to his name, when it is called he turns around. His singing also improves (even though his kindergarten teacher asked me to take him to an ear inspection because he falls a lot – the doctor said the boy is healthy, but sent him to a hearing test because of his speech deficit) he sings with the DVD or when we play music in the car and even just so, singing when walking in the street or with mommy – although he usually tends to forbid me sing – scolding me when I do so. Although he is behind when it comes to speech, I have no reason to think he cannot hear properly and he is finally showing some advancement.
Pulling me about and telling me I must either stand up (KUM is masculine imperative for get up in Hebrew) or sit (“Shev” is masculine imperative for sit down in Hebrew) is by now routine for Jonathan. If I do not sit to his liking, he will pull me up and show me the correct place in which I am to sit.
He now exercises this authority also on my parents (his grandparents), my husband (his daddy|) and my siblings (his aunts and uncles). All adults tend to obey his wishes, and his cousins too.
He goes willingly to bed when I ask him to, but he wants me to stay in his room. At first I was told that I must sit with him – Shev, he said and indicated a chair in his room. He even dragged the chair for me so that it would stand nearer to his bed. Now I am required to stay and sleep - “Shon” (short for “lishon” sleep in Hebrew) he says, standing perched inside his high bed and indicating the floor. I now have to lye down next to his bed for a while. If I do not, he will get us and stand in the bed. To be fair to my little tyrant, he has dragged over a small mattress we have in the living room for his use, so that I can lye on that in his bedroom in comfort, while I keep him company in the dark.
Yesterday, as I went to his room in the morning, he stood up in the bed and said “TUL” - short for “Chitul” which means nappy in Hebrew – the boy indicated his pants and showed me he was wet and that his nappy was full. He clearly was asking me to change it (even if he did not point to the changing table, as he had done before).
Today was the first time he informed me of the fact that he had just now pooped in his nappy. He was in his bed for the afternoon nap and I was on the mattress on the floor as usual, and he got up and said “kaki” which is children's language for poop in Hebrew. I change the diaper and then he quickly fell asleep, dry and comfortable with nothing pressing in his belly...
He slept 4 hours this afternoon and when my husband went to help him out of bed he repeated the announcement that he had a diaper full of “kaki”, as indeed it was. It's really cool to see how he is finally connecting words to deeds and how he is discovering himself.
It is nice to watch how his thinking process becomes more clear and focused. One morning he got up and ran directly towards the television. This was nothing unusual, as DVD is his main indoors activity – but this time he saw that our TV was not ready for the DVD. The cables were wrong. So he simply fixed it – he changed the cables, putting in the ones that belong to the DVD in the correct sockets (they are color coded) and brought me a DVD CD so that I place it in the player for him.
We were eating ice cream today and for the first time Jonathan ate alone from a plastic cup. I ate with him, from the same cup and using a different spoon. Jonathan decided to feed me and at first he offered me bites with his own spoon, then he decided that was not good enough and taking my spoon, he tried to transfer ice that he scooped up with his spoon, into my spoon so he could give it to me from my spoon. Although he failed miserably, got all dirty and sticky in the process and I got to eat no ice cream, it was so cute to watch his intention.
Jonathan can also count! He has no problem counting up to three! He can clearly count in Hebrew and associates counting before certain activities – like when I help him jump, or when I lift him into the bath tub. Recently he also started counting in German with his daddy. He also says goodbye in German (Tchuess) and NO in German (Nein). He clearly also reacts to his name, when it is called he turns around. His singing also improves (even though his kindergarten teacher asked me to take him to an ear inspection because he falls a lot – the doctor said the boy is healthy, but sent him to a hearing test because of his speech deficit) he sings with the DVD or when we play music in the car and even just so, singing when walking in the street or with mommy – although he usually tends to forbid me sing – scolding me when I do so. Although he is behind when it comes to speech, I have no reason to think he cannot hear properly and he is finally showing some advancement.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Kindergarten for big kids
Jonathan is 1 year and 9 months old and this means that it is time to place him in a kindergarten class that has bigger children in it, kids Jonathan's age and up! I do not think I am a fussy or over protective mother, but the transaction to the larger facility and into a class with 25 children has me all wound up! Jonathan on the other hand seams quite happy...
After a year and a half in the baby class (into which I entered him when he was just 3 months old), Jonathan is moving up in the world – to a kindergarten for bigger kids! The facility is larger and there is a real sand area for play and more toys and swings and slides. Everything that an average two year old can enjoy, board games and puzzles and a large variety of figurines! There is also new staff and the location is changed (closer to our apartment actually). All this takes getting used to, for the parent as much as the child. Leaving behind the trusted staff who took loving care of my boy for so long (and with whom I got on fabulously), and also watching the baby class being renovated just as we leave it behind, made me feel like I was leaving a home!
The start of the year takes into account this adjustment process and in the first three days parents are expected to be available for their children, spending the first two days with their kids in the kindergarten and being there only for half the day. In the third day they are no longer expected to be with the kids but they must stick around to be near if a need arises to call them back to assure their children. All this is supposed to serve for the children to be accustomed to and familiar with the new place and for the parents to develop a trust towards the new team of caretakers.
Although Jonathan loves for me to be around, as as close to him as possible (come, sit here!, get up ...always giving me instructions where to station myself in his vicinity) he also likes to play and run free! And so, once in the new kindergarten, he took full possession of the kitchen corner, cooking for mommy and offering water and coffee and making sure I sit down near the table, but also pushing away any other child (including children who are sometimes a year older that himself) away from the kitchen, not allowing others to play with him. Did I say possess? My boy showed full ownership from the first moment! In the garden this was repeated. Pushing kids so he can slide and pulling me to sit in the specific location in the large yard that pleased him. And so we happily passed the first two days of ciaos in the kindergarten, going home at lunch time.
25 children with their parents and the staff can be quite an over whelming experience for the average parent! (especially one with a first child – an adult that has to care for just one child in normal times can be hit quite hard by the presence of so many toddlers...) I admit I felt very uneasy about leaving Jonathan in such a large group (although recently in the baby class they were also 22 children – even though only 15 are permitted, still babies are calmer, stay in one place and seam smaller and less threatening to my big boy). But this morning, as parents of the older children (who are already attending the kindergarten a second year) did not stay, and parents of the new children stayed only a short while, things began to calm down and I felt a little better. There are 4 ladies in charge of the group of 23 children (I counted yesterday at breakfast) and one must hope they will get it all under control. My biggest fear is that Jonathan will simply walk off unnoticed. He can open the gate to the smaller sand yard, so if for some reason the large gate to the kindergarten is open (it has an electric lock, but sometimes a parent can leave it open unawares..) the boy can simply leave the kindergarten, and if there are so may kids in the group, will they indeed miss one that has left? Jonathan is also independent enough to try and leave...after all he is in an age of exploration and an age in which one has not yet quite learned to understand (and obey) all the rules. In addition, kids will always be putting their borders to the test, unaware of the dangers envoled. I can only hope that the staff is indeed watchful enough.
This morning I left the kindergarten after staying only an hour, I called about two hours later ands the kindergarten teacher said Jonathan was doing just fine (as expected...he is truly a child that adjusts to his environment quickly and easily – I am truly blessed). Although it was not the original plan, I decided along with his teacher to try and leave him there all day, including a mid-day nap. Hopefully this will work out. After all next week I am back at work (after indulging in three days off for the purpose of transferring Jonathan to the new kindergarten) so there is really not much choice but that he get used to the new place. I got recommendations regarding the staff (especially positive about the kindergarten teacher), but its not easy letting him go in such a large group. As a parent. you feel he may be exposed, unsafe and that he may suffer from lack of personal attention when the staff (however well meaning) has so many children to look after. But then again, in the Israeli school system this only gets worse, with up to 37 children in a classroom from a very early age. So he might as well get used to it early (actually I might as well get used to it early...)
And this has always been the case, classes are few and over crowded and teachers underpaid and overworked. In my attempt to be a good mother, I tried to look up the law about the rate of children per adults in kindergarten and found no rules for children of two years of age. For children of 3 years, where the supervision is better, as it is organized by the state, 30 kids are allowed with one teacher and an assistant by law.
I counted the children in my kindergarten – a picture from when I was five years old and found that with one teacher and one caretaker, we were 33 kids! And I was living in a nice village , not in a large city or a poor neighborhood. A picture of an “end of the year” party from when I was 3 years old, also suggest a large group of children (though I cannot tell exactly how many). The number of children in my kindergarten was not for lack of funds, its just the way things are here! So all this considered, with 25 kids and 4 staff (one teacher and 3 assistants) Jonathan is doing all right...it is I who needs to relax and adjust, he is well satisfied getting full of sand in the playground ( another new horror for the average mom...) occupying himself and playing happily, hardy mouthing a complaint (just a small cry of protest that last only as long as he has no sand in his spoon), as I leave the grounds and allow the staff to take over...
After a year and a half in the baby class (into which I entered him when he was just 3 months old), Jonathan is moving up in the world – to a kindergarten for bigger kids! The facility is larger and there is a real sand area for play and more toys and swings and slides. Everything that an average two year old can enjoy, board games and puzzles and a large variety of figurines! There is also new staff and the location is changed (closer to our apartment actually). All this takes getting used to, for the parent as much as the child. Leaving behind the trusted staff who took loving care of my boy for so long (and with whom I got on fabulously), and also watching the baby class being renovated just as we leave it behind, made me feel like I was leaving a home!
The start of the year takes into account this adjustment process and in the first three days parents are expected to be available for their children, spending the first two days with their kids in the kindergarten and being there only for half the day. In the third day they are no longer expected to be with the kids but they must stick around to be near if a need arises to call them back to assure their children. All this is supposed to serve for the children to be accustomed to and familiar with the new place and for the parents to develop a trust towards the new team of caretakers.
Although Jonathan loves for me to be around, as as close to him as possible (come, sit here!, get up ...always giving me instructions where to station myself in his vicinity) he also likes to play and run free! And so, once in the new kindergarten, he took full possession of the kitchen corner, cooking for mommy and offering water and coffee and making sure I sit down near the table, but also pushing away any other child (including children who are sometimes a year older that himself) away from the kitchen, not allowing others to play with him. Did I say possess? My boy showed full ownership from the first moment! In the garden this was repeated. Pushing kids so he can slide and pulling me to sit in the specific location in the large yard that pleased him. And so we happily passed the first two days of ciaos in the kindergarten, going home at lunch time.
25 children with their parents and the staff can be quite an over whelming experience for the average parent! (especially one with a first child – an adult that has to care for just one child in normal times can be hit quite hard by the presence of so many toddlers...) I admit I felt very uneasy about leaving Jonathan in such a large group (although recently in the baby class they were also 22 children – even though only 15 are permitted, still babies are calmer, stay in one place and seam smaller and less threatening to my big boy). But this morning, as parents of the older children (who are already attending the kindergarten a second year) did not stay, and parents of the new children stayed only a short while, things began to calm down and I felt a little better. There are 4 ladies in charge of the group of 23 children (I counted yesterday at breakfast) and one must hope they will get it all under control. My biggest fear is that Jonathan will simply walk off unnoticed. He can open the gate to the smaller sand yard, so if for some reason the large gate to the kindergarten is open (it has an electric lock, but sometimes a parent can leave it open unawares..) the boy can simply leave the kindergarten, and if there are so may kids in the group, will they indeed miss one that has left? Jonathan is also independent enough to try and leave...after all he is in an age of exploration and an age in which one has not yet quite learned to understand (and obey) all the rules. In addition, kids will always be putting their borders to the test, unaware of the dangers envoled. I can only hope that the staff is indeed watchful enough.
This morning I left the kindergarten after staying only an hour, I called about two hours later ands the kindergarten teacher said Jonathan was doing just fine (as expected...he is truly a child that adjusts to his environment quickly and easily – I am truly blessed). Although it was not the original plan, I decided along with his teacher to try and leave him there all day, including a mid-day nap. Hopefully this will work out. After all next week I am back at work (after indulging in three days off for the purpose of transferring Jonathan to the new kindergarten) so there is really not much choice but that he get used to the new place. I got recommendations regarding the staff (especially positive about the kindergarten teacher), but its not easy letting him go in such a large group. As a parent. you feel he may be exposed, unsafe and that he may suffer from lack of personal attention when the staff (however well meaning) has so many children to look after. But then again, in the Israeli school system this only gets worse, with up to 37 children in a classroom from a very early age. So he might as well get used to it early (actually I might as well get used to it early...)
And this has always been the case, classes are few and over crowded and teachers underpaid and overworked. In my attempt to be a good mother, I tried to look up the law about the rate of children per adults in kindergarten and found no rules for children of two years of age. For children of 3 years, where the supervision is better, as it is organized by the state, 30 kids are allowed with one teacher and an assistant by law.
I counted the children in my kindergarten – a picture from when I was five years old and found that with one teacher and one caretaker, we were 33 kids! And I was living in a nice village , not in a large city or a poor neighborhood. A picture of an “end of the year” party from when I was 3 years old, also suggest a large group of children (though I cannot tell exactly how many). The number of children in my kindergarten was not for lack of funds, its just the way things are here! So all this considered, with 25 kids and 4 staff (one teacher and 3 assistants) Jonathan is doing all right...it is I who needs to relax and adjust, he is well satisfied getting full of sand in the playground ( another new horror for the average mom...) occupying himself and playing happily, hardy mouthing a complaint (just a small cry of protest that last only as long as he has no sand in his spoon), as I leave the grounds and allow the staff to take over...
Bath time & WC
Jonathan loves water, so bath time is usually fun time. He is always learning and becoming more independent during his bath, and in general. He knows what he wants and strives to get it, instructing mommy in the process as to what she must do....now!
Jonathan has the unfortunate habit of coming in to the toilet when I am in there. It all started because the baby books said I should allow him to come in so he will see the concept of toilet from an early age, and so he will understand that there is another option except diapers, making the transaction from diapers to the toilet an easy one, when the time comes. Well the time has not yet come, and he likes to watch me in the toilet, because he just likes to be near me all the time (stuck to my aaa... literally). I have already begun to tell him he must leave the toilet when I am there, and sometimes he goes. Other times he shows me that my time is up! And I should come with him! He does this by coming to me and pulling up my pants and trousers and taking away a magazine I am reading (if I have brought one with me...) and to top it all, he starts pulling me to get up and leave the toilet! In the mornings he brings me my glasses as a sign that now that I am able to see better, I should get up and come with him!
Signaling that I need to come along, get up, sit down and lie down are all a matter of course to Jonathan by now. He communicates very well with his hands and body and has little need for words, and yet I understand perfectly what he wants. Pushing and pulling he shows me where I should locate myself. He can also show resistance and lack of satisfaction, and this comes very often when we must stop watching a DVD. The only time he will not come to the bath is if he is watching a DVD. Once in the bath he enjoys the water and soon forgets he ever refused to come. He likes to put all the shampoo and soap bottles in the tub and sit on them and between them, arranging them like boats. He enjoys the splashes he gets when he throws the bottles into the tub! He also has learned to soap himself. He extracts the liquid from the soap bottle (his favorite is a Johnson's & Johnson's tearless shampoo) and then soaps his belly and sometimes also his head. He also uses the brush to clean his feet (as I have done for him since his first bath) and also brushes his teeth alone (no toothpaste yet...) In the mornings if he sees me brush my teeth, I offer him his tooth brush and he brushes his teeth too. Now I am trying to teach him to stay in the bathroom during this morning brushing process.
Jonathan likes to sing! He is very musical and is getting close to the notes and repeating sounds and parts of words as he goes along! This is not new, what is new is is improving ability to truly sing words. Until now he also sang basically with the DVD tapes, but recently he has taken to join my singing, especially in the bathtub, when I sing the “i am so clean and so cute” song, that I learned from one of the tapes. The song is about washing hands with soap and water and becoming oh so clean and oh so cute...very suitable for bath time. He joins me to sing it even out of the bath, and his father likes to request that we perform the song together... It never fails to amaze me how exact he is in his singing, and that he always gets better.
Jonathan has the unfortunate habit of coming in to the toilet when I am in there. It all started because the baby books said I should allow him to come in so he will see the concept of toilet from an early age, and so he will understand that there is another option except diapers, making the transaction from diapers to the toilet an easy one, when the time comes. Well the time has not yet come, and he likes to watch me in the toilet, because he just likes to be near me all the time (stuck to my aaa... literally). I have already begun to tell him he must leave the toilet when I am there, and sometimes he goes. Other times he shows me that my time is up! And I should come with him! He does this by coming to me and pulling up my pants and trousers and taking away a magazine I am reading (if I have brought one with me...) and to top it all, he starts pulling me to get up and leave the toilet! In the mornings he brings me my glasses as a sign that now that I am able to see better, I should get up and come with him!
Signaling that I need to come along, get up, sit down and lie down are all a matter of course to Jonathan by now. He communicates very well with his hands and body and has little need for words, and yet I understand perfectly what he wants. Pushing and pulling he shows me where I should locate myself. He can also show resistance and lack of satisfaction, and this comes very often when we must stop watching a DVD. The only time he will not come to the bath is if he is watching a DVD. Once in the bath he enjoys the water and soon forgets he ever refused to come. He likes to put all the shampoo and soap bottles in the tub and sit on them and between them, arranging them like boats. He enjoys the splashes he gets when he throws the bottles into the tub! He also has learned to soap himself. He extracts the liquid from the soap bottle (his favorite is a Johnson's & Johnson's tearless shampoo) and then soaps his belly and sometimes also his head. He also uses the brush to clean his feet (as I have done for him since his first bath) and also brushes his teeth alone (no toothpaste yet...) In the mornings if he sees me brush my teeth, I offer him his tooth brush and he brushes his teeth too. Now I am trying to teach him to stay in the bathroom during this morning brushing process.
Jonathan likes to sing! He is very musical and is getting close to the notes and repeating sounds and parts of words as he goes along! This is not new, what is new is is improving ability to truly sing words. Until now he also sang basically with the DVD tapes, but recently he has taken to join my singing, especially in the bathtub, when I sing the “i am so clean and so cute” song, that I learned from one of the tapes. The song is about washing hands with soap and water and becoming oh so clean and oh so cute...very suitable for bath time. He joins me to sing it even out of the bath, and his father likes to request that we perform the song together... It never fails to amaze me how exact he is in his singing, and that he always gets better.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Jonathan's Latest Tricks
As Jonathan learns to know his world better he becomes more skilled at imitating it, hence his newest tricks.
Just recently I wrote that I was so proud of Jonathan going to bed when asked. Such an obedient boy! The ink is not dry on the paper which I printed of that blog entry (I print each entry as part of the documentation process this blog actually is...) and Jonathan has taken to resisting my request of going to bed and after he is in it to stand and even dance in his bed, when he does not want to go to sleep. This new tendency is the base of my fear of buying him a new bed. A pregnancy in the family is the catalizator of changing Jonathan's bed, and moving him up to a “big boy's” bed. The problem then is that he will be able to get out easily. Today if does not want to sleep he can stand, and call us (whining) but he cannot get out! With a bed for older children that option will become a possibility. Ahh, parents will do almost anything to maintain the peace achieved each evening, after the children are all in bed... but eventually we will have to allow Jonathan to sleep in a bed suitable for children and get him out of his crib...but I try to postpone this day as much as possible.
I have to give Jonathan credit that he does not call me to his bed in vain. He either wants me to bring him a drink (he likes to cuddle with his bottle and drink before he falls asleep, a result of not taking a pacifier...) or he may want some company (someone to sit with him a bit) or he calls us to announce that his nappy is full, and then he will clearly point to the changing table in his room, telling me what my nose has already guessed! It took me some time to recognize and understand he trick of gesturing towards the changing table, but once I got it, I was very proud of my clever little boy!
Another new trick - Jonathan has learned to drink our of a straw. Daddy thought him this and he is really quite skilled at it. He drinks from a bottle and from a straw, but when he tries to drink directly out of the glass or cup alone, he spills the contents. Drinking out of the glass calls for help from mommy and goes through without getting soaked only with the quantity of liquid in the cup is very small. Still whenever he sees adults drinking from their glasses, he want a sip too (Jonathan always liked to share food and drink...). Jonathan likes to practice drinking in the bath-tub – then he can get as wet as he likes.
The newest trick in the bath tub is to press the shampoo bottle, get some shampoo on his hands and then soap himself on the belly, imitating mommy soaping him up... I congratulate him on learning to use soap to get clean but am in ever angst that he will shove the soapy hand into his mouth and then start a tantrum following the bad taste...so far I have managed to prevent that from happening by continuously washing his soapy hands, he just dips them in more shampoo and soaps himself again, and I wash them again... and so on....
He also likes to wash mommy's hair. Pouring water from one plastic cup to another is his main entertainment when taking a bath. If mommy or daddy join him, he is happy to oblige us by pouring the water over our heads and helping us wash. The kindergarten teacher says that when they allow the toddlers into a makeshift pool (a necessity in Israels all to hot summer), Jonathan is quite a handful! He just loves water so much and splashes around and drives the caretakers crazy...
Imitating his surroundings becomes more and more prominent in Jonathan's actions. If we make funny noises, he will try to imitate them. A game is immediately created in that we will have a “conversation” of sounds. Mommy making a funny noise and Jonathan repeating it and vise versa...
We sat in a cafe this afternoon and Jonathan's daddy decide to have some fun by sticking a spoon onto his nose. Jonathan immediately followed suit and tried to do the same by grabbing a spoon and pressing it to his face. It was very cute to watch.
Just recently I wrote that I was so proud of Jonathan going to bed when asked. Such an obedient boy! The ink is not dry on the paper which I printed of that blog entry (I print each entry as part of the documentation process this blog actually is...) and Jonathan has taken to resisting my request of going to bed and after he is in it to stand and even dance in his bed, when he does not want to go to sleep. This new tendency is the base of my fear of buying him a new bed. A pregnancy in the family is the catalizator of changing Jonathan's bed, and moving him up to a “big boy's” bed. The problem then is that he will be able to get out easily. Today if does not want to sleep he can stand, and call us (whining) but he cannot get out! With a bed for older children that option will become a possibility. Ahh, parents will do almost anything to maintain the peace achieved each evening, after the children are all in bed... but eventually we will have to allow Jonathan to sleep in a bed suitable for children and get him out of his crib...but I try to postpone this day as much as possible.
I have to give Jonathan credit that he does not call me to his bed in vain. He either wants me to bring him a drink (he likes to cuddle with his bottle and drink before he falls asleep, a result of not taking a pacifier...) or he may want some company (someone to sit with him a bit) or he calls us to announce that his nappy is full, and then he will clearly point to the changing table in his room, telling me what my nose has already guessed! It took me some time to recognize and understand he trick of gesturing towards the changing table, but once I got it, I was very proud of my clever little boy!
Another new trick - Jonathan has learned to drink our of a straw. Daddy thought him this and he is really quite skilled at it. He drinks from a bottle and from a straw, but when he tries to drink directly out of the glass or cup alone, he spills the contents. Drinking out of the glass calls for help from mommy and goes through without getting soaked only with the quantity of liquid in the cup is very small. Still whenever he sees adults drinking from their glasses, he want a sip too (Jonathan always liked to share food and drink...). Jonathan likes to practice drinking in the bath-tub – then he can get as wet as he likes.
The newest trick in the bath tub is to press the shampoo bottle, get some shampoo on his hands and then soap himself on the belly, imitating mommy soaping him up... I congratulate him on learning to use soap to get clean but am in ever angst that he will shove the soapy hand into his mouth and then start a tantrum following the bad taste...so far I have managed to prevent that from happening by continuously washing his soapy hands, he just dips them in more shampoo and soaps himself again, and I wash them again... and so on....
He also likes to wash mommy's hair. Pouring water from one plastic cup to another is his main entertainment when taking a bath. If mommy or daddy join him, he is happy to oblige us by pouring the water over our heads and helping us wash. The kindergarten teacher says that when they allow the toddlers into a makeshift pool (a necessity in Israels all to hot summer), Jonathan is quite a handful! He just loves water so much and splashes around and drives the caretakers crazy...
Imitating his surroundings becomes more and more prominent in Jonathan's actions. If we make funny noises, he will try to imitate them. A game is immediately created in that we will have a “conversation” of sounds. Mommy making a funny noise and Jonathan repeating it and vise versa...
We sat in a cafe this afternoon and Jonathan's daddy decide to have some fun by sticking a spoon onto his nose. Jonathan immediately followed suit and tried to do the same by grabbing a spoon and pressing it to his face. It was very cute to watch.
Jonathan's Vocabulary
Considering that Jonathan is 1 year and 9 months old, one might say that the fact that he hardly speaks coherent words is something to worry about. I say he compensates so well with body language that he manges to explain exactly what he wants most of the time, thus he need not bother to learn to talk...
Maybe the fact that we intend to enter him into a new group in the kindergarten in September, in which older children are present will help speed up his talking, after all until now he was the oldest in a group that is formed from a mixture of babies and toddlers.
My husband is especially frustrated, because the little that Jonathan does say is in Hebrew. This is of course understandable when one looks at the odds. Kindergarten and family meetings are all in Hebrew, as is the noise in the street, as well as the many DVD's that Jonathan possesses and watched daily (a true TV junky from the start...). German is spoken only at home and only if daddy is around. The strongest argument for Hebrew is probably that it is the language that mommy speaks...when I am with Jonathan alone and my husband is not there, then I speak Hebrew. Even my husband speaks Hebrew with Jonathan sometimes – to practice the little he knows of the language.
So what can he say?
His first clear word was “Lo” which means “no” is Hebrew. A very powerful word and the means the boy has to show resistance and explain what he wants (or not, for that matter). The word is repeated, sometimes in an angry like tone to stress that he really is against what is going on...and recently he has added the finger gesture of moving the finger from side to side as a sign for “no” - a gesture that every Israeli knows...
He points his finger to a certain direction and then says “atze” a sound that is close the the word “this” in Hebrew. Jonathan can get quite a few things done by simply pointing... mommy brings him books, allows him to press the button to run the DVD etc...
“book” is the last syllable of the Hebrew word for bottle.
“bee” is the second syllable of “dubi” which means teddy bear – Jonathan has a favorite cuddling teddy, that he sleeps with and liked to carry with him about the house.
“or” means light, he uses it to ask to turn on the light himself or that his room be lighter up in the morning.
He says “se” and taps a chair – to signal that he wishes me to sit (on the particular chair tapped) the “se” sound connect well to the word “shev” which means “sit” in Hebrew and which he has heard mommy say often enough (he must sit to have his shoes put on every morning before leaving the house).
Waving his hand from side to side and saying “baba” means goodbye (baba is the closes t he gets to bye bye at this time).
A similar gesture of opening and closing his fingers and saying “bobo” has a total different meaning, it means to come with him. He walks in the desired direction as he calls for one to follow him. “bo” means come in Hebrew. “bobo” is a repetition, and Jonathan will continue to repeat himself until you indeed follow him where he want to go. Lately he has improved this particular word and he says “boi” which is the female form of “come” in Hebrew (very fitting to use the female form when one addresses one's mother, no?) and sometimes he even says “boi hena”, which means “come here”.
Another surprising choice of word is “maim, which means water. He will use it either to ask for a drink, or when in the bath tub, as he enjoys splashing around and pouring water from one cup to another.
A special place in his vocabulary belongs to animals. He has picked up certain animal sounds and has gotten very good at making them whenever he sees a relevant image. His favorite books now are animal books. He looks at the book, points at a picture, makes a sound and gets compliments from every adult around him! No wonder animal sounds are his hobby! “moo” is the most popular (he also has a blanket with a cow on it...) as he tends to confuse almost all large animals with cows. A monkey that goes “uh uh uh” is also a favorite. A dog barks “oh oh” and sometimes sounds like the monkey, Jonathan is not yet so strong on his H (in Hebrew a dog barks “Hav Hav”, in German it's “Wau Wau” - one never gives this kind of thing much thought unless one is married to someone who grew up somewhere else...). He knows that horses go “hihihi” and make clicking sounds when walking, he knows that zebras also go “hihihi” but does not associate the clinking sound with them...
he knows donkeys go “i-aah” but tends to confuse them with cows. He does not confuse the sheep's “meeee” with the cow's “mooo” but the cat's “miaoow” is a bit confused with the cow sound. He knows a duck goes “ga ga” but a hen goes “guk guk”.
Screaming and throwing a tantrum is also becoming a habit unfortunately. This is Jonathan ways to show that he is not satisfied with the goings of his world. I suppose some of the tantrums are a result of frustration in his ability to express himself, but others are just plain tantrums, a part of the almost two year old toddlers vocabulary and a source of pain for his parents. Let us hope that when he learns to speak the tantrums will lessen.
Another words he likes to use is “wow” to show enthusiasm. If he likes something or sees something new, he will say “wow” with true enjoyment.
He has also recently started saying “puwa” when he wants me to open something for him. The sound resembles the end of the Hebrew word that means “to open”. He also says “gur” which is the last syllable of the Hebrew word for closed. He will use it to ask me to close something. Strangely enough he usually catches onto the last syllables of words, but perhaps this is so because in Hebrew pronunciation the last syllable is the one most emphasized in 90% of the words.
He also imitates sounds he hears. He can sing notes almost to perfection and has some regular tunes he sings, he repeats words from his DVD and his toys. The most recent one is the words “doctor” that he repeated after hearing it spoken form a start trek figurine his daddy got at a Burger King shop (they come with the child meal)...
A light at the end of the tunnel has recently showed itself for my husband, when Jonathan started reacting the his first German work. “kuesschen” means kiss. Daddy asks for a kiss in German and gets one! Jonathan is generally a true Casanova! A professional flirt from birth. He has a few of the girls in kindergarten totally nuts about him, he can choose with which little girl to dance and which little girl to hug and kiss. Today he decided to “French kiss” a new candidate, daddy saw it and thought it was just so sweet when the two toddlers hugged and kissed. And with this positive note, I end today's entry.
Maybe the fact that we intend to enter him into a new group in the kindergarten in September, in which older children are present will help speed up his talking, after all until now he was the oldest in a group that is formed from a mixture of babies and toddlers.
My husband is especially frustrated, because the little that Jonathan does say is in Hebrew. This is of course understandable when one looks at the odds. Kindergarten and family meetings are all in Hebrew, as is the noise in the street, as well as the many DVD's that Jonathan possesses and watched daily (a true TV junky from the start...). German is spoken only at home and only if daddy is around. The strongest argument for Hebrew is probably that it is the language that mommy speaks...when I am with Jonathan alone and my husband is not there, then I speak Hebrew. Even my husband speaks Hebrew with Jonathan sometimes – to practice the little he knows of the language.
So what can he say?
His first clear word was “Lo” which means “no” is Hebrew. A very powerful word and the means the boy has to show resistance and explain what he wants (or not, for that matter). The word is repeated, sometimes in an angry like tone to stress that he really is against what is going on...and recently he has added the finger gesture of moving the finger from side to side as a sign for “no” - a gesture that every Israeli knows...
He points his finger to a certain direction and then says “atze” a sound that is close the the word “this” in Hebrew. Jonathan can get quite a few things done by simply pointing... mommy brings him books, allows him to press the button to run the DVD etc...
“book” is the last syllable of the Hebrew word for bottle.
“bee” is the second syllable of “dubi” which means teddy bear – Jonathan has a favorite cuddling teddy, that he sleeps with and liked to carry with him about the house.
“or” means light, he uses it to ask to turn on the light himself or that his room be lighter up in the morning.
He says “se” and taps a chair – to signal that he wishes me to sit (on the particular chair tapped) the “se” sound connect well to the word “shev” which means “sit” in Hebrew and which he has heard mommy say often enough (he must sit to have his shoes put on every morning before leaving the house).
Waving his hand from side to side and saying “baba” means goodbye (baba is the closes t he gets to bye bye at this time).
A similar gesture of opening and closing his fingers and saying “bobo” has a total different meaning, it means to come with him. He walks in the desired direction as he calls for one to follow him. “bo” means come in Hebrew. “bobo” is a repetition, and Jonathan will continue to repeat himself until you indeed follow him where he want to go. Lately he has improved this particular word and he says “boi” which is the female form of “come” in Hebrew (very fitting to use the female form when one addresses one's mother, no?) and sometimes he even says “boi hena”, which means “come here”.
Another surprising choice of word is “maim, which means water. He will use it either to ask for a drink, or when in the bath tub, as he enjoys splashing around and pouring water from one cup to another.
A special place in his vocabulary belongs to animals. He has picked up certain animal sounds and has gotten very good at making them whenever he sees a relevant image. His favorite books now are animal books. He looks at the book, points at a picture, makes a sound and gets compliments from every adult around him! No wonder animal sounds are his hobby! “moo” is the most popular (he also has a blanket with a cow on it...) as he tends to confuse almost all large animals with cows. A monkey that goes “uh uh uh” is also a favorite. A dog barks “oh oh” and sometimes sounds like the monkey, Jonathan is not yet so strong on his H (in Hebrew a dog barks “Hav Hav”, in German it's “Wau Wau” - one never gives this kind of thing much thought unless one is married to someone who grew up somewhere else...). He knows that horses go “hihihi” and make clicking sounds when walking, he knows that zebras also go “hihihi” but does not associate the clinking sound with them...
he knows donkeys go “i-aah” but tends to confuse them with cows. He does not confuse the sheep's “meeee” with the cow's “mooo” but the cat's “miaoow” is a bit confused with the cow sound. He knows a duck goes “ga ga” but a hen goes “guk guk”.
Screaming and throwing a tantrum is also becoming a habit unfortunately. This is Jonathan ways to show that he is not satisfied with the goings of his world. I suppose some of the tantrums are a result of frustration in his ability to express himself, but others are just plain tantrums, a part of the almost two year old toddlers vocabulary and a source of pain for his parents. Let us hope that when he learns to speak the tantrums will lessen.
Another words he likes to use is “wow” to show enthusiasm. If he likes something or sees something new, he will say “wow” with true enjoyment.
He has also recently started saying “puwa” when he wants me to open something for him. The sound resembles the end of the Hebrew word that means “to open”. He also says “gur” which is the last syllable of the Hebrew word for closed. He will use it to ask me to close something. Strangely enough he usually catches onto the last syllables of words, but perhaps this is so because in Hebrew pronunciation the last syllable is the one most emphasized in 90% of the words.
He also imitates sounds he hears. He can sing notes almost to perfection and has some regular tunes he sings, he repeats words from his DVD and his toys. The most recent one is the words “doctor” that he repeated after hearing it spoken form a start trek figurine his daddy got at a Burger King shop (they come with the child meal)...
A light at the end of the tunnel has recently showed itself for my husband, when Jonathan started reacting the his first German work. “kuesschen” means kiss. Daddy asks for a kiss in German and gets one! Jonathan is generally a true Casanova! A professional flirt from birth. He has a few of the girls in kindergarten totally nuts about him, he can choose with which little girl to dance and which little girl to hug and kiss. Today he decided to “French kiss” a new candidate, daddy saw it and thought it was just so sweet when the two toddlers hugged and kissed. And with this positive note, I end today's entry.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
On 21 July 2009 you first turned off the TV and walked to bed at mommy's particular request.
Jonathan has already walked to bed asking to be put in it to rest (during the day) or to sleep (in the evening). He has even done this at my parent's home, where he is not used to the bed. Jonathan has even gone to bed following a request from mommy (joined with presenting a bottle of milk as temptation/motivation to come to bed). But yesterday, on July 21, 2009 it was the first time that Jonathan switched off the TV (as it played a DVD for him) and got up to go to bed because mommy said it was time to sleep! Sooo grown up and sooo cute!
Jonathan the Navigator
On July 20, 2009 Jonathan showed mom and dad he can remember locations away from home, even if he is not exactly there. In other words the boy can tell direction.
On July 20, 2009 Jonathan walked deliberately from a street corner to his favorite ice shop. All alone! Mom and dad just followed after Jonathan showed a particular inclination to walk in a certain direction from the aforementioned street corner.
The ice shop is maybe just 100 m from the street corner, where the experiment began, but it was wonderful to see how Jonathan could remember where the shop is in relation to the street corner.
Also in his trips near home, Jonathan has favorite spots that he will always visit when he goes out. He runs up to the post office, loves to play hide and seek in the post boxes niche, stops to ring the bell of the large house next to the post and to play with “the boy in the glass” of the bank nearby.
The next favorite spot is the supermarket and most particularly the large coolers and the emergency door. And then there is always the elderly group of people whom Jonathan greats whenever he passes by them (they sit in the shade near the super market). Jonathan gives them high fives!
On July 20, 2009 Jonathan walked deliberately from a street corner to his favorite ice shop. All alone! Mom and dad just followed after Jonathan showed a particular inclination to walk in a certain direction from the aforementioned street corner.
The ice shop is maybe just 100 m from the street corner, where the experiment began, but it was wonderful to see how Jonathan could remember where the shop is in relation to the street corner.
Also in his trips near home, Jonathan has favorite spots that he will always visit when he goes out. He runs up to the post office, loves to play hide and seek in the post boxes niche, stops to ring the bell of the large house next to the post and to play with “the boy in the glass” of the bank nearby.
The next favorite spot is the supermarket and most particularly the large coolers and the emergency door. And then there is always the elderly group of people whom Jonathan greats whenever he passes by them (they sit in the shade near the super market). Jonathan gives them high fives!
Flying Mommy
As I have decided to spend the weekend in England in a wedding of a good friend, I has spent the weekend separated from Jonathan. Although my husband and I did once spend a weekend in a hotel and left Jonathan at my parents, I have never been so far away from him for so long, three days and nights!
A mother has always to worry about her children's welfare and to feel guilty about not giving them enough, regardless of reality.
As my planned trip to England grew nearer, I began to feel more and more guilty about leaving Jonathan behind for three days and nights! Regardless of my husbands ability to care for the boy, I felt guilty of abandoning him. It went into my deepest unconsciousness. I dreamt that the plane will crash and I” will die and never come back to my con again! I am glad to say that both I and my relationship with my son have survived the trip!
On the day of the flight, on the plane itself, I cried as we took off! And yet, absence makes the heart fonder but also forgetful, by the time I arrived at the hotel in the UK 12 hours, a flight, a bus and a train later I was as happy as can be to have finally arrived at my destination. I naturally called home to allow Jonathan to hear my voice on the phone (he converses so well, jabbering into the receiver, its just so sweet...) but I no longer felt so bad about taking a weekend off!
When ever I called, y husband would put me on loudspeaker and call to Jonathan to come to talk to mommy, but somehow his DVD playing was more important...
During the weekend itself I was keen to lay and adopt any toddler who came my way. I made great friends with little Hanna at the wedding ceremony, courted the sweet Angie all day (lunch and evening party) until she obliged to toss a ball with me at 23:00, and held the 4 week old Inness in my arms so his mommy could go and dance a bit. The next morning I spent courting cute red haired Felix, who is almost as old as my Jonathan and I flew him in my arms. By now the bride and groom and all other guests had gotten used to me being found with a toddler in my arms!
It turned out I was known by reputation o all the guests, the minute I mentioned that I was from Israel, everyone would react the same way...”ahhhh – we were told about you” (the bride, a good friend was obviously very enthusiastic about my coming all this way...). It turns out I traveled some 2000 miles to get to the wedding and was the person who had traveled the most distance, but two who has come from the USA and one who came from Indonesia. Third place! Not too bad...
After three nights apart I returned at 5 o'clock in the morning and almost at once Jonathan woke up – sensing something was different. I came to his room to offer a night bottle, as always, but I think seeing me caused too much excitement and he could not fall asleep again and wanted that I come to his room. Although he was too tired and sleepy to shoe happiness he could not sleep again. Then I finally dressed him for kindergarten and he cried so much all the way there, It was as if he understood that I would now again be gone for a long period, and he feared I would once again disappear...(or maybe he did not recognize who the woman driving to kindergarten is?? I prefer the first explanation and I think Jonathan is old enough to remember me even if I have been gone for three days).
I made special point of sitting a whole hour in the kindergarten with him in the morning and of picking him up myself from kindergarten on this first day back. I wanted him to be reassured that mommy is back, and that she is back to stay.
By the next day it seems he has stabilized back into our routine as far as waking hours are concerned and going to kindergarten. The trip is forgotten and my son is as happy as ever to see mommy when she comes home from work! All is well again.
A mother has always to worry about her children's welfare and to feel guilty about not giving them enough, regardless of reality.
As my planned trip to England grew nearer, I began to feel more and more guilty about leaving Jonathan behind for three days and nights! Regardless of my husbands ability to care for the boy, I felt guilty of abandoning him. It went into my deepest unconsciousness. I dreamt that the plane will crash and I” will die and never come back to my con again! I am glad to say that both I and my relationship with my son have survived the trip!
On the day of the flight, on the plane itself, I cried as we took off! And yet, absence makes the heart fonder but also forgetful, by the time I arrived at the hotel in the UK 12 hours, a flight, a bus and a train later I was as happy as can be to have finally arrived at my destination. I naturally called home to allow Jonathan to hear my voice on the phone (he converses so well, jabbering into the receiver, its just so sweet...) but I no longer felt so bad about taking a weekend off!
When ever I called, y husband would put me on loudspeaker and call to Jonathan to come to talk to mommy, but somehow his DVD playing was more important...
During the weekend itself I was keen to lay and adopt any toddler who came my way. I made great friends with little Hanna at the wedding ceremony, courted the sweet Angie all day (lunch and evening party) until she obliged to toss a ball with me at 23:00, and held the 4 week old Inness in my arms so his mommy could go and dance a bit. The next morning I spent courting cute red haired Felix, who is almost as old as my Jonathan and I flew him in my arms. By now the bride and groom and all other guests had gotten used to me being found with a toddler in my arms!
It turned out I was known by reputation o all the guests, the minute I mentioned that I was from Israel, everyone would react the same way...”ahhhh – we were told about you” (the bride, a good friend was obviously very enthusiastic about my coming all this way...). It turns out I traveled some 2000 miles to get to the wedding and was the person who had traveled the most distance, but two who has come from the USA and one who came from Indonesia. Third place! Not too bad...
After three nights apart I returned at 5 o'clock in the morning and almost at once Jonathan woke up – sensing something was different. I came to his room to offer a night bottle, as always, but I think seeing me caused too much excitement and he could not fall asleep again and wanted that I come to his room. Although he was too tired and sleepy to shoe happiness he could not sleep again. Then I finally dressed him for kindergarten and he cried so much all the way there, It was as if he understood that I would now again be gone for a long period, and he feared I would once again disappear...(or maybe he did not recognize who the woman driving to kindergarten is?? I prefer the first explanation and I think Jonathan is old enough to remember me even if I have been gone for three days).
I made special point of sitting a whole hour in the kindergarten with him in the morning and of picking him up myself from kindergarten on this first day back. I wanted him to be reassured that mommy is back, and that she is back to stay.
By the next day it seems he has stabilized back into our routine as far as waking hours are concerned and going to kindergarten. The trip is forgotten and my son is as happy as ever to see mommy when she comes home from work! All is well again.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Adventure House!
The world is such an interesting place for a child! Renovating a kitchen exposed our little Jonathan to the wonderful world of the CARTON! There is nothing like it! Stickers and crayons are also a wonderful invention, as is a simple plastic spoon! One can shovel food into one's mouth with it! Wow! So many discoveries...and mommy is always there to smile, encourage and to clean up...
A carton is priceless! Even though we only had a small one, Jonathan was able to sit in it and try to close it on top of himself for hours! When we saw his enjoyment, we kept a larger one that had contained a large kitchen utensil, but he just tipped it over and it turned out that the smaller carton was better. Not only did Jonathan enjoy it more, it took much less place and was located in our recently renovated kitchen for about a week, until Jonathan lost interest and mommy was able to throw it out (recycling of course...)
Drawing is also relatively new, but after Jonathan took to eating his color pens and drawing on himself, his father decided to put the pens away. After Jonathan started drawing on the galls doors at home (strangely only on the glass doors, not on other doors and not on the walls) and on his play table, mommy agreed with daddy and the pens are packed high up, and given only when someone is there to watch Jonathan. Such precautions were not taken in grandma's house, and Jonathan naturally took his chance to create his first gratify – and so my parents' staircase walls became victim to Jonathan and a black pen!
At home Jonathan's creative streak is satisfied with stickers! He sticks then everywhere (his table, the floor, doors and walls) but they are easily removed and so he has his fun and his freedom and we get to keep the house free of scribbles! The most fun is to stick the stickers on himself or on mommy! He especially loves to laugh at a sticker on m y nose!
A spoon! How wonderful! Jonathan is getting more and more advanced in his spoon management. He first just smeared his food, even if the container was a small one. Now he can enjoy a yogurt with mommy shoveling the white substance up with the spoon from the depth of the normal sized yogurt glass. Yogurt is especially good for his spooning exercises, because it is not entirely liquid, so even if his angle is not perfect, he does not loose the entire content of the spoon in a waterfall! A fork is also a nice thing, Jonathan eats his scrambles egg with a fork like a big boy. But despite his enjoyment of using cutlery and the compliments mommy effuses on him following this display it still seems that there is nothing like playing with your food for a real fun meal! Jonathan loved to feel things – sand, water and food all get splashed around at any opportunity – at least when he is taking a bath, the cleaning up is reduced to a minimum of only splashed water...
A carton is priceless! Even though we only had a small one, Jonathan was able to sit in it and try to close it on top of himself for hours! When we saw his enjoyment, we kept a larger one that had contained a large kitchen utensil, but he just tipped it over and it turned out that the smaller carton was better. Not only did Jonathan enjoy it more, it took much less place and was located in our recently renovated kitchen for about a week, until Jonathan lost interest and mommy was able to throw it out (recycling of course...)
Drawing is also relatively new, but after Jonathan took to eating his color pens and drawing on himself, his father decided to put the pens away. After Jonathan started drawing on the galls doors at home (strangely only on the glass doors, not on other doors and not on the walls) and on his play table, mommy agreed with daddy and the pens are packed high up, and given only when someone is there to watch Jonathan. Such precautions were not taken in grandma's house, and Jonathan naturally took his chance to create his first gratify – and so my parents' staircase walls became victim to Jonathan and a black pen!
At home Jonathan's creative streak is satisfied with stickers! He sticks then everywhere (his table, the floor, doors and walls) but they are easily removed and so he has his fun and his freedom and we get to keep the house free of scribbles! The most fun is to stick the stickers on himself or on mommy! He especially loves to laugh at a sticker on m y nose!
A spoon! How wonderful! Jonathan is getting more and more advanced in his spoon management. He first just smeared his food, even if the container was a small one. Now he can enjoy a yogurt with mommy shoveling the white substance up with the spoon from the depth of the normal sized yogurt glass. Yogurt is especially good for his spooning exercises, because it is not entirely liquid, so even if his angle is not perfect, he does not loose the entire content of the spoon in a waterfall! A fork is also a nice thing, Jonathan eats his scrambles egg with a fork like a big boy. But despite his enjoyment of using cutlery and the compliments mommy effuses on him following this display it still seems that there is nothing like playing with your food for a real fun meal! Jonathan loved to feel things – sand, water and food all get splashed around at any opportunity – at least when he is taking a bath, the cleaning up is reduced to a minimum of only splashed water...
Shoes!
Shoes were always a bit special for me as a mother! The true proof that my boy is growing more mobile and more independent. Recently it was the new shoes that thought me how independent my son really is...He selected his own new shoes!
When Jonathan was about 13 month old we brought him his first pair of shoes! When we first put them on he walked in extravagant large steps, trying to get rid of the shoes, but after a short time he got used to them and then there was no stopping him. In the first months of spring we were only to happy to supply our mobile child with sandals (courtesy of his grand mama who came for a visit from Germany). As he grows and his walking and running becomes more sure, his feet grow too – it is time for more new shoes!
And so, mommy and Jonathan went to the mall to get some new shoes! Turns out Jonathan has grown in two sizes in the last 3 months! Since the first spring sandals were bought.
The shop was able to offer me the same sandals – even in the same color and Jonathan took to them right away, allowing me to put them on and walking about the shop comfortably. Then I tried another model, totally different in look and color and Jonathan just would not allow me to put it on. He screamed and squirmed and cried his resistance! As soon as I took the sandal away he became more quiet. Them I tried another model – a Lycra shoe, intended for the pool. Jonathan did not like me putting it on, but neither did he resist as with the previously detested sandal. The shoe stayed on his foot and he remained calmly in the stroller (I put him in the stroller so he will not escape the shop – barefoot- while I try to pay for the first sandals that he selected). As it turned out that the shop was running a 1+1 offer, I could get the Lycra shoe for free – so I went to take it off Jonathan foot to pay for it, and then he cried out and reached for the shoe – obviously wanting to keep it! I paid quickly and returned the shoe to his foot – only then he became quiet again. Once we were out of the shop, he wore the shoes with much enjoyment for a while, before deciding that running around barefoot at the mall was more fun! The boy is definitely growing and developing a taste for certain shoes and activities...
When Jonathan was about 13 month old we brought him his first pair of shoes! When we first put them on he walked in extravagant large steps, trying to get rid of the shoes, but after a short time he got used to them and then there was no stopping him. In the first months of spring we were only to happy to supply our mobile child with sandals (courtesy of his grand mama who came for a visit from Germany). As he grows and his walking and running becomes more sure, his feet grow too – it is time for more new shoes!
And so, mommy and Jonathan went to the mall to get some new shoes! Turns out Jonathan has grown in two sizes in the last 3 months! Since the first spring sandals were bought.
The shop was able to offer me the same sandals – even in the same color and Jonathan took to them right away, allowing me to put them on and walking about the shop comfortably. Then I tried another model, totally different in look and color and Jonathan just would not allow me to put it on. He screamed and squirmed and cried his resistance! As soon as I took the sandal away he became more quiet. Them I tried another model – a Lycra shoe, intended for the pool. Jonathan did not like me putting it on, but neither did he resist as with the previously detested sandal. The shoe stayed on his foot and he remained calmly in the stroller (I put him in the stroller so he will not escape the shop – barefoot- while I try to pay for the first sandals that he selected). As it turned out that the shop was running a 1+1 offer, I could get the Lycra shoe for free – so I went to take it off Jonathan foot to pay for it, and then he cried out and reached for the shoe – obviously wanting to keep it! I paid quickly and returned the shoe to his foot – only then he became quiet again. Once we were out of the shop, he wore the shoes with much enjoyment for a while, before deciding that running around barefoot at the mall was more fun! The boy is definitely growing and developing a taste for certain shoes and activities...
A Musical Kid!
Jonathan is 1.5 years old and already showing a clear tendency to music. What started as a pure enjoyment of mommy's reaction to music has developed into an independent interest as well as interactive enjoyment.
When he was about 10 month old I bought him a boom box toy, which he loves until this day! (he loves it so much that I had to replace it after it got a bit bumped around too much and the music stopped...) At first he loved to press its music making button and then look up to watch mommy smiling and clapping hands to rhythm.
The next step was singing along with some of the tunes! Not only does he get the tune almost correctly, he imitates the way I sing certain tines and he shows a clear understanding of rhythm. Then he started dancing to the music and clapping his hands himself, and after wards he started singing along with his DVD tapes (and also imitating some of the actions taking place in the tape – very cute to watch).
The most recent musical developments include playing his little xylophone while the music from his boom box plays. He hits the wooden keys (albeit randomly and not to rhythm) along with the music. He has also invented a song – 4 short “la”'s and a long La that is sung higher and longer and is accompanied by raising his arms and looking for mommy to join in!
When he was about 10 month old I bought him a boom box toy, which he loves until this day! (he loves it so much that I had to replace it after it got a bit bumped around too much and the music stopped...) At first he loved to press its music making button and then look up to watch mommy smiling and clapping hands to rhythm.
The next step was singing along with some of the tunes! Not only does he get the tune almost correctly, he imitates the way I sing certain tines and he shows a clear understanding of rhythm. Then he started dancing to the music and clapping his hands himself, and after wards he started singing along with his DVD tapes (and also imitating some of the actions taking place in the tape – very cute to watch).
The most recent musical developments include playing his little xylophone while the music from his boom box plays. He hits the wooden keys (albeit randomly and not to rhythm) along with the music. He has also invented a song – 4 short “la”'s and a long La that is sung higher and longer and is accompanied by raising his arms and looking for mommy to join in!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Jonathan is almost 1.5 years old!
Jonathan is almost 1.5 years old! He is just growing so fast! Just recently by paying more attention I have noticed he truly understands what I say, and even chooses to do as I say...sometimes. My elder sister who has two children of her own says this is the beginning of the sweetest age, from 1.5 to 3.5 years, children are simply cute! With parts of words and a lot of body language, Jonathan is communicating clearly and is most definitely simply cute!
Growing up means he needs to move up a class in kindergarten. He was probably ready to move on a few months ago already, because he was already walking at 13 months, but he had such a good friend in kindergarten his age, and it was clear both boys loved each other so much, that I did not want to move Jonathan to a new class and separate them. After wards the other boys parents moved, and he left, but because of the spring holidays here in Israel I was advised to leave the boy in the current class, and now he just got stuck in it because I was doubting into which class he fits and if he should move at all so close to the year's end. The doubts for me were very great! I know he is just 1.5 year old and this is most certainly not the kind of decision that will decide his course in life (after all this is not university...) and still it was very difficult for me to decide what was the best timing. This lack of proportion in energy investment in a decision is probably due to the fact that Jonathan is my first child. I am sure with the next one it will not be so difficult.
My boss likes to say that with is first child every time the pacifier was dropped on the floor his wife washed it with hot water before giving it back t the baby, the second child saw the pacifier washed only with tap water (cold), with the third child his wife only wiped the pacifier, and with the fourth she did not even do that, maybe blow on it, or just let the kid pick it up from the floor alone!
My elder sister, who has two children of ages 8 and 6 also says she was much more easy going with the second child (e.g. she could go to the toilet even though she was alone with the baby...)
Finally I have decided!Although it is almost the end of the year, I decided to move him up anyway. He will ave two months in an interim group and then I hope he will be ready to move to the new class with children his age. Although I am worried that the transfer may not work out well, I believe that children are resilient and that he will thrive, after all with older children I hope he will make further steps towards talking and other development signs. I want the best for Jonathan and being with children his age and not with babies will surely promote him in the right direction.
Jonathan is growing older and more daring, he climes chairs and grabs things in ever higher places. He has recently taken to the gas stove. He likes to take out the cooking plates. This kind of action along with the fact that my kitchen is very old has prompted me to renovate the kitchen! This is going to be quite a project and I have no idea how I will manage with a 1.5 year old and a renovation all in the same apartment, but as I have mentioned before, children are resilient. Jonathan is sure to survive the ordeal, it is myself that I am worried about...
In my disparate attempt to keep Jonathan away from the stove, I brought a wooden door that is supposedly meant to keep children out of rooms (usually used for staircases in homes that have a stair case and a baby, I also this contraption used for dogs). My husband saw the door and started laughing! He said that Jonathan already opens a similar door in the kindergarten (meant to keep the kids out of the kitchen too). The kindergarten teacher confirmed this. Although I never saw Jonathan open the door, it is clear that this is NOT what will keep him form any kitchen! And he seems to just love kitchens! Also when visiting my mother he always goes to the kitchen.
Another favorite room is the location of the television. I think his love for the kitchen and the TV room is based on the fact that both rooms offer a verity of electric items that have buttons! Jonathan just loves pressing all kinds of buttons and causing havoc doing so!
His motoric development is, I believe, advanced. He performs really delicate actions, like eating egg with a fork. He even gets one of the fork teeth into the whole of rounded “wheel” shaped pasta! In the bath tub he knows how to pt in the cork that stops the water, and the hole is small. He can do so with both hands and still I detect a difference. He likes to perform large actions, like taking things, with his right had, but the delicate actions, like sticking small circle stickers onto a drawing (he has recently discovered the world of colour pens and will draw on anything, including the floor, the table, the wall and even his own stomach!) are made with the left had. So he will take a spoon with his right hand, change to the left and then try and eat with it.
I am discovering new words all the time. As he shakes his head to signal no, he also clearly says the Hebrew word for no (which is LO). He says “baba” and waves his had, for bye bye. And he says “tada” which is very similar to TODA, thank you in Hebrew. He uses the true musical tone all adults use in Israel for thanking children. He imitates sounds I make when watching a DVD and imitates certain places in the tape correctly (saying “wawawa” for a miaowing of a cat, always at the right time when the cat appears on the TV screen). He says “dur dur” for ball (CADUR in Hebrew) and “kuku” for a peekaboo game. He also seems to show signs of a thinking process, with correct deductions! He connects my bag and keys to leaving the house and will go to the door what I pick them up, if I put on his sandals he will also sometimes go to the door, understanding that he needs the sandals for going out. The kindergarten teacher asks him to bring certain animals to her and he brings the correct ones that she mentions.
All these wonderful things are happening all at once. An explosion of development which I am sure will only be strengthened by the challenge of being with children his age! I just hope that he will not be intimidated by kids who are his age or a bit older after he has spent almost 6 months with children who are all smaller than he is physically and are also younger is age. But as I mentioned before, children are resilient and besides the new kindergarten is just around the corner, so we can walk there... and Jonathan is still in the age that he prefers to walk (and not be driven around...) Ah! The freshness of youth!
Growing up means he needs to move up a class in kindergarten. He was probably ready to move on a few months ago already, because he was already walking at 13 months, but he had such a good friend in kindergarten his age, and it was clear both boys loved each other so much, that I did not want to move Jonathan to a new class and separate them. After wards the other boys parents moved, and he left, but because of the spring holidays here in Israel I was advised to leave the boy in the current class, and now he just got stuck in it because I was doubting into which class he fits and if he should move at all so close to the year's end. The doubts for me were very great! I know he is just 1.5 year old and this is most certainly not the kind of decision that will decide his course in life (after all this is not university...) and still it was very difficult for me to decide what was the best timing. This lack of proportion in energy investment in a decision is probably due to the fact that Jonathan is my first child. I am sure with the next one it will not be so difficult.
My boss likes to say that with is first child every time the pacifier was dropped on the floor his wife washed it with hot water before giving it back t the baby, the second child saw the pacifier washed only with tap water (cold), with the third child his wife only wiped the pacifier, and with the fourth she did not even do that, maybe blow on it, or just let the kid pick it up from the floor alone!
My elder sister, who has two children of ages 8 and 6 also says she was much more easy going with the second child (e.g. she could go to the toilet even though she was alone with the baby...)
Finally I have decided!Although it is almost the end of the year, I decided to move him up anyway. He will ave two months in an interim group and then I hope he will be ready to move to the new class with children his age. Although I am worried that the transfer may not work out well, I believe that children are resilient and that he will thrive, after all with older children I hope he will make further steps towards talking and other development signs. I want the best for Jonathan and being with children his age and not with babies will surely promote him in the right direction.
Jonathan is growing older and more daring, he climes chairs and grabs things in ever higher places. He has recently taken to the gas stove. He likes to take out the cooking plates. This kind of action along with the fact that my kitchen is very old has prompted me to renovate the kitchen! This is going to be quite a project and I have no idea how I will manage with a 1.5 year old and a renovation all in the same apartment, but as I have mentioned before, children are resilient. Jonathan is sure to survive the ordeal, it is myself that I am worried about...
In my disparate attempt to keep Jonathan away from the stove, I brought a wooden door that is supposedly meant to keep children out of rooms (usually used for staircases in homes that have a stair case and a baby, I also this contraption used for dogs). My husband saw the door and started laughing! He said that Jonathan already opens a similar door in the kindergarten (meant to keep the kids out of the kitchen too). The kindergarten teacher confirmed this. Although I never saw Jonathan open the door, it is clear that this is NOT what will keep him form any kitchen! And he seems to just love kitchens! Also when visiting my mother he always goes to the kitchen.
Another favorite room is the location of the television. I think his love for the kitchen and the TV room is based on the fact that both rooms offer a verity of electric items that have buttons! Jonathan just loves pressing all kinds of buttons and causing havoc doing so!
His motoric development is, I believe, advanced. He performs really delicate actions, like eating egg with a fork. He even gets one of the fork teeth into the whole of rounded “wheel” shaped pasta! In the bath tub he knows how to pt in the cork that stops the water, and the hole is small. He can do so with both hands and still I detect a difference. He likes to perform large actions, like taking things, with his right had, but the delicate actions, like sticking small circle stickers onto a drawing (he has recently discovered the world of colour pens and will draw on anything, including the floor, the table, the wall and even his own stomach!) are made with the left had. So he will take a spoon with his right hand, change to the left and then try and eat with it.
I am discovering new words all the time. As he shakes his head to signal no, he also clearly says the Hebrew word for no (which is LO). He says “baba” and waves his had, for bye bye. And he says “tada” which is very similar to TODA, thank you in Hebrew. He uses the true musical tone all adults use in Israel for thanking children. He imitates sounds I make when watching a DVD and imitates certain places in the tape correctly (saying “wawawa” for a miaowing of a cat, always at the right time when the cat appears on the TV screen). He says “dur dur” for ball (CADUR in Hebrew) and “kuku” for a peekaboo game. He also seems to show signs of a thinking process, with correct deductions! He connects my bag and keys to leaving the house and will go to the door what I pick them up, if I put on his sandals he will also sometimes go to the door, understanding that he needs the sandals for going out. The kindergarten teacher asks him to bring certain animals to her and he brings the correct ones that she mentions.
All these wonderful things are happening all at once. An explosion of development which I am sure will only be strengthened by the challenge of being with children his age! I just hope that he will not be intimidated by kids who are his age or a bit older after he has spent almost 6 months with children who are all smaller than he is physically and are also younger is age. But as I mentioned before, children are resilient and besides the new kindergarten is just around the corner, so we can walk there... and Jonathan is still in the age that he prefers to walk (and not be driven around...) Ah! The freshness of youth!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Cleaning
Jonathan is a good boy! Always wanting to tidy up and return things to their place. Naturally he likes to help when cleaning too, last week he finally got the chance to do so...
He takes my glasses and then tried to put them back on my face (poking me in the eye in the process) and he takes of his socks and then wants to put them back on, but as soon as I put them on, he takes them off again! He also throws toys and then collects them, putting things in boxes and moving the boxes around, placing them in order is a special beloved occupation. Even the kindergarten teacher says he likes to tidy up!
I was cleaning the house and Jonathan absolutely anted to help! So he grabbed the broom and would not let me have it. The result was that I ended us sweeping the house with a short broom that I brought for Jonathan as a toy and he was walking about with the adult broom and helping me...
He takes my glasses and then tried to put them back on my face (poking me in the eye in the process) and he takes of his socks and then wants to put them back on, but as soon as I put them on, he takes them off again! He also throws toys and then collects them, putting things in boxes and moving the boxes around, placing them in order is a special beloved occupation. Even the kindergarten teacher says he likes to tidy up!
I was cleaning the house and Jonathan absolutely anted to help! So he grabbed the broom and would not let me have it. The result was that I ended us sweeping the house with a short broom that I brought for Jonathan as a toy and he was walking about with the adult broom and helping me...
Buttonitis (Kaftoritis)
My mother always says there are children with a talent for buttons and switches (the so called “Kaftoritis” children, from the word “Kaftor”, which means button in Hebrew) and children who don't/ There are children that are naturally interested in anything that can be pressed, turning a light on, and there are children who are not. Jonathan belongs to the first group.
He is truly talented when it comes to the remote control, the computer mouse and the TV switch. Turning on the light is a special treat for him too. A true Buttonitis (English for Kaftoritis, the same principle...) child will do almost anything to get to a button or a switch. Switching on the stereo in my husbands room is a staple for Jonathan, and suddenly there is loud music in the house. The has also learned to turn on the TV long ago, and to control the volume buttons. At my mother's house its the dishwasher that was his first victim, and recently he has also discovered the stereo there too, inside a cabinet! Even after a few weeks absence, as soon as we get to my mother's house he goes either to the stereo cabinet or to the other cupboard with the keys he loves so much!
He has always known how to hold the remote control, and has always delighted himself when something suddenly changed when he pressed the buttons on it. He even knows how to point it to the TV and obviously understands there is some sort of connection between he remote and the TV. He still however does not really get any results with the remote, but that is a matter of time only, and he has another solution to that problem, as you will read later. The computer mouse is a favorite, and he has the correct grip as if born with it! He even clicks it correctly and loves to move it about and see the arrow wriggle on the screen. The computer itself is also a much loved object! As the laptop is on a table and he cannot reach it when alone, he stands on the floor and uses the mouse and thus enjoys it even when not able to press the keys. He loves the phone because when you press the buttons it makes funny sounds, mobile phones have also lighted display screens! Cool! He has registered that one puts an apparatus with buttons to one's ear and talks to it, and thus even a pocket calculator becomes a phone is Jonathan's able hands. He mimics the phoning position to perfection!
Jonathan is however becoming even more clever in his button passion. Like a true Buttonitis child he improves his methods and thus can get to even more switches. He has recently learned o climb on his chair. So he pushes the chair about the house to a desired location, then climbs and stands on it and so he is tall enough to reach even the higher light switches in the house! Much to his delight! He uses the same system to get to the microwave and to the satellite control unit – which means now that he not only can turn the TV on, he now can also change channels! We have been raising things higher to avoid his reaching them, but we really cannot go much higher anymore and when he stands on a chair he is truly tall! After delighting as parents in his advanced climbing abilities we now have to start setting restrictions so he will not be impossible to control!
One day we found him on the living room table, on her table was a stool and Jonathan was standing on it! My husband almost had a heart attack! We try to show him when climbing objects is good (like to climb a chair and SIT on it, not stand on it, so he can eat with adults near the big table). For Jonathan a whole new world has become available, for us a parents, a whole new task or setting its limits.
He is truly talented when it comes to the remote control, the computer mouse and the TV switch. Turning on the light is a special treat for him too. A true Buttonitis (English for Kaftoritis, the same principle...) child will do almost anything to get to a button or a switch. Switching on the stereo in my husbands room is a staple for Jonathan, and suddenly there is loud music in the house. The has also learned to turn on the TV long ago, and to control the volume buttons. At my mother's house its the dishwasher that was his first victim, and recently he has also discovered the stereo there too, inside a cabinet! Even after a few weeks absence, as soon as we get to my mother's house he goes either to the stereo cabinet or to the other cupboard with the keys he loves so much!
He has always known how to hold the remote control, and has always delighted himself when something suddenly changed when he pressed the buttons on it. He even knows how to point it to the TV and obviously understands there is some sort of connection between he remote and the TV. He still however does not really get any results with the remote, but that is a matter of time only, and he has another solution to that problem, as you will read later. The computer mouse is a favorite, and he has the correct grip as if born with it! He even clicks it correctly and loves to move it about and see the arrow wriggle on the screen. The computer itself is also a much loved object! As the laptop is on a table and he cannot reach it when alone, he stands on the floor and uses the mouse and thus enjoys it even when not able to press the keys. He loves the phone because when you press the buttons it makes funny sounds, mobile phones have also lighted display screens! Cool! He has registered that one puts an apparatus with buttons to one's ear and talks to it, and thus even a pocket calculator becomes a phone is Jonathan's able hands. He mimics the phoning position to perfection!
Jonathan is however becoming even more clever in his button passion. Like a true Buttonitis child he improves his methods and thus can get to even more switches. He has recently learned o climb on his chair. So he pushes the chair about the house to a desired location, then climbs and stands on it and so he is tall enough to reach even the higher light switches in the house! Much to his delight! He uses the same system to get to the microwave and to the satellite control unit – which means now that he not only can turn the TV on, he now can also change channels! We have been raising things higher to avoid his reaching them, but we really cannot go much higher anymore and when he stands on a chair he is truly tall! After delighting as parents in his advanced climbing abilities we now have to start setting restrictions so he will not be impossible to control!
One day we found him on the living room table, on her table was a stool and Jonathan was standing on it! My husband almost had a heart attack! We try to show him when climbing objects is good (like to climb a chair and SIT on it, not stand on it, so he can eat with adults near the big table). For Jonathan a whole new world has become available, for us a parents, a whole new task or setting its limits.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Advancement by Imitation
Jonathan continues to learn by observation, imitating mommy in everything possible. Sometimes the result is almost girly, but hey! Mommy is after all, a girl! But Jonathan is boy enough, showing athletic tendencies by homing in on his climbing skills...
Jonathan likes mommy's hair clip. Such a wonderful piece of plastic! It opens and snaps shut, making a fun click noise. Mommy likes to tickle Jonathan with it too, what fun! The love of the clip was a sure way to imitating mommy's use of it, and so, one Saturday morning, Jonathan took the clip and tried to put it on his hair. Other such imitation learning include trying to put his shirt over his head (and also trying to put his ants over his head, after all both are his clothes...), putting mommy's shirt over his head with success and then getting annoyed at the long piece of fabric that seems stuck to his body. His love for removing fabrics and placing them on his had includes tearing his bedsheets off his bed in the kindergarten so he can cover his head with them - and so I made a special cover for his mattress with a zipper. This morning he also removed his sheets at home for the first time (putting blankets on his head and walking with it covering him is already a routine action, right along with emptying his fabric diaper drawer and the towels closet in the bathroom). His love for fabrics, hair clips and glasses (he loves to remove my glasses from my face and then try to put them back on) sometimes truly worries me as too girly, but this worry does not last long when one sees him running about!
Independence steps include repeated trials to drink out of a cup (a skill only practiced when he is in the bath tub, as mommy really cannot stand for liquid being freely poured around the house), trying to take the plate from mommy and to carry it alone to his little “table” in the kitchen, while pouring out half the contents on the way (the “table” - Jonathan has a stool that serves as his own eating corner in the kitchen) and blowing on his fried egg to cool it down (just like mommy does – did I mention he learns by observation?). He also likes to pick up food with a spoon. Despite his very limited success in this action there is always a little bit to lick off the spoon anyway – so he is rewarded, and so he tries again and again, smearing his clothes, face and hands – generally just making a big mess of himself and around himself. When Jonathan is finished with his food he spits it out, making a lot of extra noise in the process, so I will not miss his point! I AM DONE! Thank you! In this protest action he is a lot like me, because when I was a baby and finished my meal, I would just throw the plait away, along with the remaining contents. And my mother had to clean up (she quickly changed to plastic plates...).
Further advancements include climbing down and up the stairs alone standing up and using the fence on the staircase! YES! He can go up now as well, no more crawling up the stairs. Climbing chairs and standing up on them to reach things and climbing the living room table is also occurring already – and so our “grown up” stuff needs to rise even more (our life style keeps rising...). He also likes to throw himself on pillows – he either does that on mommy and daddy's big bed (big soft German cushions make the experience extra fun!) or in the living room, on his big cushion (actually a large cushion for animals that I brought for him and where he has often drank his bottle ever since he was born). He still cannot climb onto our bed, so he walks to our bedroom and asks with his hands to be picked up onto it, by “drumming” his hands on the bed. After he is up he stand up on the bed, plays with switching the light on and off and then eventually throws himself on the pillows. Despite the wild action he never falls off the bed and seams to know exactly where the edge is and how to get off. I rarely have to catch him to prevent a fall (unless he is to distracted having fun... then I do need to watch over him).
I wonder how soon he will learn to climb onto our bed! Even more worrying is how soon will he be able to climb out of his own bed! He is already trying it, lifting his knee... I guess this will determine when we will have to pass him onto a bigger boy's bed.
The only field n which he is making no advancement is getting rid of his running nose and coughs. He is just so full of snot! The doctor says this is just so until the age of 8 years! I do not get worried is he has no fever, or if he can breath at night. If he becomes “to full” I give him inhalation treatments, and then scream my lungs out to calm him down by clowning and entertaining through the treatment ( and then I need the inhalation...). Despite a running nose and in the last few days diarrhea, he is a happy active child! And definitely boyish and mischievous enough!
Jonathan likes mommy's hair clip. Such a wonderful piece of plastic! It opens and snaps shut, making a fun click noise. Mommy likes to tickle Jonathan with it too, what fun! The love of the clip was a sure way to imitating mommy's use of it, and so, one Saturday morning, Jonathan took the clip and tried to put it on his hair. Other such imitation learning include trying to put his shirt over his head (and also trying to put his ants over his head, after all both are his clothes...), putting mommy's shirt over his head with success and then getting annoyed at the long piece of fabric that seems stuck to his body. His love for removing fabrics and placing them on his had includes tearing his bedsheets off his bed in the kindergarten so he can cover his head with them - and so I made a special cover for his mattress with a zipper. This morning he also removed his sheets at home for the first time (putting blankets on his head and walking with it covering him is already a routine action, right along with emptying his fabric diaper drawer and the towels closet in the bathroom). His love for fabrics, hair clips and glasses (he loves to remove my glasses from my face and then try to put them back on) sometimes truly worries me as too girly, but this worry does not last long when one sees him running about!
Independence steps include repeated trials to drink out of a cup (a skill only practiced when he is in the bath tub, as mommy really cannot stand for liquid being freely poured around the house), trying to take the plate from mommy and to carry it alone to his little “table” in the kitchen, while pouring out half the contents on the way (the “table” - Jonathan has a stool that serves as his own eating corner in the kitchen) and blowing on his fried egg to cool it down (just like mommy does – did I mention he learns by observation?). He also likes to pick up food with a spoon. Despite his very limited success in this action there is always a little bit to lick off the spoon anyway – so he is rewarded, and so he tries again and again, smearing his clothes, face and hands – generally just making a big mess of himself and around himself. When Jonathan is finished with his food he spits it out, making a lot of extra noise in the process, so I will not miss his point! I AM DONE! Thank you! In this protest action he is a lot like me, because when I was a baby and finished my meal, I would just throw the plait away, along with the remaining contents. And my mother had to clean up (she quickly changed to plastic plates...).
Further advancements include climbing down and up the stairs alone standing up and using the fence on the staircase! YES! He can go up now as well, no more crawling up the stairs. Climbing chairs and standing up on them to reach things and climbing the living room table is also occurring already – and so our “grown up” stuff needs to rise even more (our life style keeps rising...). He also likes to throw himself on pillows – he either does that on mommy and daddy's big bed (big soft German cushions make the experience extra fun!) or in the living room, on his big cushion (actually a large cushion for animals that I brought for him and where he has often drank his bottle ever since he was born). He still cannot climb onto our bed, so he walks to our bedroom and asks with his hands to be picked up onto it, by “drumming” his hands on the bed. After he is up he stand up on the bed, plays with switching the light on and off and then eventually throws himself on the pillows. Despite the wild action he never falls off the bed and seams to know exactly where the edge is and how to get off. I rarely have to catch him to prevent a fall (unless he is to distracted having fun... then I do need to watch over him).
I wonder how soon he will learn to climb onto our bed! Even more worrying is how soon will he be able to climb out of his own bed! He is already trying it, lifting his knee... I guess this will determine when we will have to pass him onto a bigger boy's bed.
The only field n which he is making no advancement is getting rid of his running nose and coughs. He is just so full of snot! The doctor says this is just so until the age of 8 years! I do not get worried is he has no fever, or if he can breath at night. If he becomes “to full” I give him inhalation treatments, and then scream my lungs out to calm him down by clowning and entertaining through the treatment ( and then I need the inhalation...). Despite a running nose and in the last few days diarrhea, he is a happy active child! And definitely boyish and mischievous enough!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Purim
Jonathan was dressed up as a lion for the Israeli Purim holiday. He was very sweet and did not seam to mind being dressed up in a strange suit with an extra heavy lions head hood. But a 4th photo shooting session in the afternoon annoyed him well enough!
I guess I sympathize, after all he was chased with cameras the whole day. I dressed him up in the morning and then took some pictures (he was willing to let me photograph him without reaching out for my camera only when I let him have another camera in his hands – thank god we have a camera gone bad that is still interesting enough for him because he can turn it on and off and it makes sounds during the process, it even activates the flash! Wow!). Hey, he even let me scribble some whiskers on his face without protest. Soooooo cute!
Then I brought him to the kindergarten dressed and the care takers said that the photographer will only come at ten and the toddlers get their breakfast first(at 1 year and 3 months, Jonathan is no longer a baby – as he walks he is definitely a toddler). So we took the costume off. The make up remained.
At 10 the care takers dressed him up and the photographer chased him around with a camera the second time that day. This time to keep him busy, then gave him a clown doll! The results were very cute, even though the make up got ruined bu then.
After his afternoon nap, the care takers decided to take some more pictures with the digital camera that they have in the kindergarten (parents get an album at the end of each year – very nice idea I think). They renewed the make up for this purpose. So by now this was the third photo shooting and the second time his face was drawn upon.
In the afternoon I picked him up and he was make up free and in normal clothes. Still I felt I had not gotten enough pictures with my cute lion and so I dressed him up again (4th time he had to put that ridiculous costume on), drew the whiskers again – this time under protest and therefore with not so nice results (3rd make up session) and drew some on my face too, and tried to take pictures again (4th photo shooting session). By now, he had had enough and was not so cooperative. The “gone bad” camera helped a little, but there was no getting him to smile and he expressed his protest in absolutely refusing to be held close for a cute photograph. We got some nice ones anyway and then freed him at last from the costume and wiped his face clean for the last time that day. At the end of the day, after a nice scrambles egg supper and a bath he just “dropped dead” in bed. Sleeping immediately – it had indeed been a a hard day!
(Makes you understand why actors and models are paid well for their work – its not only talent and looks, its also some pretty hard work! Posing all day!).
I guess I sympathize, after all he was chased with cameras the whole day. I dressed him up in the morning and then took some pictures (he was willing to let me photograph him without reaching out for my camera only when I let him have another camera in his hands – thank god we have a camera gone bad that is still interesting enough for him because he can turn it on and off and it makes sounds during the process, it even activates the flash! Wow!). Hey, he even let me scribble some whiskers on his face without protest. Soooooo cute!
Then I brought him to the kindergarten dressed and the care takers said that the photographer will only come at ten and the toddlers get their breakfast first(at 1 year and 3 months, Jonathan is no longer a baby – as he walks he is definitely a toddler). So we took the costume off. The make up remained.
At 10 the care takers dressed him up and the photographer chased him around with a camera the second time that day. This time to keep him busy, then gave him a clown doll! The results were very cute, even though the make up got ruined bu then.
After his afternoon nap, the care takers decided to take some more pictures with the digital camera that they have in the kindergarten (parents get an album at the end of each year – very nice idea I think). They renewed the make up for this purpose. So by now this was the third photo shooting and the second time his face was drawn upon.
In the afternoon I picked him up and he was make up free and in normal clothes. Still I felt I had not gotten enough pictures with my cute lion and so I dressed him up again (4th time he had to put that ridiculous costume on), drew the whiskers again – this time under protest and therefore with not so nice results (3rd make up session) and drew some on my face too, and tried to take pictures again (4th photo shooting session). By now, he had had enough and was not so cooperative. The “gone bad” camera helped a little, but there was no getting him to smile and he expressed his protest in absolutely refusing to be held close for a cute photograph. We got some nice ones anyway and then freed him at last from the costume and wiped his face clean for the last time that day. At the end of the day, after a nice scrambles egg supper and a bath he just “dropped dead” in bed. Sleeping immediately – it had indeed been a a hard day!
(Makes you understand why actors and models are paid well for their work – its not only talent and looks, its also some pretty hard work! Posing all day!).
When a baby develops a personality
It is fascinating to watch Jonathan and see in his doings how his brain works. And sometimes I get to watch a quantum leap – as his thoughts are put together into action. A mother does not always get to see her baby's first steps, especially a working mom misses a lot of steps forward, so when I do get to behold an advancement, the pleasure is all the greater. My baby is now a walking toddler, with wishes and opinions – and I even understand some of his thought trails. As he develops a personality, all that remains for me to do is dote on him, facinated.
First steps are always delightful, as Jonathan began to walk more securely, we decided it was time for shoes. We took him shopping and brought him some nice sports shoes with Velcro strips. They are too big for him, because we were thinking a bit long term, but still they are not so big and he uses them now with pleasure. The first time I put them on for him he got up and walked in extra bog steps, looking at his feet and clearly questioning the addition his body just received. After a little while I let him g out and down the stair with the shoes. He seamed not to understand why his feet had gotten longer and continued to be clumsy and he struggled his way down the stairs. Jonathan is however a flexible and easy going type and by the time he was down the stairs he accepted the new strange things covering his feet and started walking faster with them. A few more days and he was a sure on his feet with shoes as without. He still sometimes struggles with the fact that the shoes make his feet longer, especially when going down the stairs and not managing to place his feet next to one another as he would wish, but he manages well enough.
Jonathan never really liked to go down the stairs like all babies do, that is bottom first. He skipped that stage and went straight to the phase of going down the stairway standing. At first he did this holding my hands, all my efforts to show him the railings were fruitless for a while, then one day he accepted my suggestion that he hold the railings near the stairs, and not me and every day he became surer in his steps down the stairs, clearly enjoying his independence. So much that I began to fear he will be too sure climbing down stairs that do not have a railing. But children are resilient, and Jonathan is no different. In our apartment house the railing is perfect for him, but near the post and also at my parents' house there is no rail. Having notices this problem, Jonathan simply went down the stairs without the rials bottom first – showing me that he can solve problems as they occur.
A nice thinking connection presented itself wen Jonathan used a wall and not a rail to go down the stairs in his kindergarten. The next quantum leap regarding stair climbing happened yesterday. Jonathan was going downstairs holding onto the rial as always, when he decided suddenly to change direction and for the first time he started climbing up the stair using the rail (until then he crawled up the stairs on his hands and knees). He tried a few stairs and then returned to going down, following me. He repeated this also later in the day and I expect that soon he will no longer crawl up the stairs at all.
Jonathan is getting bolder and has now started climbing the stairs placing his foot and not his knee on the higher stair. This climbing action also present itself when he tries to climb the sofa. He raises his knee high up and tries to place his foot on the sofa. With this tactic he has already managed to climb our living room table – pushing himself up, lying on his tummy and raising his knee high up and placing it on the table and crawling up. His father left him in the living room playing with the emote control as always and when he came back a moment later the boy was sitting ON the table!
Jonathan is also developing his expression skills and his able to express his wished better. He had however decided to call me “aba” which means daddy in Hebrew. There is a joke in Internet in Israel that goes like this. We mothers carry our babies for 9 months, loose sleep in their first few month of life, (mothers sleep less than fathers) breast feed them and put ourselves second to our children etc. Etc. and yet their first word is usually “aba” and all they keep saying is “'aba” - daddy. I think this would also work for other languages – daddy in English or pap in German and French. The sounds of B, P and D are easier that M – so babies say daddy long before hey say mommy. My frustration at being called “aba” is however greater, as it is clear that Jonathan can say the sound of M. he uses “mam mam” for food. Lately he also uses “na na” for food,and I believe this comes or the word banana – he gets lot of banana served because its healthy and easy to manage – the two guidelines for every mom – easy and still not bad for your kid. Fruit serve for me as sweet treats for Jonathan, and bananas and strawberry are his favorites.
He uses his body in his communication efforts. Pointing to things that interest him, lifting his arms to ask to be picked up and throwing himself on the floor in a tantrum when he is not pleased (usually when I forbid him to use the computer...or when I decide to put him back in his stroller after allowing his to roam). Jonathan is a curious baby and always reaching out to touch things and discover them. He will also offer me an object once he is finished researching it. Or he might just throw it on the floor if he losses interest. He claps his hands to congratulate himself on his achievements, looking at me and asking for my approval as well, I immediately comply and clap hands too! (This happens especially in the bath tub – Jonathan has leaned to put in the water stopper and then he looks up and claps – proud of his achievement – and proud he can be, it takes some motoric fineness to get that stopper in place).
He can also be very opinionated – Jonathan reacts with a small laugh when he sees his bottle, signaling that he would like to have it, even before reaching with his hands for it. He wails his complaint when I put a diaper on him – he clearly likes his freedom – he would prefer some wind between his legs..fresh air – just like he loves to freely walk all over the house or run forward in the street or a shopping mall. Pitty he is not potty trained yet – I am sure he would be more comfortable and I would save heaps of money on diapers... but the time will come soon enough.
That he is clever and a thinking child is also clear in the way he communicates a warning to me. If he is no longer hungry he will show me this by turning his head away, or playing with his food (if he is hungry he eats – no fooling around) and if I insist to try to feed some more (which like any “polish” mom I usually do – just to make sure he has had enough and does not want more) he spits it out. As he grows older, the spitting action becomes more of a protest and is hence more dramatic and a lot more dirty. Jonathan is a social easter, always coming to share when others eat. Today at a family dinner he even sat nicely on a plastic “growup” chair, clearly enjoying the food and the company and remaining sweetlyin his place for quite a while.
He was sick in the last two days and cranky. Since Jonathan is never cranky – I knew instantly that he is sick. (we have tenant at the moment and he says Jonathan is amazing because you never hear him cry – and once he heard him cry two days ago- our tenant asked immediately is Jonathan is sick). Did I mention that he warns me when something is wrong? Jonathan knew he was going to throw up, so he shook his head refusing to swallow medicine (he never refuses oral medicine unless he is about to throw up). Then he starts to cry and then to cough – giving me ample time to understand that he is about to throw up. I learned to understand these signs and this way was ready with a fabric diaper when he eventually did throw up – this way, only the diaper and my clothes got hit – not the chair I was sitting in holding Jonathan and not the floor – minimal damage! Its really sweet that he tries to communicate that something is wrong, and that he always does it in the same manner – so that eventually even I got the message.
He has his own language and the tones he uses are varied. Just listening to his language you can see that he is picking up the tones from adults. Jonathan is showing sensitivity to sound also in the fact that he clearly enjoys music. When my brother in law plays the piano at my parents' house, the boy sits on the carpet listening, truly fascinated. Music generating toys are Jonathan favorites and he loves it when I sing to him – either fun songs (with hand movements) during the day or calming lullaby songs at night are always welcome. He discovers his mouth again and again, making new sounds – today it was sticking his tongue out and spitting, making a sound like a motorcycle. I truly think he enjoys the sounds he produces and the process of producing them too. I enjoy watching him do it and reward him by repeating his sounds, and so today we were quite a motorcycle band for a while...PrrrPrrr Prrr Prrrrrrrrr
First steps are always delightful, as Jonathan began to walk more securely, we decided it was time for shoes. We took him shopping and brought him some nice sports shoes with Velcro strips. They are too big for him, because we were thinking a bit long term, but still they are not so big and he uses them now with pleasure. The first time I put them on for him he got up and walked in extra bog steps, looking at his feet and clearly questioning the addition his body just received. After a little while I let him g out and down the stair with the shoes. He seamed not to understand why his feet had gotten longer and continued to be clumsy and he struggled his way down the stairs. Jonathan is however a flexible and easy going type and by the time he was down the stairs he accepted the new strange things covering his feet and started walking faster with them. A few more days and he was a sure on his feet with shoes as without. He still sometimes struggles with the fact that the shoes make his feet longer, especially when going down the stairs and not managing to place his feet next to one another as he would wish, but he manages well enough.
Jonathan never really liked to go down the stairs like all babies do, that is bottom first. He skipped that stage and went straight to the phase of going down the stairway standing. At first he did this holding my hands, all my efforts to show him the railings were fruitless for a while, then one day he accepted my suggestion that he hold the railings near the stairs, and not me and every day he became surer in his steps down the stairs, clearly enjoying his independence. So much that I began to fear he will be too sure climbing down stairs that do not have a railing. But children are resilient, and Jonathan is no different. In our apartment house the railing is perfect for him, but near the post and also at my parents' house there is no rail. Having notices this problem, Jonathan simply went down the stairs without the rials bottom first – showing me that he can solve problems as they occur.
A nice thinking connection presented itself wen Jonathan used a wall and not a rail to go down the stairs in his kindergarten. The next quantum leap regarding stair climbing happened yesterday. Jonathan was going downstairs holding onto the rial as always, when he decided suddenly to change direction and for the first time he started climbing up the stair using the rail (until then he crawled up the stairs on his hands and knees). He tried a few stairs and then returned to going down, following me. He repeated this also later in the day and I expect that soon he will no longer crawl up the stairs at all.
Jonathan is getting bolder and has now started climbing the stairs placing his foot and not his knee on the higher stair. This climbing action also present itself when he tries to climb the sofa. He raises his knee high up and tries to place his foot on the sofa. With this tactic he has already managed to climb our living room table – pushing himself up, lying on his tummy and raising his knee high up and placing it on the table and crawling up. His father left him in the living room playing with the emote control as always and when he came back a moment later the boy was sitting ON the table!
Jonathan is also developing his expression skills and his able to express his wished better. He had however decided to call me “aba” which means daddy in Hebrew. There is a joke in Internet in Israel that goes like this. We mothers carry our babies for 9 months, loose sleep in their first few month of life, (mothers sleep less than fathers) breast feed them and put ourselves second to our children etc. Etc. and yet their first word is usually “aba” and all they keep saying is “'aba” - daddy. I think this would also work for other languages – daddy in English or pap in German and French. The sounds of B, P and D are easier that M – so babies say daddy long before hey say mommy. My frustration at being called “aba” is however greater, as it is clear that Jonathan can say the sound of M. he uses “mam mam” for food. Lately he also uses “na na” for food,and I believe this comes or the word banana – he gets lot of banana served because its healthy and easy to manage – the two guidelines for every mom – easy and still not bad for your kid. Fruit serve for me as sweet treats for Jonathan, and bananas and strawberry are his favorites.
He uses his body in his communication efforts. Pointing to things that interest him, lifting his arms to ask to be picked up and throwing himself on the floor in a tantrum when he is not pleased (usually when I forbid him to use the computer...or when I decide to put him back in his stroller after allowing his to roam). Jonathan is a curious baby and always reaching out to touch things and discover them. He will also offer me an object once he is finished researching it. Or he might just throw it on the floor if he losses interest. He claps his hands to congratulate himself on his achievements, looking at me and asking for my approval as well, I immediately comply and clap hands too! (This happens especially in the bath tub – Jonathan has leaned to put in the water stopper and then he looks up and claps – proud of his achievement – and proud he can be, it takes some motoric fineness to get that stopper in place).
He can also be very opinionated – Jonathan reacts with a small laugh when he sees his bottle, signaling that he would like to have it, even before reaching with his hands for it. He wails his complaint when I put a diaper on him – he clearly likes his freedom – he would prefer some wind between his legs..fresh air – just like he loves to freely walk all over the house or run forward in the street or a shopping mall. Pitty he is not potty trained yet – I am sure he would be more comfortable and I would save heaps of money on diapers... but the time will come soon enough.
That he is clever and a thinking child is also clear in the way he communicates a warning to me. If he is no longer hungry he will show me this by turning his head away, or playing with his food (if he is hungry he eats – no fooling around) and if I insist to try to feed some more (which like any “polish” mom I usually do – just to make sure he has had enough and does not want more) he spits it out. As he grows older, the spitting action becomes more of a protest and is hence more dramatic and a lot more dirty. Jonathan is a social easter, always coming to share when others eat. Today at a family dinner he even sat nicely on a plastic “growup” chair, clearly enjoying the food and the company and remaining sweetlyin his place for quite a while.
He was sick in the last two days and cranky. Since Jonathan is never cranky – I knew instantly that he is sick. (we have tenant at the moment and he says Jonathan is amazing because you never hear him cry – and once he heard him cry two days ago- our tenant asked immediately is Jonathan is sick). Did I mention that he warns me when something is wrong? Jonathan knew he was going to throw up, so he shook his head refusing to swallow medicine (he never refuses oral medicine unless he is about to throw up). Then he starts to cry and then to cough – giving me ample time to understand that he is about to throw up. I learned to understand these signs and this way was ready with a fabric diaper when he eventually did throw up – this way, only the diaper and my clothes got hit – not the chair I was sitting in holding Jonathan and not the floor – minimal damage! Its really sweet that he tries to communicate that something is wrong, and that he always does it in the same manner – so that eventually even I got the message.
He has his own language and the tones he uses are varied. Just listening to his language you can see that he is picking up the tones from adults. Jonathan is showing sensitivity to sound also in the fact that he clearly enjoys music. When my brother in law plays the piano at my parents' house, the boy sits on the carpet listening, truly fascinated. Music generating toys are Jonathan favorites and he loves it when I sing to him – either fun songs (with hand movements) during the day or calming lullaby songs at night are always welcome. He discovers his mouth again and again, making new sounds – today it was sticking his tongue out and spitting, making a sound like a motorcycle. I truly think he enjoys the sounds he produces and the process of producing them too. I enjoy watching him do it and reward him by repeating his sounds, and so today we were quite a motorcycle band for a while...PrrrPrrr Prrr Prrrrrrrrr
Friday, March 6, 2009
Bed Bottle Holder, Cool Tip
A bottle holder – anyone can make it, and if the baby learns o use it its a really cool thing to have.
Here is a useful tip I gt off a colleague at work who is also a mom: Make a bottle holder for your child's bed using an old pair of jeans. The legs go under the mattress and the waist is tied to the bed/pen. The pockets serve as cells for the bottles, and should be big enough to enable your child to also return the empty bottle to the holder (rather than throwing it out of the bed in protest of the fat that you again left him alone in the dark so he could do this strange thing called “sleep”). This also prevents milk from a full bottle from dropping on the mattress. Now all that remains is to tech your little treasure to actually use the new contraption... Hoping that the youth will learn to take his nightly drink form the holder (in which mommy placed a bottle at an earlier and normal hour) rather than calling at 3 am for me to make it and bring it to him is a bit too much, isn't it?
Here is a useful tip I gt off a colleague at work who is also a mom: Make a bottle holder for your child's bed using an old pair of jeans. The legs go under the mattress and the waist is tied to the bed/pen. The pockets serve as cells for the bottles, and should be big enough to enable your child to also return the empty bottle to the holder (rather than throwing it out of the bed in protest of the fat that you again left him alone in the dark so he could do this strange thing called “sleep”). This also prevents milk from a full bottle from dropping on the mattress. Now all that remains is to tech your little treasure to actually use the new contraption... Hoping that the youth will learn to take his nightly drink form the holder (in which mommy placed a bottle at an earlier and normal hour) rather than calling at 3 am for me to make it and bring it to him is a bit too much, isn't it?
Learning by Watching Mommy Doing
Its been a while since I last wrote and Jonathan is making some progress. He now not only imitates what he has seen many times, but also what he hears (or what he thinks he hears) and sometimes even makes the quantum leap of imitating immediately something he has seen for the first time.
I may have already mentioned some of the below new accomplishments of Jonathan's, but hey, a proud mom is supposed to repeat the achievements of her off spring, no? After all, even if Jonathan isn't there, I am usually thinking about him... I sometimes wonder if this is not going a bit too far, but I have become a mother heart and sole!
When I blow his nose he has taken to making a noise with his mouth (blowing between closed lips) thus imitating the noise of nose blowing. It is obvious that he is trying to help. What is not clear is if he is really imitating a noise he has heard many times in connection with nose blowing, or he is trying to prevent the paper tissue of entering his mouth (this has happened before and made him spit the paper out). A further step in the nose blowing saga however occurred this morning, when he took the handkerchief from my hand, held it to his nose and blew with his mouth. Then he returned the paper to me.
Another clever reaction related to his nose is that he blows air out of his nostrils whenever he sees the nose pump near his nose. The nose pump is a simple contraption meant to help a mother pump out extra slime out of the baby's nose, its really just a rubber container that one presses to remove the air, then put the edge in the baby's nose and let go, the container fills with air and pulls the slime out o f the nose. Now that Jonathan blows air through his nostrils when he sees the pump, I rarely have to actually pump.
Progress also in the field of language – whenever he gives someone anything he always says “ta”. I am not sure what the origin of this sound is. It could be the end of the word “TODA” which means thank you in Hebrew and is that natural reaction Jonathan gets whenever he gives someone something, or is it the German “DA” which means “there” when we give him something.
He likes to sit on a small stool that we have at home or wonders to the kitchen in the kindergarten and sits nicely at a small table there and then waits, saying “mam mam” hoping to get some fruit, He also stays and eats sitting on the stool, until he is no longer hungry ad thus he looses interest, or just starts playing with his food.
One can understand why he comes to the table for food, the care takers at the day care center always have their breakfast at the small table in the kitchen, his stool at home is also in the kitchen – the source of food. Today he made the quantum leap of imitating something h saw me do only once. I was drinking a yogurt from a bottle that is comes in and then Jonathan just took the bottle and drank the last drops, just like second nature. I know drinking something dairy from a bottle is no news for Jonathan, but the package was different and it was nice to see him just follow my actions and also be rewarded not only by my encouraging words but also but the sweet drink itself.
More progress in the field of food, Jonathan now feeds me when he is close o ending his meal. He opens his mouth, hands me the food and says “ham” and then shoves it into my mouth, pretty much like I used to do when he was smaller.
He also likes to open my Labello and then lick it, trying to imitate the way I put on the lip balsam. Then he delights in closing the tube. Actually this is a nice piece of delicate mechanic abilities Johnathan is showing. Sometimes, when he does not get the tube closed or he tries to push a lid to close a box but missing its right place, he pushes it further, trying to use more force and then, so cute, he also seams to push his voice, holding his breath and crying out, in the attempt to prompt himself to more force. His voice is also the expression of his frustration at the lack of success to complete the task.
Lately he showed me once more how a computer and television is second nature to him. It has been a while since he started pointing the remote control towards the TV and sometimes even changing channels successfully, but just last week he simply took the computer mouse in his hand, holding it correctly with the first try and clicking on it naturally. This week, this new skill has developed further, he has understood that the mouse controls the computer and he can change the pictures on the screen with it, so he just stands on the floor near the computer table and reaches for the mouse. No need to ask mommy to sit on her lap to get to the computer and its delightfully changing screen. Definitely a newer more sophisticated generation...
I may have already mentioned some of the below new accomplishments of Jonathan's, but hey, a proud mom is supposed to repeat the achievements of her off spring, no? After all, even if Jonathan isn't there, I am usually thinking about him... I sometimes wonder if this is not going a bit too far, but I have become a mother heart and sole!
When I blow his nose he has taken to making a noise with his mouth (blowing between closed lips) thus imitating the noise of nose blowing. It is obvious that he is trying to help. What is not clear is if he is really imitating a noise he has heard many times in connection with nose blowing, or he is trying to prevent the paper tissue of entering his mouth (this has happened before and made him spit the paper out). A further step in the nose blowing saga however occurred this morning, when he took the handkerchief from my hand, held it to his nose and blew with his mouth. Then he returned the paper to me.
Another clever reaction related to his nose is that he blows air out of his nostrils whenever he sees the nose pump near his nose. The nose pump is a simple contraption meant to help a mother pump out extra slime out of the baby's nose, its really just a rubber container that one presses to remove the air, then put the edge in the baby's nose and let go, the container fills with air and pulls the slime out o f the nose. Now that Jonathan blows air through his nostrils when he sees the pump, I rarely have to actually pump.
Progress also in the field of language – whenever he gives someone anything he always says “ta”. I am not sure what the origin of this sound is. It could be the end of the word “TODA” which means thank you in Hebrew and is that natural reaction Jonathan gets whenever he gives someone something, or is it the German “DA” which means “there” when we give him something.
He likes to sit on a small stool that we have at home or wonders to the kitchen in the kindergarten and sits nicely at a small table there and then waits, saying “mam mam” hoping to get some fruit, He also stays and eats sitting on the stool, until he is no longer hungry ad thus he looses interest, or just starts playing with his food.
One can understand why he comes to the table for food, the care takers at the day care center always have their breakfast at the small table in the kitchen, his stool at home is also in the kitchen – the source of food. Today he made the quantum leap of imitating something h saw me do only once. I was drinking a yogurt from a bottle that is comes in and then Jonathan just took the bottle and drank the last drops, just like second nature. I know drinking something dairy from a bottle is no news for Jonathan, but the package was different and it was nice to see him just follow my actions and also be rewarded not only by my encouraging words but also but the sweet drink itself.
More progress in the field of food, Jonathan now feeds me when he is close o ending his meal. He opens his mouth, hands me the food and says “ham” and then shoves it into my mouth, pretty much like I used to do when he was smaller.
He also likes to open my Labello and then lick it, trying to imitate the way I put on the lip balsam. Then he delights in closing the tube. Actually this is a nice piece of delicate mechanic abilities Johnathan is showing. Sometimes, when he does not get the tube closed or he tries to push a lid to close a box but missing its right place, he pushes it further, trying to use more force and then, so cute, he also seams to push his voice, holding his breath and crying out, in the attempt to prompt himself to more force. His voice is also the expression of his frustration at the lack of success to complete the task.
Lately he showed me once more how a computer and television is second nature to him. It has been a while since he started pointing the remote control towards the TV and sometimes even changing channels successfully, but just last week he simply took the computer mouse in his hand, holding it correctly with the first try and clicking on it naturally. This week, this new skill has developed further, he has understood that the mouse controls the computer and he can change the pictures on the screen with it, so he just stands on the floor near the computer table and reaches for the mouse. No need to ask mommy to sit on her lap to get to the computer and its delightfully changing screen. Definitely a newer more sophisticated generation...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Humor and Understanding
Lately it seems Jonathan has made a quantum leap when it comes to his understanding. He can turn buttons in his toys (a maneuver that is more difficult) and is showing clear signs of a sense of humor. His understanding is also developing well and he learns more and more by imitation, creating some truly cute circumstances.
Jonathan likes to laugh, and he always enjoys it when mommy makes funny noises. Lately he has decided to contribute himself to the fun! He takes the spoon in his mouth and shakes his head, humming all the while and checking my reaction. He likes to take my glasses and tries t put them on his head. I put them on for him and he thinks it is really funny to have the strange iron contraption on his nose. Such little gestures make him laugh, and prove that he enjoys a good laugh. He recently proved distinctly that he has a sense of humor. He was standing at one end of the living room and I was at another, leaving from work. When Jonathan sees me pick up my keys and bag, he knows I am going away and he begins to whine his protest. As he started to whine I lowered myself on my knees and offered a last minute hug, before going to work and he seemed to accept the offer and stated running in my direction, laughing. But at the last minute, before he reached me he took a sharp turn and ran into his room, laughing all the while! This was the first proof of a sense of humor but also of the child's understanding of the simplest manipulation that children have in their arsenal – hug prevention.
Another day we were in the shopping mall together, Jonathan, my husband and I – and he came to me for a hug, and when his daddy asked for a hug he started running towards him, turning at he last minute. Laughing as he maneuvered around my husband and not into his arms. I could not help laughing and thus the by learned that his actions are pleasing, and he repeated them a few minutes later, much to my husbands chagrin.
Another new ability that proves better understanding is the ability to tell a story. Jonathan still does not talk clearly but rather he mumbles in a language that is completely his own. His”talk” has however recently developed in the sense that there is a lot more “music” to his language. He is clearly talking and telling a story and his mumbles truly sound like conversation. On top of it all, he has recently taken to turning the pages of books and telling himself a story. It is truly the cutest image! I was inspired by his actions and have started reading him a story for bedtime. We still do not hold the book together or tell the story together, but I hope the start I have now made will lead to sch fulfilling bedtime story telling. In the meantime, he even tells himself a good morning story, waiting until we take him out of bed and keeping himself busy by looking through the pages of a fabric book that hangs on the bed and talking to himself! In such moments I wish I could understand him! I do so wish to know what he is saying...
Jonathan seams to be truly musical (like his mommy who could sing before she could talk...really – ask my parents). After all his first clear word is from a song (the sneezing rabbit). He loves any toy that plays music and asks for particular tunes by imitating the way that I sing them. There is a song from on of his toys that I sing by creating a lot of L sounds, and he asks me to sing by imitating the blolololo sound that I make. He makes the toys play a tune and claps his hands as a sign for me that I must join the toy in song!
He imitates adults around him. He tries more and more to eat with a spoon, spilling his food and creating a mess much to my chagrin. I really hate cleaning it all up, but hey its a part of being a mom and not all is pleasurable, though the majority of it all is. He likes to close ans open the glass I use for his mashed food. Each time he succeeds in closing it properly he rewards himself with a cheer! Then I ask him to open it so I can continue to feed him, and he does. And So we eat: open the lid, mommy scoops some food and shovels it into my mouth. I coordinate two movements simultaneously – I.e. opening my mouth for the food and closing the glass again. Then mom asks me to open it, and I do... and it starts all over again.
Jonathan's developed understanding also allows him to show clear dissatisfaction and even clearly oppose certain actions. He is growing 4 teeth now together and that means his gums are red and they hurt! Brushing his teeth is thus not a pleasant action and he shakes his head vigorously each evening when I offer him the tooth brush during bath time. If when he was smaller, we were not sure why he shook his head at times, now it is clear that it is a movement to mean “no”!
Imitation shows itself in the strangest of actions. He likes my Labello lip gloss, and he has mastered opening and closing the tube o his hearts content. But that is no enough. He opens the tube and then rubs it to his lips – imitating his mommy. Then he closes it. (he still has not gotten to the part where he spins the tube to let the lip gloss out...but still he clearly wants to use the funny blue/white tube just like mommy does.
The last weekend, we were at my parents' house and I went to the toilet. My husband who was looking for me, knocked on the door of the toilet to see if I was there and I answered the knock. Jonathan who watched this happen decided it would be nice to get mommy to talk to him from behind the door. And so he got up and knocked on the door too! Imitating the actions f my husband. My mother who was nearly said one could see the thinking process in the boys eyes. The thought and decision to get up and knock on the door so that mommy would answer him too.
The end of January is also the time of Jonathan's first sketch. Another action that shows a new understanding. One morning he decided to grab a pencil and scribble wit it on a peace of paper. Thus a few lines were created and a simple note to remind me of daily routines has been kept and placed in Jonathan photo album, for posterity.
Jonathan likes to laugh, and he always enjoys it when mommy makes funny noises. Lately he has decided to contribute himself to the fun! He takes the spoon in his mouth and shakes his head, humming all the while and checking my reaction. He likes to take my glasses and tries t put them on his head. I put them on for him and he thinks it is really funny to have the strange iron contraption on his nose. Such little gestures make him laugh, and prove that he enjoys a good laugh. He recently proved distinctly that he has a sense of humor. He was standing at one end of the living room and I was at another, leaving from work. When Jonathan sees me pick up my keys and bag, he knows I am going away and he begins to whine his protest. As he started to whine I lowered myself on my knees and offered a last minute hug, before going to work and he seemed to accept the offer and stated running in my direction, laughing. But at the last minute, before he reached me he took a sharp turn and ran into his room, laughing all the while! This was the first proof of a sense of humor but also of the child's understanding of the simplest manipulation that children have in their arsenal – hug prevention.
Another day we were in the shopping mall together, Jonathan, my husband and I – and he came to me for a hug, and when his daddy asked for a hug he started running towards him, turning at he last minute. Laughing as he maneuvered around my husband and not into his arms. I could not help laughing and thus the by learned that his actions are pleasing, and he repeated them a few minutes later, much to my husbands chagrin.
Another new ability that proves better understanding is the ability to tell a story. Jonathan still does not talk clearly but rather he mumbles in a language that is completely his own. His”talk” has however recently developed in the sense that there is a lot more “music” to his language. He is clearly talking and telling a story and his mumbles truly sound like conversation. On top of it all, he has recently taken to turning the pages of books and telling himself a story. It is truly the cutest image! I was inspired by his actions and have started reading him a story for bedtime. We still do not hold the book together or tell the story together, but I hope the start I have now made will lead to sch fulfilling bedtime story telling. In the meantime, he even tells himself a good morning story, waiting until we take him out of bed and keeping himself busy by looking through the pages of a fabric book that hangs on the bed and talking to himself! In such moments I wish I could understand him! I do so wish to know what he is saying...
Jonathan seams to be truly musical (like his mommy who could sing before she could talk...really – ask my parents). After all his first clear word is from a song (the sneezing rabbit). He loves any toy that plays music and asks for particular tunes by imitating the way that I sing them. There is a song from on of his toys that I sing by creating a lot of L sounds, and he asks me to sing by imitating the blolololo sound that I make. He makes the toys play a tune and claps his hands as a sign for me that I must join the toy in song!
He imitates adults around him. He tries more and more to eat with a spoon, spilling his food and creating a mess much to my chagrin. I really hate cleaning it all up, but hey its a part of being a mom and not all is pleasurable, though the majority of it all is. He likes to close ans open the glass I use for his mashed food. Each time he succeeds in closing it properly he rewards himself with a cheer! Then I ask him to open it so I can continue to feed him, and he does. And So we eat: open the lid, mommy scoops some food and shovels it into my mouth. I coordinate two movements simultaneously – I.e. opening my mouth for the food and closing the glass again. Then mom asks me to open it, and I do... and it starts all over again.
Jonathan's developed understanding also allows him to show clear dissatisfaction and even clearly oppose certain actions. He is growing 4 teeth now together and that means his gums are red and they hurt! Brushing his teeth is thus not a pleasant action and he shakes his head vigorously each evening when I offer him the tooth brush during bath time. If when he was smaller, we were not sure why he shook his head at times, now it is clear that it is a movement to mean “no”!
Imitation shows itself in the strangest of actions. He likes my Labello lip gloss, and he has mastered opening and closing the tube o his hearts content. But that is no enough. He opens the tube and then rubs it to his lips – imitating his mommy. Then he closes it. (he still has not gotten to the part where he spins the tube to let the lip gloss out...but still he clearly wants to use the funny blue/white tube just like mommy does.
The last weekend, we were at my parents' house and I went to the toilet. My husband who was looking for me, knocked on the door of the toilet to see if I was there and I answered the knock. Jonathan who watched this happen decided it would be nice to get mommy to talk to him from behind the door. And so he got up and knocked on the door too! Imitating the actions f my husband. My mother who was nearly said one could see the thinking process in the boys eyes. The thought and decision to get up and knock on the door so that mommy would answer him too.
The end of January is also the time of Jonathan's first sketch. Another action that shows a new understanding. One morning he decided to grab a pencil and scribble wit it on a peace of paper. Thus a few lines were created and a simple note to remind me of daily routines has been kept and placed in Jonathan photo album, for posterity.
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