The speed of progress

Jonathan is exposed to so many triggers, that it is surprising that he can grasp them all. His DVD's are an endless source of surprising information and have recently helped unearth his talent for languages.

Jonathan has a good ear, just like his mom a talent for sounds and melody is also turned into a talent for languages. Despite the fact that Jonathan suffered from a delay in speech, it was clear that he distinguishes languages. Recently, after watching a DVD of “letters form Felix the hare” Jonathan has focused on the English-like accent of characters that come from the USA or Australia and the UK. He thus roles his R's and proclaims by such “English sounding” rolling R dominated gibberish to speak “English” and he wants me to repeat his new found words and to speak English with him...

I find this especially endearing, as I have clear memories of myself playing a similar game with my twin sister when we are about 4 or 5 years old. We imitated the American mother of one of the children form our kindergarten - rolling our R's and making gibberish sounds (or was she south African? I do not really remember, but the last time I saw her was in South Africa when I was about 10 – and by then I could speak English fluently).

My mother says that Jonathan repeats many of my quirks as a child. M

A shock! And healing magic

A week ago Jonathan fell off his fathers bicycle. As a result he received some bruises to the face. I believe my husband was consumed with guilt and shock during the event but as it turned out the boy looked a lot worse than he really was and now, just a week after the event, there are no signs of it.

I was not there, so I do not know exactly how Jonathan fell, but he bruised his face. My husband had managed to get the wounds cleaned in a nearby cafe and to put some ice on Jonathan's face before bringing him home. Then he calmed the boy (and himself) by treating Jonathan to an ice. Sugar is indeed a great calmer of childly nerves.
When I got home I got home about 30 minuted later, it was obvious Jonathan had suffered only surface wounds and was in need of my maternal attention. As soon as he saw me, Jonathan felt the urge to cry once more, as he recalled the experience, explaining to me that he had had a fall. I cleaned the wounds and put some Polidine disinfectant on them and then , more for placebo effect and to calm Jonathan down, I placed some plasters on his scratches. One particular scratch was located just under his nose and Jonathan found it extremely funny that if he had a running nose (which he did, as he was still crying) he would have a messy plaster...thus the boy was trapped between laughter and tears.

Seeing that the boy was not really seriously hurt. I took him out to the playground and we had burgers for supper – a fun evening to turn his attention from his unpleasant afternoon. He continued to behave normally the nest day, but his face got swollen – so I made a doctors appointment for him. This appointed resulted in ointment for his wounds and antibiotics – regular treatment to prevent further infection. Its been 5 days since the fall and the medicine has worked marvellously – there hardly any signs of the old bruises. I believe when the week is out Jonathan will be completely healed. The real magic is the boys ability to heal fast – its took just half a day from the first administration of treatment and the beginning of clear recovery signs – the swelling was gone and the scratches began to retreat in less than 6 hours after I returned from the doctors office. 12 hours and a good night's sleep later and Jonathan eye was not longer affected. Today, the is no longer any dry scratches, just new skin.
Its amazing what young cells can do and how marvellous the human body is.

Jonathan gets extra points for being a real tough cookie. As always, when he is unwell, he is never troublesome. With the exception of the day of the fall in which he cried (and rightly so, I am sure he was frightened and it also hurt) he has been a real angel and has cooperated with his treatment – reminding me diligently each time not to put the ointment in a way that will “disturb” his eye (as is”into” his eye). He submitted to washing his face regularly twice a day and to ointment administration and medicine swallowing without a complaint! My boy! I am just so proud! He really is a big boy! As he so often reminds me.

DYI-Do it yourself

do it yourself is not just a fashion supported by Ikea sprouting new branches everywhere, it is a staple in every toddlers arsenal of “I am all grown now”. At the age of 3.5 years, Jonathan is clearly in the “why” stage. Everything must be questioned, every trigger reacted upon and every task performed independently.

The words “I can do it!” or “Me alone!” or “by myself!” are probably the phrases I hear most often in recent weeks. Jonathan has declared that he is a bog boy and that he can do everything himself. This results in many frustrating moments. First he is frustrated if I try to help or do something for him, then he tried it alone and gets frustrated and wails if it does not work out. Regardless, Jonathan is indeed becoming more adept in conducting daily tasks.
He wants me to watch as he gets dressed and he can indeed dress alone, which the exception of putting on his socks and his shoes. He manages his “Spider man” “Crocks” sandals however very well.

He wants to pour his own soft drink and usually gets the job done neatly without too much spilling. In fact the only serious spilling occurs if I try to help...

Cutting his food is the next challenge (he is only allowed to cut soft foods with a spreading butter knife). Spreading chocolate on his sliced bread is a task already conquered.

He likes to think that he knows and that he can help. But when it does not suit him to do so, its always nice to be able to lean on mommy again. Thus when he was tired the other day after returning from the playground (mommy watch me climb...yaaaa....uuuhhh.... do not fall...be careful sweety) on a warm afternoon, it was cool to ride piggyback on mommy (the only way I can still carry him – he weighs almost 20 Kgs). “Only you” is a phrase I have also heard often enough recently, and it signals Jonathan return to toddler-hood and dependence on my assistance. It is mostly used for tasks he does not are to complete (like tidying up his toys, or putting his shoes in their place).

The compromise between “me alone”and “only you” is probably “its difficult for me” - this declaration signals that he is trying to complete a task but not getting it right – thus asking for my help at the last minute. “Its difficult for me” has become music to my ears – ah, he still needs me after all! I wonder already when he will cease to need my help, and he is just 3.5 years old! Life is so shirt and he is growing up sooo fast – what will I think when he is a teenager and no longer gives me the time of day? Another favourite of mine is “together” - wanting to do something together with me, such bliss!

Just the other day, Jonathan saw a self made video of me singing. Seeing me on the computer screen caught his attention and he requested to see mommy again and again on the screen. By the time his enthusiasm reduced, he already got the tune of the recorded song and yesterday he asked me to sing it for him and then “together” - he wanted to sing it with me. I naturally complied! The boy id a musical prodigy! He sang long before he could talk and his love of music has not dyed down now that he is able to express himself in speech. He loves to sing together with me and we usually sing children's songs and stuff from his DVD's – but this time he wanted the song from the Video, which is a traditional Hebrew text and not created for children – Ah! My heart rejoiced a the request There is hope for the INTERNET generation to which my son belongs – they will be connoisseurs of culture yet! As long as mommy can sing it right!

Imaginary snow storm

Jonathan has recently made a quantum leap when it comes to his imagination games. With the advanced age if 3.5 years he is finally playing imaginary games with his teddy bear (his main “action figure”, as he has no dolls) and other pretending games. A snow storm in the kitchen was the most recent imagining highlight.

Magic is the key to my son's new found happiness. We have a game in which Jonathan is the magician and I am affected by his magic. Thus I become animals or things and the boy laughs his ball like laugh every time I make ridiculous sounds or pose in a funny way, trying to helplessly simulate a carpet... But the most wonderful thing about this game is that it is the pure invention of Jonathan. He was inspired by a song that his kindergarten teacher sings when celebrating birthdays. The birthday kid is the leading magician and all the children obey various orders such as “jumping” , “lying down”, “roar like lions” etc. Another idea of turning a parent into an animal and then back again is presented in a story Jonathan knows (from the Israeli “Itamar”series).

Jonathan's invention is in the fact that he combined both ideas into a game of his own, and even more so in his decision to include me in the fun!
This game is truly fun and it has become quite a staple in the time we spend together. A wonderful new way to communicate and enjoy each other's company. I am regularly turned into a lion and then into a table – Jonathan finds furniture an especially entertaining feature in this game...the n after not moving for a bout a minute (I am a flat table top, no? or was it a blue balloon?) I am permitted to return to being “mom” again. A transaction for which I am particularly grateful and my smiles are returned by the sheer glee of my son's laughter.

For the Shavout holiday, it is customary to prepare a dairy dinner. At my workplace it was therefor decided to provide a company dairy lunch, with the contributions of the employees. For this occasion I decided to bake cheese boreks and asked Jonathan to help. Jonathan loves to help in the kitchen, and baking is a favorite pass-time because it means that here will be flour! Yes, that lovely white powder (I am referring to regular baking flour...) which makes all the difference. The only thing second to flour is the actual dough. Jonathan was only too eager to sprinkle flour on the kitchen counter and to roll the dough flat. Then he watched me spread the cheese filling, but the passive role was soon boring and so he turned his attention back to the flour. Scattering it in the air and yelling “schnee!” (which means snow in German) happily as he watched the white fluff slowly descend on the kitchen floor.

He then enjoyed wiping his hands on his shirt and watching it turn a shade of white, before repeating the process. I removed the flour basin from him only to watch helplessly as he moved on to the chicken soup powder – again throwing it in the air with glee while declaring that it too looked like snow. The result was one very happy child, excellent boreks and a very messy kitchen! For a pastry that was to take just 10 minutes to prepare and another 15 to bake, I found myself cleaning the kitchen and the living room for at least an hour – Jonathan had run off to show his floury white self to his daddy, thus spreading white powder all over the house! Yet despite the mess and the hard cleaning work, I cannot but smile as I recall Jonathan true happiness in creating his own weather! A home made snow storm of flour and chicken soup powder.