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.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
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!
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