Creativity

Jonathan continues to show progress in imagination games and creative solutions. His love of snowstorms is only increased by the success of the flour generated storm, so much that he decided to also have a storm during a drive to his grandma – in the car – the solution-handkerchiefs.

We were driving to my parents' house, about an hour drive and I gave Jonathan a tissue to blow his nose (he does that alone very successfully, as well as wiping his behind after the toilet) and after he was done, he tore it up to little pieces and started throwing them about – creating a snow storm. We stopped to relieve ourselves and I used the opportunity to clean the car. Now Jonathan had no more pieces for his storm – so he pretended to sneeze; the clever little tyke, the idea being that I once more give him more tissues.

It did not work, but it became clear to me that he needed entertainment. So we spend the rest of the ride paying with riddles and imagination and guessing games. What animal is brown and roars (a bear), what color does a water melon have (red) and we also sang his favourite songs.
It is becoming possible to keep Jonathan busy without toys or play things, but it is hard work, I must admit. After the drive was over, I was drained out.

At my parents' Jonathan continued to show creative ideas, he cut a paper into strips and declared that he has made a piano, and I was invited to play along with him. He also helped his grandma baking but this time I did not allow him to create a flour snow storm and thus the mess was somewhat reduced.

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.