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....
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
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.
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