Hello my little blog corner of the world.
Every day I have thoughts in response to things the boys said or did. Thoughts like, "this is why I need to keep my blog up to date. I want to remember all these things." But dinner is made, the kitchen is cleaned up, the boys are bathed and put to bed. And I pretty much collapse. And the blog collects more dust.
So anyway, Cohen started kindergarten last fall. It was a little adjustment for him. The expectations were more rigid than they were in preschool. Things like raising your hand before you speak, sitting still until told otherwise, walking in single file quietly down the hall. I think he needed lots of reminders those first few weeks. And his teacher, Mrs. Holt, is pretty hard core about her expectations. We still get minors (notes about his behavior) fairly frequently, and it's usually the same stuff... he's trying to make his friends laugh at the wrong times, he blurted something out, he wasn't listening. Yes we would like these notes to discontinue, but he has come a LONG, long way. He's a good kid but sometimes forgets to act that way. As he continues to mature, I'm not worried that these issues will continue fading away.
He has really embraced kindergarten, and I'm so proud of him. He's reading, writing, doing math, telling time, following calendars, planning his schedule. All this stuff he wasn't doing a year ago. Mrs. Holt says he's a great little learner. I'm especially proud of his love of art, music and building stuff. Art: his drawings are extremely detailed and they tell stories that I love to interpret. Mr. McColley, his art teacher says he's so passionate about art, he sometimes tries to extend his time in the art room past the end of class. Music: he's a very sing-songy little guy. He hums along with practically every song on the radio, commercial on TV, or the background music of his video games. He can carry a tune pretty well for his age! Building stuff: he received a Knex rollercoaster for Christmas and assembled the whole thing himself just looking at pictures. It was several hundred pieces, and he did it in the middle of Mom's kitchen floor the night he received it. he's the same way with Legos, forts, anything. He just loves assembling and building stuff, and he's good at it. Mrs. Holt says he excels at writing and reading too. He's proving to be a bright kid in may ways!
He's become much quieter than he was as a preschooler. It takes more effort to get him to share. And sadly (for me), his hugs are less frequent, and he doesn't want to spend every waking moment with me like he used to. But when he's in a chatty mood, conversations with him are so fun! He's turning into a little man, and his thought process is so analytical. He asks questions that are sometimes difficult to answer, like questions about infinity, gravity, God and more. But he's funny too. His comments and observations about life crack me up on a daily basis.
He loves, loves, loves electronics. He received a Nintendo DS for Christmas and he could play it 24/7 if we allowed it.
He and AJ are the best friends in the world. It's awesome! Even 6 months ago, Cohen was a bit of a bully to his little brother, but now they're better friends than I ever thought possible. No one can make Cohen laugh like AJ can. The more Cohen laughs at AJ, the sillier and more giggly AJ becomes.
AJ turned 4 earlier this month. His teachers at Little Endeavors are Sarah and Mindy, and a bunch of random high school kids. Can you tell I'm not loving his current classroom? He's writing letters of the alphabet and learning the sounds that letters make. He doesn't embrace learning quite as much as Cohen did at this age, but his teachers reassure me that he's right on track for his age. We haven't determined yet if he's a righty or a lefty.
He's still a happy kid, funny as can be. He's always looking for a good time. His bad moods are more frequent than they used to be, but they're easily settled by a little one-on-one time goofing around. He loves his mom a lot :). He'll sprawl on top of me if I'm laying on the couch reading, and he'd prefer to sleep cheek-to-cheek every night if he could. He freely gives hugs and kisses and told me recently that I'm the best mom ever because I do so many awesome things (this was after I warmed up his coat in the dryer before going outside on a very cold day). He definitely knows how to make his way right to the center of my heart! When he was very small I said he's the sweetest person and I've met, and I'm pretty sure that's still true.
He's a people pleaser, especially to Cohen. For example, let's say he has waited a couple hours to for the privilege of playing the Kindle. He plays it for 5 minutes when Cohen asks for a turn. AJ would typically give it up with no resistance, even though I'm certain he wants to keep playing. He typically puts Cohen's needs ahead of his own. I find myself reminding him that he's deserving of things too. I don't want him to grow up being a doormat.
At his 4-year well child appointment, the doctor told his his body mass index is 93%. The doctor says after age 5, this could be considered obese. To me, he seems to have slimmed down A LOT since being a toddler. I don't see him as obese, but we've been making an effort to cut down on his beloved junk food and put more fruits and veggies on his plate.
His language improves continuously. He says 's' blends kind of funny. Like the word sleep is pronouced hleep. Stupid is Tupid (and we still hear that word a lot). Spot is Bot. Gs are funny too. Green is Jeen.
Both boys are currently playing Little Dunkers basketball through Ankeny's Park and Rec. Neither boy loves it, but AJ is especially surprising. This is the kid who can shoot hoops for hours in the driveway. We thought he'd be a star player. During his games, he dances around, runs all over the court, pretend shoots with imaginary guns, and leaves the court mid-game to tell us something. We just laugh it off. He's 4.
AJ was potty trained at about 3 1/2, and poop trained a few months later. He wasn't showing a ton of interest and initiative on his own, so we bought him underwear with Marvel comics. Ironman is his favorite. His pride in his new underpants finally pushed him to go potty on the toilet.
They're both changing physically, getting taller and more mature looking. I have a ton of pics I will post soon.
Thanks for sticking with me in this novel!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, September 9, 2013
New kid in town
I started this blog to share the joy my kids brought me. And somewhere along the way I abandoned my intentions of capturing those awesome moments that I never wanted to forget. Kids get older, we all get busier, milestones become less frequent. And those feelings of complete and unconditional love are a constant, everyday thing in your life, so documenting it doesn't seem that necessary anymore.
Today I felt those things again. I spent a few hours with my great-niece (great in many, many ways), Hazel. It was probably only the second time I've spent time with her in her 13-month life. I had forgotten how wonderfully sweet this age is. And she's so, so different than my boys. She's a smartie for sure. And amazingly well behaved and independent. She accepted me like we see each other every day (although I got a few questioning looks during our time together). She is just cute. SO cute. And sweet. And funny. Sarah and Chris won the jackpot with this little angel. I told Chris I'd drive to Omaha just to babysit her again, and I wasn't kidding. So this blog post is dedicated to Hazel, the little sweetie I fell in love with today.
Check out her funny expressions.
Today I felt those things again. I spent a few hours with my great-niece (great in many, many ways), Hazel. It was probably only the second time I've spent time with her in her 13-month life. I had forgotten how wonderfully sweet this age is. And she's so, so different than my boys. She's a smartie for sure. And amazingly well behaved and independent. She accepted me like we see each other every day (although I got a few questioning looks during our time together). She is just cute. SO cute. And sweet. And funny. Sarah and Chris won the jackpot with this little angel. I told Chris I'd drive to Omaha just to babysit her again, and I wasn't kidding. So this blog post is dedicated to Hazel, the little sweetie I fell in love with today.
Check out her funny expressions.
This was taken as she was making puppy sounds, which kind of sounded like an owl. "Oo, Oooh, ooh."
I couldn't stop touching her hair. So soft.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
New house
A few people have asked to see pics of our new house. I snapped a few tonight in it's full glory, with toys and crap laying around and the kids watching Star Wars.
It's definitely a work in progress. Our to-do list includes painting, landscaping and decorating, but that will all happen in due time.
Here's the view from the curb. We still have a bit of organizing to do in the garage, but it looks much worse in this pic than it actually is.
Here's standing near the front door looking into our foyer and living room.
Front door looking at stairs.
Living room.
Dining area looking into kitchen. The woodwork isn't as red as it looks here. It's more of a medium neutral brown/tan.
Standing in the dining area looking toward garage. That's a bathroom next to the wine rack. Around the corner of that little hallway is the laundry room, hooks to hang coats (yay, no piles of shoes in the kitchen anymore!), and a closet. The room with the wooden door is the office.
Standing near the dining area looking into foyer. We'll eventually paint that lime green wall. Not that there's anything wrong with lime green walls.
standing in the living room looking toward front door. The double doors go to the office.
Master bedroom. This is the one paint color we actually like. We even replaced our comforter to match. There are 3 more bedrooms upstairs.
The basement is unfinished and has daylight windows. So far it has served as a t-ball field, basketball court, nerf gun shooting range, and a tornado shelter.
We've been here for about 6 weeks and so far so good. The neighbors all seem very nice, normal and easy to get along with. Lots of kids including a little boy across the street who Cohen will be going to kindergarten with this fall.
It's definitely a work in progress. Our to-do list includes painting, landscaping and decorating, but that will all happen in due time.
Here's the view from the curb. We still have a bit of organizing to do in the garage, but it looks much worse in this pic than it actually is.
Here's standing near the front door looking into our foyer and living room.
Front door looking at stairs.
Living room.
Dining area looking into kitchen. The woodwork isn't as red as it looks here. It's more of a medium neutral brown/tan.
Standing in the kitchen looking into dining area. The kitchen, dining area and living room are all connected and very open. The door with the white curtain goes out to the deck.
Standing in the dining area looking toward garage. That's a bathroom next to the wine rack. Around the corner of that little hallway is the laundry room, hooks to hang coats (yay, no piles of shoes in the kitchen anymore!), and a closet. The room with the wooden door is the office.
Standing near the dining area looking into foyer. We'll eventually paint that lime green wall. Not that there's anything wrong with lime green walls.
standing in the living room looking toward front door. The double doors go to the office.
Master bedroom. This is the one paint color we actually like. We even replaced our comforter to match. There are 3 more bedrooms upstairs.
The basement is unfinished and has daylight windows. So far it has served as a t-ball field, basketball court, nerf gun shooting range, and a tornado shelter.
We've been here for about 6 weeks and so far so good. The neighbors all seem very nice, normal and easy to get along with. Lots of kids including a little boy across the street who Cohen will be going to kindergarten with this fall.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Trip to the farm
We headed down to the farm to spend some time with Dominic's parents. Here are a few of my favorite photos of the trip.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Spring update
I looked at this blog for the first time in months and couldn't believe the last post was Aug. 2011. And it doesn't even count because it's a camping packing list. Then I remembered I started a draft after AJ turned 2 and didn't publish it. I think I planned on adding pictures or something. Anyway I just published it so if there are any viewers left out there, you get two updates today.
I'll start with AJ since he's changing the most. Speech therapy continues and he's doing fantastic. For awhile we tracked his single words and he was up to 100 (ish). They're getting more complex, like yesterday he said 'ketchup.' And he's putting words together like "mow guy" (the kid who mows grandma's lawn). We're getting lots of Why? and What's that? questions.
He's gotten a lot better at managing his temper. Biting and hitting are barely issues anymore. He has found other ways to resist or show displeasure, but it's mostly verbal. The cool thing about him is that he forgets and forgives really quickly. One minute he's crying in angst, pain, devastation, whatever; the next minute he's laughing and frolicking around.
The kid has a heart. Every day there are examples of the sweetness that defines him. One day he was eating a cookie while sitting on my lap. I teased him, pretending I was going to eat it. He pulled it away and said "No, mine!" and I said, "Oh shoot, I really love cookies." Guess what, he gave it to me. (I didn't take it, of course.) Another time, Cohen was working on dot-to-dot puzzles before dinnertime. The book remained on the table and he wanted to do more after he finished eating. His pencil was missing. He wondered where it went and started looking behind his plate on and the floor, etc. AJ continued eating, seemingly oblivious to the pencil situation. Then without a word, he jumped off his chair, walked to the pencil drawer and gave Cohen a different pencil. "He doe." (Here you go). Dominic and I just shook our heads and smiled. Such a sweet, sweet boy.
He looks for fun and reasons to laugh. I love waking him up in the morning because he smiles before his eyes even open. That was true when he was a tiny baby and I'm so happy it hasn't changed. It's my favorite part of the day. A simple glance or gesture will cause him to start laughing and looking for ways to turn it into a game.
It won't be long before the crib is history. He's starting to show interest in the potty but we haven't worked with him much yet. In just a few weeks he'll transfer to the next room at daycare where it's a core part of the curriculum (is that word used for 2-year olds?).
I wish I could freeze time. He's 100% awesome, fun and easy. What a blessing.
Cohen is growing up by leaps and bounds too. In a matter of months, he went from loving Winnie the Pooh and Care Bares to Transformers and Avengers. He's all about guns, weapons, and battles. At any given time, I'm pretty sure he's fighting off the bad guys in a make believe world.
He also loves sports. He and daddy frequently play t-ball in the back yard, or shoot baskets in the driveway. He's an awesome runner. Recently we went to a park more than a mile away via bike (I pulled them in the trailer behind me). He decided he wanted to run home. I agreed and rode home the same speed he was running, totally prepared to stop so he could hop back in the trailer. Nope, he ran the whole way, in sandals.
Self control and making the right decision has been a challenge lately. He throws rocks inappropriately, intentionally hurts AJ, and plays with his toys roughly. I remind him many times a day this behavior is not allowed. It's frustrating, but I remind myself of the many, many challenging phases he has entered and overcome in his 4.5 years. Deep inside he is a kind-hearted, responsible boy who knows right and wrong. We'll get through this phase too.
He loves learning. Randomly he'll ask if we can play math, make rhymes, sound out words, etc. His preschool teachers do such a good job with him, and I'm amazed at some of the stuff he comes home with.
He is so protective of AJ. It's reassuring when we're outside and AJ wanders a little too close to the street, Cohen becomes mother hen and quickly corals him back to safety. Cohen's been a mama's boy since day 1, but he definitely enjoys AJ's company more than mine these days. When they're not fighting, they're so cute playing side-by-side. Cohen meets AJ at his level and talks to him in a way AJ understands.
It's been a tough decision whether or not to send Cohen to kindergarten this fall. We've decided to hold him back. I think he would have done fine in kindergarten academically, but he'll do that much better next year when his emotional maturity catches up to his school smarts.
My favorite times with Cohen is just hanging out talking when there's nothing else going on. He's quite the little conversationalist, and he tells detailed stories about things that happened at school or other random things in his head. He's very creative. One day we got started on a "what if we walked out our front door and..." conversation. What if there were no grass and roads, only water. And we didn't have a boat. What if our doors were locked and we didn't have a key. And he'd go into great detail describing how we'd overcome the challenges to get groceries or get to school, whatever. Pretty amazing problem solving going on, and very quick thinking.
He confides in me, and I really encourage that. I recently saw the quote "Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big. Because to them, it has always been big stuff." I really want him to understand I'm his go-to person to talk to now, through the school years and into adulthood. I think he gets it. Sometimes he wants to hide things from Dominic, which isn't cool, but I'm glad he feels safe telling me everything.
Sometimes he's such a softie. He cannot be apart from Teddy. Sometimes he cries about things that surprise me. I don't try to discourage that because it's who he is. Other times when I expect him to be affected by something, he's not. Like his BFF Ava recently moved out of the neighborhood. I delayed telling him because I thought he'd have a hard time taking it. It was nothing - he has moved on so easily. I hope they both remember their adorable little friendship for the first few years of their lives.
Even with him getting bigger and not needing me as much, and the frustration I sometimes feel when I've told him to stop throwing his toys down the stairs for the 10th time, he's my guy. He's so much like me it's scary. Sometimes I feel sad this his 5th birthday is approaching and he'll continue becoming more independent every day. Obviously my role in his life will change, just like it's already changed a hundred times. I find myself redefining what my goals are, how to manage certain things and shifting focus to meet a changing kid. Sometimes I feel a little blind... what's around the next corner and how do I know if I'm preparing him as best I can? Can someone please give me a manual for this? :)
Two beautiful, dynamic blessings, for sure.
I'll start with AJ since he's changing the most. Speech therapy continues and he's doing fantastic. For awhile we tracked his single words and he was up to 100 (ish). They're getting more complex, like yesterday he said 'ketchup.' And he's putting words together like "mow guy" (the kid who mows grandma's lawn). We're getting lots of Why? and What's that? questions.
He's gotten a lot better at managing his temper. Biting and hitting are barely issues anymore. He has found other ways to resist or show displeasure, but it's mostly verbal. The cool thing about him is that he forgets and forgives really quickly. One minute he's crying in angst, pain, devastation, whatever; the next minute he's laughing and frolicking around.
The kid has a heart. Every day there are examples of the sweetness that defines him. One day he was eating a cookie while sitting on my lap. I teased him, pretending I was going to eat it. He pulled it away and said "No, mine!" and I said, "Oh shoot, I really love cookies." Guess what, he gave it to me. (I didn't take it, of course.) Another time, Cohen was working on dot-to-dot puzzles before dinnertime. The book remained on the table and he wanted to do more after he finished eating. His pencil was missing. He wondered where it went and started looking behind his plate on and the floor, etc. AJ continued eating, seemingly oblivious to the pencil situation. Then without a word, he jumped off his chair, walked to the pencil drawer and gave Cohen a different pencil. "He doe." (Here you go). Dominic and I just shook our heads and smiled. Such a sweet, sweet boy.
He looks for fun and reasons to laugh. I love waking him up in the morning because he smiles before his eyes even open. That was true when he was a tiny baby and I'm so happy it hasn't changed. It's my favorite part of the day. A simple glance or gesture will cause him to start laughing and looking for ways to turn it into a game.
It won't be long before the crib is history. He's starting to show interest in the potty but we haven't worked with him much yet. In just a few weeks he'll transfer to the next room at daycare where it's a core part of the curriculum (is that word used for 2-year olds?).
I wish I could freeze time. He's 100% awesome, fun and easy. What a blessing.
Cohen is growing up by leaps and bounds too. In a matter of months, he went from loving Winnie the Pooh and Care Bares to Transformers and Avengers. He's all about guns, weapons, and battles. At any given time, I'm pretty sure he's fighting off the bad guys in a make believe world.
He also loves sports. He and daddy frequently play t-ball in the back yard, or shoot baskets in the driveway. He's an awesome runner. Recently we went to a park more than a mile away via bike (I pulled them in the trailer behind me). He decided he wanted to run home. I agreed and rode home the same speed he was running, totally prepared to stop so he could hop back in the trailer. Nope, he ran the whole way, in sandals.
Self control and making the right decision has been a challenge lately. He throws rocks inappropriately, intentionally hurts AJ, and plays with his toys roughly. I remind him many times a day this behavior is not allowed. It's frustrating, but I remind myself of the many, many challenging phases he has entered and overcome in his 4.5 years. Deep inside he is a kind-hearted, responsible boy who knows right and wrong. We'll get through this phase too.
He loves learning. Randomly he'll ask if we can play math, make rhymes, sound out words, etc. His preschool teachers do such a good job with him, and I'm amazed at some of the stuff he comes home with.
He is so protective of AJ. It's reassuring when we're outside and AJ wanders a little too close to the street, Cohen becomes mother hen and quickly corals him back to safety. Cohen's been a mama's boy since day 1, but he definitely enjoys AJ's company more than mine these days. When they're not fighting, they're so cute playing side-by-side. Cohen meets AJ at his level and talks to him in a way AJ understands.
It's been a tough decision whether or not to send Cohen to kindergarten this fall. We've decided to hold him back. I think he would have done fine in kindergarten academically, but he'll do that much better next year when his emotional maturity catches up to his school smarts.
My favorite times with Cohen is just hanging out talking when there's nothing else going on. He's quite the little conversationalist, and he tells detailed stories about things that happened at school or other random things in his head. He's very creative. One day we got started on a "what if we walked out our front door and..." conversation. What if there were no grass and roads, only water. And we didn't have a boat. What if our doors were locked and we didn't have a key. And he'd go into great detail describing how we'd overcome the challenges to get groceries or get to school, whatever. Pretty amazing problem solving going on, and very quick thinking.
He confides in me, and I really encourage that. I recently saw the quote "Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big. Because to them, it has always been big stuff." I really want him to understand I'm his go-to person to talk to now, through the school years and into adulthood. I think he gets it. Sometimes he wants to hide things from Dominic, which isn't cool, but I'm glad he feels safe telling me everything.
Sometimes he's such a softie. He cannot be apart from Teddy. Sometimes he cries about things that surprise me. I don't try to discourage that because it's who he is. Other times when I expect him to be affected by something, he's not. Like his BFF Ava recently moved out of the neighborhood. I delayed telling him because I thought he'd have a hard time taking it. It was nothing - he has moved on so easily. I hope they both remember their adorable little friendship for the first few years of their lives.
Even with him getting bigger and not needing me as much, and the frustration I sometimes feel when I've told him to stop throwing his toys down the stairs for the 10th time, he's my guy. He's so much like me it's scary. Sometimes I feel sad this his 5th birthday is approaching and he'll continue becoming more independent every day. Obviously my role in his life will change, just like it's already changed a hundred times. I find myself redefining what my goals are, how to manage certain things and shifting focus to meet a changing kid. Sometimes I feel a little blind... what's around the next corner and how do I know if I'm preparing him as best I can? Can someone please give me a manual for this? :)
Two beautiful, dynamic blessings, for sure.
AJ is 2!
My baby isn't a baby anymore, he has entered the wonderful word of being 2, where clothes are no longer sized in months and a whole new set of expectations await on the horizon. Potty training. Moving to a big boy bed. Exciting times ahead!
He is definitely changing before our eyes. In the past 3 months, he seems to "get it" so much more. He understands everything we say and can solve problems on his own. Simple things like moving the stool to a place he can't reach, getting the flashlight when he's looking under furniture. He and Cohen play side be side really well, and it's more as equals instead of Cohen directing and AJ following along. AJ got a garbage truck for Christmas, just like the one Cohen received last year. Definitely the most played with toys in the house. AJ can sit for quite a while keeping himself entertained. He loves vehicles... helicopters, trucks, tractors, trains. He makes them function correctly (raising and lowering a scoop, dumping out a dumptruck, etc.) He also loves puzzles and has become quite good at them practically overnight.
He continues to be the jolly, kind-hearted, sunny boy he has always been. However, it's somewhat clouded by his newfound will, temper and sense of independence. In other words, hello terrible twos. The kid is stubborn and VERY strong. I think these traits will manifest into positive qualities as he ages. Very determined and headstrong.
Cohen and him fight. Cohen tends to call the shots, and AJ doesn't stand for it. We're working on Cohen's tendency to take toys right out of AJ's hand. When this happens, AJ has bitten, hit, pulled hair, pushed and screamed to defend his rights. When those things fail, he gives me the look like "Mom, the injustice of it all!" Of course, I come to his aid.
At his 2-year well-child doctor visit, Dr. Gammon advised us to pursue speech therapy. He's saying about a dozen words, half of which are understandable. I've been saying for months that he's right on the verge of a language explosion, and I still believe that. Hopefully this therapy will help push it along. Words he says include Mommy, Daddy, up (puh), down (dow), oh-oh, no (the most common word spoken), yes, (yuh), hi (huh), moon (moo), dog (duh), and several animal sounds. and truck sounds. There's been a few isolated words spoken, like the other day he pointed to my nose and said 'no.' So it's slowly coming along. I really don't have concerns about his development in other areas (social, emotional, physical, cognitive, etc.). I think he's a smart kid.
He makes us laugh all. the.time. He's under 3 feet tall and still a bit round, so it's just hilarious seeing him run around. He still has baby proportions. He has such a fun sense of humor. One day we were driving somewhere and everyone was in the car quiet. AJ just starts laughing out of the blue. No one knew why, but of course it spread to the rest of the family. Cohen is AJ's biggest fan. Cohen busts out laughing at AJ when he's not even trying to be funny. Bath time is always a production, laugh and goof off central. I can only imagine his sense of humor when he's talking more.
And he's a lover. His power hugs can happen any place, any time. He's so sweet to the kitties, showing them pictures in books, or putting his stuffed animals up to their noses to kiss them. Many times after bath he'll climb on the bed in his room and sit in the blue fleece kitty bed with Buzz and Rudy. Pets them, kisses them, gets cheek to cheek. The jury is still out whether or not they like him.
He loves music and dancing. He knows all the motions to Wheels on the Bus and other preschool songs. Singing to him is the guaranteed way to get him to settle down at bedtime. And he breaks into dance whenever music is in earshot. Even with his limited talking, he sings babbling little tunes as he trots around the house.
He is definitely changing before our eyes. In the past 3 months, he seems to "get it" so much more. He understands everything we say and can solve problems on his own. Simple things like moving the stool to a place he can't reach, getting the flashlight when he's looking under furniture. He and Cohen play side be side really well, and it's more as equals instead of Cohen directing and AJ following along. AJ got a garbage truck for Christmas, just like the one Cohen received last year. Definitely the most played with toys in the house. AJ can sit for quite a while keeping himself entertained. He loves vehicles... helicopters, trucks, tractors, trains. He makes them function correctly (raising and lowering a scoop, dumping out a dumptruck, etc.) He also loves puzzles and has become quite good at them practically overnight.
He continues to be the jolly, kind-hearted, sunny boy he has always been. However, it's somewhat clouded by his newfound will, temper and sense of independence. In other words, hello terrible twos. The kid is stubborn and VERY strong. I think these traits will manifest into positive qualities as he ages. Very determined and headstrong.
Cohen and him fight. Cohen tends to call the shots, and AJ doesn't stand for it. We're working on Cohen's tendency to take toys right out of AJ's hand. When this happens, AJ has bitten, hit, pulled hair, pushed and screamed to defend his rights. When those things fail, he gives me the look like "Mom, the injustice of it all!" Of course, I come to his aid.
At his 2-year well-child doctor visit, Dr. Gammon advised us to pursue speech therapy. He's saying about a dozen words, half of which are understandable. I've been saying for months that he's right on the verge of a language explosion, and I still believe that. Hopefully this therapy will help push it along. Words he says include Mommy, Daddy, up (puh), down (dow), oh-oh, no (the most common word spoken), yes, (yuh), hi (huh), moon (moo), dog (duh), and several animal sounds. and truck sounds. There's been a few isolated words spoken, like the other day he pointed to my nose and said 'no.' So it's slowly coming along. I really don't have concerns about his development in other areas (social, emotional, physical, cognitive, etc.). I think he's a smart kid.
He makes us laugh all. the.time. He's under 3 feet tall and still a bit round, so it's just hilarious seeing him run around. He still has baby proportions. He has such a fun sense of humor. One day we were driving somewhere and everyone was in the car quiet. AJ just starts laughing out of the blue. No one knew why, but of course it spread to the rest of the family. Cohen is AJ's biggest fan. Cohen busts out laughing at AJ when he's not even trying to be funny. Bath time is always a production, laugh and goof off central. I can only imagine his sense of humor when he's talking more.
And he's a lover. His power hugs can happen any place, any time. He's so sweet to the kitties, showing them pictures in books, or putting his stuffed animals up to their noses to kiss them. Many times after bath he'll climb on the bed in his room and sit in the blue fleece kitty bed with Buzz and Rudy. Pets them, kisses them, gets cheek to cheek. The jury is still out whether or not they like him.
He loves music and dancing. He knows all the motions to Wheels on the Bus and other preschool songs. Singing to him is the guaranteed way to get him to settle down at bedtime. And he breaks into dance whenever music is in earshot. Even with his limited talking, he sings babbling little tunes as he trots around the house.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)