Wrap-around things

Hello!  Long time no blog!

The little guy is now 3 years old, and I feel inspired again to start blogging, to catch the silly things he says.  Older son is so much older that he’s almost rational, most of the time.

So, here is a post, in the weird English tradition of my prior blogging.  Sam (little guy) is at the stage of speaking and understanding extremely well.  Except that once in a while you realize that his version of English is sort of a version from a parallel universe, just slightly different.

One example is that in Sam’s English there is a word, “wrap-around thing.”  The first wrap-around thing was the white belt Gus (older brother) earned in a short tae kwan do course that he took.  In fact, that belt was pretty much what I thought a “wrap-around thing” was, for a few weeks.  I tried to explain that it was a belt, and to refer to it as a belt, but when you’re interested in it mostly for its ability to wrap around stuffed animals and whatnot (say, if you were pretending to truss a crocodile) it’s much more logical to call it the wrap-around thing.

Then, a few weeks ago, I realized that he was using the same phrase, wrap-around thing, to refer to other rope-type things.  For instance, I am trying to turn some old fabric into a rag rug, one step of which requires cutting the fabric into strips.  Those long strips are also “wrap-around things.”

So, then, a couple of days ago, when I was unpackaging something, I actually don’t remember what, it was some kind of grocery item, there was a piece of string.  I almost threw it into the recycling, when suddenly I had the thought, “hey, this is a great wrap-around thing.”

So, not only do preschoolers have their own languages, their languages affect those around them.  If you pay attention to them.

Happy Fourth of July weekend!  I am going to try again for the “new post on Friday” promise, at least for a few weeks.  So I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Piper Is Reading to Enrico!

Piper and Enrico continue to bond.  This morning, I was watching Enrico while Scott was sleeping (the kid wakes up at 6 am!).   Then Piper woke up, came into the room where we were playing and took him.  I heard a lot of “got it” and “Ok Pupoo” from Enrico, but he was clearly happy.

The other thing Piper started doing is reading books to Enrico, which he loves.  If these two are as close as adults as they are now, Scott and I will have done our jobs.

Enrico

Enrico is growing by the day.  He loves his “Llama llama” and “How does a dinosaur say good night” books.  When we get to the “What is mama llama doing” line, he says, “I don’t know.”  And when he knows the line is coming, he turns his little palms up to get ready to say “I don’t know.”  He processes books differently from Piper at that age.  Piper would listen quietly to a book a couple of times, and then she could recite the book by heart.  Enrico, on the other hand, interacts with me during reading and describes what the characters are about to do, but does not recite the book by heart.

He has also turned into a typical two-year-old.  The other day, when he asked Scott for more cereal, Scott said, “finish what you have and I’ll give you more.”  He got so angry that the grabbed his bowl of cereal (with milk) and threw it at Scott.  Two things about that.  First, if you say “no throwing,” “no hitting,” or “no [fill in the blank],” even in a non-stern voice, he will cry as if his favorite toy was taken away — so he can dish it out, but he cannot take it.  Second, when Piper says, “finish what you have and I’ll give you more,” he smiles and says, “Ok, Pupoo.”

And like a typical two-year-old, he swings to the other extreme.  He can be so warm, wonderful and cuddly.  He loves kissing, hugging and laughing.  He runs toward one of us, throws his arms around our legs and yells, “Huggie”!

Finally, about a month ago, he started singing.  The first song I heard him sing was “Happy Birthday.”  Now he tried to sing the ABC song, Row the boat and Old McDonald.  Also about a month ago, he started counting.  He counts to 10, but consistently skips 5 and 8.

All in all, I (1) cannot believe what a gift this child is and that I get to keep him and raise him, and (2) dread the day when he leaves me.

Piper

Ok, I have a new commitment to blog again.  Let’s hope it sticks longer than all the previous commitments I’ve posted here before.  Here’s what’s been going on with Piper:

1.  This morning, she read a book to Enrico for the first time.  It was “Llama llama red pajama.”

2.  Yesterday, she told me that she has a son named Rikie, a dad named Rike, big Rike, and a husband named Tyler (which also just happens to be the name of one of her classmates).  She was going to grandma’s wedding and she wishes she could bring Rikie with her, but he is sick and Tyler has to stay home with him.

3.  A couple of days ago, her friend showed her how to play ping-pong, and 10 minutes later she was telling Scott in a really condescending tone, “Daddy, you cannot wait for the ball to come to you.  You have to go where the ball is.”

4.  When Enrico destroyed her friend’s block structure, she told her friend, “It’s ok, he’s just a baby, he doesn’t know any better.”

5.  She LOVES her little brother and wants to hug him, kiss him and take care of him all the time.  When I asked her to take care of Enrico one morning while I take a shower, Piper said, “Do you want me to feed him?”

I will try to keep posting new things as I remember them about Piper.

Say again?

I thought I would offer a couple examples of how different it is to talk with a two-year-old than with a six-year-old.  A couple of short transcripts.

(Holding his “lovey,” which is a stuffed animal dog)  “Mommy, what is doggy’s name?”

“I don’t know honey, that’s a good question.  Did you give him a name?”

“Yes.”

“You did?  That’s wonderful! What is doggy’s name?”

(Very excited and happy.)  “His name is doggy!”

“Oh.”

“Mommy!”

“Yes.”

“What is doggy’s name?”

(In the car on the way home from day care after work.)  “Mommy, can I have a Starburst?”

“No.  Maybe after dinner, if you eat your dinner.”

(Shrieks.)  “Mommy, I hate your car!  This is a bad car!”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.  Why do you hate my car?”

“Because I hate your car!”

“Oh.  But why?”

“This is a bad car!”

“Why?”

“Because this is a bad car.”

Sigh.

Casual Thursday Evening Conversation with a Six-Year-Old

I am glad Marianna has posted on the blog again.    I have been busy too, but also, I think I’ve felt less inspired lately.  Neither of my kids says that many cute things these days.  Not like at 3 and 4. My younger one is two and a half, which means that relating to him is much like trying to keep a dictator out of power.  A rather silly, sometimes sweet dictator, but still, you’ve got to keep up your guard.

And then my older one is six, which means that he’s much more philosophical than he was just a year ago.  Heck, six months ago.  I will transcribe some of this evening’s conversation, to try to illustrate:

(Background information:  we just found a new apartment, where we’ll move in April.)

A few minutes after dinner:

“Mom, what is a landlord?”

Conversations with Enrico

This morning, Scott was dressing Enrico to go to school.  Enrico wanted to put on his own socks, and of course, all he can do is put a sock on his big toe.  The following conversation ensued:

Scott: “Enrico, do you want daddy to help you?”

Enrico: “No daddy.”

Then I piped in: “Enrico, do you want to see Miss Alejandra?”

Enrico: “Jandra!”

Me: “Then let daddy help you put on your sock, otherwise, we’ll be late.”

Enrico handed the sock over to Scott and let him put it on.  This was the first real conversation we had with our baby!

Insane Advanced Kindergarten Application Process

Scott and I decided to apply to the local advanced Kindergarten program (for Piper, not ourselves).  First, the application was four-pages long, and Scott spent more time on it than I did on my law school application.  The application asked straightforward questions, like how many letters and numbers our child recognizes, how many words she can read, etc.  It also asked trick questions, like whether our child has an inordinate amount of knowledge 

Who Knew Blogging Could Be So Much Work!

When Jess and I agreed to do this blog, I thought that this would be a stress release and a pleasure, writing about my kids and recording their cuteness for posterity.  Turns out it stresses me out; turns out that blogging, like any other long-term project, requires consistent effort which I have not devoted to it.  I have been working long hours lately and things like my kids, food, laundry, and blogging had to fall by the wayside.  However, I have been feeling like my kids are growing up, and I have failed to record countless pearls.

In December, we were in New York for three weeks, where both Scott and I were logging 14-hour work days.  Our kids were at daycare, and when they weren’t, they were pretty much watching TV the whole time.  One morning, when Enrico (18 months at the time) woke up, he said to me, “Gaba,” demanding his then-favorite show, Yo Gaba Gaba.  I, feeling bad about the amount of TV he’d been watching, said, “maybe later, baby.”  He looked at me with his huge blue eyes and then said in that adorable baby voice, “now”!

In a normal non-crazy world, I would have cut him loose form TV.  At that time, however, all I could do was put on Yo Gaba Gaba because I had some work to do, and as it turns out, daycare is not open on weekends.

Enrico’s 18-month check-up

This week was Enrico’s 18 month check-up appointment with a new doctor.  I had to fill out a form about what he can say and do, and let me tell you — that form was long.  Not only that, but I did not know half of the things the form asked for.  There were questions about Enrico’s verbal skills, problem solving, physical abilities, you name it.  One of the questions asked was whether the child can say two words together, like “mommy gone.”  Since I did not know whether Enrico can say “mommy gone,” I said, “baby, can you say mommy gone”?  Enrico looked at me and said, “bye-bye.”

When the doctor came in, I told him that I was concerned that Piper was a lot more advanced at 18 months than Enrico.  In response, the doctor said, “so, he’ll be a pediatrician,” and I said, “I’ll take it.”  All in all, a good visit.  I think we’ll stay with this doctor.