Little Taz...Student of Life

Opposites, groups, and sizes

2006-09-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Son showed me he knows his opposites pretty well. He also knows when a group has a greater or lesser amount than another group. He is recognizing a few phonics oriented things like some words and the first sound...P is an easy one for him. He also made a crayon mosaic on the floor. We read part of his new "My Amazing Body" book from Brighter Vision. He kept doing the foam puzzle that came with it. It's a skeleton that is waving and has a few of the bones labeled. He had to have put that thing together at least 15 times today. He loves it. We also did relational work like what belongs where. He is too much. I asked him if the tractor went in the house or in the barn. He said it went in the grass. My little outside the box thinker!!

new books on the shelf

2006-09-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Koala Brothers on Patrol Spongebob Squarepants 4 book cine-manga treasure pack monster, monster

brighter vision learning adventures: ocean life

2006-08-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

We got his new packet in the mail today. The workbook is a little over his head I think, but he still is working his way through a number of others. He just learned about univalve and bivalve creatures with the help of the shells he got in the packet and the wonderful world of google images. One of them is broken, but it's a small clam shell. I'm glad it wasn't the others. They are beautiful. One looks like a cone and he has already likened it to a carrot and a rocket ship. Now he is talking about snails and crabs and such that live in the shells. Gotta love homeschool!

latest stuff

2006-08-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

He hasn't been too into working in his books, only his video games. Reader Rabbit Bouncedown to Balloontown is his favorite. It is teaching him relational things like big, bigger, biggest. He has a good grasp of that. He decided to write his numbers in one of his workbooks. He also came to me to review his sign language letters. His writing skills are getting really good. He can write his 2s and 3s much better than before. His favorite shows are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins.

working through the books

2006-07-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

He has been 100% potty trained now. He is learning many words and ways to do things. He is working through the Rod and Staff preK books at his pace. He loves the books. He has begun to follow directions much better. He can retain the instructions pretty well after being told 2 times.

food and fun

2006-06-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

We made pancakes together on Saturday. It was lots of fun. He got to help me measure and stir. He was learning how to follow directions on the recipe. He knows his memory verse. He says "I know the word! I know the word! Thy word is truth!!" thats from John 17:17.

funny

2006-06-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

"Mommy why does she have booboos? SHE HAS BOOBOOS!!!" - about a woman with blue veins in the back of her knees at the Powwow

working on

2006-06-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

bible stories from rod and staff lesson one: God's Word is Truth
coloring page for same lesson
patterns *has mastered simple 1212 patterns, now trying 112112 patterns*
relational issues *bigger/smaller*
following directions
memory *does well with card flip games and the like*
writing words and numbers *still shakey on how to hold pencil* with rod and staff as well as his workbooks from Brighter Vision and Walmart.
spelling to read *recognizes some words*
pictures to read *reading the word with the picture*
PATIENCE!!!
memory verses from Rod and Staff "Thy word is truth" John 17:17
he beat the Reader Rabbit Balloon Bounce game all by himself...which took patience, repetitive work, and diligence.
equal amounts *lower level algebraic equations 4+0=2+2*
Just received today from Brighter Learning a packet including a workbook called Cars and Trains, Ships and Planes. Also contained memory game, stickers, wooden car paint and put together set, book: How Will We Get to the Beach? by Eve Tharlet. He has already done the memory game a few times, and he and I are working on the wooden car set. He has already painted one side and is waiting to do the other so we can put the thing together.
Knows that owls are nocturnal, eat at night and sleep during the day.
rhyming words and beginning letter sounds

Highly recommend going to Brighter Vision and checking them out. They send you a monthly packet of things for you and your child to do. It is all age appropriate and the first shipment is only 1.99 for s&h. If you decide to keep it, it's less than $18 a month *including s&h*. The brand new books they send are worth around $15-16 and the workbooks would be no less than $8 if bought separately. The extras would be around $5 more. Affordable and convenient. This is our second packet from them. My son was flipping out because I didn't allow him to rip open the package as soon as the mail lady handed it to us.

complex notions

2006-05-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

he was solving complex puzzles made up of a variety of shapes in veggie tales: the mystery of veggie island. he was putting things into categories based on specific characteristics on 123 Blues Clues. he was putting objects that are related to each other together in his workbook. *ball and bat* he was putting equal amounts on each side of the airplane to make the wings even on reader rabbits balloon adventure.

reading

2006-05-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

I think he will be reading before the end of the year. He was following along with me when we read about Elijah in his Story Bible. He was repeating what I said and pointing to the words. I can't wait for him to be able to truly read to me.

Curriculum

2006-05-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

I have just ordered the 7 book Rod and Staff Curriculum package for Preschool. I can't wait to get it and show the baby. He will probably want to do all the worksheets at once. I wouldn't care, just as long as he got the main concepts. It's all for him to learn at his pace in his time, anyway. As far as next year goes, I am putting aside money for the curriculum we settle on. Right now I am seriously contemplating the Student of the Word Curriculum package, but I also have been weighing the differences between that and Sonlight. I have time, though, so I will be praying and researching until the moment hits and I know without a doubt which curriculum is the one for the baby. I have to stop calling him a baby. He is 3 years old and the size of a 5 year old. He is 99% potty trained and speaks nearly as well as a 6 year old. He can read words and spell them out. He showed me he knows how to spell the word "tree". He speaks spanish, english, and is learning more lenape and sign language. He can wash up and brush his teeth. He can help cook and clean. No...definitely not a baby anymore.

His vocabulary is growing.

2006-05-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Mommy I want (the) TV schedule (for) little Einstein's. Take it easy. Calm down. I don't like schedules. I love it! No, not right now. I need (a) new attitude? I want *insert whatever is wanted* for me. No I will have it later. When I think of more I will post them.

singing

2006-04-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

We have a karaoke machine just for him. We made a 10 minute tape of him singing. If someone sings with him, he naturally harmonizes. It's so cool to watch him. He is a true performer. His life will definitely take him to the stage.

The easter story

2006-04-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

I told my son the story of why Easter is so special. He took it in and spat it out in his own terms when I reviewed what was said: Mom: ...then Jesus died and was buried and on the third day... Son: He woke up!

FROM PREGNANCY.COM

2006-04-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 8:11 am Post subject: The ABCs of Spirited/High-Needs Children -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copied from Parent Soup. A is for Active … very active B is for Big hug -- these kids give the most wonderful hugs with their whole body C is for Calling, "Mommy, I need you" 100 times a day! D is for Determination -- they certainly know what they want E is for Enthusiasm F is for Freaking out over every little thing! G is for Go, Go, Go! They’re always on the go H is for "Hurry up! I need it now!" I is for Independent -- "I can do it!" J is for Jumping and leaping -- what energy these children have! K is for Kaboom! (Because my boys make my house look like a bomb hit it) L is for the Love that they give M is for More -- our children are more frustrating, but also more fascinating, than most! N is for being Neurotic about the littlest things O is for Observant -- they see everything around them, except for what they’re tripping over! P is for Persistence, Power and Passion Q is for the little Quirks that make them who they are R is for Rest … do they ever rest? S is, of course, for Spirited -- but also Sensitive T is for Tantrums, Trying our patience, Tenacious and Terrific U is for Unbelievably challenging! V is for Vivacious, Vocal and Vigorous W is for When will this get easier? X is for eXtreme -- they do everything to the extreme Y is for Yowza! Am I going to survive these kids? Z is for Zzzzzz -- finally, they’re asleep

Worksheets and handwriting

2006-04-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday he did 3 worksheets dealing with shapes, following directions, math skills, and writing numbers. Today he has done one worksheet on writing and recognizing the number 3. His routine: 8 to 9 breakfast 9 to 11 educational videos/shows/games 11 snack 11 to 12 more educational videos/shows/games 12 lunch 12 to 2 independent play/outside play/worksheets 2 to 3 snack 3 to 5 nap 5 to 6 dinner 6 to 7 independent/family play 7 to 9 family time together 9 to 10 bedtime Joyfully he usually goes through all of this without much complaint. He is 97% potty trained. So that's all for now.

New books, new home, new skills

2006-04-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

I went to the thrift shop in town and got a load of books that I will have to catalog later. His favorites right now is Wendy's Adventures in Never Land and Dragon Tales. He loves pirate stories.

He can count backwards from 5 and knows his spanish colors: rojo, amarillo, verde, and azul. He is working on remembering negro and blanco, too.

He has been building towers and cities, bridges and roads. He can draw many things, like an octopus, a spider, a road with cars, his dad, flowers, and such. He molds flowers out of playdoh. Doing a lot of projects like his calendar of the months and days in spanish and english. He has a felt board for his accomplishments during the day. He moves his butterflies accordingly.

He is nearly potty trained and has been having fewer accidents. I hardly have to remind him to go. He had a really bad outbreak of eczema when we moved. I believe it was the hard water. Since he has been here we changed to spring and he is nearly all better... more here.

Reading and Writing

2006-02-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

My son wrote his titi's full name tonight after I told him to write his own name. He has never learned how to spell her name, but has seen it a few times. He spelled it correctly and in order even tho it is discombobulated on the page. His titi and I sat in awe of him !!! What an awesome kid.

Books for the week 2/21

2006-02-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

Foreign Language counting: Diez, Nueve, Ocho by Molly Bang Foreign Language opposites: Sol y Lluvia by Alan Rogers Reading: Curious George gets a Medal by H.A. Rey Language Arts: Bob the Builder Muck's Sleep Over by Kiki Thorpe World Cultures: So Happy! by Kevin Henkes ... World Cultures & Foreing Language: Dora the Explorer Meet Diego by Leslie Valdes Dora the Explorer Dora's Christmas Party by Leslie Valdes

Books for the week 2/6

2006-02-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Reading & Holidays : Dora Loves Boots by Alison Inches *about Valentine's Day" Basics : The Adventures of Poldy Learn about Opposites by World Book, Inc. World Cultures : Hanukkah by Mirian Nerlove Working on: Spelling entire first name * we got willi down* Conversational skills Expressing our feelings properly Table Manners & general etiquette

I wrote my name!!!

2006-02-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

nameday 012
Originally uploaded by SockMopTart.

Today I wrote my name on the bottom of my artwork. I wrote it all by myself!!!

Books 1/27/06

2006-01-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

Shape Recognition:The Shape of Me and other stuff by Dr. Seuss Life Skills:Who Uses This? by Margaret Miller Reading Skills:Who's there, Spot? by Eric Hill Greek Culture:I have an Olive Tree by Eve Bunting Language:Mi Primer Libro de Palabras en Espanol by Angela Wilkes & Rubi Borgia

arts and crafts

2006-01-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

arts 001
Originally uploaded by SockMopTart.

arts 002

arts
Originally uploaded by SockMopTart.

Today we made a bunny with cheerios and a Ww with cheerios.
He then took the glue and drew his own creation so he could put pretty beads on it. He decided to make flowers. We had a blast...till he started getting tired. Now he is alseep. When he wakes up, I think he will probably want to play some games. More later.

computer games & book reviews

2006-01-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

HAND/EYE COORDINATION: He has become very adept at using the mousepad on my laptop. His hand eye coordination is improving drastically. He played games on http://pbskids.org for about an hour and a half tonight. He is learning very well.
fun fun fun 022 He is also getting really good at figuring out what is expected by the game without me reading or explaining the instructions. PATTERNS & MATCHING: He recognizes patterns pretty easily with simple objects. He can match complex objects. COLORS & SHAPES: He knows all his basic colors and basic shapes pretty well. He is forever picking out colors and shapes he recognizes. LETTERS & NUMBERS: He is beginning to recognize words, letters, and numbers within a wide range of mediums. ENGINE 9 BOOK CLUB: I thought it was very nice that one of the people officiating the club allowed my son to participate at his level of comprehension. He drew about 7 pictures tonight and told me what each of them was after I showed him the book we were making impressions of and he figured out what he remembered from the book. It was really great to watch him draw different animals and letters. The pictures are in place of written reviews for the books we have read.

books for the week:

2006-01-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

We went to the library this morning and as always, he became overwhelmed by the volume of books that were available. We still managed to get in and out in half an hour with six books...4 of which we read between 12 and now. History: Benjamin Banneker by Eric Braun (J 92 BAN) World Cultures: A South African Night by Rachel Isadora (ER ISA) Math: Gray Rabbit's 1,2,3 by Alan Baker (ER BAK) Spelling: Black and White Rabbit's ABC by Alan Baker (ER BAK) English/Reading: Storybook Treasury of Dick and Jane and Friends by Grosset and Dunlap (E GRA) I bought three books on Friday that he enjoys... Reading:Cat and Mouse in Space by Usborne Reading: Read A Picture Rhymes and Stories by Burton Marks English:A Treasury of Disney Little Golden Books We also read: Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss Roar and More y Karla Kuskin Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire

school all day

2006-01-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day for us! In the car, we used his train number cards to do numbers up to twenty and basic colors. He got a special sticker that said "You're number 1" because he did so well counting and saying his colors. THEN We took a field trip to the P.R.A.C. in Woodbine. The ladies there were rather impressed with his knowledge of colors as we went around the room and played our version of I SPY. One of the women stated that he sounded ready for first grade. She was in shock that he is only two years old and can converse with a grown up with much fluidity. He went to the part where they had the daycare and had a blast. He used playdoh, small roller pins, and cookie cutters to make different shapes. Then he put together 3 small puzzles that used recognition of different objects. Next he built a gigantic city with grossly oversized foam blocks...every triangle became a roof. The city was about 3 feet in diameter and 4 ft high. What an architect! I wished I had my camera because it was just that impressive. He thought that he wanted to color and paint, but we didn't have time for him to do all that. We had to leave. NEXT STOP Commerce bank...where he decided to stomp on each color and tell me what they were *on the big color rug in the lobby*. Then we went to Taco Bell and had our lunch...then we took a detour and then we went home. We hardly had any behavioral problems. He is getting the hang of the counting down from 5 method before time out and mostly choosing to obey whatever it is that has been asked of him by the time I get to 3. He is getting better and better at following directions as the days go by. I can give him a list of directions, turn by turn if you will, and he will follow them nearly perfectly every time. It's hard to believe that he will be three next month. BOOKS: Snow White and the 7 Dwarves Children's Bible Oh and 2 days ago he learned about cows and how to spell cow in sign language. :D

His antics

2005-12-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

In Walmart my son and I were at the check out. He saw a little girl and said "You have pretty eyes....Mommy, is she 4?" I said "Yes she does have pretty eyes. How old is she?" They told me she was 6. I said "No baby she is 6." He said "OOOOOhhh". Then he proceeded to play with her by throwing little pieces of tags to her and seeing if she would catch them. He also told me "Fine, I will put it away! No one will have it!" When told to put his cups down after drinking 2 cups of juice and refusing to eat food. He makes faces at people to make them laugh. He repeats everything you say IN CONTEXT.

he showed me

2005-12-27T10:12:00.000-08:00

How well he can put his own socks on. He knows his numbers up to 19. He recognizes about 1/2 of the alphabet. He knows all his primary colors and a few secondary. He knows most shapes. He loves to sing, dance, rap, and make up his own music. He can learn songs within 2 repetitions and dance moves within 3. His art skills are getting better and better. He is constantly trying new things. He needs to be occupied at all times. He recognizes his name on paper.

be bad! be bad!

2005-12-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

Will got a peter pan playset from his grandmother two days ago. He really enjoys it. This is what he has been doing with the characters: Peter Pan is a bad boy. He hit Wendy yesterday and got put in time out for an hour. As soon as he got out of time out, he hit her again. Then Peter Pan did a poopy in his diaper. I had to change his diaper while my son told him to remember to go poopy in the potty not the diaper. Peter Pan goes peepee in the potty all the time. He is told he is a good boy for going potty, but he has to wipe himself and the potty seat. Wendy is a good girl. She is younger and pees in her diaper. I have to change her, too. The lost boy is stingy and keeps his ball to himself. He refuses to share and is always saying "Be bad! Be bad!" He is always in time out. They all go to sleep rather early and sleep in the same bed.

potty training

2005-12-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

He began to stand and aim two days ago after staying with his cousin and aunt. His cousin is a bit further along in training than he is. He has learned to wipe after he makes a mess, too. He is in training pants. We are trying to convince him that it is NOT a diaper. He loves using the potty and is adjusting well.

compound words and art

2005-11-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

He is putting a lot of words together well. He can now say the names for many objects with compound words like "butterfly, jellyfish, lighthouse". I take him to art day in our town every month. He always comes home and draws these really creative pictures. He draws more elaborate faces with and without glasses, cars, trains, bellies with belly buttons, eyes, the sun, and a lot of other objects as he sees them in his world. He also builds many things with blocks. He makes mosaics with janga blocks. He also uses playdoh to create lifelike foods, animals, and such. He has recently become fascinated with tracing on a magnadoodle. He traced his hands and other things that remind him of objects he sees...like a sink outline made into a tree. He is potty training well. We just got him a pack of 3T-4T training pants. He loves them! He always wants to put them on by himself. He has also started to dress himself and want to pour and make everything without help. He will be 3 in February. Goodness, how time does fly.

his toes!

2005-09-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

He can pick up things with his toes! It's hereditary LOL There is more in this post.

art and independance

2005-09-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

We went to the local art show last night. He was fascinated by the colors and the animals in the paintings. He even got to make some of his own art when we went to a side gallery. It was a trip trying to get him to come out of there and stop drawing so we could meet up with his grandmother! Lately he has been drawing circles, fish, the sun, faces, necklaces, nearly straightlines, wheels on cars. He also likes to make ripped paper pictures and use his father's dominoes to arrange some really beautiful pictures. One day he made an eye with them. He wants to paint really badly. I have to get him the color wonder paints so he can paint all he wants, just not on my bed, floor, himself, etc. "I WANNA DO IT!"

Make peanut butter sandwiches with a spoon.
Dress for the day.
Tie his shoes.
Get his juice.
Get his fruit.
Get his cereal and pour it into a bowl.
Change his diaper.
Take a bath.

His independant nature is blossoming so quickly. My mother's jaw dropped when I told her he can make his own peanut butter sandwiches. He also removes the crust because he doesn't like it. He even learned to make a tuna sandwich with a fork and some tuna that was in a bowl. I can barely keep up! I know that if we don't find a suitable christian school when he is ready to go, he will be fine just learning here.

new letters

2005-09-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

We played a game on Disney. com and I found out he knows the letters T, B, D, and P. He knows more, but that's all we had time to work with. We are teaching him to ask before he opens the fridge, which is helping him cultivate patience. He is asking full sentence questions now. He is getting very good at playing video games therefore developing hand/eye coordination. He can give you thumbs up with both thumbs at the same time. He hasn't been into the potty much lately. I want him to potty train at his own pace. It's hard to wait sometimes though.

mind your mouth!

2005-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

that's what my son said to me when i was saying something he didn't particularly like. i dont know where he got that phrase. i never say it and i have never heard anyone around me say it. that kid....

recent antics

2005-09-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

He went to his grandfather's house for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. When I came back to get him, I heard a few stories: He had tried to put his bowl of Apple Jacks onto the shelf where the tv is and they spilled. He went to get the toy vaccum cleaner, turned it on, and cleaned up his own mess. He asked two times if he could go pee in the potty. He remembers the games that they used to play together on the computer. His favorite ones have sounds that go with them that he repeats. // such a surprising child \ Of late, he has been very assertive in what he wants to do and eat. He is getting bolder and trying to talk back to me. *Totally not having that.* He has been working on his artistic skills, using all the materials in his reach to create awesome pictures. His interests have lead him to need "drums" which means I give him cups and bowls and he beats them and sings. He also has been studying people who play the drums, guitar, piano, and sing. He mimics really well and is learning a lot. He went outside today to ride his tricycle, help daddy wash the car, and help mommy wash the rug. He had a blast running up and down the sidewalk and spraying the hose. He got himself soaking wet at the end of it all and started chasing us to get us just as wet! He was cracking up. I showed him what the difference between the sidewalk, the corner, and the street were so that he would know what I was talking about when I told him where he was allowed to walk. I am amazed at his progress. He says so many sentences. He has learned so many words. Sometimes he comes out with these things that I never even knew he had seen to learn the word for it. Truly amazing...

it's not yours....

2005-08-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

it's mine! ... yay a new phrase *rolls eyes* He also rolls his eyes now... very funny. He demands things in an elevated tone then adds a "pleeeeeeeaaase" with batting eyes, a sweet voice, and the cutest smirk ever. It is hard to say no to that face, altho i do. He hides to do #2 and doesnt want to wear wet diapers, yet he refuses to fully potty train. He loooves peanut butter, peaches, cheerios, apple jacks, jello, sugar free candy, chicken, rice, and juice.

the zoo

2005-08-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Cohanzick Zoo today. Boy has that place gone down in the years since I have visited there. Will was interested in the numerous birds they had. He was fascinated by the cats like the white tigers and the leopard. He had a duck with a gimpy wing follow him all around the zoo. Tip: If you want all the animals to pay attention to your child, give him a bag of potato chips. Works like a charm! He had a blast running the ramps and seeing the few sites there. The monkeys were a thrill for him, too. Now when he sees a monkey on tv he points to it and says "zoo". I can't wait to be able to take him to a better zoo like Cape May or Philly. He went to the Cape May Zoo once before, but he was much younger. I don't think he remembers it too well if at all. We had a mini picnic in the car *it was hot today* and we all went home for a nap :D Good times.

clearly speaking....

2005-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

He learned a new color: Clear The other day at my mother's house he was on the phone with his father who he hadn't been able to see in a few days due to me being sick and his father working. He says "It's been a long time. They won't let me do anything. Your work is trash." He has come up with lots of responses to many different situations. He is very fun to watch while he is watching a show or movie. He repeats every last word of a sentence. His father says "He speaks so clear..." Of course he says "clear!" and that's how we got on the subject of what the "color" clear looks like LOL. He loves drums. He makes them out of cups and bowls. Always has a set of drums. He has been using his manners without much prodding now. He also is into going to church, and sad that we haven't been able to go in a few weeks. He is mucho opinionated and lets me know when he wants to do something or otherwise. He is helpful and kind to others. Of course, he has his moments....like any child will. He is becoming more obedient and sweet. I am really seeing him change before my eyes. Right now he is 2 1/2 and 36 inches tall, weighing in around 33 lbs. What a difference 2 years makes. When he was born he was 4 lb 6 oz, 17 inches long. He has met and surpassed the criteria they measure for his age level, and being a preemie he should by all accounts be behind somewhere. He is not. I love the fact that we gave this baby to God and God is totally taking care of him now. Thank you for following his story.

random updates...LONG

2005-08-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

The other day, he was sitting on my lap pointing out the letters that he recognized. His favorite seemed to be the lowercase letter D. He also likes to name the colors on the screen, watch video games with colored shapes so he can name the shapes and colors, and he likes to try and sing his ABC's. He can sing many songs. He loves song games. His favorite song is "One Way, Jesus". August 8th: Yesterday morning we were sitting at the table with his aunt and she offered him some crackers. he says "thank you" and gives them to me. I open them and give him one and he says "I don't want it." I thought that was so polite that he would still tell her thank you even tho he knew he didn't really want what she offered. Last night he took his wiggles couch *folds out into a little bed* and set it on its side. he sat down on the bottom *the arm of the chair* and says "mommy look my house!" He got up and closed the bed part and says "I closed the door to my house" ... Next he got thirsty so he said "juice please" and I asked him where his cup was. He started looking around and couldn't find it... so I told him "ask daddy where your cup is" ... he says "cup please, please , please!" *daddy was playing a video game*... He did finally tell him where the cup was so he went to go and get it. He then gave me my water jug *cuz he knows I always water down his juice* and then he opened the fridge so I could get the juice out... opened the fridge again so I could put the juice back and says "thank you". ~This is the most elaborate he has ever been in this process...he totally baffled my mind!~ Then he started to get tired... so he had folded the chair back into its regular position and laid down on it longways... He figured out that wasnt very comfy. He got up and said "im sleepy" and told his dad "excuse me" so he could push the long part out. He got his pillow and I gave him his blanket *he was trying to take mine*, tucked himself in, and said "night night"...Within 5 minutes he was knocked out. That is the first time he has ever done that. My boy is getting so grown! Thank God I decided to force him to use his manners before cuz he is so strong willed he would have never ever said please, thank you, or sorry or anything!!! Ah the joys of motherhood!!! August 9: Last night, he was playing with us before bed. He and his fathere were playing "fake wrestling". At one point, my husband picked him up and "slammed" him on the bed and he started to cry like he was hurt! I was like "Ok that's enough" but my son didn't want me to hug him, he wanted his father. As soon as his father picked him up to hug him, he jumped up and grinned and "knocked" him out, while laughing hysterically. Little joker. He is such a good actor! He likes to pose like he's getting his picture taken...boy, can he make some adorable faces. If he ever tries using them on me to get something I said "no" to, he might nearly get me to cave! He's also very sympathetic. When he sees someone crying he will ask "Why are you crying?" and be all nice with them. I have been sick and he knew I was hurting. He stayed in the bed holding my arm and "taking care of me" :D for hours he sat there just content to be helping me feel better. He has become so loving. We bought him a LaaLaa yesterday. He now has a new baby... He was feeding it, giving it juice, and hugging it. He started to abuse poor Laalaa by shoving his head under the computer monitor. I told him he was being mean to Laalaa and he shouldn't do that. He sat down with the toy, had the saddest look on his face, and says "I'm sorry" and then gives it a hug and a kiss. He put Laalaa to bed, patted its back, covered it up. So adorable. What really baffled him was this scenario: Willie: "Mommy Cheerios please for Laalaa." Me: "Sure" ... I take one and put it on the doll's hand. Me: "Here Laalaa, eat your Cheerio" ... put it near the doll's mouth and make chewing sounds, the Cheerio disappears.... Willie: sits there for about 5 minutes looking into the doll's mouth to try and find the Cheerio because he KNOWS that dolls cant really eat food! Friends: He told me yesterday morning that I am his friend. He also told Laalaa that last night. He has just learned what a friend is from watching collective hours and hours of Barney. Potty training: You should have seen him the other day when he decided to pee in the potty standing up. He looked like a brown surfer!!! I was trying so hard not to laugh hysterically and mess up his rythym. He did really well. Nearly didn't miss at all. He is using the potty sporadically. I still want to get him some training pants or underwear. He doesn't like the undies he has. They fit lose. I think they freak him out. He usually panics when he gets them on and starts trying to push them off his body as quickly as he can. Speech: He is speaking in full sentences a lot now. Last night he came to me with some jello and says "Mommy, I want this." He is also very opinionated. He will let you know whether he likes or dislikes anything, be it a situation to a drink. He will then proceed to tell you what he wants it to be. No has become a mainstay of his vocabulary. He is asserting his independence more and more every day. Activities: Since all the things that have been going on with his skin *see here*, it has been hard to let him do some activities. He can't really stay in the pool much altho he looooves the water. He will play in there till his teeth chatter. He has no fear. He is allergic to mosquitos, but I can let him play in the back yard with some sun and skeeter lotion on :D He loves the outdoors. His favorite thing is to crawl through the tunnels at the playgrounds. He loves to play with other kids. He shares with them really well. If they don't share, he will ask them "share please?" His most favorite activity outside is running like the wind. He can, too. He is faster than most grown people I know LOL. There are so many things he is into. He still loves cars, art, martial arts, airplanes, nature....the list goes on and on. Last month, I took him to the local art festival and he had a ball. He liked looking at the pictures of nature, especially the carved birds. He had lots of fresh fruit to eat while looking at the pictures. We even met an artist who said my son has great expressions. WELL I guess that's enough bragging about my little one for now... Stats: 2 1/2 yrs old 33 lbs 33 in tall

I need to ...

2005-07-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

make a medical journal for my son... here it is: William's Eczema His progress otherwise? He is speaking lots of complete sentences and learning how to figure more things out. He is keeping us on our toes!

artsy smartsy and other things

2005-06-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Long time no see. Now everything is an art project. He can't go anywhere without having a pen and pad in his hand. Ripped paper art, cheerios art, water art, you name it. He has been on and off of potty training. He wants to run around without a diaper, just doesnt want to do the work associated with it LOL. He has just gotten over a severe case of eczema. Poor baby was itching for nearly 3 weeks. We have moved in with our friends and he is getting constant disciplinary pressure now. Much better than before. He is still very defiant and head strong, but his attitude has changed immensely otherwise. He is such a great kid. He is getting more sensitive to other people and their feelings. He is using his words, so many I can't keep up. He has learned to read a few words like "box" and "star". He is recognizing more numbers and letters individually, too. Still haven't decided about school or a baby brother/sister for him yet. Next year will tell the tale. He is still mostly co-sleeping and loving it. Becoming so independent. If I gave him his own fridge and cabinet, I would never hear from him except to go outside LOL. I can't believe he is 3 feet tall and 32 pounds...and strong! We call him Bam-Bam. I have pictures of some of his art, but haven't gotten a chance to post them yet.

busy busy busy

2005-04-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

So we have been dealing with his assertion of power of late. He has been a real handful. His father and I have been working on channeling his rages and creativity onto more productive (and less breakable) things. He has been telling us exactly what he is thinking, how he is feeling, what he wants, and what he doesn't want. His language skills have defintely improved. He is now 35 inches tall and his cousin is only about an inch taller *or less*. He is more into creating and destroying than anything else right now. I love him and he told me "I love you so much". He's sweet.

discoveries

2005-03-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

When you depress the lever on the ice machine, water will go all the way down your arm into your diaper and not feel very good. There are many ways to do a split, and one of them is walking on newspaper in the kitchen *ouch*. Dirt is a great medium to make your blue pants black. The stones in dirt are great to throw at things for target practice. The big dirt hill outside is an awesome way to test gravity. The side of the hill that has dirt missing is a lovely place to slide down on your back and make dust angels. What goes up must definitely come back down again. Grabbing everyone's cup is not necessarily a good idea. Using words to ask for things is much better than mommy getting frustrated and screaming "what do you want???@!!!" after much whining and indecisive wiggling. Bedtime is an annoying part of the day. Food is great with which to make a mosaic on the floor. Best foods: cookies, crackers, and rice. Sticky food just makes you want to wash your hands. ewww. Brushing teeth is fun...getting hair done not fun. Taking off my diaper will ensue in a chase to get a diaper back on, until mommy gets tired of running around the house with me laughing hysterically at her antics. When she gives up, I come to her and she will put it back on...after I have discovered that I don't like the feel of carpets and sitting on my scooter on my bare butt. Underwear are only nice over my diaper. Other than that, they are just weird. The potty is a great tool to stand on and get into things I couldn't normally reach. I love water, even if it means splashing in the potty to get to it. Tissues are also great to make mosaics all over the house. Sometimes playing chase is painful. I should really work on looking before I take off.

highly sensitive children

2005-03-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Little Will "acted out" all day long. He just did every unsafe thing, every hurtful thing, every terribly inconsiderate thing he could possibly do. When his father got home, he started to jump on him, kicking him, and standing on him as his father lay on the bed. Finally I just got tired of it and grabbed him, put him on my lap, made him look me straight in the eyes, and said: "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting this way? What's the problem?" He looked at me with his big beautiful brown eyes full of tears and said, "I miss daddy!" and then he began to cry this heartbreaking sob and he buried his head under my arm. Well, his father had been playing video games so he could destress from the day's work...but when he heard this poor feeble cry, he stopped and scooped little Will up, held him, and paid him all his attention. Little Willie was fine for the rest of the night.

Warning to all parents:

When your children don't get enough quality time with you, they will definitely let you know. Don't be so quick to judge that they are just "acting out" or being "bad". There is usually a deeper issue...

Happy Birthday 2 YOU!!!

2005-02-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

So today was my baby's birthday. He had a ball. Not as many people as we would have liked, but he still had fun. He got a drum with all kinds of instruments inside, a bunch of clothes, some videos, and his whole birthday theme was Blue's Clues. He kept running around shouting "a clue! a clue!". The pics are in his picsfolio. You can tell he had a great time.

Birthday a'comin

2005-02-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

So he will be 2 tomorrow and he is still alive LOL!!! Thank God for His grace and mercy on us. He has been showing me so many things these past few days that I cannot even begin to write them down. He has become a mimick to the third degree and his personality seems to be blossoming. He is becoming a new person right in front of my eyes. It's a bit scary, and also endearing. It shows me that I have allowed him to become his own person. Hallelujah for that. I am excited to see what it is that he comes up with next. He is so creative and his ingenuity is beyond compare. He can draw circles and see them as beyond eternity.

wow he is amazing!

2005-02-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

circle and square (saying and recognizing them) door phone green i want to see it we gotta go (while pulling on the car door as hard as he can trying to open it) cookie Also says a bunch of sentences under his breath that I can barely hear, but I can tell he is saying words... Noticed the clouds today and was astonished at the way they looked. Found out that his dog is still too big to play with him LOL. Found that trees look like they reach the clouds. Well that's it for today!

new words and phrases/likes dislikes

2005-02-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

down water shirt not now im two big boy sit, food (when he wants to sit in his chair and eat) now no, mine! clean i dont wanna! i dont want it! dont wanna clean! recent eats: wax, God only knows why. prunes bananas cheese yogurt new things to do: Have an all out throw myself backward temper tantrum over little things. Run away from mommy as fast as william'ly possible...which is pretty fast...think of Dash from the Incredibles...yeah...that fast. OH YEAH, Happy Valentine's Day :)

Please Touch Museum

2005-02-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

We went to the Please Touch Museum on Saturday, January 29th to see the Mr. Roger's Neighborhood exhibit. It was an awesome experience for us to see the same props they used on the show. They also had a bunch of exhibits that were sponsored by local businesses. There was a bus which Will loved b/c it had a handicap ramp that he was running up and down as fast as he could. There was an exhibit for the Monster that's lives in the closet, or whatever it's called LOL. They had a reading area for quiet time. They had a train up in the air, a trolley, a water works area, a huge elephant made of a bunch of different items, a supermarket, a farm area with fake pecking chickens (which my son didnt like and so decided not to go in there ha!). There was a milk exhibit, a place to do art projects, a cave, an alice in wonderland exhibit, and a bunch of other things that I just cannot recall. It was awesome, and for $9.95 a head, well worth it. Will ran himself to sleep ! He had a great time. Go to His Picsfolio to see the trip in color :)

more stuff he showed me yesterday.

2005-01-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

we are planning a trip to the Please Touch Museum tomorrow for the Mr. Roger's Neighborhood exhibit. I will post pictures. words he said: Purple ummm....(then a sentence, after being asked something) wanna do i big think, think, think *blue's clues* ay Dios mio! se cae ("you are gonna fall" in spanish) down sit im ok it's ok backpack bug moon spider fundillo (the word for your behind in spanish LOL) the entire blue's clues song about sitting in the thinking chair and such...

counting and new sentences

2005-01-25T15:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, his dad was counting some money. He wanted to help, so Will 3(his dad) gave him the dollar bills... and they counted together * one, two, three *. Then li'l will saw the fourth piece of money wasn't the same as the one dollar bills they were counting, and recognized it as * cinco! * . It was a five dollar bill. new sentences : no i'm not, yes i am, i don't know, daddy did, mommy did, i did, papi did, juice please, i want food, gracias, de nada, let's go, come on, eww cold!, no no! hot!, i like car, mommy look!, take bath, wash hand new words: seagle (yes i spelled it wrong, b/c it is meant to be eagle, but he adds the s), snow, toes, hand, lotion, ear He will be two in little over a month...My baby is getting so big! Such a smarty pants. You should hear the conversations he has with us.

some new stuff he showed me

2005-01-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Hey! Here are some new things my son has showed me that he has learned:

He recognizes squares
He knows the number 9
When asked a question he will say "si" for yes in spanish, or "no it's not" if i tell him something is as something else. *learned from ELF*
Says "exactly" if something is explained and he agrees
When given the option to take a bath after an activity such as eating a snack, he will give me a "yah" or "no" answer
Says "oh no!" when something happens such as a mess on tv or one he made himself :)
Recognizes pictures of paw prints as "blue's clue"
Will say "I don't know" if I ask him a question like "where is your cup?"
Demonstrates the appropriate feelings if something is sad, funny, painful, excitement, etc. when a situation is presented on tv or real life
Knows how to catch, throw, hike a football
Knows his eye, mouth, belly, foot, and hair
Has a new found afinity for lotion on his hands and face
Can gauge jumping and tumbling distances **showed me by jumping from chair to chair, and tumbling off the bed at the right spot to land on his feet on the floor :(**
Knows how to clean up and put things in the proper places as shown
Demonstrating his love for singing songs in church, alone, with tv, etc.
Demonstrating his love for working with tools
Demonstrating his ability to see things for what they could be and not just what they are

So I guess that's it for now. I hope it shows you that he is learning immense amounts of information day by day. I dont update every day because I am giving him a chance to show me what it is he knows or would like to know.

Happy New Year and God bless :)

Connections through recognization

2004-12-22T16:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to deliver Christmas presents to our friends. As we were standing outside of the apartment, my son noticed the 3 numbers by the door. He said "Look! Five!" None of the numbers were the number five, but he knows they were numbers. The only number he recognizes on a regular basis is the number five. What a great connection :) At dinner in the sushi restaurant last night he noticed that the wonton soup and the dip were two different colors of YELLOW! He kept saying "Yellow" and pointing to the soup and the dip. His favorite words to say right now are: "yellow, hello, lele-low *marshmallow*" "lala (the teletubby)" "tubbies" "barney" "doah (dora)" "blus clus (blue's clues)" "melmow (elmo)" "guao guao (puerto rican way to teach kids a word for dog)" "daw (dog)" "feeshe (fishy)" "ball" "tea (eat kinda backwards)" "nana (banana)" "juice" "mew (milk)" "bebah (boobah" "domino!" Sentences/Expressions: "I want juice" "I want milk" "Oh, I see" "Exactly" "Want go now" "Look" "Want play toys" "Jesus died" "NO!" "I know" "I stuck" "Bye bye" "Morning!" "Ush teeth (brush teeth)" "I go potty" "TV on" Action songs: Itsy bitsy spider Pon, pon *spanish song* Skinnimarinkidinkidink La linda manita *spanish song* Songs which he can sing parts of: from Charlotte's Web 2>>> Wilbur's nightmare La linda manita some of Barney's songs Spanish words he understands: Dame beso. Dame. **also says** Afuera. Sietate. Ven aca. Si. **also says** That's all i can think of for right now.

nearly 2, what we do

2004-12-19T00:13:00.000-08:00

This is the first of hopefully many posts about unschooling and how my son is learning. I have a "short" list of what he already knows from interacting with his world at http://www.geocities.com/kingzjewel/unschool.html , but I wanted a more detailed way of putting things together for my special little guy. He just showed me the other day that he can put a four picture story board into sequence from beginning to end. At this moment he is singing part of a song from his favorite movie Charlotte's Web 2. I try to let him tell me what he wants to do. He is a very independent person and wants to learn things either on his own or with someone showing him once or twice. If he doesn't get it after his second try on his own he kind of asks for more help **temper tantrum** but that's ok because he doesn't have a whole lot of words to express himself yet. He won't be two until February. I'm a new unschooler. This is my first child. I am seen as a person who parents "differently"...in other words I'm totally off my rocker, but my son is reaping the benefits of his mother and father being more liberal than many. My husband does his best to trust my instincts about our child. Sometimes it gets hard for him because there are many things I do that he has never heard of such as unschooling. He has always been supportive and once armed with all the facts, he's an unstoppable force that continues to ensure that I have the freedom to raise our child as my instincts direct. Being christians, unschooling is bound to look a bit different than secular unschooling. So have fun learning about what he learns :) God bless.

2004-12-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

...to nearly 2 years old!

2004-12-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

from one week old....