Now that both Christmas and Easter are long behind us, Ivan is getting his presents-giving buddies a bit mixed up.
"Easter Bunny must give presents to Santa Claus," according to Ivan.
He has also resorted to calling Santa on the phone.
Whereas before he used to tell Santa to "bring more presents," now he actually has a conversation with Santa. He doesn't say much but rather listens and appropriately interjects, "yes, aha," etc.
He also likes to call Dadda on the phone and talk to him.
He's had quite a few of fullblown pretend phone conversations with Santa and Dadda lately.
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Pee accident: who did it?; Allen rolls over
For his nap, Ivan fell asleep on the footstool in our bedroom instead of his usual couch. My dad transfered him into our bed once was a sleep. While asleep he peed.
"Medic peepeed on the bed," he told my dad when he woke up and my dad asked him about it.
He was embarrased, my dad said.
I have to say, that since he got potty trained in April, he really hasn't had any accidents. I'm very proud of him.
"Medic peepeed on the bed," he told my dad when he woke up and my dad asked him about it.
He was embarrased, my dad said.
I have to say, that since he got potty trained in April, he really hasn't had any accidents. I'm very proud of him.
And in Allen's news: Allen rolled over today. But it scared so promptly started crying. But then he tried it again. So he rolled over twice.
Sent from my iPhone
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Ivan: Example of Current Sentence Structures
"I want nothing else to eat, mama," when Ivan actually is standing at the fridge with the door open, scamming the fridge for something to eat (something being cheese).
"I don't like that," he likes to announce, even if it's something he's never seen or tasted before. It must be a daycare thing.
"Those are my favorite ones," is another variation on the theme above. "Favorite" usually being an item or a food that he has definitely never seen, encountered, tried, etc. before.
"Are you my friend, mama?" is a question that gets posed a lot. Ivan's increasingly getting concerned with who is or isn't his friend. I can't tell whether it's a three year-old thing, a daycare thing, or "mama's spending all her time with the baby" thing.
"Dadda be mad. Dadda be happy," he likes to affirm to himself when he completes something, such as eating his dinner, that he knows will please us.
"I don't like that," he likes to announce, even if it's something he's never seen or tasted before. It must be a daycare thing.
"Those are my favorite ones," is another variation on the theme above. "Favorite" usually being an item or a food that he has definitely never seen, encountered, tried, etc. before.
"Are you my friend, mama?" is a question that gets posed a lot. Ivan's increasingly getting concerned with who is or isn't his friend. I can't tell whether it's a three year-old thing, a daycare thing, or "mama's spending all her time with the baby" thing.
"Dadda be mad. Dadda be happy," he likes to affirm to himself when he completes something, such as eating his dinner, that he knows will please us.
Monday, May 10, 2010
"No"
To a three year-old, the world must consist of one large temptation, which 99% of the time elicits a "no" response from parents.
Over the last few months, Andy and I have both noted that most of our interaction with Ivan consists of us telling him "no." The scopeof "nos" is wide, from minor issues such as telling him not to pick his nose or wipe his mouth with his shirt (this is a recently-acquired daycare behavior, I assume, as he used to be perfectly able to use a napkin for at least a year now), to more phyisical ones, such as not to throw things in the house, jump off the couch, harass Mariposa, etc.
So we both try to limit our "nos," preserving them for safety-related occasions, such as not jumping of the couch, pulling on Allen, throwing stuff at Mariposa, etc....
A new parenting book just came out, recently reviewed on NPR, which instructs parents not to use "no." According to the book, whose title escapes me, too many "nos" limit the child, affecting his self esteem, creativity, curiosity etc. Kids apparently have an internal gage to know not to do really dangerous things that could hurt them.
I'm not sure I can embrace this approach. It's hard not to say "no jumping down the stairs" when it seems pretty obvious to me that he can't jump off the fourth stair safely. And I'd rather limit, if not totally avoid, visits to the ER. If , at all possible, I'd love to avoid bruised and scraped knees, although I know that may be taking it to the safety extreme.
And to Ivan's credit, he is a very cautious, not intensely physical child, who errs on the side of not doing crazy physical things I see his preschools peers undertake.
Over the last few months, Andy and I have both noted that most of our interaction with Ivan consists of us telling him "no." The scopeof "nos" is wide, from minor issues such as telling him not to pick his nose or wipe his mouth with his shirt (this is a recently-acquired daycare behavior, I assume, as he used to be perfectly able to use a napkin for at least a year now), to more phyisical ones, such as not to throw things in the house, jump off the couch, harass Mariposa, etc.
So we both try to limit our "nos," preserving them for safety-related occasions, such as not jumping of the couch, pulling on Allen, throwing stuff at Mariposa, etc....
A new parenting book just came out, recently reviewed on NPR, which instructs parents not to use "no." According to the book, whose title escapes me, too many "nos" limit the child, affecting his self esteem, creativity, curiosity etc. Kids apparently have an internal gage to know not to do really dangerous things that could hurt them.
I'm not sure I can embrace this approach. It's hard not to say "no jumping down the stairs" when it seems pretty obvious to me that he can't jump off the fourth stair safely. And I'd rather limit, if not totally avoid, visits to the ER. If , at all possible, I'd love to avoid bruised and scraped knees, although I know that may be taking it to the safety extreme.
And to Ivan's credit, he is a very cautious, not intensely physical child, who errs on the side of not doing crazy physical things I see his preschools peers undertake.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Birthday parties and cakes
Ivan lucked out today: we went to two birthday parties today, which meant two sets of cakes, with candles and happy birthday songs included.
At Leila's party --held at Wheaton park, with a train and carousel ride included--Ivan was the first one in line to look at the cake when it was brought out. He stood there waiting to see what will happen next and when we'll get to eat the cake. Well there is never any line, it's just Ivan standing there. Although today Seger joined him as well. So they stood there waiting. Finally, the candles were placed, the candles were lit, happy birthday song was sung, and Noel cut the cake. Ivan and Seger were the first to get their cake.
Meanwhile, as soon as the candles were blown out, Bella ran to the table to sit down and wait. She sat down to wait to be served her piece of cake.
Then at Papi's birthday party, Ivan "helped" take out all candles from their boxes and line them up. He then placed them in two cakes. He was very excited when everyone rounded up to sing happy birthday. With Papi, he blew out the candles. Actually, he blew out all the candles. It was endearing to watch him. He was beaming.
Then, after everyone ate their cake, Ivan decided it was presents time. So he took out all the presents and brought them to the center of the room and started opening them, for Papi.
Ivan has gotten really funny with cake. For the last year, as soon as I say "party," he says, "happy birthday, cake, presents."
And for the last few months, every time we have cake at the house, regardless whether it's a special occasion or not, he runs to the closet to get the candles. With Ivan, every desert time has become a special time, a cake time, with candles and singing of the "happy birthday" song.
At Leila's party --held at Wheaton park, with a train and carousel ride included--Ivan was the first one in line to look at the cake when it was brought out. He stood there waiting to see what will happen next and when we'll get to eat the cake. Well there is never any line, it's just Ivan standing there. Although today Seger joined him as well. So they stood there waiting. Finally, the candles were placed, the candles were lit, happy birthday song was sung, and Noel cut the cake. Ivan and Seger were the first to get their cake.
Meanwhile, as soon as the candles were blown out, Bella ran to the table to sit down and wait. She sat down to wait to be served her piece of cake.
Then at Papi's birthday party, Ivan "helped" take out all candles from their boxes and line them up. He then placed them in two cakes. He was very excited when everyone rounded up to sing happy birthday. With Papi, he blew out the candles. Actually, he blew out all the candles. It was endearing to watch him. He was beaming.
Then, after everyone ate their cake, Ivan decided it was presents time. So he took out all the presents and brought them to the center of the room and started opening them, for Papi.
Ivan has gotten really funny with cake. For the last year, as soon as I say "party," he says, "happy birthday, cake, presents."
And for the last few months, every time we have cake at the house, regardless whether it's a special occasion or not, he runs to the closet to get the candles. With Ivan, every desert time has become a special time, a cake time, with candles and singing of the "happy birthday" song.
The land of whys
As of two days ago, it appears that we have entered the land of "why's."
Overnight, every statement we make, every thing we tell Ivan gets a "why" in response.
A conversation with Ivan has become one endless neverneding stream of whys.
Overnight, every statement we make, every thing we tell Ivan gets a "why" in response.
A conversation with Ivan has become one endless neverneding stream of whys.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Friends
Elubody is my friend?
Mama, are you my friend?
Allen's my friend, mama?
Sashi is not my friend. Sashi and Erika don't like me.
I don't like Ms. Yvonne.
Mariposa is our friend.
Only birdies are my friends.
All my friends will come to my party.
The litlle white car had no friends so he had to go hone to play with mamma.
These are just a few of Ivan's proclamations of the last few weeks. They are very emphatically stated.
Apparently the idea of friendship and budding social awareness is big in three year-old's world. And allegiances who's his friend and who isn't vary from day to day. They are also often announced with no precedent.
At first, Andy and I were deeply concerned when he'd say that so and so from daycare is not his friend. This was before we realized the radnomness of such statements. Now we know he may or may not mean them. Or he probably does mean it but he just can't put into words exactly what he's feeling, so saying that someone is not his friend is his attempt of conveying more complex feelings.
"You're not my friend," he told Andy yesterday.
It must be the biggest, most powerful diss in the three year-old's world.
He also keeps insisting that Didi is not his friend. After some proding, he finally admited it's because Didi doesn't play with him. (Didi can't lift him until his stiches heal.)
Mama, are you my friend?
Allen's my friend, mama?
Sashi is not my friend. Sashi and Erika don't like me.
I don't like Ms. Yvonne.
Mariposa is our friend.
Only birdies are my friends.
All my friends will come to my party.
The litlle white car had no friends so he had to go hone to play with mamma.
These are just a few of Ivan's proclamations of the last few weeks. They are very emphatically stated.
Apparently the idea of friendship and budding social awareness is big in three year-old's world. And allegiances who's his friend and who isn't vary from day to day. They are also often announced with no precedent.
At first, Andy and I were deeply concerned when he'd say that so and so from daycare is not his friend. This was before we realized the radnomness of such statements. Now we know he may or may not mean them. Or he probably does mean it but he just can't put into words exactly what he's feeling, so saying that someone is not his friend is his attempt of conveying more complex feelings.
"You're not my friend," he told Andy yesterday.
It must be the biggest, most powerful diss in the three year-old's world.
He also keeps insisting that Didi is not his friend. After some proding, he finally admited it's because Didi doesn't play with him. (Didi can't lift him until his stiches heal.)
Princess
Last week I was in my closet looking through my summer, non-maternity work-wear that I haven't seen or tried on in over a year. As I was trying on a skirt, Ivan walked in.
"Mama, are you a princess," he asked.
"Oh, I'm not a princess," I answered.
"Mama, are you a princess," he asked.
"Oh, I'm not a princess," I answered.
"I'm a baby princess," he then said.
I corrected him that he is a prince, not a princess.
A few days later, I brought it up again, saying "you saw mama try on a skirt and you thought mama was a princess."
"You are a princess," he said.
I didn't know that Ivan was aware of the princess concept. We did read and watch Snow White, but that's the only princess we've encountered at home. But at daycare, a girl named Morgan, whom I don't know but who must have transitioned into their classroom, had a birthday party. She had party favors in a princess bag. So that's were the princess concept comes from. I asked Ivan whether he knows the names of all the princesses on the bag, but he either didn't or wouldn't tell me. I could only recognize two--Snow White and Cinderella, or maybe that was Sleeping Beauty. I'm not sure.
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