Sunday, July 18, 2010

Day 3

It is only 8:10 in the morning and I already have something to say about each of the kids.

Nick has started nodding or shaking his head to answer me. I ask him if he wants more food, and he looks into my eyes and slowly, carefully nods up and down. I ask him a few minutes later, and he shakes his head and does some sort of vague "all done" sign. I am starting to get the eerie feeling that he understands everything! He also points to things he wants or places he wants to go. Not rocket science for a toddler, but it is another breakthrough in communication.

He did something strange last night. It was a restless night for him in one way, but he didn't cry. I heard him talking to himself at one point. Then I woke up at 4:40 AM to a rhythmical pounding noise. I got up to see what it could be and, listening at his bedroom door, I realized it was his leg hitting the pack 'n play mattress. That sound continued off and on for another hour and a half. Argh. I couldn't sleep through it but I didn't want to disturb him any more by going into his room.

As he was eating breakfast, Xander said something in a very sweet tone of voice: "You made a nice fruit treat for me last year. Thank you!" Then he went on to describe it and I have no idea what he was talking about, but it is wonderful to be given a thank you out of the blue.

Last night after both kids were in bed I put on a nightgown. Xander came out of bed to go to the bathroom and saw me and said, "That's a nice dress you got."

It is now afternoon and Nick is stirring from his nap. We went to Preschool Storytime at the library, which Xander goes to by himself while Nick and I browse. Nick did amazing! It's only his fourth trip to the library ever and he has already learned not to pull books off the shelves. They got in some new toddler equipment, including a large table with all kinds of wooden manipulatives on it. Nick actually likes doing the traditional puzzles. He picks up pieces from the table and drops them on top of the open slots in the puzzle. He did not fuss at all and I was able to pick up all the books I wanted to get.

Xander chose interesting books to check out this week: A Frog in the Bog, by Karma Wilson, onthatday, by Andrea Patel, Tonka's Rescue Action, by Craig Carey, Creature ABC, by Andrew Zuckerman, a Bionicle graphic novel (#7: Realm of Fear), and Build Your Own Combat Robot, by Pete Miles and Tom Carroll. That last one is an adult book with real diagrams and photographs. I will have to look at that one in more depth. ;)

When we got home we had birthday presents waiting from Aunt Johanna. The coloring book, stuffed animal book, stuffed polar bear, and especially the light-up Glow Caterpillar were huge hits. Nick likes to roar for the bear.

I read some library books to the boys and, surprisingly, the two Spanish books were listened to with great interest. We've been reading Where the Wild Things Are over and over, so I got Donde Viven Los Monstruos along with Oso pardo, oso pardo, ?que ves ahi? (Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?)

It was really bugging me that I went ahead and ordered that kid's laptop for Xander. He doesn't know I did it. I felt better about it when I talked to him today, saying, "It's too bad you don't have a kid's computer, but there are lots of other fun things you have."

He said in a happy tone of voice, "Yeah, like ____." (I can't remember what it was. One of his toys.)

I said, "You also have a loving family."

He said, "Yeah!"

So I'm glad I at least addressed the idea of not getting every material thing he wants. Then there will be a surprise later when he gets the laptop.

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