Happy new year everyone! What are your kids up to and what have you got planned for the year?
DS has passed his first swim test in December and is super proud that after, seriously, weeks of trying and failing miserably, he managed to overcome his fears and put his head under water long enough to dive for a ring in the shallow side of the pool (he'd had the actual swimming down for like 6 weeks but the diving was part of the test). He did it crying, but he did it. That was really major for him. Just in time to start the advanced class in January which I'd signed him up for in October, phew ...only it's at another swimming pool and knowing DS, we'll have to go there at least once, better twice, before classes start in order to familiarize him with the new surroundings, otherwise it will be a desaster. Hope one of us parents gets over our colds in time...I hate this time of year for that.
And he’s been asked to the second birthday party this school year. I know it’s not a big deal for him, but it is for me! Funnily, it’s usually not the kids he invites, either to his birthday party or for playdates, that invite him back, but others. Wonder what’s up with that – not a real outsider, but somehow not interested in the kids that are interested in him and vice versa. I may have to start a separate thread to discuss, it’s really an enigma to me...
DS was in heaven with all the technical stuff he's been getting for Christmas (a Georello marble machine, Lego creator sets, a Playmobil set with a real working metal detector). He grabbed the Lego creator set which was for 8-12 year olds and insisted on starting out immediately with the "advanced build", a huge fighter jet. He spent a full afternoon, evening, and morning on it, something like 8 hours, and bar some fine-motor help and some troubleshooting about missing pieces, did it completely by himself, with minimal whining and exploding in frustration. His granny was so proud she went out right away and got the next set for him, but we agreed that she was to give it to him only for Easter so he wouldn't freak out completely (he was barely able to sleep the night after he'd started building, he was so excited).
With the new year, all the private school information evenings and open houses are coming up and with shooting for early entry for DS, I need to seriously get in gear for a lot of appointments, starting out with his preschool teachers, whose recommendation for early entry I want and probably need, because schools want it too. Thankfully the head teacher has hinted they’ll back us up, but she’ll talk to us together with his K teacher (K is an informal pull-out program in pre-school where I live, formal schooling starts only in first grade, so the formal decision about early entry is coming up this spring). So I’ll need the preschool endorsement, a ped’s certificate for physical school readiness, a positive result from the universal Kindergartners’ screening, the consent for early entry from the public school’s principal we’re zoned for and the provisional consent for early entry from any private school we may decide to apply for (there’s one catholic and one Montessori we’re considering, and then there are the applications, too). In an environment which is totally redshirting-happy. Fun! But it’ll be interesting, too, to say the least.
Thinking that DD appeared to be coming down with something, I happened to ask her daycare teachers how she’d been doing recently and they started gushing “Oh, she’s been doing wonderfully! And she is so social and so helpful!” –“Really?” I say, smiling happily, thinking I have finally managed to produce a social child. “Sure”, they continue, “and she is so bright, it’s really amazing!” - “That’s always so pleasant I hear”, I mumble, smile freezing, thinking I can’t believe I am fielding those comments again already, she’s barely 16 months old. – “Oh yes, she is distributing all the bibs for everyone at lunch time”. “But that’s about being social and helpful, isn’t it”, I say smiling happily again in relief. “Oh no, it means she is really bright because she’s got to remember where every single child is sitting – some kdis don’t manage that for years and she’s got it down!”
Oh, and DD has discovered her identity and is obviously fascinated, waking me up every morning patting me with her hand and saying “Mama!” , then indicating herself “DD!” (or rather the baby talk approximation..), repeat...it’s so cute!
. she picked up some Bob books from the library around September, loved them, and so we've been steadily reading through them ( or steadily as possible given new baby). But when I mentioned that we could move to learning/practicing with Frog and Toad, etc., next, tears, drama, woe! so we're going to go back and do Bob all over again if that's what she wants... Not entirely sure what that's about. I tried leaving her a written "clue" to find her snack today and she loved it, so we'll just keep it fun and by her lead and see!
Dd is turning 18 this weekend.
:joy Nice to have another mini-ballerina to read about. Her teacher made noises about her learning the Cygnet pas de quatre from Swan Lake this year. I haven't mentioned it to DD because she would be devastated if it doesn't eventuate.
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