[cdahlgrd]

I will start off:<br><br>
My oldest, in Kindergarden, brought home a HUGE book about the brain. And I spent 2 hours reading it to him and his 2 yo twin brothers!! (well, the first 3 chapters, sigh. It is going to take us at least a solid week of serious reading to get through it!!)<br><br>
Twin 1 brought up a piece of wire and said, "Fire broken." After a while, I figured out that he meant the heater was broken. "Did you tell Dad?" "No." "Go tell Dad and give him the piece." Sigh, "OK." He then proceeded to take his dad to the heater and show him where the pieces came from.<br><br>
Twin 1 has spent the last 4 months perfecting his swearing. At Christmas, he came out with the F bomb, gramatically correct, of course. At Easter, it was GD. Thanks Grandpa. And last week, it was Sh and A$$. Thanks dh!!<br><br>
Last night, the same twin was yelling, "Big big world!" over and over. I was ignoring him as much as possible. Finally, I heard a big metal thump. I went to check it out. . . he had pulled the vent cover off of a hole inthe wall that leads to the basement (we're in a split level). "Big big World house!" OK. I still didn't get it. A few minutes later, he was pulling and yanking on my computer cord. "Honey, don't pull on that, it will hurt the computer." "Big big world!!" Hmmmmm, oh dear. . . "Honey, that isn't a vine, that is a cord for the computer. You can't climb it. Where you trying to have a tree house with the hole in the wall?" "Big big world, house, vine!!" Oh, dear!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/dizzy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Dizzy">:<br><br>
Twin 2 has been prettty good, except for getting everything out of the pantry, climbing up the shelves, to get at the cookies I put there 3 MONTHS ago!! (and no, he couldn't see them). He also organizes all of his cars in neat rows, in order of size, or shape, or function, or repeating patterns of one of the preceeding. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[pigpokey]

My 2.25 year old also had early mastery of adult style use of expletives, as well as lots of complicated speech and lots of sounds that he would not be expected to say so clearly.<br><br>
No, you have to say shoot, but I don't mind if you say boboshit. (He makes up words to be able to cuss.) R, what is boboshit? "Ahhh, ummm, ... (stalls)."<br><br>
The other day he was trying to imitate a backstroke in the pool, which consisted of him leaning back slightly and rotating his arms crazily (in the wrong direction), and looked more like when we would play the drowning victim in lifeguard training.<br><br>
My 3.5 year old is still tickled with herself at learning to go hand over hand on the monkey bars about six weeks ago. She likes to do things that are "safe," but when she puts her mind to something she will really please herself.

 

[TabbyK]

My 4 /2 yr old is the comic of our family. And he doesn't even try. We were leaving the store the other day and some rep was handing out cans of Diet Coke Plus. I said no thanks, and as we passed by, DS looks back and tells her "No thank you, we only drink PEPSI"! At our parent/teacher meeting at his preschool last week, we got an earful about everything he does that's "above and beyond". The teacher made it a point to tell us how exciting it was to have him in class because he encourages the other kids to think "differently". Earlier in the year they had made snow ice cream, and they were sitting around talking about what ingredients go into it. It's DS's turn, his ingredient is "snow". Only he doesn't say "snow" like everyone else did, no our child has to make it a game. "It comes from the sky... It's the color white....It's cold... It melts on your tongue.....it's SNOW!!". I guess the entire class then started in on it!<br><br>
There is something that happened a couple weeks ago that we're really proud of him over. He had oral surgery when he was 19 mths and had to relearn to talk. He's been in speech this year due to enunciation issues, particularly with things like "f", "l" and "v". After seeing the flamingos at the zoo, his little sister was talking about the "amingos" and he said clear as day, "No, it's "FLA". Fla-fla-flamingos". We were amazed!<br><br>
At almost 3, DD is our handful! Sweet as can be, but definitely knows her own mind. At the zoo they had a butterfly house we all went to. DH was holding her. After a few minutes, she realized there were a LOT of butterflies. Apparently she's afraid of butterflies - who knew? She looked right at DH and clearly stated "Get Me Out of Here!". When he didn't move fast enough (the place was crowded), she picked out the biggest guy in the place, started batting her blue eyes at him, and implored "Get me out of here! Help me!". Oh dear heavens!<br><br>
K.

 

[PreggieUBA2C]

Our eldest spent sunday afternoon with dh and a friend playing guitar (his is electric and they were playing acoustic)- strumming in perfect time and imitating several chords accurately while adding little 'flourishes' here and there, singing along at the same time and picking up the melodies after the first verse, anticipating the lyrics and we hadn't learned the songs until that day. Then he came along and sat beside me, pointing out the words to the song we were singing in my songbook. Ds1 is self-taught; he just watches and learns- we never instruct him because he won't receive it. If he thinks we're trying to teach him something, he'll give it up completely or for at least a few months. He is also learning to fence on his own by watching others fencing; he's learning really quickly and he's a force to be reckoned with! He knocked dh's sword right out of his hand! He also finally made his first drawing of something other than a specific shape, letter or number form. It was a very detailed, recognisable... RAT! A rat! Not a person, or a truck or a house, but a rat, and a good one. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
Ds2 is still up to dramatics and learning to read. He has taken a great interest in this lately and he is much more willing to accept instruction than his elder brother, even asking for it. He spends a great deal of time perfecting his costumes and imitation of various animals and people. He has also been conversing a lot more about his perceptions of others' emotions and character. With this has come a drastic increase in the sophistication of his language skills. He's been initiating conversations with strangers and they are always astonished at his age, when they ask, that is(he is very big and his speech is more akin to that of a five or six year old). He is very emotional and it's hard for me to remember what he's up to a lot of the time because his personality is so big and boisterous while he is also extremely sensitive, and I find myself wrapped up in that moreso than his accomplishments.<br><br>
Ds3 is up to everything. He is adding twenty to thirty words/day (or more, but that's how many new ones he's speaking aloud each day) to his vocabulary and speaking in full sentences, as well as counting small amounts of objects. He is jumping off of the new balance beam I made for dc with both feet and regularly pretends he's a baboon while practising his jumping (squatting, waving arms, growling, screeching and yelling, "I a baBOON!"). He, as usual, spends hours/day taking things apart and putting them back together (like our subwoofers...ugh), perfecting various twirl/jump combinations and repeating sentences from books and our limited selection of dvds. He wants to use the toilet now too, and is honestly shocked and annoyed when we make a decision on his behalf- he wants to make every decision that involves him, so we've stepped back to let him learn and grow in this way.<br><br>
It's been awesome watching them and being with them. What a ride!

 

[loraxc]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">He also finally made his first drawing of something other than a specific shape, letter or number form. It was a very detailed, recognisable... RAT! A rat! Not a person, or a truck or a house, but a rat, and a good one.</td>
</tr></table></div>
I had to laugh when I read this because DD also just made her first true representational drawing, and it was a...jellyfish. A good jellyfish, too! Her second real drawing was a sweetgum seedpod. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> That's my girl.

 

[PreggieUBA2C]

A jellyfish! Awesome! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
ETA: I don't think I even know what a sweetgum seedpod is! Sooo neat. I love children!

 

[loraxc]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> Sweetgum seedpod:<br><br><a href="http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/FruitSweetgum01.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/FruitSweetgum01.jpg</a><br><br>
What I think is totally cool about this is that DD is making the stereotypical first drawing in form (it's usually a circle with lines coming out of it that represents a person--see <a href="http://faculty.indy.cc.ks.us/jnull/eledstagespelicans.ht" target="_blank">http://faculty.indy.cc.ks.us/jnull/e...gespelicans.ht</a>) but NOT in name. It's like that form was what she instinctively first knew how to draw, but her brain said, "But that isn't a person--it obviously much more closely resembles a jellyfish/sweetgum pod." <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[iot]

Hi, I'm pretty new around here and have mainly been just lurking, but since the topic of drawing came up, I decided to ask a question. When do toddlers typically start drawing? my daughter drew her first face when she was 20 months, and since then she's been drawing lots and lost of them, some of them with details such as eyebrows, whiskers (she draws cats) ears and hair. Is this unusual? I've been trying to find some info on this online, but haven't had much success. Thanks!

 

[loraxc]

Yes, I think 20 months is early for detailed, representational drawing. 3 is more average, I think.

 

[EnviroBecca]

EnviroKid's first representational drawing was a triangle with asterisk on top: "mine pom-pom hat." <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> That was a couple of months ago. He's 2 years 4 months now and is into "writing": He'll fill an entire page with zigzag horizontal lines that he draws from left to right.<br><br>
He's started requesting that we read him chapter books, and not only does he listen attentively for 15 minutes or so even if there are no pictures, but he remembers the story and talks about it at other times. EnviroDaddy decided to read him <i>The Hobbit</i>, and EnviroKid took from the shelf <i>Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great</i> by Judy Blume and demanded that I read it to him.<br><br>
He has increased his repertoire of household chores to include putting the laundry and soap into the washing machine, hanging small items like socks on the drying rack, scrubbing the sink, adding the soap to the dishwater, carrying the recycling out to the curb, carrying the groceries (the lightest bags) into the house, and holding the dustpan while someone sweeps. For almost a year now he's been putting dirty dishes into the soapy water and pre-washing them for me, and taking his diapers off the drying rack into the basket. He is quite useful. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[gurumama]

My 8.5 yo is learning to program in C++ and my 5 yo is going 4th grade math.

 

[jrayn]

My dd also started drawing somewhat recognizable pictures, she drew a large circle with a small circle inside and some dots near the small circle and some squiggly marks on top of the large circle and a couple lines outside of the big circle, she said it was a pig and I can see it as a pig, my pig is not very sophisticated so she doesn't have the best example. She also does that fake writing, she writes small hyroglyphic looking symbols across the paper.<br>
Some letters she is writing look like what she says they are, but I can't help but wonder if it is just coincidental or if she is saying what they are after she writes it just b/c what she accidentally wrote looks like that letter. She has never been one to do what I ask her to do on command even if I have seen her do something 100 times if I ask her to do it, she will not do it.<br>
There was a couple things she said today that I thought were insightful of her when we went on our walk, we went by a house in the neighborhood and she points at a car that is a cluncker and she asks me, "mommy is that car old?" How in the world does she notice whether a car is "old" and use the term that way, I don't recall making any comments like that, I am not one to critisize cars in that way or have much conversation at all about cars in general so I was impressed.<br>
Then we walked by a blooming jasmine bush, she stopped to smell flowers, I picked a little bit (it is our neighbor they wouldn't mind) and she goes "mmmm smells like roses!" Good comparison.

 

[blessed]

This morning in the bathtub dd (39 months) was rubbing her foot. She looked up at me and said "Mom, I having parasthesias." Perfect pronunciation.<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> I'm a physician and I suppose she's heard me using this term in talking about my patients.

 

[teachma]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>loraxc</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8021810"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Her second real drawing was a sweetgum seedpod. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> That's my girl.</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> I don't know what it is, either.<br><br>
But, my six year old drew something in school the other day, and when I asked him what it was, he replied, "A commutable planting device." He proceeded to explain how it does the farmers' work for them by roving about and depositing seeds in the ground. He is very into drawing mechanical-looking things and explaing how they do their jobs. But he doesn't draw people, either.

 

[teachma]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>loraxc</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8028848"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> Sweetgum seedpod:<br><br><a href="http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/FruitSweetgum01.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/FruitSweetgum01.jpg</a><br><br>
What I think is totally cool about this is that DD is making the stereotypical first drawing in form (it's usually a circle with lines coming out of it that represents a person--see <a href="http://faculty.indy.cc.ks.us/jnull/eledstagespelicans.ht" target="_blank">http://faculty.indy.cc.ks.us/jnull/e...gespelicans.ht</a>) but NOT in name. It's like that form was what she instinctively first knew how to draw, but her brain said, "But that isn't a person--it obviously much more closely resembles a jellyfish/sweetgum pod." <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"></div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
Your link didn't work for me, but I'm curious because my three year old just recently started drawing people that look as you describe.

 

[jennnk]

I've been realizing in the last week or so that Andy (17 mos) is probably gifted on some level. Last night George asked him to bring him the book (Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets) so he could read for bedtime and Andy said "Abby Patah?" George didn't ask for the book by name, just said, "Andy, can you bring me the book so I can read it?" His pronunciation isn't always the best, but we (and others around him) understand him quite well. The blind lady at the bus stop yesterday thought he was THREE from the way he was talking! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[loraxc]

Teachma, here's the right link::<br><br><a href="http://faculty.indy.cc.ks.us/jnull/eledstagespelicans.htm" target="_blank">http://faculty.indy.cc.ks.us/jnull/e...espelicans.htm</a><br><br>
Commutable planting device! Awesome!<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">Some letters she is writing look like what she says they are, but I can't help but wonder if it is just coincidental or if she is saying what they are after she writes it just b/c what she accidentally wrote looks like that letter.</td>
</tr></table></div>
My DD does this all the time--makes a mark and then recognizes that it looks like a letter and labels it as such. I think it's cool, because it allows her to say that she's "writing," although her fine motor skills are not really up to it yet.

 

[PreggieUBA2C]

Thank you for this thread. It's a place I can go and feel confident that saying, well, anything about what dc are doing isn't going to be met with either disbelief or concern or horror.<br><br>
Drawing is very interesting to me and I was beginning to think ds1 wasn't gong to draw ever. He's had a pincer grasp since 2 months old and has held a pencil 'properly' for writing since he was 14 months without any instruction, but all of his 'drawing' has been the hyroglyphic style of 'writing' which has this past four months turned into real, legible writing. The drawing of the rat and subsequent drawings have been very interesting to me because they are completely not what I've seen and read about being <i>first</i> drawings. Of course, I should be ready for that because other than the visible progression of his writing (which he cannot hide), he doesn't do <i>anything</i> until he's doing it, if you know what I mean. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
I know now that those spiky spheres are sweetgum pods. Thank you!<br><br>
Oh, and Envirobecca, can we borrow your son for a few days?! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> This place needs a good cheerful tidying up! I'm thrilled when I can make a game out of cleanng and my sons pick up a few books/toys each. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[mom2ponygirl]

I have really enjoyed the walk down memory lane. My dd is 8 1/2 and growing up so fast! My clearest memory of her drawing as a toddler, was of a friend picking up a picture and stating how advanced it was - it looked like it was done by a five year old! Of course, that was the drawing I had made It is fun to look back.<br><br>
My biggest brag is from last Saturday night. My daughter can be very self-concious and afraid of being embarrassed. She finds it painful to watch a show on tv where a character (even a cartoon) might do something that could be considered embarrassing. Well she got up on stage in a spotlight in front of several hundred people to introduce her ballet classes' dance at the recital. She was so professional, without a hint of fear - I was amazed!<br><br>
For what she has been up to - she's qualified for the state piano competition in june, painted an absolutely wonderful watercolor painting last week, finished her EPGY honors pre-algebra in 2 months, and about 1/4 of an honors Algebra I class before we decided to take a break. She's obsessed with an online virtual horse site, riding our horses at home, finishing the Black Stallion series of books and rereading Eragon and Eldest, anxiously awaiting the final Harry Potter book, and writing her 'fireworld' story.<br><br>
She's also great at making an absolute disaster area of her room while playing with all her toys and creating her fantasy worlds. I see brief glimpses of pre-teen angst which are thankfully still accompanied by a desire to cuddle on the couch with mom and dad. She was such a delight as a toddler, but I've enjoyed her even more as she has grown.<br><br>
Well, time to get her off the computer and grab some lunch!

 

[kamilla626]

Dd's very verbal and loves to experiment with language, spelling, rhyming.<br><br>
The other day, Dh was just being silly and started singing in that military "call and response" tune: "I love Taryn yes I do!" and without missing a beat she sang "Better than a stinky shoe!"<br><br>
We had fun singing out the 1st lines, and she'd respond with second, rhyming line.<br><br>
"Dad's got ketchup on his shirt"<br>
"Maybe he should wear a skirt!"<br><br>
"Mommy needs to wash your hair"<br>
"Cover my eyes and I won't care!"<br><br>
"Grandma's on the telephone"<br>
"Ask her for an ice cream cone!"<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">