Todd's first day at his new preschool went well in some ways, not so well in others.
Because Monday was my first day at work and I had to be there early for orientation, Allan dropped Todd off that morning. Though I was confident that the drop-off would pose no problems (since Todd is used to going to school every day, he no longer has separation anxiety over it), I had trepidations about what would go on IN school. Like his slow eating. Or his shyness at asking for help (i.e. going to the bathroom, asking for a drink). Or his tendency to let his eyes and mind wander and not pay attention, esp in new surroundings. Or the fact that potty-trained kids are expected to wipe their own butts after going poopies (ewwww! What 3-year-old do YOU trust to wipe himself cleanly without getting poop on his hands?) I was also concerned about how the kids would occupy their time after school (which only runs till lunchtime).
Sure enough, when I went to pick him up that evening, Todd was playing in a freezing cold room where a harried teacher was busy minding a half dozen other rambunctious (some shrieking and wailing) kids. His jacket was barely staying on, as it wasn't zipped up. His hands were freezing. Worse yet, he was wet, because he had been too timid to get up from his nap cot to ask for a trip to the bathroom. Lord only knows how long he was wet in that cold room. Then I opened his backpack-- except for the empty juice bottle, the food was more or less intact. He'd eaten nothing for lunch. Off we went towards home, where I quickly gave him a hot shower and stuffed him full of good food. All the while, I repeatedly instructed him on what to do the next day: 1) eat all his food, 2) TELL someone when he has to go the bathroom, 3) listen to the teacher and 4) get someone to zip up his jacket when it came time to put it on.
It must have helped, for when Allan picked him today, he found that Todd had eaten most of his lunch (at the expense of not drinking, though :-P Well, little steps. We'll get there yet!). He was dry. And his jacket was zipped up and the playroom wasn't freezing like yesterday. Small steps. Now we just have to figure out how to get him to give us more than an "I don't know" when we ask him what he did at school today :-P Oh, and when I dropped him off this morning, he didn't even say bye, he made a beeline straight for the toys! :-P
I'm not terribly thrilled that Todd will be pretty much left to his own devices after lunch, since school is done by then and it's just a day care by that point, but what choice do we have? I worry about his sitting around with a dirty butt all day, and I worry about him not eating/drinking enough for lunch, but what can you do? It's not their job to feed him, etc. I worry about my little man, let's hope that things improve with time!
Literal translations
Kids are notorious for taking things literally. Really literally. Like when we nibble playfully on Todd and he protests: "Don't eat me! I'm not food!"
Or today, when he looked like he'd done a face-plant into his dinner, and I asked Daddy to mop his face up. I can just imagine what cleaning supplies Todd thought Daddy would use when he piped up with "Don't mop my face, I'm not a floor!"
And then there was Mommy and Daddy innocently remarking on how Todd would make new friends at his new school. A simple enough concept right? Todd apparently wanted a more detailed instruction manual: "I don't know how to make friends. I don't know how to build them!"
Or today, when he looked like he'd done a face-plant into his dinner, and I asked Daddy to mop his face up. I can just imagine what cleaning supplies Todd thought Daddy would use when he piped up with "Don't mop my face, I'm not a floor!"
And then there was Mommy and Daddy innocently remarking on how Todd would make new friends at his new school. A simple enough concept right? Todd apparently wanted a more detailed instruction manual: "I don't know how to make friends. I don't know how to build them!"
Happy Birthday Grandpa!
We had fun recording this little piece over online karaoke, using Daddy's new laptop with the built-in webcam.
Happy Birthday, Grandpa! (by the way, Todd keeps insisting that Grandpa is only 4 years old today :-D)
Happy Birthday, Grandpa! (by the way, Todd keeps insisting that Grandpa is only 4 years old today :-D)
New beginnings
Yesterday was Todd's last day at his preschool in Granada Hills. I was sad to take him out of it, as he'd made friends and was learning some good stuff there, but we didn't have much of a choice. A lot of the stuff he learned was really advanced-- stuff like alphabet, numbers, logical reasoning, telling time, even basic addition... stuff that's not normally taught until kindergarten or even first grade! Good grade-K-prep, for sure!
Today I took Todd to his new preschool in Santa Barbara for a tour. It's about 15 minutes away from our apartment. We were greeted by the director of the school, who also happened to be the pre-K teacher! We toured the facilities and got a glimpse of each class: the 2-3 year olds, the 3-4 year olds, and the pre-K class. It looked like a good place for Todd.
I was most impressed by the academic curriculum-- I thought his old preschool was advanced (and it is), but this was even more advanced! The toddler class was in the midst of learning beginning phonics (which I'd taught Todd myself), and the pre-K class was already on blended sounds, measurements, and counting money.
After the tour we stopped by an education store which contained all sorts of educational material for both parents and teachers-- books, toys, games, crafts, and supplies. And all the books that I perused that contained the material Todd had learned or would learn, was in the books marked at Kindergarten or Grade 1 level.
All in all, I'm pretty pleased with what I've seen so far. Todd begins on Monday. I hope he adjusts well and enjoys learning new things with his new teacher and new classmates!
Today I took Todd to his new preschool in Santa Barbara for a tour. It's about 15 minutes away from our apartment. We were greeted by the director of the school, who also happened to be the pre-K teacher! We toured the facilities and got a glimpse of each class: the 2-3 year olds, the 3-4 year olds, and the pre-K class. It looked like a good place for Todd.
I was most impressed by the academic curriculum-- I thought his old preschool was advanced (and it is), but this was even more advanced! The toddler class was in the midst of learning beginning phonics (which I'd taught Todd myself), and the pre-K class was already on blended sounds, measurements, and counting money.
After the tour we stopped by an education store which contained all sorts of educational material for both parents and teachers-- books, toys, games, crafts, and supplies. And all the books that I perused that contained the material Todd had learned or would learn, was in the books marked at Kindergarten or Grade 1 level.
All in all, I'm pretty pleased with what I've seen so far. Todd begins on Monday. I hope he adjusts well and enjoys learning new things with his new teacher and new classmates!
Words so far
Todd has had his ABCs and 123s downpat for sometime now, and has mastered beginning phonics sounds and a little bit of ending sounds (if the word is short enough and has is enunciated clearly). He can also spell a few words. Here's the list so far:
TODD
ALLAN
KNIGHT
(yeah, the above 3 are the natural start)
HELLY
KWEE
(don't you love how you kill 2 birds with one stone by teaching Todd his full name, thereby encompassing Daddy's name, too?)
HOME
OFF
STOP (he loves calling this one out everytime I reach a stop sign)
More to be added as time goes by!
TODD
ALLAN
KNIGHT
(yeah, the above 3 are the natural start)
HELLY
KWEE
(don't you love how you kill 2 birds with one stone by teaching Todd his full name, thereby encompassing Daddy's name, too?)
HOME
OFF
STOP (he loves calling this one out everytime I reach a stop sign)
More to be added as time goes by!
How do I get out of here?
Todd was looking at a photo of Mommy and Daddy, taken when Mommy was still pregnant. I asked him where he was, and he pointed at Mommy's photo and said "in your tummy!"
Since he has long known that he came out of Mommy's tummy, he then elaborated on the process further: "I came out of your mouth!"
(Make sense, since the mouth is the entryway for things to go IN your tummy, it must also serve as an exit for things to go out, right?)
I told him no, not out of my mouth, and repeated my tummy assertion.
This puzzled him. You can imagine what was going through his mind when he then remarked:
"But then your tummy will be broken!"
Since he has long known that he came out of Mommy's tummy, he then elaborated on the process further: "I came out of your mouth!"
(Make sense, since the mouth is the entryway for things to go IN your tummy, it must also serve as an exit for things to go out, right?)
I told him no, not out of my mouth, and repeated my tummy assertion.
This puzzled him. You can imagine what was going through his mind when he then remarked:
"But then your tummy will be broken!"
Towel hat silliness
Having some fun with Todd before his shower last night. As I had to hold many of the creations with one hand while I photographed with the other, all of these shots are mirror shots.
Todd as... the Shiek of Araby?
Babushka!
Beehive... or freshly washed hair?
A funny-looking hat:
Stick 'em up! All this shot needs is him pointing a six-shooter at the camera.
Okay, this one needs a caption. You got any ideas?
Todd as... the Shiek of Araby?
Babushka!
Beehive... or freshly washed hair?
A funny-looking hat:
Stick 'em up! All this shot needs is him pointing a six-shooter at the camera.
Okay, this one needs a caption. You got any ideas?
Meltdown
Ever since Todd was very little, before he was even walking, he showed a propensity for violent and aggressive outbursts. Since it was evident in him at such a young age, it's quite obviously attributed entirely to nature, not environment. Which just means we'll have to work doubly hard to reign him in and make sure that outside influences don't make it even worse!
Today's episode after school only exemplified how difficult it is to "tame" him.
I let Todd play on the playground with his friends after school. When it came time to go home, he outright refused. Many times he'll simply bawl and beg (like most little kids do), but often he'll resort to fits of anger and lashing out. Hard. Today he chose the latter, and a very severe form of it at that! He started screaming and kicking. So much so that everyone turned and stared, and the kids he was playing with shrank away from him. He was flailing about so much that I could not drag him to the car, and so I had to pick him up-- one arm holding his chest, and the other hooked behind one leg (to minimize the kicking). Then when we got in the car, he refused to sit down. I'd push him into the car seat and he'd immediately get up, making it extremely difficult for me to strap him into his seat. It took every last ounce of energy I had to finally buckle him in and get on the road. I realized then that it wouldn't be long before he would become too strong (physically) for me to overpower him in future such situations.
All along the drive home he screamed and kicked violently, begging to go back to the playground, and ordering me in no uncertain terms to turn around and go back to his school. For the first time in my life I had to yell at the top of my lungs in order to make myself be heard above his screams. I realized it was pointless to try to reason with him when he was that agitated, so all I could do along the drive home was to warn him to calm down. He finally did, and at that point I could explain to him what happened and why I took him out of the playground.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened. He is only 3 years old but exceptionally strong for his age, and very stubborn. Okay, most kids can be stubborn and refuse to listen, but most kids will simply cry. Or if they do throw fits, it isn't particularly violent. This kid? Brings a whole new definition to the terms "mean" and "destructive".
It's going to take a lot to keep his attitude in check, but I hope in the end all our efforts will pay off. They say that nature and nurture go hand-in-hand in shaping a child's personality and character. I agree. Todd's already got nature working against him, which only means we'll all have to make an extra effort to make sure that the nurturing portion of his upbringing will cancel out nature.
Today's episode after school only exemplified how difficult it is to "tame" him.
I let Todd play on the playground with his friends after school. When it came time to go home, he outright refused. Many times he'll simply bawl and beg (like most little kids do), but often he'll resort to fits of anger and lashing out. Hard. Today he chose the latter, and a very severe form of it at that! He started screaming and kicking. So much so that everyone turned and stared, and the kids he was playing with shrank away from him. He was flailing about so much that I could not drag him to the car, and so I had to pick him up-- one arm holding his chest, and the other hooked behind one leg (to minimize the kicking). Then when we got in the car, he refused to sit down. I'd push him into the car seat and he'd immediately get up, making it extremely difficult for me to strap him into his seat. It took every last ounce of energy I had to finally buckle him in and get on the road. I realized then that it wouldn't be long before he would become too strong (physically) for me to overpower him in future such situations.
All along the drive home he screamed and kicked violently, begging to go back to the playground, and ordering me in no uncertain terms to turn around and go back to his school. For the first time in my life I had to yell at the top of my lungs in order to make myself be heard above his screams. I realized it was pointless to try to reason with him when he was that agitated, so all I could do along the drive home was to warn him to calm down. He finally did, and at that point I could explain to him what happened and why I took him out of the playground.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened. He is only 3 years old but exceptionally strong for his age, and very stubborn. Okay, most kids can be stubborn and refuse to listen, but most kids will simply cry. Or if they do throw fits, it isn't particularly violent. This kid? Brings a whole new definition to the terms "mean" and "destructive".
It's going to take a lot to keep his attitude in check, but I hope in the end all our efforts will pay off. They say that nature and nurture go hand-in-hand in shaping a child's personality and character. I agree. Todd's already got nature working against him, which only means we'll all have to make an extra effort to make sure that the nurturing portion of his upbringing will cancel out nature.
Geeky wishes
After reading Molly's parents' blogs about how she wished for "a planet" when they finished reading a book about Dora making a wish upon a star, I started wondering what Todd would say to such a question, and hoped I could find that book.
Well, yeesterday I found it. In Lowe's, of all places. While Opa shopped for blinds, I read Todd the story, which featured Dora and her friends each making a wish on the wishing star before bed.
At the end the book posed the question: "what would you wish for?" and of course I posed that question to Todd.
He hesitated. I repeated the question.
He hemmed and hawed. I prompted him with "it can be for anything you like!"
Finally, he decided upon an answer. What do you suppose it was? Well, I will say one thing that should give it away: his geeky Daddy would be proud :-P
For what did Todd wish for on the wishing star?
"A computer!"
Well, yeesterday I found it. In Lowe's, of all places. While Opa shopped for blinds, I read Todd the story, which featured Dora and her friends each making a wish on the wishing star before bed.
At the end the book posed the question: "what would you wish for?" and of course I posed that question to Todd.
He hesitated. I repeated the question.
He hemmed and hawed. I prompted him with "it can be for anything you like!"
Finally, he decided upon an answer. What do you suppose it was? Well, I will say one thing that should give it away: his geeky Daddy would be proud :-P
For what did Todd wish for on the wishing star?
"A computer!"
You're HOW old?
With a freakishly giant Daddy, it's not unusual for Todd to be mistaken for an older kid. Like when we visited Oma at the hospital and the nurse, after asking him how old he was, exclaimed: "You're only THREE!?"
Then there was Gavin, his friend at school, a boy who is at least a year older than Todd, and certainly bigger. I watched them play in the playground after school today, and though I don't know what precipitated the conversation, this is what I heard:
Todd: I'm not 4 yet!
Gavin (in disbelief): You're NOT!?
Todd: No! I'm still 3!
Gavin (still shocked): You're THREE!?
You should've seen the look on Gavin's face, it makes me wonder what went through his mind when he discovered Todd's true age! ;-)
Then there was Gavin, his friend at school, a boy who is at least a year older than Todd, and certainly bigger. I watched them play in the playground after school today, and though I don't know what precipitated the conversation, this is what I heard:
Todd: I'm not 4 yet!
Gavin (in disbelief): You're NOT!?
Todd: No! I'm still 3!
Gavin (still shocked): You're THREE!?
You should've seen the look on Gavin's face, it makes me wonder what went through his mind when he discovered Todd's true age! ;-)
You are what you eat
Yesterday, after arriving home, Todd clamored for some spicy cheese as a snack. He enjoyed it and commented: "I like spicy cheese. I will become a spicy Pao-pao!"
Then today we enjoyed a snack of Weetabix, milk and honey. As Todd smacked his lips at the sweet snack, he said "I will be a sweet Pao-pao!"
"But you're already a sweet Pao-pao" I replied.
"Well... then I will be a VERY sweet Pao-pao!"
Hmm... I guess you really ARE what you eat!
Then today we enjoyed a snack of Weetabix, milk and honey. As Todd smacked his lips at the sweet snack, he said "I will be a sweet Pao-pao!"
"But you're already a sweet Pao-pao" I replied.
"Well... then I will be a VERY sweet Pao-pao!"
Hmm... I guess you really ARE what you eat!
How to make a computer mic
This past weekend Todd and I had fun recording ourselves singing children's songs on the old laptop, which featured a prominent hole on the side where the microphone was. Todd observed this and made sure to point his mouth in that direction when we sang.
Then today as we drove home from school, we sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" together. As soon as we finished, Todd remarked: "We haven't recroded Itsy Bitsy Spider on the computer!"
I told him we could do so the next time we were in Santa Barbara.
"But Oma and Opa have a computer in their house!"
True, I said. But it had no microphone, and so there was no way to put the sound in it.
After some deliberation, Todd came upon a solution: "We can put a hole in the computer! Then we can put the sound in it!"
Then today as we drove home from school, we sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" together. As soon as we finished, Todd remarked: "We haven't recroded Itsy Bitsy Spider on the computer!"
I told him we could do so the next time we were in Santa Barbara.
"But Oma and Opa have a computer in their house!"
True, I said. But it had no microphone, and so there was no way to put the sound in it.
After some deliberation, Todd came upon a solution: "We can put a hole in the computer! Then we can put the sound in it!"
What did I say?
Children imitate the adults around them, no question about it. This is evidenced many times when Todd does things like wag his finger at us disapprovingly, or shush us when he wants to make a phone call on his toy phone.
Then there was last night. Awakened at midnight because of a mild fever and because Mommy was changing his diaper and wet pajamas, he soon settled down comfortably in new dry jammies and diaper. Since he was awake, Mommy cuddled up on the other side of him. Todd apparently didn't like being sandwiched in the middle when he was trying to sleep, and ordered Mommy a few times to go into the living room (since she sleeps on the futon). Of course, since it is a rare opportunity that the entire family gets to cuddle in the big bed together, Mommy stayed put.
Fed up, Todd finally said indignantly: "What did I say!? Go to the living room!"
Then there was last night. Awakened at midnight because of a mild fever and because Mommy was changing his diaper and wet pajamas, he soon settled down comfortably in new dry jammies and diaper. Since he was awake, Mommy cuddled up on the other side of him. Todd apparently didn't like being sandwiched in the middle when he was trying to sleep, and ordered Mommy a few times to go into the living room (since she sleeps on the futon). Of course, since it is a rare opportunity that the entire family gets to cuddle in the big bed together, Mommy stayed put.
Fed up, Todd finally said indignantly: "What did I say!? Go to the living room!"
Daddy's new computer
Daddy's as excited as a kid under the tree at Christmas. The new laptop comes with a built-in webcam, which takes some decent quality pictures such as these:
Todd, of course, couldn't wait to try it out himself. "Can I type T-O-D-D on Daddy's new big computer?" Not that the computer's that big... it's just bigger in comparison to his old laptop, which was one of the tiniest models.
Todd, of course, couldn't wait to try it out himself. "Can I type T-O-D-D on Daddy's new big computer?" Not that the computer's that big... it's just bigger in comparison to his old laptop, which was one of the tiniest models.
Test post 2
Some more stuff. Let's fill this in a little. And add a picture! What will the email look like when I've got more than 1 post on it?
Test post
Seeing if the feedburner email service will deliver correctly, and what it will look like!
On the right track
Mommy (thinking about stuff to get at K-Mart): want to go shopping?
Toddy: I want to go to the library!
Mommy: The library, huh? What are you gonna do there?
Toddy: Oh, look at books!
(We came home a few hours later with an armful of books to read :-) )
Toddy: I want to go to the library!
Mommy: The library, huh? What are you gonna do there?
Toddy: Oh, look at books!
(We came home a few hours later with an armful of books to read :-) )
