S-top

Today he was telling me how T-O-P spells top. "Tuh ah puh. Top."

I asked what sound s made.

"Ssssssss"

I asked what S-T-O-P spelled.

He pondered it for a minute. "Ssss top. STOP! It spells stop."

Then we got to a stop sign. He went ballistic. "S-T-O-P spells stop. That says stop. Stop, mama!"

Yeah. He's awesome.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Grateful Heart

I have been participating in the 30 days of a grateful heart challenge posed by the wonderful, Jote. Today is day 7.

Today, the gratitude is for my little man. He is so laid back and patient. We spent most of the day at Ryanne's school or in a meeting and he never once complained. He kept himself entertained, off in a corner. He came to me for hugs and lovin' when he needed it. When I missed him, I needed only say his name and he was there beside me with a huge grin on his face. Most people didn't even realize he was there.

It blows my mind how relaxed he can be, how self-sufficient. I love knowing that if I need to go someplace, he can usually go with me and I can get done what I need to get done. One of the other moms calls him her super volunteer. He is helpful when we allow him to be and loves to be allowed.

We have been at the holiday shoppe where all of the other siblings that have come in have wandered around and messed with stuff and asked to buy things yet he sits quietly and plays.

Toe trimming

Trying to get rid of the talons, but he doesn't want to sit up for it.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spelling

Pretty much everyone has been working with Corin on letters and sounds, etc. Today, Chrys taught him how to spell "TOP" and I was working with him on the sounds.

We also talked about "UP".

Chrys: What does "u" say?
Corin: Oooo.
Chrys: It also says "uh".
Corin: uuuhhhhhh
Chrys: What does "p" say?
Corin: puh
Chrys: Say them to together. Uh Puh
Corin: Uh puh
Chrys: What does that spell?
Corin: Uh puh. Uh puh. Octopus!

I spy

I taught the kids to play I Spy when they were bored in the car one day. It's been a great source of entertainment.

Tonight Corin was by himself as we head to dinner.

"I can I Spy my nose," he says with his eyes crossed. (To my knowledge the first time he's done that.)
"When I I Spy my nose, I can see two yous."
"My eyes really hurt when I I Spy my nose."

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Independence

My little man is clingy. Not bad clingy. Just not confident alone yet.

Today I was going to the bathroom at Kenny's. We go there often enough that he's comfortable and knows the people. He still usually comes with me. This time he opted to stay at the table.

I asked him if he knew where I would be. His response...I am watching you fingers.




This kid slays me.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How soccer camp made me a better parent

We all have those moments when our kids, our normally fiercely independent kids, cling to us when we try to leave. Corin seems to do this the first day at any new place. I have long been of the camp that you dump them into the arms of the new caregiver and run. It was easier for them because it was quick, the proverbial ripped off bandage. Then the pressure is on the new caregiver to console them and reassure them that it was only temporary. I have always had faith in the caregivers that I've left him with to work with him to get him settled. Having been one of those caregivers with other people's children, I have found it relatively easy to console the kids that were left in that manner. Today didn't work that way.

Apparently soccer players aren't naturally nurturing. They stood and watched as my child cried and ran for me. Instinct was to take away things. "Alright...you don't stay, we don't get your cleats you want so much." I mean, why does he need cleats if he's not at soccer camp? Right, because he'll need them for soccer practice in another month. Oh well, we'll deal with that later. "Ok, you can't have the jerseys, ball, shorts, socks, bag, they gave you. They have to stay here. They're only for campers." Yeah, we paid for them...they're ours. There are no refunds for soccer camp, even if your kid has a melt down and quits the first day. Worse yet, his meltdown is upsetting his sister and she's clinging and crying.

That made me stop. She's empathizing with him and I'm trying to get away. It made me reconsider my tactics. The goal is to get him to stay. To have him be confident. To get him engaged enough to stop.whining. I felt the frustration creeping back.

Wait. Why is he whining? He's scared. He's nervous. He's the youngest one there, and I'm pretty sure he knows it. Everyone's calling him "little guy". That's got to suck for someone on the brink of 4 that wants nothing more than to be a "big kid".

I got down and gave him a big hug. I told him it was scary to be the little one in a new place. I reminded him how much fun he had at yoga camp once he started playing. We talked about how he didn't have to participate in any 'performances' that he didn't want to do. He didn't have to introduce himself to the group in the circle.

Finally, they started kicking the ball around. Goals. He could do those. I told him I would sit on the bench and watch him kick goals. He did. He was smiling, running around, discussing things with the coaches.

I sat through freeze tag. He came over angry because someone tagged him. We talked about how the game is played. We talked about how that let them kick the ball through his legs to unfreeze him. We got through another water break and he went back to the game without stopping by to talk to me.

Now, I ran. Not quickly, but I didn't make a big deal about my leaving. He was engaged and I didn't want to draw attention to the change. I walked to my car. Ryanne screamed at me from across the field, asking what I thought I was doing and I frantically waved hoping she wouldn't get his attention. I got to the top of the hill before the next water break. I saw him notice that I was gone and I hid behind the tree and watched, bracing myself for the frantic meltdown. Instead, he got his water bottle, drank, and then went back to playing. He saw me crossing the street to my car and, again, I braced myself.

Then he smiled and waved goodbye. GOAL!

On anatomy

Chrys: Please be gentle with mommy. She's fragile.
Corin: Mommy is made of meat. She's not fragile.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Clean

Ryanne and I were cleaning her room today. Corin got bored watching us.

He said he was going to clean his room. Ok.

He came back 20 minutes later and said he was done. I didn't expect much.

Turns out I need to raise my expectations. That photo above. He did all of that. By himself.

Those bins. They're actually pretty organized. Cars. Planes. Little animals.

Whose kid is this?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Miscommunication

I took the cats to the vet today. Corin helped me load them up.

On the way to school, he was talking about Preta and how she died. He understood that I was taking them to the vet.

On the way home, he asked about the cats. I told him they were at home.

"Are they alive?"

I could do nothing other that sit in silence. Finally, I managed to say, "Yes. Why?"

He went on about Preta going to the vet and being dead and that I took the cats to the vet. I was flabbergasted.

Once we got home, he got really excited every time he saw a cat. He keeps telling Ryanne that all of the cats are alive.

I really think he thought I was going to have all of our cats euthanized today. I don't know if that's more disturbing or the fact that he didn't seem terribly upset by it.

Tracing

I realized a few days ago that I hadn't been working with Corin on letters or anything the way that I did with Ryanne. Such is the plight of the second child, I guess. He's been taking an interest in seeing his name written and 'reading' things so I decided to have him trace his letters.

We did the C together. With the O, I gave him the instructions to trace between the little lines...he did that, but not in the way I intended. We corrected with the R and he did the last two by himself. I'm impressed.

I guess I'm not too far off since they started having him trace "f" in his Friday school today. Hooray for instinct.

Engineer at heart

Corin has a milkshake. He's been drinking on it for some time. He's gotten to the bottom of one section and has been sucking air for some time. We keep suggesting he move the straw.

"But the cup is too big"


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sweet tooth

The boy has a crazy sweet tooth. He's always after cookies or ice cream or something. Thankfully he'll take applesauce in their place most days.

Today we were unloading all the girl scout cookies from my car. He walks in and stares at the boxes of Peanut Butter Sandwiches. "Are all of the orange ones for me?"

Uh...no, sweetie.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone