I've been thinking that it's probably about time for me to update the Grandmas and Grandpas (and anyone else who wants to know) about the kids. We've talked on Skype (thank goodness for Skype. This move would be near to impossible without it.), but I thought it would be good to write it down as well. This has in a lot of ways replaced my journal.
Big E has started to settle down. For the first little bit we really struggled with him being defiant. I know part of it is just the age, but I'm also sure that part of the reason was because of the move. He still tries to be independent in almost everything, but he's calmed down a bit in the frequency of the meltdowns and tantrums when the answer is no. Whoever said 2s were terrible, never had a 3 year-old.
Right before we rented a car, Elliott decide that he wanted to wear big boy underwear. He told Steve and me that we needed to go over to LuLu Express and buy some. They don't sell that kind of thing, but the next time we went we looked for his sake, and told him we'd get some at another store. He started toilet training a few days later. We've been somewhat successful. He does great most of the time, but he still has one accident a day and it's gross. So if any of you readers have experience in training a little one to keep that underwear clean and have some tips, I'd love to hear it. We still put a diaper on him at night, but mostly because we still only have one sheet for the bed and I just haven't gotten another one. But the diaper is dry in the mornings, so I just need to get on the ball and get another sheet.
Big E is also learning to read. Steve got me the book Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for Christmas. I read the introduction and decided that Big E wasn't ready then. But about two weeks ago he expressed an interest in reading. So I pulled the book out, reviewed lesson 1 and we started. He's doing great. He has sounded out a few words on his own, words like "see" and "eat" and "me". He is usually really excited to do a lesson, but some days he doesn't want to sit down to do it. I remind him that we have a lesson every day right after Miss A goes down for her morning nap, and he comes. The lessons take about 15-20 minutes and have about 7-9 tasks that we have to complete. It also teaches how to write the letters.
I've never done homeschool type things. Big E's only 3. So this has been a learning experience for me too. I've had to learn how to correct mistakes, how to better encourage him to keep going, and even more how not to get frustrated when he resists or wants to do it himself, but isn't doing it correctly and doesn't want me to help him or show him the right way. I think I had too high of expectations for the first lesson and I got frustrated when he didn't write 's' correctly. I have to remember that he's never been into coloring much and this is really his first time trying to hold a pencil correctly and first time writing. After I saw how he would be and how I needed to handle things, lessons have gone better than the first. We've completed 13 lessons already.
Big E is also making new friends. I was worried at first that he wasn't making friends. Sometimes he'd try to say hi and the other kid wouldn't even acknowledge he said anything. But after some time he has little friends. They are always knocking on the door to see if he can come and play.
Big E also likes to pretend that he's a character from a show or a book. Sometimes it's from Kipper and he's Kipper, I'm usually Tiger, Miss A is usually Arnold and Steve is Pig. But it changes and I was Kipper one day. Lately he's been Shiny from Dinosaur Train. I'm Mrs. Pteranodon, Steve is Mr. Pteranodon, and Miss A is sometimes Tiny or Baby Pteranodon (who is not a character in the show). When he's in this mode, I cannot call him by his name or he'll say, "No, I'm Shiny." He'll call me Mrs. Pteranodon and the whole bit. He's pretty consistant, too. I usually forget and call him by his given name and each time he'll correct me.
He loves playing outside. The heat doesn't seem to bother him at all. When he's at the playground, he never keeps his shoes on, no matter how much we ask him too. A few of the other kids kick off their shoes at the playground and it's just too tempting for him to not follow. The playground is covered and the ground has big squares of pressed tire. So it doesn't burn his feet as long as he stays in the playground. One day he decided to go wandering and burned the bottom of his feet. I don't think he'll be doing that again.
Here he his making a bridge with his "mouse house" behind him.
He got his first haircut at a barber shop a week and a half ago.
He is so much like his dad. We were having english muffin pizzas for lunch and he wanted to lick the sauce spoon.
Big E and Miss A in new church clothes.
Big E has started to settle down. For the first little bit we really struggled with him being defiant. I know part of it is just the age, but I'm also sure that part of the reason was because of the move. He still tries to be independent in almost everything, but he's calmed down a bit in the frequency of the meltdowns and tantrums when the answer is no. Whoever said 2s were terrible, never had a 3 year-old.
Right before we rented a car, Elliott decide that he wanted to wear big boy underwear. He told Steve and me that we needed to go over to LuLu Express and buy some. They don't sell that kind of thing, but the next time we went we looked for his sake, and told him we'd get some at another store. He started toilet training a few days later. We've been somewhat successful. He does great most of the time, but he still has one accident a day and it's gross. So if any of you readers have experience in training a little one to keep that underwear clean and have some tips, I'd love to hear it. We still put a diaper on him at night, but mostly because we still only have one sheet for the bed and I just haven't gotten another one. But the diaper is dry in the mornings, so I just need to get on the ball and get another sheet.
Big E is also learning to read. Steve got me the book Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for Christmas. I read the introduction and decided that Big E wasn't ready then. But about two weeks ago he expressed an interest in reading. So I pulled the book out, reviewed lesson 1 and we started. He's doing great. He has sounded out a few words on his own, words like "see" and "eat" and "me". He is usually really excited to do a lesson, but some days he doesn't want to sit down to do it. I remind him that we have a lesson every day right after Miss A goes down for her morning nap, and he comes. The lessons take about 15-20 minutes and have about 7-9 tasks that we have to complete. It also teaches how to write the letters.
I've never done homeschool type things. Big E's only 3. So this has been a learning experience for me too. I've had to learn how to correct mistakes, how to better encourage him to keep going, and even more how not to get frustrated when he resists or wants to do it himself, but isn't doing it correctly and doesn't want me to help him or show him the right way. I think I had too high of expectations for the first lesson and I got frustrated when he didn't write 's' correctly. I have to remember that he's never been into coloring much and this is really his first time trying to hold a pencil correctly and first time writing. After I saw how he would be and how I needed to handle things, lessons have gone better than the first. We've completed 13 lessons already.
Big E is also making new friends. I was worried at first that he wasn't making friends. Sometimes he'd try to say hi and the other kid wouldn't even acknowledge he said anything. But after some time he has little friends. They are always knocking on the door to see if he can come and play.
Big E also likes to pretend that he's a character from a show or a book. Sometimes it's from Kipper and he's Kipper, I'm usually Tiger, Miss A is usually Arnold and Steve is Pig. But it changes and I was Kipper one day. Lately he's been Shiny from Dinosaur Train. I'm Mrs. Pteranodon, Steve is Mr. Pteranodon, and Miss A is sometimes Tiny or Baby Pteranodon (who is not a character in the show). When he's in this mode, I cannot call him by his name or he'll say, "No, I'm Shiny." He'll call me Mrs. Pteranodon and the whole bit. He's pretty consistant, too. I usually forget and call him by his given name and each time he'll correct me.
He loves playing outside. The heat doesn't seem to bother him at all. When he's at the playground, he never keeps his shoes on, no matter how much we ask him too. A few of the other kids kick off their shoes at the playground and it's just too tempting for him to not follow. The playground is covered and the ground has big squares of pressed tire. So it doesn't burn his feet as long as he stays in the playground. One day he decided to go wandering and burned the bottom of his feet. I don't think he'll be doing that again.
Here he his making a bridge with his "mouse house" behind him.
He got his first haircut at a barber shop a week and a half ago.
He is so much like his dad. We were having english muffin pizzas for lunch and he wanted to lick the sauce spoon.
Big E and Miss A in new church clothes.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing your "journal" today. Big E is growing up so fast! I am glad you let him set the pace of how and when he learns. It sure makes it easier on everyone when they get to decide when they are ready to try something new and to learn something new. Less outbursts that way.
Glad everyone is settling in.
Great post.
E seems to have some definite ideas about things: must be related to his dad!
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