Try a Little Pretenderness

Today was about as normal a day as James has had in a while. He got on the bus this morning eagerly and had a good day at school. I did hear from his teacher that he is back to eating sand, though: gah!!!

I picked him up after school and we did the weekly shopping together, with a potty break in the store. May I just say here that I am in love with the bathrooms at Trader Joe's? They are on the ground floor, look homier than my own bathroom, are clean and large enough for a mom with 2 kids under 7 for a family bathroom break. But I digress ...

James spent a bunch of time in the cart pretending he was in a rocket. He kept counting down from 10 in the checkout line and yelled "Blast off!!" at the end. This is the first time I have seen him this playful while shopping. The test cooker loved it and gave him a juice box. The bagger cracked up and gave him a balloon. Both tried to engage him in conversation.

I gave him a few seconds to respond and then prompted him with a leading question so he could respond. It was so different from him being silent or making the eternal "eeeeeee" sound. He seemed so calm and happy, and I was too -- just more excited on the inside.

He also kept saying "Mom! Mickey Mouse!" At first I thought it was because he wanted to go home and finish watching some cartoons from earlier in the day, but then I realized he was talking about my new purse, with Mickey Mouse designs. We had fun counting them, and saying "peek-a-boo, Mickey!" when we came across a partial mouse in the design.

After a nap, his sister told him they were going to have a party! Her teacher is very big on parties as a reward for successfully following instructions. James said "yay" in a low voice, then grabbed a birthday party hat from the table, voluntarily put it on his head and said "yay ... happy birthday! Happy birthday!" This is all new and fun.

And at bed time, he now likes to put his stuffed animals on his head and sing the Laurie Berkner song "Pig on Her Head."

I am loving this playful, pretending side coming out. It's like I am seeing more of James, and he's a really fun-loving guy.

SOOC Saturday/Sunday: Kid in a Coffee Shop

Isn't it funny how many coffee shops have gone from bastions of college cool to family hangout? Well, for me & my generation, at least.

I was watching James explore our Sunday Peets hang out. They sell licorice barnyard animals. James likes barnyard animal songs, so we were having fun looking at the animals and making animal sounds. I am sure the barristas loved us.

Anyway, the phrase "kids in a candy shop" popped into my mind, and I thought, heck, "kid in a coffee shop" should be the updated version of that!



This is a far cry from the Folgers in a beat-up aluminum coffee pot & toast that my parents used to feast upon Sunday mornings ...
all hail His Muffiness:


The Slurping Life knows how to hold on to love. Visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present!



  

Music is Magic

James has always liked music. He would perk right up if her heard a fun melody on the radio or TV. He has always adored the Baby Eisntein videos. And if someone sings around him: bliss central!

Last year one of my biggest concerns was helping James talk. I was told that "vocalizing" is very important, and often precedes spoken language. So one of the things my husband and I tried was to sing to James and encourage him to sing back a few simple words. My husband also kept bringing home instruments or things that could be used as such. James loves the guitar, keyboard, and lately the drums (!). Introduce something new like a xylophone or glockenspiel and he becomes fascinated. He loves to watch live music performed at our Farmers' Markets.

And yes, singing did help him to vocalize. Now, I can actually hold him before bed or nap time, and we sing together. It is one of the sweetest times in my day.