Show and Tell

James had a great morning at the new preschool today. Fridays are show and tell days and today he brought his first thing to "show and tell." The letter for the week was "A" and James adores airplanes. Therefore, bringing a toy plane seemed like a great way for him to make a start.

We practiced a bit what he could say and how he could talk about an airplane. James must have a zillion thoughts and observations about those suckers, but it's so hard for him to verbalize what's going on inside his head.

So when his SHAPE assistant later told me that James stood up and shared his airplane with no problems or anxiety, I did a Kuzco* victory dance, on the inside. I am so proud of him and delighted that he is doing so well with this new school and program!

* Kuzco: Woo-yeah! Look at me and my bad self! I snatched you right out of the air! "Ooh, I'm a crumbly canyon wall, and I'm taking you with me." Well, not today, pal! Uh-huh! Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!

Meet the video

SOOC Saturday: Pushing Buttons

"What? You don't want me to push any buttons?"


James has been loving his new school-day routine of going to a mainstream daycare at a preschool 2 afternoons a week and their preschool session Friday mornings. He is talking more and having short, two-sentence discussions with us! He likes to play pretend games, and offers up spontaneous statements such as "I like red!"

The bad news for me is that he has given up his afternoon naps (except the day he has the mainstream preschool session with his SHAPE assistant) and he has put on the Sassy Pants Attitude. I am glad to see James progressing, even as I mourn the loss of a 3-hour break from the whirlwind that is James in the afternoons.

The attitude is really on the sweet side, as evidenced by the two-sentence conversations. Exhibit A, conversation regarding a game on his computer yesterday.

Me: "Hey, James -- you're four years old. Why don't you press button number four?"

James: "No! I want to press the one!"
(and he does, with a roguish grin, looking right at me)

"Well, what about this button?"



The Slurping Life is getting into Fall! Visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present!



  

Solar on a Rainy Day

Last weekend we had a rare, non-seasonal rain system blow in. We have been baking in an Indian Summer, so the cool and wet weather perversely made us excited to get out.

We ended up taking a drive to the Solar Living Center in Hopland. It's been a family favourite for years.

James really loved exploring places of interest. He loved following the spiral path to the middle of the koi pond, making the wind chimes sound in the gift store, and eating an iced fruit bar out on a bench. He was bummed his legs were not quite big enough for the energy-producing bikes and loved chasing his sister through a tunnel.

And now, as we head into a weekend of blue skies and record-breaking high temps, I look back on that rainy afternoon with fondness:

The main play area for kids:



The Spiral Walkway:



Trying the power-generating bike:



Ice cream treat!

A Little Sweetness & Light, and a Wet Cat

I had trouble bringing in the outdoor cat inside last rainy night. First she shot in through the patio door to the family room. Then she saw James and wanted to do a reverse. It was mutual. James is as wary of the cat as she is of him.

I finally got her in the garage, with food, water, and the litter box. All night long she was trying to get back out. I finally secured the cat door with a cookie sheet, basket of laundry, and a chair.

If I don't have her in the garage the first few nights, she meows all night long, and James gets up. Then I get up. And all cranky heck breaks loose.

It reminds me of my Grandma, mock-threatening my brother and I when we were fighting with each other. She'd announce, in a progressively louder voice: "Ah, ah, ahhh! Sweetness and light .. SWEETNESS AND LIGHT!!!!" (with the "OR ELSE" implied).

Yeah, some Monday mornings, I need just a little more of that Sweetness and Light!

SOOC Saturday: Handy Man

With apologies to James Taylor:

I'm not the kind to use a pencil or rule
I'm handy with animals, I'm no fool
I play puppet zoo, I know I clearly can

James has always loved the Baby Einstein products. We started with the VHS tapes (I know, so last century). I love them because the music is soothing and no one is talking. Also, 20 minutes is enough time to let me get something done.

James was fascinated by the turning shapes. Then the animals, then the words and noises. His favourites right now are the Baby Mozart, Baby Bach, Baby Gallileo, and Baby Van Goat. Last year, during a rainy week, I loaned some of the VHS tapes to his preschool teacher, for an indoor recess break. She reported that all the kids got excited and started shouting out words, such and the shapes and colours they saw on the screen.

His sister loved Baby Einstein videos too, so we broke down and bought some of the Baby Einstein puppets. So worth the money. It's been some of the funniest, nuttiest return on a dollar ever.


The Slurping Life is running with it! Visit Melody and check out SOOC Saturday/Sunday entries past & present!



  

Play Time

James has been really starting to play creatively. Right now he likes to pretend he's a rocket ship, and count backwards from 5 to the "Blast off!" He swoops around the house, calling "Beep-Beeeeep!" and "vroom!" Airplanes continue to delight him, and he will stop what he's doing if he hears aircraft overhead and say "Oh. Eees airpane!" or "Hey, Mommy. Is heh'cop'er!"

The one that cracks me up, though, is when he pretends to be a dinosaur. He can produce this *sound* from deep in his chest to make dinosaur roars, all with the most delighted grin on his face.

If his sister isn't helping his whoop it up, then Caillou is. Just when I thought we had finished with that cute little Canuck, he delights again.

Special Exp./Wordless Weds: Bouncing Back on 09/09/09

What did we do before we had our indoor trampoline?


James' cold has actually gotten a little worse and it's thrown his schedule and mine off kilter. He's missed some school and some program, and this week I am picking him up a bit early from both so he can hopefully at least get used to what days he's doing what things. Luckily, James has been willing to go forth and try. Except when he is really not feeling well. Then he is truly at home, in bed, and sleeping.

Homework has started to ramp up for both James' sister and myself, and I am just starting to feel like I am getting the hang of things. Help! I can't imagine what I'd do if I didn't already have several years of post college (before kids) experience under my belt to keep me a little calmer and a tad more confident in my abilities.


For more great images or to join in the fun, Visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

and ... Wordless Wednesday