![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
TBD is five years and five months old.
Achievements unlocked in the last two months: extracting spoilage from Grandma, baiting a hook, casting a fishing rod, I Spy by initial letters,* kindergartening
Achievements leveled up: ball handling and control, coloring, aesthetic appreciation, expressing complex emotions in words
After a week of kindergarten, TBD asked if it was possible they could come back to the same school next year. Which as close to a direct answer to whether they like it as we’re likely to get. Their teachers (Chinese immersion in the morning, English in the afternoon) both seem pleased with how they are doing.
I recently connected some dots:
In recognition that TBD is older and needs slightly less sleep (and that the time they fall asleep is about the same regardless of when they actually get in bed) our evening routine has been shifted half an hour later -- which gives all of us a little more breathing room. More troubling, card or board games has largely replaced reading during the between-bath-and-bed wind-down time. Ball skills has largely displaced general reading as well.
The stress gauge of Monster Threat Level (in abeyance for some time) has been replaced by the Darkness Threat Level, which can be quantified by how many lights TBD wants turned on.
In critical skills, TBD is noticing—and dubious about—the token girl in casts of characters. In analytic skills, they proposed a test for how to tell whether The Flash can run faster than light that was logically (if not logistically) on point. In persistence skills, while we did finish assembling a large Lego ninja ship (2300 pieces!) together, this did require some nudging once it got complete enough to play with.
In awareness of sexuality, families acted out by toys and in stories contain 1 mom + 1 dad somewhat more than half the time, with the alternatives being 2 moms, 2 dads, or 2 moms + 1 dad in roughly equal measure, plus a very occasional single mother and, once, 3 moms + 2 dads. (Why never 1 mom + 2 dads, and why grandparents are always 1 grandma + 1 grandpa, I haven't figured out.)
And in stories they tell about themselves: for Halloween, TBD spent a long time waffling between being a knight and a devil. The choices and indecision are entirely characteristic. A few days ago, finally, they decisively settled on Darth Vader.
Other stories -- talking, talking:
“One time when I was five, like tomorrow or the next day, I was putting his [a Lego figure’s] sword in his hand and his underwear popped off!”
TBD: “Knock knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Tank.”
“Tank who?”
“Aren’t you glad you weren’t blown away by a tank?”
Janni: “Why are you eating napkins?”
Me: “Because Applejack got a splinter in her mouth.”
“Once upon a time, there was a woman who married a cheese. The cheese said, ‘I think — I think — someone had better eat me before I go bad and have to be thrown out.’ And the woman said, ‘Oh no, I’ll lose you waaaa sob sob ... Oh well, nom nom nom.’ The End”
(at random)
“Chapter 2: The Volcano Erupts!” (goes back to putting away toys)
“Do you know what’s my best thing to do? Seeing the puffed up clouds.”
I should have put story construction in that list of achievements leveled-up, shouldn't I ...
* We’d been playing by colors.
---L.
Subject quote from Manhattan Moon, Lucy Kaplansky.
Achievements unlocked in the last two months: extracting spoilage from Grandma, baiting a hook, casting a fishing rod, I Spy by initial letters,* kindergartening
Achievements leveled up: ball handling and control, coloring, aesthetic appreciation, expressing complex emotions in words
After a week of kindergarten, TBD asked if it was possible they could come back to the same school next year. Which as close to a direct answer to whether they like it as we’re likely to get. Their teachers (Chinese immersion in the morning, English in the afternoon) both seem pleased with how they are doing.
I recently connected some dots:
- From since they were 1, TBD has systematically tested their balance walking on uneven surfaces.
- They also systematically practiced and expanded biking skills.
- They’ve been practicing throwing and catching for over a year.
- Practicing dodging (origami ninja stars and balls) for nearly a year.
- Practicing basketball (using grownup arms for a hoop) for half a year.
- Practicing basic volleyball and soccer skills for a couple months.
- The discovery of rock climbing this spring.
- Enjoying all the activities (except swimming) of a couple weeks of sports camp, and got awards for best gymnastics in age group (5-7).
- Excellent balance, climbing, and jumping (including around furniture).
In recognition that TBD is older and needs slightly less sleep (and that the time they fall asleep is about the same regardless of when they actually get in bed) our evening routine has been shifted half an hour later -- which gives all of us a little more breathing room. More troubling, card or board games has largely replaced reading during the between-bath-and-bed wind-down time. Ball skills has largely displaced general reading as well.
The stress gauge of Monster Threat Level (in abeyance for some time) has been replaced by the Darkness Threat Level, which can be quantified by how many lights TBD wants turned on.
In critical skills, TBD is noticing—and dubious about—the token girl in casts of characters. In analytic skills, they proposed a test for how to tell whether The Flash can run faster than light that was logically (if not logistically) on point. In persistence skills, while we did finish assembling a large Lego ninja ship (2300 pieces!) together, this did require some nudging once it got complete enough to play with.
In awareness of sexuality, families acted out by toys and in stories contain 1 mom + 1 dad somewhat more than half the time, with the alternatives being 2 moms, 2 dads, or 2 moms + 1 dad in roughly equal measure, plus a very occasional single mother and, once, 3 moms + 2 dads. (Why never 1 mom + 2 dads, and why grandparents are always 1 grandma + 1 grandpa, I haven't figured out.)
And in stories they tell about themselves: for Halloween, TBD spent a long time waffling between being a knight and a devil. The choices and indecision are entirely characteristic. A few days ago, finally, they decisively settled on Darth Vader.
Other stories -- talking, talking:
“One time when I was five, like tomorrow or the next day, I was putting his [a Lego figure’s] sword in his hand and his underwear popped off!”
TBD: “Knock knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Tank.”
“Tank who?”
“Aren’t you glad you weren’t blown away by a tank?”
Janni: “Why are you eating napkins?”
Me: “Because Applejack got a splinter in her mouth.”
“Once upon a time, there was a woman who married a cheese. The cheese said, ‘I think — I think — someone had better eat me before I go bad and have to be thrown out.’ And the woman said, ‘Oh no, I’ll lose you waaaa sob sob ... Oh well, nom nom nom.’ The End”
(at random)
“Chapter 2: The Volcano Erupts!” (goes back to putting away toys)
“Do you know what’s my best thing to do? Seeing the puffed up clouds.”
I should have put story construction in that list of achievements leveled-up, shouldn't I ...
* We’d been playing by colors.
---L.
Subject quote from Manhattan Moon, Lucy Kaplansky.