TBD is four years + ten months old.
Achievements unlocked the last month: backflips while holding adult hands, color by numbers, brushing own hair, two-handed overhead throwing, and (unprompted) setting aside enough leftovers of a yummy dinner to make tomorrow’s lunch.
In addition, connect-the-dots and mazes, both previously achieved, got plenty of practice during the plane flights of a Florida vacation: yay for activities that can be worked on solo!
Plus, now that the ideas of anticipation and faking out are solid, rock-paper-scissors is screamingly fun. (You know those what-comes-next pattern-recognition problems that are part of early math education? They’ve got those cold. And started applying that to game strategy.)
But the most notable trend lately is less pretend play in favor of more physical activities, including chasing, catch, and those backflips, at least at home.
There was a sudden heavy interest, for a couple weeks, in human reproduction—well beyond the basic “a baby grows in a mother’s tummy”. It is interesting, navigating how to give enough but not too much information for their level of comprehension. Books about the body help structure this (though I wish more used “egg cell” consistently instead of just “egg”—much less confusing).
Also, TBD spent some time processing death (again) after the sudden loss of Younger Cat. Their reaction was ambivalent, as said cat spent the last three and a half years avoiding this New Monster in the house, which TBD naturally resented. (Fortunately, Older Cat, who is adored, is in excellent health for 15 years old, and New Cat, who arrived yesterday, is very friendly.)
(Racial identity and attitudes has been a recurring thing this month, but aside from noting that this is finally coming up, I think details (as with gendering) will henceforth be omitted here for privacy.)
On the reading front, they can now readily recognize all lowercase letters—and own name is now routinely written with only initial capital—but sounding out words past the first letter still iffy. Contrariwise, naming the initial letter of a word said aloud is pretty strong, when stupid English orthography is actually being regular. I strongly suspect TBD can recognize by sight more words than they are letting on.
Fewer talking, talking bits were noted down than I thought—must be the short month:
(after reading an early reader bio of Martin Luther King with a conclusion about a life dedicated to changing things)
“But when he died he couldn’t change it.”
“But soon, when they meet again, Rey would be even stronger.”
(context was entirely random)
Janni: “Now wipe your face with the washcloth.”
TBD: “And then you have to fight the monster of the realms.”
(NO idea)
“When you get to a very high number you go back to one.”
(this sparked yet another discussion of infinity aka the forever number)
“Wake up, wake up, wherever you are!”
Which makes as much sense as the original, at any rate.
---L.
Subject quote from "Ulysses," Alfred the Tennyson.
Achievements unlocked the last month: backflips while holding adult hands, color by numbers, brushing own hair, two-handed overhead throwing, and (unprompted) setting aside enough leftovers of a yummy dinner to make tomorrow’s lunch.
In addition, connect-the-dots and mazes, both previously achieved, got plenty of practice during the plane flights of a Florida vacation: yay for activities that can be worked on solo!
Plus, now that the ideas of anticipation and faking out are solid, rock-paper-scissors is screamingly fun. (You know those what-comes-next pattern-recognition problems that are part of early math education? They’ve got those cold. And started applying that to game strategy.)
But the most notable trend lately is less pretend play in favor of more physical activities, including chasing, catch, and those backflips, at least at home.
There was a sudden heavy interest, for a couple weeks, in human reproduction—well beyond the basic “a baby grows in a mother’s tummy”. It is interesting, navigating how to give enough but not too much information for their level of comprehension. Books about the body help structure this (though I wish more used “egg cell” consistently instead of just “egg”—much less confusing).
Also, TBD spent some time processing death (again) after the sudden loss of Younger Cat. Their reaction was ambivalent, as said cat spent the last three and a half years avoiding this New Monster in the house, which TBD naturally resented. (Fortunately, Older Cat, who is adored, is in excellent health for 15 years old, and New Cat, who arrived yesterday, is very friendly.)
(Racial identity and attitudes has been a recurring thing this month, but aside from noting that this is finally coming up, I think details (as with gendering) will henceforth be omitted here for privacy.)
On the reading front, they can now readily recognize all lowercase letters—and own name is now routinely written with only initial capital—but sounding out words past the first letter still iffy. Contrariwise, naming the initial letter of a word said aloud is pretty strong, when stupid English orthography is actually being regular. I strongly suspect TBD can recognize by sight more words than they are letting on.
Fewer talking, talking bits were noted down than I thought—must be the short month:
(after reading an early reader bio of Martin Luther King with a conclusion about a life dedicated to changing things)
“But when he died he couldn’t change it.”
“But soon, when they meet again, Rey would be even stronger.”
(context was entirely random)
Janni: “Now wipe your face with the washcloth.”
TBD: “And then you have to fight the monster of the realms.”
(NO idea)
“When you get to a very high number you go back to one.”
(this sparked yet another discussion of infinity aka the forever number)
“Wake up, wake up, wherever you are!”
Which makes as much sense as the original, at any rate.
---L.
Subject quote from "Ulysses," Alfred the Tennyson.
no subject
Date: 2 March 2018 04:19 pm (UTC)And as a side note, if one visits Arizona, what is the coolest temperature time of year? And are the cities navigable carless?
no subject
Date: 2 March 2018 07:55 pm (UTC)Here in Tucson, the coldest temps are usually skirting freezing (as in ranging from a little above to just below) with typical highs around 70 +/- 10.
How navigable varies wildly. Within core Phoenix-Tempe and central Tucson, it's doable, though often slow -- elsewhere, not so much. And carless travel between cities can be rough. Check your guide-book's local entries for details.
no subject
Date: 2 March 2018 08:20 pm (UTC)I like this.
no subject
Date: 2 March 2018 08:42 pm (UTC)You have a great child.
no subject
Date: 2 March 2018 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2 March 2018 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 3 March 2018 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 5 March 2018 02:57 pm (UTC)