“’cause if we are the ones we’ve been waiting for / what the hell are we waiting for?”

[larryhammer]

TBD is five years old. *deep breath*

Achievements unlocked this past month: strategy for Uno (I have to play seriously to win even half of 1:1 games), grid coordinates (in the form C4). Achievements greatly expanded: playing alone or with friend without grownup interaction, spelling more words, deliberate puns.

A small update, with only a couple concrete observations—the general sense, though, is that TBD is now a (small) autonomous person.

The birthday party was survived. As we left the venue (a converted warehouse with a variety of jumping castles and inflated play structures) TBD said, “This was a great party,” which pretty much defines it as successful.

Motor skill advancements: deft hands at Stack the Bones (a Jenga-type game), throwing well enough for “basketball” played with a parental-arms hoop.

Regarding the deliberate puns: after the new cat, Sam, was with us for a month, TBD announced that he has additional names -- his full name is Sam Wukong. (This reflects a growing interest in the Handsome Monkey King: we've been (re)reading the first 6 books of a 20-volume manhua adaptation of Journey to the West found on our library's shelf of children's graphic novels -- I need to order some more.)

In other media, a milestone: watching episodes 4-7 of Star Wars, some parts several times. TBD likes the ewoks. As a break from Junie B. Jones, Ivy + Bean audiobooks are now the default request in the car. A couple collaborative board games among the birthday presents were immediately glommed onto, which is promising.

Some bits of talking, talking I managed to get down:

“I like my birthday because I get presents, and so instead of old junk I have new junk.”
(said well beforehand)

“I know how to spell ‘one.’ O N E.”

“Does college have recess?”

“You mean the rebel allowance?”

“Ask me to tell about myself.”
“Tell me about yourself.”
“I will tell you about myself (dramatically) in song form. (sings the Alphabet Song) Did you like my song?”
(Moana reference FTW)

Did I mention watching Moana six times in the last five weeks? Because there was that too.

*deep breath*

---L.

Subject quote from To Young Leaders, Guante & Big Cats.

Comments

[oracne]

I still need to see Moana. I know, I know.

[larryhammer]

Yes -- yes, you should. Then you'll say "Thank you" to everyone who told you to see it, and each of them will sing "You're welcome!"

[hildigunnur]

My congratulations to the five year old autonomous person, whose growth and development has been so much fun to "watch" from a far.

[larryhammer]

Thanks!

[sovay]

TBD is five years old.

Happy birthday, TBD!

[larryhammer]

*\o/*

[gwynnega]

“Does college have recess?”

Such a good question!

[larryhammer]

It is!

[sartorias]

Wow, a small person indeed! A very thoughtful one!

[larryhammer]

Always thinking things through, making connections, testing implications.

[umadoshi]

Happy birthday, increasingly-less-small person!

[larryhammer]

Increasingly, and very rapidly. We need to buy the next size up clothes already?

[thistleingrey]

Happy birthday, thoughtful and autonomous person!

Ivy + Bean has been popular in these parts, too--not lately, but definitely as a gift for half-year-younger classmates with birthday parties. (Reason is consulted as to what a celebrant may like, partly for practice and partly because she has good ideas half the time.)

[larryhammer]

Worth knowing. We've also tried Clementine books, but they haven't taken as well. I worry that Ivy's witchcraft seems to be getting lost as the books progress.

TBD is consulted but unless they are definitive that someone will like something so far hasn't had final say. Practice, as you say.

[thistleingrey]

A mutual librarian friend suggested Ruby Lu a year or so ago; it didn't stick then, but Reason has rediscovered them independently. Otherwise, she's nearly finished with every Encyclopedia Brown ever, though with parental assistance on the now outmoded cultural contexts for half+ the puzzles, and this week's library pile includes several Thea Stilton titles (meh). Lots of random traversal lately. Reason said a few weeks ago that she's really glad she had Harriet Hamsterbone before some of "these others," which is nice confirmation that seeds can grow sometimes.

[larryhammer]

Haven't tried Ruby Lu yet, though it shows up on rec lists with Ivy + Bean and Clementine a lot. We've the first Harriet Hamsterbone book but so far TBD has turned it down, in part I suspect because we still have Danny Dragonbreath books to finish -- and have been there for a while, as interest petered out even before we found Monkey King. (TBD also bounced off Catwings a little while ago.)

Yay seeds.

[conuly]

And a very happy birthday to them!

[larryhammer]

Thankee!

[mrissa]

Happy birthday, TBD!

[larryhammer]

Yays!