Dr Suess paints the Room

AJ started writing his name "AJ" sometime just before Canada Day (not yet age 3). He announced at the park that he was writing the "A" sound .The letter A looked a bit like a triangle, and I showed him how to write the J sound like a hook. He put the two together side by side and he's been very good at autographing birthday cards, Sunday School homework etc.

Maggie took a little bit more encouragement to begin writing, in August! Through tears and madness, Brian showed her to write M, A, G and E. She already knew I, X and O obviously but she had no desire or interest to write whatsoever. I never forced the issue because the teacher at the JK orientation said it was not an expectation for the start of Kindergarten. However, Brian was persistent. Sometime during the week that I was away in Las Vegas, Maggie learned to write her name! What an triumph. The only thing is, the letters though always in sequrence are rarely in a straight line. She's signed an envelope where M A G G I E end up in a counterclockwise spiral. All the letters are complete but not in a left to right sequence.

I decided to award their success in writing with posters of the alphabet by Dr Suess. I secretly pasted these on the wall in their room, while everyone was playing outside just to surprise them.  Lincoln gave me a hand though, by staying out of the way. But he was pointing and reaching at the letters, and once again trying to tell me all kinds of things about them.  Later Maggie went upstairs to retrieve a toy from the room, and she announced "What did Dr Suess paint on the wall?" AJ ran upstairs to look and they were both so happy. "Why are there Dr Suess pictures on the wall, mommy?" Anyway, I hope that it helps them to see the capital and lowercase letters side by side and with the objects from the story, they can learn the letter sounds too.

Walking Tall

Lincoln officially started walking on August 1 at 11.5 months. I had arrived home from Las Vegas just the day before so I'm pleased that I didn't miss a thing. Within a week he had mastered walking across the room without too much stumbling; unless he's moving too quickly with a bit too much momentum and he can't stop. He ends up falling forward on his hands.

I know he can clearly say dada and mama, A-J! , wow and oo-oo-ooh, this this this. Lots of random babbling with furrowed eyebrows and other facial expressions, while pointing and describing images in a book. He knows exactly what he's saying; Maggie and AJ try their best to be translators.

Lincoln is 74 cm tall and 23 pounds. We have switched him to the forward facing Sunshine Radian seat, while Maggie and AJ ride in the back row.

Dragon Eye Seedlings

My kids have been attending a morning playgroup at church and they've learned about seeds and how things grow. Here is theme poem (actions):

I plant a little seed in the cold cold ground.
Up comes the sun, warm and round.
Down comes the rain, soft and slow.
Up comes the seedling, grow, Grow, GROW!

Previously, Maggie also invented other verses and words, speaking in prose... something about snow on the ground, and the sun, and ice. I should really write these down. It doesn't make sense to me, but it must make perfect sense to her. Much like Lincoln when he goes on with his seemingly random chatter, and he's happy when we appear to understand.

But I do have a wonderful story about AJ and his knowledge of seeds, or rather, his knowledge of what happens to seeds when eaten.

Dragon Eyes
The kids were eating a giant bowl of the peeled dragon eye fruits; a translucent white flesh with single dark, chocolate brown stone-seed.  Resembles very much like a slippery, wet eyeball. Grandma kept warning them, don't eat the stone. AJ pipes up, "Mommy, what will happen to me if I eat the seed?" I warned him that if he swallowe the seed, a dragon-eye tree would sprout from his tummy.  He calmly corrected me right away, "No, mommy. I'm gonna be eat it and I will poo it out". What comes in, must go out. There's no fooling this guy!