A couple evenings ago Charlotte was sitting on her potty as she likes to do and she asked me to join her. Sometimes she likes to chill on her potty with company and sometimes she likes to go solo. In fact she is really getting into the whole "going potty" thing... if you limit "going potty" to mean walking into the bathroom by yourself, closing the door until it latches, sitting on the potty for thirty seconds, and then crying for a parent to come let you out of the bathroom because you haven't figured out yet how to open the door.
So she has a lot of ostensible steps covered but is really missing those huge, all important, deeper steps of pulling your pants down and actually having some sort of substance evacuate your body.... and then knowing how to operate a basic door. She does enjoy hand washing, though, so at least we have that big step down.
Anyway, as I started out writing, a few nights ago she sat on her potty and asked me to join her. We look like two people sitting down to tea, as we just sit there on our respective seats looking at one another. So I sat on the toilet and she, on her potty, started talking to me. And the opening line was profound and deep.
Charlotte: Daddy sit down. Daddy go potty.
Me: Correct.
Charlotte: Correct. [Points to toilet paper roll next to me hanging from the wall]. That a napkin on the potty.
Me: Somewhat correct.
Charlotte: Somewhat correct.
And now I can't help but want to call toilet paper "potty napkins" all the time now. Fortunately for both me and my conversation parters, toilet paper does not really come up a lot in coversation.
January 30, 2013
January 27, 2013
Behind the Scenes
Charlotte has made another small jump outwardly in showing her view of all things remote and abstract. As Emily blogged yesterday her representational play is taking off, which is always nice for a parent to see because it rules out the last round of cognitive and learning delays or disorders someone like me has to worry about for awhile. She is talking about things from the past all the time. Suze still lives in Texas and tonight we were looking at a Richard Scarry book, as per usual, and she pointed to the fox or pig or dog or whoever was piloting a plane and said, "Suze!" That's right, my mom is some perpetually smiling zoo or farm animal that flies airplanes. I wanted to scold Charlotte so being so off-base but I decided to let it go.
So seeing what nuggets Charlotte pulls from the past continues to be fun but here are some bigger, although not all that huge, leaps she's made.
1. Out of nowhere on Friday she started talking about the zoo and then finally said, "Go zoo? Daddy go zoo? Charlotte go zoo? Mommy go zoo?" Maybe they talked about the zoo in her new school/daycare (Edgecumbe Montessori). I asked her what she wanted to see at the zoo and she said, "otters." Sure enough last month with Suze we went to the zoo and Charlotte saw the otters. I asked what she remembered about the otters and she said, "Otters funny. Otters swimming in a water."
Damnit, she nailed it. I had not choice but to oblige and yesterday we were at the zoo. We had just arrived, were one minute into thawing out near the indoor exhibits, when she insisted we go see the otters first.
A few of you reading this know that one of the many rants I have about Facebook right now is all the people bragging about how they went running in the cold. There is nothing easier to do outside in the winter than run. You have high tech gear on, you're doing this for leisure, and you are moving the entire time. It really is no big deal. And A LOT of people do it.
You know what is a big deal? You know what A LOT of people don't do? Stand out in the single digits, not moving at all for fifteen minutes, in what is essentially a wind tunnel, watching someone else watch otters. That activity is three times colder than going for a stupid run. Fifteen minutes we stood there. Love is funny that way. No one else could have made me agree to those fifteen minutes besides Charlotte and every minute was awesome (and she was plenty warm by the way... she got sick of my checking in on her).
2. She has also been talking about the museum (she only know the Children's Museum). After Physical Therapy on Friday we got into the car and she said, "Museum?" I don't know if that was a specific request so much as a comment that she really didn't want to go to her new daycare, because it's new, and man wouldn't it be nice if the two of us chilled at the Children's Museum. Anyway, per Emily. she spent a good chunk of the morning today lining her toy animals up to go the zoo (bus man's holiday) and then to the Children's Museum. So clearly that stayed with her or was always with her.
3. Tonight she randomly did something kind of cool. As we were going upstairs to bed, with no context whatsoever, she said, "Balloon, balloon!" and then acted like she was blowing up a balloon. The two of proceeded to mime blowing up balloons for five minutes or so and she thought it was hilarious. I have no idea where this came from. I assume she is picking up a few things from Montessori. Either way, it is fun to see the little brain of hers in action.
Other news:
1. She did indeed start a new daycare. She is now in a Montessori with a nice range of kids from infants on up to pre-schoolers. As expected, Emily had to deal with a lot of Charlotte's tears at drop-off time (well day one was more screaming per Emily and then when I picked her up the teacher said it took Charlotte half an hour to calm down after Emily left). She'll be fine. She is adjusting as quickly as we figured she would. She still talks about Paula (her previous day care provider) and the kids she played with there, so I think she misses that. But I predict by the end of the week she'll be all in with her new place. Like I told Emily, Charlotte is going to forget all of this in a year. We are the ones who remember it all. And once she is loving her new school we can always go back and see Paula and the kids Charlotte will remember from there.
2. Charlotte's Physical Therapist arranged for a therapy dog to come and help out with our sessions. So now Charlotte has a dog doing PT with her. I forgot it's name... Sandy? I keep asking Charlotte but she says something that could be Sandy but it could be ten other names. Regardless, that dog has really made a difference but not how you'd expect. Charlotte likes the dog, but is really so hung up with working through all the demands we are asking of her. So it is hard for her to let go and interact with the dog the same way she does our pets. The intent was for the dog was to relax the dynamic of "do this hard activity" and "do that activity you're uncertain about doing." But that hasn't played out. Instead what the PT and I have ended up doing is using the dog as a decoy to play off of Charlotte's work avoidance. So if Charlotte bulks at doing something, we just ignore Charlotte and have the dog do the thing we want Charlotte to do, heap attention and praise on the dog and all of a sudden Charlotte is doing it too. It's the oldest trick in the book, but I never would have thought of using the dog for such manipulation. I guess it's better than using a sibling. Speaking of which... Charlotte could use a sister, no?
So seeing what nuggets Charlotte pulls from the past continues to be fun but here are some bigger, although not all that huge, leaps she's made.
1. Out of nowhere on Friday she started talking about the zoo and then finally said, "Go zoo? Daddy go zoo? Charlotte go zoo? Mommy go zoo?" Maybe they talked about the zoo in her new school/daycare (Edgecumbe Montessori). I asked her what she wanted to see at the zoo and she said, "otters." Sure enough last month with Suze we went to the zoo and Charlotte saw the otters. I asked what she remembered about the otters and she said, "Otters funny. Otters swimming in a water."
Damnit, she nailed it. I had not choice but to oblige and yesterday we were at the zoo. We had just arrived, were one minute into thawing out near the indoor exhibits, when she insisted we go see the otters first.
A few of you reading this know that one of the many rants I have about Facebook right now is all the people bragging about how they went running in the cold. There is nothing easier to do outside in the winter than run. You have high tech gear on, you're doing this for leisure, and you are moving the entire time. It really is no big deal. And A LOT of people do it.
You know what is a big deal? You know what A LOT of people don't do? Stand out in the single digits, not moving at all for fifteen minutes, in what is essentially a wind tunnel, watching someone else watch otters. That activity is three times colder than going for a stupid run. Fifteen minutes we stood there. Love is funny that way. No one else could have made me agree to those fifteen minutes besides Charlotte and every minute was awesome (and she was plenty warm by the way... she got sick of my checking in on her).
2. She has also been talking about the museum (she only know the Children's Museum). After Physical Therapy on Friday we got into the car and she said, "Museum?" I don't know if that was a specific request so much as a comment that she really didn't want to go to her new daycare, because it's new, and man wouldn't it be nice if the two of us chilled at the Children's Museum. Anyway, per Emily. she spent a good chunk of the morning today lining her toy animals up to go the zoo (bus man's holiday) and then to the Children's Museum. So clearly that stayed with her or was always with her.
3. Tonight she randomly did something kind of cool. As we were going upstairs to bed, with no context whatsoever, she said, "Balloon, balloon!" and then acted like she was blowing up a balloon. The two of proceeded to mime blowing up balloons for five minutes or so and she thought it was hilarious. I have no idea where this came from. I assume she is picking up a few things from Montessori. Either way, it is fun to see the little brain of hers in action.
Other news:
1. She did indeed start a new daycare. She is now in a Montessori with a nice range of kids from infants on up to pre-schoolers. As expected, Emily had to deal with a lot of Charlotte's tears at drop-off time (well day one was more screaming per Emily and then when I picked her up the teacher said it took Charlotte half an hour to calm down after Emily left). She'll be fine. She is adjusting as quickly as we figured she would. She still talks about Paula (her previous day care provider) and the kids she played with there, so I think she misses that. But I predict by the end of the week she'll be all in with her new place. Like I told Emily, Charlotte is going to forget all of this in a year. We are the ones who remember it all. And once she is loving her new school we can always go back and see Paula and the kids Charlotte will remember from there.
2. Charlotte's Physical Therapist arranged for a therapy dog to come and help out with our sessions. So now Charlotte has a dog doing PT with her. I forgot it's name... Sandy? I keep asking Charlotte but she says something that could be Sandy but it could be ten other names. Regardless, that dog has really made a difference but not how you'd expect. Charlotte likes the dog, but is really so hung up with working through all the demands we are asking of her. So it is hard for her to let go and interact with the dog the same way she does our pets. The intent was for the dog was to relax the dynamic of "do this hard activity" and "do that activity you're uncertain about doing." But that hasn't played out. Instead what the PT and I have ended up doing is using the dog as a decoy to play off of Charlotte's work avoidance. So if Charlotte bulks at doing something, we just ignore Charlotte and have the dog do the thing we want Charlotte to do, heap attention and praise on the dog and all of a sudden Charlotte is doing it too. It's the oldest trick in the book, but I never would have thought of using the dog for such manipulation. I guess it's better than using a sibling. Speaking of which... Charlotte could use a sister, no?
January 26, 2013
January 22, 2013
A Watched Toaster Never Toasts
For the last three days, Charlotte has insisted her day start out the exact same way: watching the toast in the toaster. I am sure she will be bored by this soon, but this waching the toaster routine has already lasted three days longer than I would have expected.
You will note the plate next to the toaster. She is locked and loaded and ready for her toast. She makes sure the jelly and peanut butter are also nearby. And once the plate and spreads are in place she is ready to sit in front of the toaster and watch it non-stop until the toast pops up.
Also, she is wearing a sticker from the Children's Museum from like two weeks ago. We put any sticker she gets from Physical Therapy, museums, or voting up on her wall by the changing table at the end of the day. Polka dotted masking tape is also a sticker in her world. Periodically she will insist that today is the day she HAS to re-wear a certain sticker, or she HAS to wear a certain sticker to bed. Evidently yesterday was the day she insisted on re-visiting the Children's Museum sticker. For some reason she hasn't touched the I VOTED stickers which is awesome because every time I point to them she says, "I voted" and then I say, "Really? For whom?" And she says, "Barack Obama." We may have needed a voter ID law afterall.
January 21, 2013
Conversation with Charlotte #6738218
As mentioned below, Charlotte and I dined at Smashburger today with a gift card Emily got Charlotte and me for Christmas. Charlotte had a hot dog, French fries, and milk... and ate all of it except a few fries. And this is the conversation carousel we were on:
Charlotte (after smiling for five seconds): Smashburgerrrrrrrrrr.
Me: Indeed.
Charlotte: Charlotte's bread (hot dog bun). Charlotte's milk. Charlotte's fries. Charlotte's hot dog. Daddy's hot dog (it was a hamburger). Daddy's milk (it was Dr. Pepper). Daddy's French fries."
Me: Yep.
Charlotte: Smashburgerrrrrrrr.
Then we eat quietly for five minutes and start all over again. Repeat four times.
As an aside, the last two to three weeks have been a lot of fun because Charlotte has begun talking about remote topics or past events. Of course the conversation above would suggest the exact opposite. But she will now tell us what she did earlier in the day if we ask, with good accuracy. Yesterday Emily went shopping with her cousin Cait (Oscar's mom... married to Zach). Emily left right before Charlotte's nap time and told Charlotte she was going to see Oscar's mom.
About twenty minutes later Charlotte and I were in the last stage of her naptime routine, saying "night night" to all people and animals in the house. We said our good nights to the animals and looked out the window where the garage could be seen and she said, "Bye bye mommy. Mommy with Zach."
"Actually she is with Cait, but pretty close," I said. And Charlotte said, "Mommy with Cake," which made me happy.
The novelty will wear off soon but for now it is a lot of fun to hear Charlotte talking about and see how much she has tied together, like the basic Keenan-Longley family tree, or to hear just what from the day she can talk about.
Charlotte (after smiling for five seconds): Smashburgerrrrrrrrrr.
Me: Indeed.
Charlotte: Charlotte's bread (hot dog bun). Charlotte's milk. Charlotte's fries. Charlotte's hot dog. Daddy's hot dog (it was a hamburger). Daddy's milk (it was Dr. Pepper). Daddy's French fries."
Me: Yep.
Charlotte: Smashburgerrrrrrrr.
Then we eat quietly for five minutes and start all over again. Repeat four times.
As an aside, the last two to three weeks have been a lot of fun because Charlotte has begun talking about remote topics or past events. Of course the conversation above would suggest the exact opposite. But she will now tell us what she did earlier in the day if we ask, with good accuracy. Yesterday Emily went shopping with her cousin Cait (Oscar's mom... married to Zach). Emily left right before Charlotte's nap time and told Charlotte she was going to see Oscar's mom.
About twenty minutes later Charlotte and I were in the last stage of her naptime routine, saying "night night" to all people and animals in the house. We said our good nights to the animals and looked out the window where the garage could be seen and she said, "Bye bye mommy. Mommy with Zach."
"Actually she is with Cait, but pretty close," I said. And Charlotte said, "Mommy with Cake," which made me happy.
The novelty will wear off soon but for now it is a lot of fun to hear Charlotte talking about and see how much she has tied together, like the basic Keenan-Longley family tree, or to hear just what from the day she can talk about.
Charlotte Is Unimpressed...
...with winter.
Charlotte and I ran a few errands today, ate at Smashburger, and baked a cake to reflect on Martin Luther King's legacy. On the way in from our errands and Smashburger, I looked back and saw Charlotte had decided today was a great day to play in the backyard.
Ten below zero? Dog poop and dog toys frozen to the ground? Big deal. She wanted to play in the backyard. I let this nonsense go on for a few minutes before going out to get her. She protested mildly but then when we got inside she said, "Brrrrrr! Cold outside!" I think she saw the logic of coming inside.
Charlotte and I ran a few errands today, ate at Smashburger, and baked a cake to reflect on Martin Luther King's legacy. On the way in from our errands and Smashburger, I looked back and saw Charlotte had decided today was a great day to play in the backyard.
Ten below zero? Dog poop and dog toys frozen to the ground? Big deal. She wanted to play in the backyard. I let this nonsense go on for a few minutes before going out to get her. She protested mildly but then when we got inside she said, "Brrrrrr! Cold outside!" I think she saw the logic of coming inside.
January 18, 2013
Charlotte and Suze
Last weekend we went to the Garvin's for a playdate with all the cousins. Ben took these lovely photos of Charlotte and Suze.
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| Charlotte is either telling Suze a secret or giving her a kiss |
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