Yesterday Ti'anna and I took out the set of large flash cards that each feature a glossy photo of some exotic animal and a letter that corresponds to the animal's name, and wielded them at Ethan. I have never found these terribly useful with Ti'anna, since she does not like to guess wrong, and most of the animals are so bizarre that she had no idea what they were, but after having Ethan point out a few letters to me correctly on several occasions, I decided Ti'anna and I would drill him and find out just how much he knows without easily recognizable pictorial cues. He had never seen these cards before- they have been put away for years, and they include such weird zoo animals as "L - lemur" and "N - numbat." No simple 'C' for cat or 'D' for dog around here, no sir. So we mixed 'em up, and let him have it, so to speak, one card at a time.
And he got them all right!
Ti'anna was so happy for him. And finally wanted to know what all the weird animals were. (Zoboomafoo, anyone? I guess she might actually be ready to sit through that one now!) On a side note, she has decided she wants to learn to dance like a ballerina (Thank you, Angelina Ballerina!). I know her interests last about as long as mine, but are just as intense, so I did the responsible, loving thing- I checked out an instructional video for toddler ballet. We'll see how she does with that. If this lasts any length of time, we might consider classes for her. But her track record proves her capriciousness, and I'd be surprised to see this fascination last longer than a week, despite my encouragement and support. Like mom, like daughter, I guess. I can't judge her for it- but at least I know how to react and won't blow a wad of cash "helping her chase her dreams." At least, not yet.
Friday, June 24, 2005
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
more ethan-ese
Ethan is now naming three shapes (triangle [twyy'-yuh-yuh], square [quee'yuh], and circle [syuh-cuh]) on his own, no prompting. He held up his slice of quesadilla the other day and said "triangle" clear as day! He recognizes stylized shapes, also, not only simplified ones. For instance, he pointed to a line drawing of a Starburst candy that was drawn in perspective, sort of looking at it from the side, and the literal 'shape' of it was a diamond with some odd flanges. He labeled it correctly as a square. He recognizes several capital letters and knows their names. And my newest favorite? "No Thank You!" This is also accompanied by the emphatic finger thrust. My best friend Julia is always trying to get him to be more polite, and whenever he does a wicked thing, she says softly but firmly, "No thank you, Ethan." So the other day when I took a large rock from him that he was about to hurl into harm's way, he looked up at me and pointed, and said petulantly, "No duck-dya!!" I about died.
The excited incomprehensible babbling has increased exponentially as he is trying new ways to communicate verbally every day. He's not great at it, but he's finally decided that it's important to him to learn our language. What more could a mommy ask? *joy*
We have a new little ritual where he barges into the bathroom when I'm in there in the morning, and wields a magazine at me (usually a Martha Stewart Living, but Wired and Linux Journal are also popular lately). I am required to pore over the pages with him looking for interesting images or letters or numbers, and name them. If it is an animal of any kind, the name is unimportant and the sound it makes is required instead. If I can name a thing, he is game and will do his best to say it. However, this rule only extends so far as this magical time lasts each morning. The rest of the day he acts shy if I introduce a new word to him and ask him to repeat it. But during this moment we share over a glossy periodical, he feels free to venture out and sample the feeling of as many new words as I want to throw at him on his tiny tongue. One thing's for certain- he's bound to have a phenomenal sense for graphic design, cutting his teeth like this on some of the best print advertising in the mainstream industry... *grin* He already is more interested in imagery than the actual language. The season for language-based graphic design is drawing to a close (does anybody read the fine print anymore? I mean, any consumers?), and people who can communicate viscerally with image, sound, and color are the immediate future of the media industries. Ethan's not weird. He's just well-adjusted to his environment. What's another word for that? Evolved. *laugh*
The excited incomprehensible babbling has increased exponentially as he is trying new ways to communicate verbally every day. He's not great at it, but he's finally decided that it's important to him to learn our language. What more could a mommy ask? *joy*
We have a new little ritual where he barges into the bathroom when I'm in there in the morning, and wields a magazine at me (usually a Martha Stewart Living, but Wired and Linux Journal are also popular lately). I am required to pore over the pages with him looking for interesting images or letters or numbers, and name them. If it is an animal of any kind, the name is unimportant and the sound it makes is required instead. If I can name a thing, he is game and will do his best to say it. However, this rule only extends so far as this magical time lasts each morning. The rest of the day he acts shy if I introduce a new word to him and ask him to repeat it. But during this moment we share over a glossy periodical, he feels free to venture out and sample the feeling of as many new words as I want to throw at him on his tiny tongue. One thing's for certain- he's bound to have a phenomenal sense for graphic design, cutting his teeth like this on some of the best print advertising in the mainstream industry... *grin* He already is more interested in imagery than the actual language. The season for language-based graphic design is drawing to a close (does anybody read the fine print anymore? I mean, any consumers?), and people who can communicate viscerally with image, sound, and color are the immediate future of the media industries. Ethan's not weird. He's just well-adjusted to his environment. What's another word for that? Evolved. *laugh*
Thursday, June 09, 2005
a new friend.
Ti'anna has a new friend. It came with one of her little plastic pony toys, and is a sparkly, iridescent purple butterfly-shaped hair clip, that does not EVER clip hair. (We can't have that, now can we.) It flutters all around the house, humming lilting tunes, being rescued by Ti'anna from broken legs and damaged wings inflicted by evil-underlord Ethan, and is named?
Arthur.
But, she assures me, Arthur is not a boy.
Oh, to be young again, free from all this horrible, society-inflicted bias about gender and what's acceptable and proper, and to be able to choose what you like, with no worries about "what people might think." To wear a pink shirt 'cuz its bright and playful and that's how you feel today, even if you're a man. To name your daughter "Edward" because its the name of your favorite character in your favorite book. To dance like no one's looking when everyone is. *sigh* Its so liberating hanging out with toddlers. *grin*
Arthur.
But, she assures me, Arthur is not a boy.
Oh, to be young again, free from all this horrible, society-inflicted bias about gender and what's acceptable and proper, and to be able to choose what you like, with no worries about "what people might think." To wear a pink shirt 'cuz its bright and playful and that's how you feel today, even if you're a man. To name your daughter "Edward" because its the name of your favorite character in your favorite book. To dance like no one's looking when everyone is. *sigh* Its so liberating hanging out with toddlers. *grin*
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