Family pictures

Jack is clearly understanding a lot of what we say nowadays. A couple nights ago I was making oatmeal for him and Sean asked him to go get the applesauce, so Jack walked over to the refrigerator and pointed at it. Tonight he was starting to make a mess with some water in a water bottle so I asked him if he wanted to go play with water in the bathtub. Amongst all the "Da. da. da's" he walked into the bathroom and pointed at the bathtub and smiled.

I've gotten really sensitive to what people say around him, knowing that he's understanding, or at least paying attention. It just seems like people should think about what they're saying to kids, even if the kid isn't old enough to respond. But what are you gonna do?

March 11, 2009

Today we listened to "If you're happy and you know it" and Jack would clap and stomp his feet whenever the song told him to!"

March 16, 2009

Jack was so excited to play with bubbles outside. He had fun touching and popping them. Jack was also pointing out all his body parts like his eyes and belly button.

Incident report: A child accidentally hit him in the head with plastic ball. first aid: icee, hugs and kisses.

The orange thing

So we have this orange toy from when I was a kid. One of these things with a three-foot rope that would NEVER be legal to manufacture nowadays. It has a carrot shape at one end and an abstract shape at the other with holes to weave the carrot shape in and out of. Jack has this very fastidious ritual that he does with the toy which I would give my eye teeth to understand and know what he is thinking when he does it.

He drapes the rope around his shoulders, sometimes loosely around his neck, with the carrot hanging at his chest. Then he walks through the house with the abstract block dragging behind him. He is always very quiet and serious when he does this. Sometimes if the rope is looped around him, he gets really frustrated and mad and spends a lot of time readjusting it so it just hangs over his shoulders. Like I said, I would just love to know what this means to him.

action shots

So Jack was really into helping us sweep every time we pulled the broom out. We quickly became worried about the flailing broomstick and the damage it might do so I found him a little Jack-sized broom. Jack was delighted from the time we brought it home and enjoys helping out around the house. 

hugs from Jack

Nowadays, if you are sitting on the floor and Jack wants to hug you, you stands in front of you and opens his arms and falls into your arms.
Today when I dropped off Jack at daycare, he could see his teacher, Nahid, through the glass door and started smiling. When he got inside, he didn't even wait to take off his coat before he fell into her arms.
Then he went to have oatmeal with the other kids and Nenna said, "I missed you Jack! I haven't seen you in two days!"
Have I mentioned that I love Jack's daycare?
sorry there haven't been pictures lately, we had some trouble with the camera and lost some. I promise to post some soon!

Recent

Sorry it's been a while, I'm a little overwhelmed with obligations at the moment. I'll just run through the Daily Intake forms quick and add that currently the things that will stop Jack dead in his tracks are:  safety cones, keys and toast with jam. He also notices when we are in a toy store and wants to play with the things he sees whereas before he was pretty much indifferent. He also enjoys doing things that mimic Momma and Poppa. He really likes the kitchen set up they have at school, his kid-sized broom at home and you should see the little bashful smile of pride on his face when he wears the little backpacks they have at school. 

March 4, 2009

Jack had a great day today like always. Jack tried to give Amelia a kiss today it took some time but he finally did. He also had a green backpack on and we said "Jack are you going to school?" and he had a huge smile on his face.

March 6, 2009

Outside in the yard, Jack giggled as he chased bubbles.

March 9, 2009

Jack, Jack L., Solomon and Olufemi went on a stroll/walk on campus this morning with all of the toddlers from Room 2!

(At Jack's school there is access to the room next door so that kids can get used to the room they will be in next year. Jack is a frequent visitor to Room 2-sometimes bravely, sometimes not so bravely. Also on this day, one of Jack's teachers told me that they had flubber out and Jack was the only one who would touch it, although he preferred to carry the canister of it around the room.)

Pictures I had trouble adding to the last post

and from his Intake form:

date?

Today Jack enjoyed playing with the spiral ball slide (in picture above). He smiled as he watched the balls roll down the spiral and land in the trap.

2/20/09

While outside today Jack and Olu were playing in the sand together. After, they both went to ring the bells and were smiling at each other while doing it!

2/25/09

Jack Simon had a great day as usual!! He went outside and played in the sand, as well as with bubbles and couldn't stop smiling.

2/27/09

Jack had a great day today. We went outside and TA's from Room 2 were blowing bubbles and Jack would try to eat them.

3/2/09

Jack was looking in the mirror today and yelling "Jack!" and pointing at himself as he yelled.

babies brains double in size in the first year

It is really hard to keep up with all the little intracacies (sp?) of the developing Jack. It's amazing watching his brain step up a level pretty much every couple of days. Like the day that I realized he was no longer satisfied when I handed him one toy or object. He needs to have two so he can find the relationship between them-put them together, stack them, bang them together. He's making the leap and it takes me twice as long to realize he's moving on again!

He really watches kids that are just slightly older than him, especially Olu and Jack Reilly at school, and follows their lead. At daycare on Monday Olu put on a tutu so Jack and Edward did as well. When I walked in Jack was happily playing with the spiral ball slide in this tutu which he had been wearing all afternoon. (it was so cute I could hardly stand it.)

He's trying to run now and wants to walk around on the bus, not just sit still on my lap. At swimming he stands when they do "Humpty Dumpty" and jumps into the water rather than sitting and just sort of leaning into my arms; he also splashes and grabs for things under water. 

I had Jack out on the back porch of the building the other day, and he was very pleased to sit in the chair and swing his legs. He REALLY likes sitting in chairs, especially ones that are his size. The other day Sean had to stop me from buying the $5 Barbie lawnchair at the second hair store that Jack pulled out and delighted himself with sitting in.

He also knows where things are kept and goes back to those places to find the things he likes to play with. 

I mean, sure, this can easily start to sound like those annoying parents that think every flicker of the eye is a sure sign he's a genius. BUT THE REASON I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE PARENTS (ha ha) is because I recognize that all kids go through this, and I find it utterly amazing every time. When was the last time I did something in one year as significant as learn to walk??? Even a graduate degree takes a couple years at least. When was the last time I comprehended something as crucial to the universe as "when you close the door, the object is still there, and it will be there tomorrow when you come back too"?

It blows my ever loving mind and I am utterly riveted watching Jack's face as he takes some new piece of information in. Or he recalls his hair when we look at the picture of the girl's pelo marron in his Spanish/English picture book.