Wow-this Wednesday will mark our 3 month anniversary since we have picked up Vasa. It has gone by so fast. He is also making huge accomplishments each day. He is so precious and just has a love for life. Everything always seems so exciting to him--new things are literally jump up and down exciting. It is refreshing to see--there are so many things in life that I wish I could show uninhibitedly how excited I was like he does. His English each day is making improvements. We are hearing 3 word phrases sometimes--Vasa do it, juice is yummy... I'm going to be a little annoying by listing all of his words just to allow myself to see all of the words he know so far and to have a record of them. We think he knows around a hundred-- good morning, night night, all sisters names, mama, daddy, papa, Oscar, Sparkle, puppy, 4 grandparents names, Jill, Buddy, Jack, no, yes, eat, milk, juice, water, cup, hot, school, work, coffee, yucky, oh no, peek a boo, uh oh, beach, pool, washing machine, spin spin, dump truck, bus, car, open, big, tv, ouch, boo boo, flush, several potty words and anatomically correct phrases, hands, wash, tummy, teeth, hair, bear, apple, banana, cracker, cookie, door, walk, up, be nice, calm down, bicycle, man, woman, girl, boy, baby, doctor, guitar, monkey, march, e i e i o, round and round, outside, I love u, sure others but pretty good list. We saw a speech pathologist and should be starting soon. Pretty good start, though.
On to preschool--I was planning on starting him after christmas, but decided after talking to the preschool director that maybe starting now wouldn't hurt. It's just 3 days a week and they are all learning routines and such now. Well, Josh and I really didn't think he was ready, but thought we'd try. I stayed the majority of the day. It was kind of a tough first day, because he struggles a little with new environments and feeling the need to explore each nook and cranny in each. We had a new classroom, new playground, new chapel, new music room, new classroom bathroom. He did ok--he didn't want to sit still at appropriate times, but for the most part, he was ok. He was having to learn to sit, learn to walk in a line, learn to sit at the table, learn to line up at proper times, etc... but he was doing ok. Had a blip when he used the bathroom across the hall and instead of coming back to his room, he went to the next room and started eating their food. Kind of funny but hate he is still looking for his next meal--hoping that will end soon. I left for about 30 minutes to get something to eat and to see how he would do without me there. During the 30 minutes, he ran out of the classroom and down the hall (one rule we hadn't covered--you have to stay in the classroom :)), he dumped out a bucket of blocks and kicked them all around the room while laughing--what fun, and decided he was finished with his shoes--oh knows the word finished--and took them off. I think it all flustered the teacher-totally understand-and they recommended moving him to the 2 year old class. I felt like that wasn't the right move for him. I want him to learn to speak well, how to properly behave, and continue using the potty, so I was afraid that it wasn't worth his time and the precious teacher's energy right now. Also, I was afraid he was being too stimulated at school. There are so many little things at the house we are still trying to tackle. Look at someone when they are speaking to you. Sometimes you have to sit still. Even though something looks like food or smells like food, it may not be food. People need personal space--they are strangers--they may not want you to touch them. You have to ask before you use something that is not yours. Funny example this morning. He loves all of his sisters' lip balms. They leave them laying around and I remind him each time he is using them--please ask first before you use it--it is not yours. Today he grabbed what he thought was lip balm and applied it to his lips--a bunch--it was a glue stick that was left out. I feel like some of it are attachment issues anyway that are surely best handled at home. We started a class at my gym which he loves, so I'm hoping that will be a fun outing with kids his own age. Maybe after Christmas we'll rethink pre-k.
On to preschool--I was planning on starting him after christmas, but decided after talking to the preschool director that maybe starting now wouldn't hurt. It's just 3 days a week and they are all learning routines and such now. Well, Josh and I really didn't think he was ready, but thought we'd try. I stayed the majority of the day. It was kind of a tough first day, because he struggles a little with new environments and feeling the need to explore each nook and cranny in each. We had a new classroom, new playground, new chapel, new music room, new classroom bathroom. He did ok--he didn't want to sit still at appropriate times, but for the most part, he was ok. He was having to learn to sit, learn to walk in a line, learn to sit at the table, learn to line up at proper times, etc... but he was doing ok. Had a blip when he used the bathroom across the hall and instead of coming back to his room, he went to the next room and started eating their food. Kind of funny but hate he is still looking for his next meal--hoping that will end soon. I left for about 30 minutes to get something to eat and to see how he would do without me there. During the 30 minutes, he ran out of the classroom and down the hall (one rule we hadn't covered--you have to stay in the classroom :)), he dumped out a bucket of blocks and kicked them all around the room while laughing--what fun, and decided he was finished with his shoes--oh knows the word finished--and took them off. I think it all flustered the teacher-totally understand-and they recommended moving him to the 2 year old class. I felt like that wasn't the right move for him. I want him to learn to speak well, how to properly behave, and continue using the potty, so I was afraid that it wasn't worth his time and the precious teacher's energy right now. Also, I was afraid he was being too stimulated at school. There are so many little things at the house we are still trying to tackle. Look at someone when they are speaking to you. Sometimes you have to sit still. Even though something looks like food or smells like food, it may not be food. People need personal space--they are strangers--they may not want you to touch them. You have to ask before you use something that is not yours. Funny example this morning. He loves all of his sisters' lip balms. They leave them laying around and I remind him each time he is using them--please ask first before you use it--it is not yours. Today he grabbed what he thought was lip balm and applied it to his lips--a bunch--it was a glue stick that was left out. I feel like some of it are attachment issues anyway that are surely best handled at home. We started a class at my gym which he loves, so I'm hoping that will be a fun outing with kids his own age. Maybe after Christmas we'll rethink pre-k.
