BAD: Potty Humour - GOOD: Writing Down What He Wants

BAD

Kenshin is appending "poop" or the adjective "poopy" to everything. He thinks this is hilarious.

We tell him that "potty words" are not acceptable and punish him (verbal chastisment, corner, room, in that order) but it only seems to encourage him.

I'm thinking it's some manner of attention-getting thing and it's annoying because he definitely knows better. I'm mostly embarrassed that he might be influencing other kids at school or in daycare.

GOOD

Marli was surprised by Kenshin walking up to her and giving her his light up sketch-pad, on which he had written:

Watch
Mom
I
want to
TV
please

The words were a little misshapen, but quite legible. Marli was so impressed that she went to get the camera to record the "sentence" but by the time she returned with the camera he had erased it.

This isn't a communications breakthrough - he can ask for things quite clearly (and does, frequently) already, but it's pretty amazing, all things considered. There was much hugging and positive reinforcement. At least until he abruptly erased the words.

Oh well, next time.

It was SOOooo funny...

Went skating with the kids this weekend for Family Day. Daigoro was frustrated at first and obstinately ignored instructions from his mother, auntie A., ba-chan and gi-chan, but was starting to get it by the end.

We visited the " 'Chans" this weekend. They have a large exercise ball, about 700mm in diameter. The kids love playing with it - bouncing on it, rolling it around, running at it and bouncing off... you get the drift. I've never been a skater, really. I can stand up and make decent speed (for a newbie) but I can't stop except by a very shaky snowplow or what I call the "rapid deceleration by collision" method.

Anyway, at one point I heard gales of laughter from the other room - Daigoro was having an absolute blast with Kenshin. Daigoro came in completely out of breath. When he had recovered somewhat, I asked him what was so funny.

He replied, "I was bouncing the ball and den [sic] I rolled the ball at Kenshin and he bounced off it and den he fell down and the ball rolled on him and den I was laughing so hard even my germs were laughing."

That's descriptive gold right there.

I love to hear children laugh. I've said it elsewhere in this blog and I'm sure I'll say it again. Innocent, unforced, devoid of pretence or malice - it is a balm for my heart in troubling times.

Lesson Learned

No posts for a while. No excuse really, so I won't try to give one.

The kids have been growing steadily. Kenshin babbles away to himself quite happily, but still is not forming distinct words, except for "ma" for mom or dad and "ba" for ball. He also knows to say "uh-oh" when something seems wrong or is dropped and "wheeee" when he's having fun.

On (Canadian) Thanksgiving Monday, we took the kids to Orchalaw farms near Missisauga in a town called Norval. It was almost magical. I know that's a pretty corny thing to say, and I'm not generally the corny type, but it was really, really nice. Beautiful day, beautiful weather, lovely smells and sights - the wonderful bounty of nature and time with my young family.

I will carry the mental image of Kenshin sitting happily under an apple tree, munching on windfall apples, as one of the mental snapshots of happiest moments of my life.

If you have young children, take them apple picking. It is a lovely experience.

Today, Marli gave me a break from childcare while I played with my monthly wargaming group. She took them to the Ontario Science Centre. At one point, Daigoro wandered away from Marli, just for a moment, but long enough for him to become frightened. Today at supper, I asked him about what he learned at the Science Centre.

He said, "I learned not to run away from mummy."

Vignette: Impatience

Scene: Saturday morning before Easter Sunday. I've just explained some of the things which will be happening on Sunday morning - Church, easter egg hunt, etc. I briefly outline some of the theological underpinnings of the day - hope when hope seems lost, new beginnings, etc. Daigoro is excited.

Kozure: So, Daigoro - one more sleep until Easter!

Daigoro looks very excited, then lays down and closes his eyes.

Kozure: Daigoro, what are you doing?

Daigoro cracks one eye.

Daigoro: I'm sleeping! Now I'm awake. It's Easter?

Quote Gold

Daigoro has been the source of some pretty funny quotation material lately. A few samples:

"We're running in a race but we don't know where we're going."

(interesting summation of the plight of modern man)

"If you like something then you like it."

(circular reasoning or Zen philosophy?)

"I'm kicking you because I love you."

(school-yard romances prefigured)

[After being given bacon for the first time] "Oh my goodness... I love bacon!"

(cardiovascular problems ahead)

More to come... I've suddenly drawn a blank. Watch this space.