Today is November 9, 2016 - a day after the election - I have the need to make of list of all the things you can do: You are a couple of weeks before your 22 month birthday.
As of yesterday, you can sing the alphabet in English, count to 10 in both English and French while sometimes mixing up the languages. You love to watch the French programs on TV and seem to soak up all new ideas
Songs: Fav: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Twinkle Little Star
Finger songs including anyone or anything that you are playing with or thinking about.
- you sing it in French as well as English
Baa Baa Black Sheep
ABCs
The Wheels on the Bus
You like to tickle us between the slats of the chairs at the dinner table. When you Findlay great uncles were having dinner with us and also your Grandma, you tickled all of us except the great uncles. You were not quite comfortable enough to touch them.
You say please when you want help. You say "merci, Granny". You say "Happy Birthday Grandad" whenever you see a birthday cake because we celebrated his bd with you all.. You say, "I Love You". You know how to bring up UTube on your Mom's phone. When we put up U Tube on TV, you want to swipe your finger over the screen to make it work. UTube is where we find Peppa Pig episodes in both English and French.
You are the best.
November 18 - you speak to Mama in French. You ask for Cheerios and Milk, Yogurt. --when you arrive in the morning.
We were singing Itsy Bitsy Spider and you raced off to get your colouring book which has a picture that I coloured a week ago of Spiders. (We just returned to OKI from Alberta last evening.)
When putting stickers on the window, you wanted to add a "Chapeau" to one of the princesses. You put it on upside down, said uppydown and adjusted it so it was right. You remembered that I had called a dinosaur in the sandbox "goofy" and said he was goofy because he doesn't stand up by himself.
On the way to the beach, (Nov 25), you were singing the alphabet song. You love to dig in the sand and fill a castle form, pack it and then dump it. You say, "pack it, dump it" The beach is a fun place with you although you sometimes race away and Grandad has to run to catch up with you.
You were talking through a frog toy yesterday.
You continue to like the "sleepies" game. You line up who ever or whatever toy you are playing with and cover them up to their chins. Yesterday, you were playing with the Peppa Pig family and decided that Grnadad and I should play, so you went off to your bedroom and brought the quilt and two regular sized pillows to the living-room so we could also be covered.
You said, "Grandad, what doing? Com'on".
This am we were playing with bubbles on the back deck. You said the yellow wand was "mine" and didn't want to give Grandad a turn. So he took another orange wand , blew a bubble and then shared it with me. Soon you were also sharing your wand. Quick learner. When we came into the house, you said "acrobats" and raced off to the couch where in the past you and Grandad did acrobats. He held you up and you held you feet out of straight. This was very cool because we hadn't done this for a long time and you remembered.
When I was changing your "coush", it wasn't wet so I suggested that you use the potty. You did and felt very good about it. You have been watching "Daniel Tiger Potty" show so you wiped and flushed as well.
You and Mama arrived and your Grandad was not in sight. You said Grandad, Grandad, Grandad and raced to our room, knocked on the door and said "Tock, tock, tock" and burst in to greet him.
Today, we played on the back deck with bubbles. We have been getting rid of the little sand box that we have there. You started to put the sand into the dust pan and then added water to make a mud puddle like Peppa Pig has. We said you could only jump in the puddle if you were wearing boots. You immediately went to the door to get your boots. You jumped and then asked us to jump and you referred to the mud puddle using the French term. We said that we didn't have boots so we couldn't. You offered your boots to your Grandad.
We were playing the drums on anything near, like, a pot lid, an upside down dish, an empty oatmeal container, the freebie. When your Gandad was going to leave the game, you said "Where going, Grandad." You always want all three of us to play the games together. You also take turns by saying, Granny turn, Brienne, turn, Grandad turn.
You love to help make pancakes for lunch. You sit on the counter and dump the flour in and then you and Grandad stir with forks. I make three small pancakes for you, you and G. blow and then you eat them.
When we were returning from the beach, you didn't want to be in the wagon so we let you walk. You did well until suddenly you decided to go back the way we came. You run very fast and Grandad had to run a bit to catch up to you. He said the "D" word to you which is "disappointed". When your Mama was little, if he said, "Claire, I am really disappointed in you" she would cry. You were not phased by this as you didn't understand what he meant. He had to carry you back to the wagon and you agreed to get in only with a bribe on a juice box.
We bought 5 little monkey finger puppets for you. You have been reciting this since we arrived and the words become more recognizable as you say it. You were so delighted with them, you said "Wow" and smiled. We played 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed many times.
Today we were having a ft session with Grant when your Mama tried to ft with us on your Grandad's phone. So he answered and then showed you Uncle Grant on ft. Your Mama said, here is Uncle Grant and you smiled and said Hello. He was quite delighted with you.
Just want to tell you our nap time routine. Usually after lunch we play a little or watch a bit of TV usually in French. You love Peppa Pig. Then we change your coush and you trot off to your bedroom for napping. We read books, currently, Monkey Puzzle, Mud Puddle, Wheels on the Bus, and always last, Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. Then you put your head on your pillow and hug the giraffe stuffed toy. I run your back and sing " Rock a By Baby" changing the last line to say, "And I will catch Baby Brienne and all." You fall asleep and usually sleep for about 2 hours. When you waken you come to where we are and are sorta sleepy still. You want a cuddle and then you are ready to play some more.
Your Mama told us that when you were getting ready for bed, you said, Love you Granny/Grandad. We love you so much and feel concerned about leaving you on Thursday. These past months caring for you have been very special for us and also for you. You are a darling.
Your latest game is "Cashe, cashe". You sort of cover your eyes and count to 10 in French then you race off to find us. You are always surprised that we are not always hiding in the same place as the time before. You like stickers. We have some that stick on the window and can be removed that you enjoy re-arranging.
You love Peppa Pig and are not always happy when we say it isn't time to watch it but we can usually humour you out of fussing too much.. You also continue to enjoy playing in the water by the sink. Sometimes there is a flood.
So now by December 15, you can say the alphabet in two languages, you can count to 10 in three, sometimes missing cinq. You can also count in Chinese as you continue to have a play in Chinese at the library with a former student of your Mama. You continue to sing songs in both languages. When we are having a face time session, when you are tired you say "goodbye" and hope that we will go away.
We are sad about leaving you but you enjoyed the Rebecca Rabbit and Emily Elephant from Peppa Pig that we gave you. You will miss us a little but there is so much excitement in your heart and your Mama and Dada will keep you happy. Also your Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt will be there with you for Christmas. We love you and miss you. See you in March.
