So lately I have been getting into playing with all kinds of balls. I definitely love kicking soccer balls around the house or outside on the ball field. I can even dribble! But my favorite ball to play with right now is a tennis ball. First off, they fit well in my hand. We can play inside with them, either kicking, throwing, or using the racquet (which sometimes I call a bat). Or outside on the tennis courts or just on the grass. Sometimes Appa throws the ball waaaaay up high which I love. I am pretty good at throwing the ball, and Amma says I've improved a lot with the racquet - I connect sometimes with a 'serve'. Most of the time I throw the ball overhand, but I've got a good underhand too (see the pic below).
Singing and dancing makes me happy. Sometimes I'll request a song, and my requests have moved beyond just the Wheels on the bus to ones like Baa baa black sheep, Monkey chased the weasel, Twinkle twinkle little star, or the ABC's. (And by the way I am able to sing more parts of more songs now, which is fun.) And associated with singing is dancing! This is encouraged by Amma and people like Kristin who comes weekly to the McGregor's for music class, or friend Nii Armah who teaches me (and Amma and tambi) African singing and dancing (a dondo pweep a dondo pweep pweep, you no go put you no go chop, tu man ge ley). I can throw in a somersault in the middle of a circle, and I dance like (and I quote) "Travolta in Grease with some withering moves" (per Don).
I try to connect to people through stories. The good news is that it is slightly easier for Amma and Appa to figure out what I am saying this month (maybe up to 15 percent of the intent gets across?). A few of my recent new or favorite words and phrases are spicy, catch it, dark, cool, careful (especially cute when said to Amma carrying tambi down the Sanitas trail), camping, shovel. I love to say moon and to point out the full bright moon. I am working on my numbers and months. I will repeat anything you say to me. And I am especially good at finishing the parts to Goodnight Moon when you pause and wait for me (like saying moon, house, mouse, brush, mush, Hush!, socks, etc.). I will also point out that the fire is hot even if you don't talk about it. My Tamil also continues to expand, like working on numbers up to batey (sp?, aka ten).
Thambi, my little brother, is pretty cute. I get excited to see him, especially in the morning when he is playing on the floor in his 'play gym'. I try to fist bump him, but he doesn't yet get the exploding bit yet. I guess I will have to teach it to him when he gets older. For now, I hold onto his hand or foot or kiss his head or pat his belly. Amma and Appa have to say 'gentle' or 'careful' less frequently now. And I like our morning walks to the McGregors where Amma carries me on her back and tambi on her front.
The main issue I had over the past few months was sleep (in that I wasn't going to sleep at a reasonable time in the evening). But over the past few weeks Amma instituted a more specific routine and talked to me about it (I even have my own sleep plan book complete with pictures). As a result, my sleep has improved dramatically! (It still isn't perfect, but is moving in the right direction). Right before I fall asleep sometimes I say things which reveal my thoughts - for now they are on things like dosai, or tunnel, or tani (water). Amma loves hearing this.
I am interested in people (especially the young kind) more than playgrounds. I like to offer others food before eating it myself.
Recently I have gotten really good at moving on my scooter - inside though since I haven't learned to brake yet. I can push off with my left foot and then balance very well on my right as I cruise down Appa's hallway.
I love to sing happy birthday and blow out candles. When we celebrated grandma's birthday I kind of thought the candles were for me.
I continue to love spending weekdays at Don and Barbara McGregor's with my friends. There we do all kinds of fun things. Like hear great stories from Don, or pick apples from the trees, or build train tracks, or do science labs, or go on mini-expeditions to pick apples or plums or grapes, or dance with scarves, or eat yummy food that Don makes, or learn new songs from Barbara, or play soccer or with tennis balls, or cook vittles on the fire. Occasionally we even have a treasure hunt in the back yard. Amma says I am picking up a lot of great things.
Thank you God for friends and Amma and Appa, for scooters and balls, for tambi and hiking, for seasons and corn, and for music and dancing.
Singing and dancing makes me happy. Sometimes I'll request a song, and my requests have moved beyond just the Wheels on the bus to ones like Baa baa black sheep, Monkey chased the weasel, Twinkle twinkle little star, or the ABC's. (And by the way I am able to sing more parts of more songs now, which is fun.) And associated with singing is dancing! This is encouraged by Amma and people like Kristin who comes weekly to the McGregor's for music class, or friend Nii Armah who teaches me (and Amma and tambi) African singing and dancing (a dondo pweep a dondo pweep pweep, you no go put you no go chop, tu man ge ley). I can throw in a somersault in the middle of a circle, and I dance like (and I quote) "Travolta in Grease with some withering moves" (per Don).
I try to connect to people through stories. The good news is that it is slightly easier for Amma and Appa to figure out what I am saying this month (maybe up to 15 percent of the intent gets across?). A few of my recent new or favorite words and phrases are spicy, catch it, dark, cool, careful (especially cute when said to Amma carrying tambi down the Sanitas trail), camping, shovel. I love to say moon and to point out the full bright moon. I am working on my numbers and months. I will repeat anything you say to me. And I am especially good at finishing the parts to Goodnight Moon when you pause and wait for me (like saying moon, house, mouse, brush, mush, Hush!, socks, etc.). I will also point out that the fire is hot even if you don't talk about it. My Tamil also continues to expand, like working on numbers up to batey (sp?, aka ten).
Thambi, my little brother, is pretty cute. I get excited to see him, especially in the morning when he is playing on the floor in his 'play gym'. I try to fist bump him, but he doesn't yet get the exploding bit yet. I guess I will have to teach it to him when he gets older. For now, I hold onto his hand or foot or kiss his head or pat his belly. Amma and Appa have to say 'gentle' or 'careful' less frequently now. And I like our morning walks to the McGregors where Amma carries me on her back and tambi on her front.
The main issue I had over the past few months was sleep (in that I wasn't going to sleep at a reasonable time in the evening). But over the past few weeks Amma instituted a more specific routine and talked to me about it (I even have my own sleep plan book complete with pictures). As a result, my sleep has improved dramatically! (It still isn't perfect, but is moving in the right direction). Right before I fall asleep sometimes I say things which reveal my thoughts - for now they are on things like dosai, or tunnel, or tani (water). Amma loves hearing this.
I am interested in people (especially the young kind) more than playgrounds. I like to offer others food before eating it myself.
Recently I have gotten really good at moving on my scooter - inside though since I haven't learned to brake yet. I can push off with my left foot and then balance very well on my right as I cruise down Appa's hallway.
I love to sing happy birthday and blow out candles. When we celebrated grandma's birthday I kind of thought the candles were for me.
I continue to love spending weekdays at Don and Barbara McGregor's with my friends. There we do all kinds of fun things. Like hear great stories from Don, or pick apples from the trees, or build train tracks, or do science labs, or go on mini-expeditions to pick apples or plums or grapes, or dance with scarves, or eat yummy food that Don makes, or learn new songs from Barbara, or play soccer or with tennis balls, or cook vittles on the fire. Occasionally we even have a treasure hunt in the back yard. Amma says I am picking up a lot of great things.
Thank you God for friends and Amma and Appa, for scooters and balls, for tambi and hiking, for seasons and corn, and for music and dancing.
