Things are starting to feel a little normal again. We've been going to the EarlyON learning centre, and A- likes playing with the toys and kids there. I've been prioritizing sleep and joining A- for afternoon naps. I managed to do a tiny bit of consulting by sneaking it in whenever I woke up before A- did, although there are still quite a few things on my list. A- still often has tantrums when resisting bedtime or when I refuse to nurse, but W- can usually calm her down. We've gotten back into the rhythm of planning the week's meals and preparing them during the weekend. The mini-vacuum is back, too, so it's a little easier cleaning the house. I started working on another little project, so we'll see how that goes.

• Gross motor
  • A- and I had lots of fun chasing each other around her tower in the kitchen.
  • We've been going to a nearby EarlyON centre because A- loves their riding toys. Today she learned how to pedal a tricycle. I helped her figure out how to push with one foot and then the other, lifting the foot she's not pushing with so that she doesn't get confused. She's really looking forward to getting her own pedal bike after she can coast well on her balance bike! (5.1.5 Riding Toys)
• Language
  • For some reason, A- has been using the excuse “I'm too young to read / fold laundry / …”.
  • A- dramatically collapsed on the floor, saying, “I fall on the harsh floor.” W- and I looked at each other and said, “Harsh?” We laughed at the playful drama.
  • A- took some of the magnetic tiles to a corner away from the other kids, saying she wanted a “quiet area.” (2.2 Self-regulation)
  • A- liked substituting ideas in books. LIttle Excavator became Big Excavator, and Never Follow a Dinosaur became Never Follow an Excavator. She corrected us whenever we used the original words from the books. (4. Cognition)
• Self-care and independence
  • We went to the ocularist for a checkup. A- was pretty anxious, and often reminded herself about the toy box. The ocularist said she'll get a new conformer in November. In the meantime, the ocularist polished her conformer, and A- picked a box of crayons from the toy box.
• Sleep
  • Much resistance to bedtime until I used my stern voice, after which she settled down after 8h of awake time and about 5m additional fussing. She had a big tantrum earlier because of weaning, but W- helped her settle down by pretending to make muffins.
  • A- had a big tantrum resisting bedtime because she wanted a bath. W- calmed her down after lots of snuggling.
• Social
  • A- played with J- in A-‘s room, shooing other people away by saying, “Private!”
  • A- had a small owie and insisted on W- for comfort. “Mama's kisses don't work. Daddy's kisses do.”
  • We went to the EarlyON centre in a nearby school. A- enjoyed playing with the toys inside and outside the centre. Unlike many centres, it has a nice outdoor space, and the facilitator has done a good job of focusing on loose parts and natural materials.
  • We spent all day at the EarlyON centre. A- liked riding on the riding toys, pushing the dryer drum around, painting, and playing with magnetic tiles.
  • After music class, we went to the EarlyON centre. A- enjoyed listening to the story and playing with riding toys. We spent the afternoon at the park playing with Melissa and H-, whom we met at the EarlyON centre.
  • A- enjoyed music class, walking around to music and playing shakers and bells. She wanted to be carried about half the time. At the end of the class, she gave the teacher a hug.
• World
  • W- went for a haircut, so A- and I came along and watched the hairstylist work.
• Us
  • We roasted a duck, marinated chicken adobo, and also prepared pork chops. Yum yum yum.
  • I checked out a nearby daycare. A- enjoyed playing with their toys, but the approach was a bit more academic-focused and less play-based, so we decided to continue keeping A- at home.

Blog posts

• Monthly review: August 2018
• Weekly review: Week ending September 7, 2018

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