A- seems to be a bit more irritable. Maybe teething – her last set of molars? Anyway, lots of tantrums, so we've been prioritizing sleep and patience lately.

• Kaizen
  • W- and I are making an effort to become more social, and it seems to be working out nicely.
  • We moved A-‘s table into the kitchen to see what that's like. It works well with her chairs and with the blue stool.
  • I worked on learning a new knot: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm
• Us
  • I felt grumpy and frustrated because I couldn't make it out to a friend's mother's funeral, and because A- wanted me to talk to her instead of thinking out loud about friendship.
  • I reflected on my priorities, and decided I was okay with our choices.
  • W- let me have a much appreciated nap one morning.
• Fine motor
  • A- now asks to play patty cake, and she alternates the motions pretty well.
  • We borrowed a pair of dressing practice shoes from the JFRC. A- easily buttoned and unbuttoned the shoe, and she did a decent job of tying a bow too.
• Language
  • A- said, “It's raining.” I said, “That's okay.” She said, “It's part of life.”
  • “I want to be a baker.”
  • “But I'm still, like, two.”
  • More Twenty Questions: “I want something to chew on. Something with two ends. Something with two openings.” “Is it a straw?”
  • A- didn't want me to think out loud, so she said, “No mama talk to her heart. Talk to me.”
  • “Do you have your membership card?”
  • “I love love love dinosaurs.”
• Self-care and independence
  • A- slept in the middle of the bed after asking me to give her more space. She's becoming more independent.
  • We went for a meet and greet with a family doctor taking new patients. A- was initially hesitant, but she warmed up after getting a not-entirely-necessary ear exam, a definitely unnecessary bandage, and a bunch of stickers. We'll check out a nearby doctor first before deciding on one and sending the records over.
  • There's a rough spot on one of A-‘s teeth where the bond seems to be peeling away. A- patiently let me look at her tooth.
  • A- can handle chewable acetaminophen.
  • A- announced, “I need to go to bed.” Then she went upstairs and got started on the bedtime routine.
• Sleep
  • W- managed to insist on A- having a nap by being quiet and in a dark room. I think he sat in front of the door and patted her back. She fell asleep on the carpet.
• Emotion
  • A- probably felt a bit overwhelmed and overtired after the party at Uncle Jason's. After we had settled in at home, she had a tantrum. She tried exercising too much control over play, so W- took a break, and then A- got super upset and didn't want to be touched or consoled. Eventually she wanted me to pick her up, and I snuggled her and helped her calm down. I told her my best guess of how she was feeling and why, and she said, “Yeah.” She also asked me to talk about the day, so I reviewed it with her, and we talked a little about the fun she had as well.
  • I forgot the carrier at a friend's place. A- had a big tantrum because she wanted to be carried in it.
  • To help A- with her emotions, we talked a little about breathing.
  • The daily review sometimes triggers tantrums. I wonder if I should avoid talking about the things that might upset her, or maybe move our review to when she has more energy…
  • A- tried tipping chairs over to express her frustration.
• Social
  • Hala invited us for an impromptu get-together along with Ewan, E-, and S-. I was a little worried about A-‘s energy level because she hadn't napped, but she was just fine. We all had lots of fun. A- particularly liked playing with toys and watching the other kids. I brought the garlic mushroom and broccoli dish I'd made just that afternoon – good timing!
  • We shared some of the pizza we made with a friend who lives nearby.
  • A- was getting fixated on Facebook video effects, and I didn't like how it distracted from our conversations with Lola. I'm going to nudge us away from it.
  • We visited Joy and J-. It was good to spend time with them, especially as they've been avoiding drop-in centres in order to minimize the risk of getting sick.
  • A- is becoming more social. She often talks about friends, is excited about seeing people, and asks to invite people over or visit them.
• Pretend
  • A- put some playdough in a cup and told me that she made halo halo for me.
• Cognition
  • A- liked the bunny filter in Facebook video chat. The filter made a carrot fly in whenever A- opened her mouth, so A- asked for a real carrot and munched on that too.
  • A- looked at the clock and announced it was quarter to eight, which it was.
  • A- completed the ring puzzle in order of size, correcting herself along the way.
• Other
  • A- found the baby hat I made her. She had fun wearing it again, and the sight was very amusing.

Blog posts

• Weekly review: Week ending November 23, 2018
• 2018-11-26 Emacs news

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