• Kaizen
  • I emptied my gardening toolbox. Maybe I can repurpose it for educational supplies.
  • I did a tiny bit of exercise at the playground while waiting for A-.
  • I coded a couple of Emacs tweaks for easier phone use: synchronized configuration files, Org capture templates, and bouncing an item between my Org file and my inbox so that it’s easier to edit in Orgzly.
  • The babysitter thought the activity list was very helpful, and was able to use it to guide A-‘s learning while also letting A- take the lead.
  • I tidied up my basement workspace. It feels quite a bit nicer now.
  • I made a Tasker task to update Memento Database journal entries with new text and categories. I used am broadcast to trigger it from the command line on my phone, and then wrote an Emacs Lisp function so that I could call it from my phone or my laptop (via ssh). That might make updating my journal even easier!
  • I parsed my activity ideas for A- and made a table I could print out easily, with space for notes.
• Us
  • I bent the hole punch trying to use it on felt, so W- tried to fix it.
  • I passed some things on to Joy in case they help with toddler bedwetting.
  • I had to boot to Windows to open the Ontario photo card form, which was a bit annoying.
  • We watched the first episode of Good Omens.
  • We finished the first playthrough of Borderlands 1.
  • I bought the Borderlands 2 Handsome Collection on Steam so that I could do some PC gaming with W-. We’ve played it a lot on PS3, but this might give us a little more of a runway before we upgrade to a PS4.
• Fine motor
  • A- liked the nature class activities, like using a clothespin to pick up pretend worms.
  • A- practised making playdough roses.
• Sensory
  • A- asked me to help her swing higher and faster on the big kids swing.
  • At the playground, A- was interested in filtering sand using the small sand toys as well as the big table.
  • I bought small alphabet beads just in case A- wanted to practise beading and spelling. She pretended they were sungka shells, and she also put them in a small container and turned them into a rattle.
  • Instead of going to the splash pad, A- wanted to stay home and play with water in the backyard. She extended the awning, then spent some time filling containers with water and transferring water between them. It worked out pretty nicely, actually, since she could play in the shade and she had a lot more control over the water.
• Language
  • “I’m trying different ways. Let me explore.”
  • “Once upon a time, there was a girl named A- who loved chamfering.”
  • “Sorry, what did you say?”
  • A- telling W- how to make taho: “First you start with a tall glass. Let me show you. Dear Nannies on Call…” (Whenever A- gets interested in something a little obscure, W- and I like to joke about asking the babysitter agency to send us someone with specific qualifications – materials science, Latin, etc.)
  • A- got the hang of the “No, you verb.” So we tried tossing different words at her. She successfully said, “No, you prevaricate,” and “No, you abdicate,” but fizzled out when I tried to get her to say antidisestablishmentarianism.
  • A- told a story that started, “Once there was a little boy named Dad who loved lava lamps.”
• Art
  • A- learned a little about masking as an art technique.
• Self-care and independence
  • A-: “1. Floss your teeth. 2. Brush your teeth. 3. Rinse and spit. 4. Go to sleep. 5. Snuggle in your sleep sack.” W-: “6. Sleep by yourself?” A-: <shakes head no>
  • A- practised closing her food containers and putting them into her snack bag. She was even able to close the round ones.
  • The presenter at the parenting workshop encouraged us to use grown-up toothpaste for kids who can rinse and spit instead of letting them get used to the sweet taste of kids’ toothpaste. She also said that Toronto water is fluoridated enough that brushing with tap water is enough for kids younger than three, and to check with the dentist to see if they need more fluoride. A- prefers the mildness of the fluoridated bubblemint toothpaste she has over the Arm & Hammer sensitive one we use. I might try other brands to see if we can find a mild one.
• Eating
  • Since A- was curious about Filipino snacks, I volunteered to make her some taho. I explained that we needed tofu and tapioca pearls. She latched on to the idea of tapioca pearls, said she loved them, and wanted to go buy them right away.
  • A- asked us to make taho, although I think she was just into it for the tapioca pearls and the maple syrup that we substitute for arnibal.
• Household
  • A- watered the grass.
• Social
  • We went to AW’s party. There were more than a handful of other kids close to their age. A- liked taking turns knocking down bowling pins with balls. She also turned the small hoops into hula hoops, chased and blew bubbles, and asked me to read books many times.
  • A- practised introducing ourselves. “I’m A-, and this is my mother, Sacha.”
  • I stirred the sand in the funnel so that it wouldn’t get stuck. A- told me, “Get out of my space.” Yay setting boundaries!
  • At the parenting workshop, A- patiently let the facilitator demonstrate different ways of helping a baby with gas.
• Pretend
  • “Where am I going with S-? Can I go to outer space?”
• Cognition
  • I used paint swatches to make a simple colour game for A-, but she was more interested in scattering the cards.
  • A- was concerned about the skin peeling off the soles of her feet. We told her that the more she walks and runs, the stronger and tougher her feet get. She ran to the other room and back, then sat down eagerly to check her feet.
  • A- asked to open the bag of balls that we bought. I was mystified and had to retrace our steps out loud before I remembered we bought a bag of tapioca. She’s got a good memory!
  • A- recognized $5 and $10 while looking at paper money, and I started teaching her about $50.
  • I drew shapes with chalk, and A- identified them.
  • A- worked on solving the jigsaw puzzle. We took turns sorting the pieces based on whether or not they had straight edges. She solved the outside with a little help, and then solved the inside almost all by herself.
  • A- wanted both of us to apply the temporary tattoos from the fire station. She helped me count to thirty each time.
• World
  • After the party, A- asked to go to the Filipino variety store I had mentioned on the way. She said she was curious about the Philippines.
  • I walked all the way to Walmart to buy a lava lamp, since A- had been curious about lava lamps for the past few days. We all found it pretty interesting to look at, and it gave us an excuse to talk about how it works.
  • There was a lot of litter at the playground, so I used the plastic bag and tongs I’d brought to clean things up a little. A- helped me pick up garbage and throw things into the bin. It was good tongs practice for her, and great for turning something that would have annoyed me into something I felt good about helping A- learn.
  • A- watched the wax rise and fall in the lava lamp. Then she spooned up some yogurt and let it fall into her bowl.
  • A-‘s bedtime conversation mostly focused on how she’s mama’s first and daddy’s second kiddo. She seemed tickled pink by that.
  • We passed by the fire station on the way to another errand. A- was curious about the fire trucks, so I crouched beside the stroller and explained things to her. A firefighter came out and invited us in for a tour. A- asked a couple of questions, and she got stickers, colouring sheets, temporary tattoos, and a fire safety activity booklet. Fun!
• Other
  • We donated many 2T and 3T clothes through a clothing swap, with the extras going to the New Mom Project. All the other clothes and toys were for smaller kids, so we didn’t end up with stuff for A-, but many families were happy to take A-‘s hand-me-downs.
  • A- patiently waited as we went on lots of errands. We bought a paint roller, tapioca pearls, the next size up of underwear, lactase pills, and sunscreen. Then we went to the park and had lots of fun.
  • I chatted with Melissa about school readiness and I shared the comprehensive checklist I found at https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/t2k_schoolreadiness.pdf .

Blog posts

• Making a numpad-based hydra for categorizing Org list items
• 2019-06-03 Emacs news

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