Peter really wanted to go trick or treating. He watched all day in anticipation for when it would get dark. He talked about it all day and discussed what had to happen before he could go trick or treating. We've been practicing knocking and thanking for days.
Six o'clock chimed and he watched in fascination as the first big group of trick or treaters came to our door before he and I entered the fray.
We walked around the neighborhood for 30ish minutes...in the wind and the rain and the sub 40 temps. My legs got soaked and felt like icicles. And during that entire time Peter only approached one house - our own. One lady saw his hesitation and brought her candy bowl down to the sidewalk and still he refused to take a piece. Instead she gave me the Twix bar.
I guess the evening was about the cold, wet journey and not the sweet, chocolatey destination.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Halloween - Keepin' it Real
Peter has been very undecided about costume choices all month. I heard a lot of ideas: butterfly, work man, horse, girl, etc. Then late in the month a new front runner - dragon.
As luck would have it, I was at the Goodwill looking through the Halloween stuff and they had a dragon costume. It is a size too small for Peter, so he looks a bit like Urkel. The hems fall around mid shin and the crotch is so snug it looks like it is strangling important boy parts. But he loves it, and it was cheap money, so I was sold. I threw a pair of green knee socks on him to disguise just how short the pants are and he was good to go.
Except, he refuses to wear the hood. Absolute refusal even for a few seconds for me to take a picture. It definitely reduces the verisimilitude.
Now, Elliot, is still at an age where I have complete control over costumes. I decided on train engineer simply because we had all the clothes, they all fit him and they did not hinder his walking which is still shaky at times even under the best of circumstances.
Except he won't wear his hat either. I think it is a mutiny...a costume headgear mutiny.
Thankfully, Peter will wear the train engineer hat. It is many sizes too small for him and you have to use a shoe horn to get it on, but he loves that thing (he is getting a bigger one for Christmas, but don't tell him) even when it gives him a headache.
All that to say, we are finally ready for Halloween, but I'm pretty sure it is going to be rained out by old party pooper Sandy. It is currently 36 degrees and raining, and tomorrow evening is supposed to be slightly less pleasant. Boo.
As luck would have it, I was at the Goodwill looking through the Halloween stuff and they had a dragon costume. It is a size too small for Peter, so he looks a bit like Urkel. The hems fall around mid shin and the crotch is so snug it looks like it is strangling important boy parts. But he loves it, and it was cheap money, so I was sold. I threw a pair of green knee socks on him to disguise just how short the pants are and he was good to go.
Except, he refuses to wear the hood. Absolute refusal even for a few seconds for me to take a picture. It definitely reduces the verisimilitude.
Now, Elliot, is still at an age where I have complete control over costumes. I decided on train engineer simply because we had all the clothes, they all fit him and they did not hinder his walking which is still shaky at times even under the best of circumstances.
Except he won't wear his hat either. I think it is a mutiny...a costume headgear mutiny.
Thankfully, Peter will wear the train engineer hat. It is many sizes too small for him and you have to use a shoe horn to get it on, but he loves that thing (he is getting a bigger one for Christmas, but don't tell him) even when it gives him a headache.
All that to say, we are finally ready for Halloween, but I'm pretty sure it is going to be rained out by old party pooper Sandy. It is currently 36 degrees and raining, and tomorrow evening is supposed to be slightly less pleasant. Boo.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Costumes
Though not the ones they are wearing for Halloween.
And a random video of Peter building his ghoul bus at Lowes.
And a random video of Peter building his ghoul bus at Lowes.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Peter's Menu Planner
Peter has been in charge of planning the dinner menu for the last week and a half. Last week we cut out pictures from the grocery ads and he picked which of the foods from each category he wanted for dinner each night. But, it was difficult because grocery ads are heavy on proteins and processed foods and light on fruits and veggies. This week, for example, I counted 16 sources of somewhat healthy protein, 4 each of green and non-green veggies and 5 fruits. So I decided to make my own picture cards.
On the new chart, all the cards are on velcro tabs. Peter has 14 - 16 choices for each category, and he can pick from those the 9 items in each category that he wants to eat in the upcoming week and a half. Then we grocery shop for those foods, and each morning he picks what he wants for dinner. We put that night's dinner choices on top. Tonight he wanted kale, corn, kiwi and beans. I made it into soup...well, the kiwi was served on the side.
Tomorrow morning we will take down the kale, corn, kiwi and beans and put those away with the other cards. Then he will pick dinner from what is left. By the end of the week, the pickings will be getting slimmer and he will be eating foods that he has previously rejected.
In other news...GO BLUE!!!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Elliot's Joke
For the last few days Elliot has been telling a joke.
It goes like this...
He is laying on the changing table and I am starting to dress him. I grab a sock and he lifts his right foot (always his right) and offers it to me to be socked. I grab the other sock and he offers his left foot. I grab his pants and he offers his right leg, and then once I get that leg in he offers his left. I shimmy his pants on and I grab his shirt and get it ready to go over his head. And that is when he, gleam in his eye, mischief in his smile, offers his right foot again. He can't contain himself, as soon as I look up and meet his eyes he starts giggling hysterically. Then I slide the shirt over his foot and exclaim in surprise that something is not right!
It goes like this...
He is laying on the changing table and I am starting to dress him. I grab a sock and he lifts his right foot (always his right) and offers it to me to be socked. I grab the other sock and he offers his left foot. I grab his pants and he offers his right leg, and then once I get that leg in he offers his left. I shimmy his pants on and I grab his shirt and get it ready to go over his head. And that is when he, gleam in his eye, mischief in his smile, offers his right foot again. He can't contain himself, as soon as I look up and meet his eyes he starts giggling hysterically. Then I slide the shirt over his foot and exclaim in surprise that something is not right!
After Playing at the Kids' Gym...
Peter: Why do we have to leave?
Me: They are closing the gym.
Peter: Why do they need to close the gym?
Me: To clean it.
Peter: Clean what?
Me: The gym.
Peter: What gym?
Me: ??? [hits head against wall]
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Me: They are closing the gym.
Peter: Why do they need to close the gym?
Me: To clean it.
Peter: Clean what?
Me: The gym.
Peter: What gym?
Me: ??? [hits head against wall]
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
F is for Frustrating Fish
While I read the book Blueberries for Sal, Peter used pattern blocks to make the word for. This proved very difficult, because he was so nervous about the story that he kept having to get out of his chair to hide behind the couch.
Then we made a fish out of ripped and crumpled construction paper. I thought this would be a nice, easy, low-mess craft, but it ended up being very frustrating for all parties concerned.
Inexplicably, Peter couldn't rip or crumple construction paper even after I demonstrated many times. What kind of kid can't rip things? Elliot kept trying to eat the construction paper. I decided to bail on the whole thing and tried to distract the kids to other activities, but then Peter started crying about not finishing the fish - even though mere minutes before he had been crying about having to make a fish. Kids!!!
Then we made a fish out of ripped and crumpled construction paper. I thought this would be a nice, easy, low-mess craft, but it ended up being very frustrating for all parties concerned.
Inexplicably, Peter couldn't rip or crumple construction paper even after I demonstrated many times. What kind of kid can't rip things? Elliot kept trying to eat the construction paper. I decided to bail on the whole thing and tried to distract the kids to other activities, but then Peter started crying about not finishing the fish - even though mere minutes before he had been crying about having to make a fish. Kids!!!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Two Milestones for Peter
We started our F unit today. That is certainly not a milestone; Peter has known all the letters for a very long time. At this point we are simply using the alphabet to give us some cohesion - during this unit we will learn a few F sight words, read some F stories, practice writing the letter F and make F arts and crafts.
The first milestone is that Peter has started to sound out CVC words on his own. He cut out four words, read them and correctly pasted them onto their pictures.
The second milestone is one that I have been waiting for for a long time: Peter walked all the way to his favorite rock and home again. That is about 1.75 miles. It has been frustrating when he couldn't quite make it there and back. I would take the double stroller so he could ride part of the way, but then he would want to ride the whole time. I would end up pushing both kids the whole walk which was good exercise for me, but wasn't tiring Peter out like I was aiming for. Today I finally felt confident enough to just take Elliot in the single stroller and let Peter fend for himself. He started whining a little over a mile into the walk, but we played games and sang songs to distract him and he made it home none the worse for wear.
The first milestone is that Peter has started to sound out CVC words on his own. He cut out four words, read them and correctly pasted them onto their pictures.
The second milestone is one that I have been waiting for for a long time: Peter walked all the way to his favorite rock and home again. That is about 1.75 miles. It has been frustrating when he couldn't quite make it there and back. I would take the double stroller so he could ride part of the way, but then he would want to ride the whole time. I would end up pushing both kids the whole walk which was good exercise for me, but wasn't tiring Peter out like I was aiming for. Today I finally felt confident enough to just take Elliot in the single stroller and let Peter fend for himself. He started whining a little over a mile into the walk, but we played games and sang songs to distract him and he made it home none the worse for wear.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Making a Fire Truck at Home Depot
Peter and Daddy went to the Home Depot kid clinic this morning. It was fire truck week and they went all out. There were fire fighters and fire trucks there. There was a trailer that you could go in to practice crawling low to stay out of the (real) smoke. There was a warm door to teach about feeling doors before you open them in case of fire.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Perler Beads
Peter has been playing with his bucket of Biggie Perler Beads for over a year - but up until now he just used them as a sensory medium, something to push around with his backhoe or scoop up with a slotted spoon.
Today I pulled them out and showed him how to put them on the plastic frame and then I ironed his creations. He went to town with this activity for over an hour and ended up with four different shapes of artwork. He gave them to Nana and she said she is going to put hooks on them and use them as Christmas tree decorations.
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