Week of October 22, 2003

We discovered Lupa Game Farm (above pictures) in Granby (Chicopee?) late in the season. Who knew they were there? The trip was a hit, though, and we're going to be waiting for Spring eagerly.

Owen's words continue to improve. Although few people hear him besides his father and I, he's talking in sentences. In the bath (filled with suds for his amusement), he was conversing extensively with his trains. "Are you [something or other] James? Yes I am!" His pronunciation has gotten better so I think the biggest hurdle is just waiting for him to improve while we work harder to understand what he's saying. In spite of hearing Thomas the Tank Engine stories all the time, I still have trouble figuring out all the bits that he recites to himself. It's always excited to figure it out, Scott sleuthed out "filthy" and suddenly we placed the whole phrase: "I'm filthy, achoo (sneezing from coal dust). Don't call me dirty Percy".

I was a bit worried that most of what he does is recite from stories and mimic what people say. But he can also make observations, about the moon and trees, his trains, and what we're doing. He asks for things, explains what he needs. He points things out. One favorite phrase he can say all too often "kitty spit up!" "I can't reach it" "I want cold water" "Thank you Daddy" "Thank you Mummy" and the ever popular, "I want [x, y or z]" (to go into town, cake, chocolate, milk, cold water, egg, cookie, orange, apple, story, Pooh, Piglet, Clifford, Thomas, track, chicken, pizza, bubbles, suds, ball, rock, swing, outside etc.")

We've made progress with the tooth brushing. We're not taking as an assertive role as we might, but it had become such an ugly struggle that we really wanted to make it less loathsome for all of us. Limit dread before working on hygiene. We've opted for singing the ABC song while Owen brushes his own teeth, and whether he likes the autonomy or likes the song, things have gotten much more cooperative. I hope it sticks. He's starting to sing it to us as well, along with Thomas the Tank Engine, and Wiggles. With maybe a little Piglet thrown in for good measure.

Owen's figuring out the mechanics of things around the house, and this includes the volume on the stereo, the CD player on the floor in his room, and the on switch of the computer monitor. I'm sure more will be coming, but that's what he's doing this week. He's noticing absolutely everything around him, which is a mixed blessing. Anyway, he's figured out the phone, both how to pick it up and answer, and also how to turn it on. A telemarketer called and I think we should have let him take the phone call from the telemarketer himself! He picked up the phone,a and while Scott was talking with him, he was doing his own thing on the other phone. "Hello. It's me Owey. Byebye."

I managed to trim his hair this week. Cutting Owen's hair has been a horrible struggle, with me trying to clip one piece at a time while he struggled with all his might. This time around, for some unknown reason, I caught him in a cooperative mood. Maybe he was just tired of asking Di to put his hair up and realized I was going to make it shorter. It's not a fabulous cut, but it's a fabulous cut for someone working with an uncooperative little boy. The fact that he was merely impatient and modestly resistant was a real victory, previous attempts had him flailing his head and practically rocking out of his high chair. Given my struggle, it's a pretty good cut.

The bad part of course is that he's looking more like a little boy than ever. Watching him change from a baby into a boy has been a delight, in spite of the contrariness, and that takes some of the sting away from time passing so quickly. Will we blink again, and he'll be asking for the car keys?

 

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