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Don't worry, it's all pretend and just me in the mask!
Happy Halloween!
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“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.” -Lewis Carroll
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
H is for Hospital
One thing that keeps us from having a set school structure is our frequent-flier status at duPont Hospital for Children in DE. People think I'm kidding when I say duPont is our second home - when people ask where do I live, I often joke, "Do you mean where I spend the most time, or where they send my bills?" Between Jude and four siblings, all with multiple medical issues, it seems like between appointments for doctors and therapy, we spend more time there than we don't! In 2012, we drove over 14,500 miles just between there and home. (Seriously. 84 miles round trip times an average 3 trips/week, and I know I'm lowballing because several weeks I was there 6 times in 4 days). I could have driven to see my friend Cristi in Arizona at least twice, and I bet that road trip would have been a lot more fun! 2013 had almost as many trips, and while I haven't figured out 2014's tally, I know it's going to be crazy high because of all the trips for PT, OT, and speech. The staff knows us by sight and waves in the hall; when one kid is missing they know which one (by name) and ask where he or she is. Honestly, though -- I think duPont is the best hospital with the best specialists in the country. We've been to a lot of doctors and hospitals, and I can honestly say that duPont docs treat "Kids who are sick," not "sick kids." It's an important difference, because they put the child first and their medical conditions second; NEVER have they let the diagnosis define the child.
It makes sense that in our life, H stands for "hospital." These are pictures of what we do to pass the time at the Hospital waiting for doctors and appointments.
Stopping at the cafeteria is always one of our favorite things to pass the time. There isn't a whole lot of safe-for-our-allergies food, but thankfully the few things we can have are favorites. If we have a mid-morning appointment, we stop for breakfast. An early start out the door means breakfast before the morning drop-off routine is sacrificed. There usually isn't enough time to go home after dropping of the other kids, but it's too much time to just sit in the car and wait. The timing is perfect for a quick meal of "cube potatoes, cylinder sausage, and sphere blueberries"! Early morning appointments are usually followed by lunch before heading back to do the afternoon pick-up.
If we have enough time, we squeeze in a few minutes of schoolwork after eating. If we have a long wait between appointments and it's not a busy mealtime, we head back to the cafeteria to take advantage of the table space. Otherwise, we try to combine lessons and fun in waiting or exam rooms.
Things to do waiting for the doctor:
Watch TV (most waiting rooms have TVs that are for kids' programming only).
(There's also the iPad or mom's phone.)
Color:
Crayons and exam table paper are great for murals, tic-tac-toe boards, and writing practice. And if you run out of paper -- no problem. The doctors are really good about letting you pull out a new surface.
Hide and seek:
Some of the older clinic rooms have privacy curtains. They're good for playing hide and seek, or turning yourself into a mummy.
One of our favorite areas to play is the Outpatient Therapy Unit. They have a whole wall that is a blackboard (for working on writing and occupational skills) and some great wavy benches that are great for climbing (Physical Therapy warm up!). Sometimes if we have a long wait, our school work is done, and the weather is too icky to go outside, we go hang out here. This is Jude waiting for his brother's feeding therapy appointment to start. He is drawing how we get to the hospital. We start at our house, go over the suspension bridge, and then drive around to the hospital. Here he's putting the finishing touches on the "hop-a-copter that brings really sick kids to the hop-sital super-fast."
It's not a scale map, but he's got the basic geography - if you look at a map, NJ is on the right, DE is to it's left, and you have to go back past the bridge to get to the hospital. He has a better sense of direction than I do -- my brothers will tell you I can't find my way out of a paper bag even if you cut both ends open and give me a hose.
There are also kid-sized tables there, making it perfect for doing quiet, on-the-go schoolwork like math worksheets. The hat comes in handy for both the weather outside and instead of noise-blocking headphones.
If the weather is nice, there is also the playground.
This is Jude and his friend Joseph playing together on the slide.
Some days I wonder how did we survive without electronics? It certainly makes the"Keep them Occupied" bag much lighter. Jude is happy to play games on the iPad, or watch a movie. Once a grown up logs him into the wifi network, he's good for as long as the battery holds out. Or, if you don't want him to wander at all, bring the charging cord. He won't go farther from his seat than the cord will extend.
We have some REALLY long days with appointments lined up from early morning until late afternoon. One day, we went to eat lunch between appointments, and he decided he wasn't interested in his food. After spending four hours zig-zagging across the hospital, Jude just wanted a nap.
On another really long day, we had a 2 hour gap between appointments, but it was close to 100° - way to hot to be running on the playground. If we have several hours between appointments, we will leave and either go run errands or have a picnic at a local playground. We've found quite a few in the surrounding area that have become our favorites. But if we don't have long enough to leave, but too long to just sit in the cafeteria, we take our lunch out to the car and then watch a movie for a little while.
Back in September, I was asked to join the Neurology department's Parent Advisory Committee. One question asked of the committee: "What can make waiting better?" Many of us stack appointments so we can maximize our time there. The answer was, "An outpatient lounge -- someplace kid-friendly to hang out that isn't in the way of the open clinics, and is comfortable for long breaks." It's something that the facilitator was going to place high on the priority list, especially with winter coming. Yay!!
And on our way back home, we always check up on the workers again (and wave goodbye) as we practice our letter recognition. This word is "Big P, o, n, t."
If you'd like a virtual visit with my friend Cristi, head over to her blog, Through the Calm and Through The Storm. She's been my biggest cheerleader and best source of homeschooling and blog ideas. She's been my best friend (after the hubby!) through all of the kids' medical ups and downs and is the best Sancho Panza a mommy could have ever asked for.Cristi, in 25 words or less: Follower of Christ. Military wife. Nurse (via on the job training.) Homeschooling Mom. Allergy-friendly cook. Aspiring photographer. Chauffeur. Blogger. Runner. Friend. And much, much more.
There's a whole dictionary of words that start with H. Come see what others' favorite H words are over at Blogging through the Alphabet!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Goal Planning Monday - October 22
It's been a week? Well, or close to. It flew by, and I'm not really quite sure where it all went. Yes, I know it's Tuesday, and not Monday, but it's better than Wednesday, right? Last week just got away from me.
Updates:
1. Continue working on the Jesse Tree. Nope. I realized that next week is Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. Instead of the Jesse Tree, I changed gears, and planned out lessons for that. Back to the Jesse Tree this week.
2. Work on a new prayer. Slow progress. He's working on it.
3. Decide what we're doing for Phonics for the next little while. Bingo it was! We also played a few rounds one day after the big kids had finished homework, and they dove on the game even faster than he did!
When I was at Lakeshore Learning Store this weekend, I also picked up a couple of workbooks. We're doing a little foray into rhyming, and trying to work on some sight words as well. ETC Book C starts today.
4. Find some books Jude may have an easier time with. I think we may have found a few. I went through the basement and found some slightly shorter books. I also downloaded a couple of short story/literature packets, and have found a few issues of Highlights Magazine that have short (2-3 page max) stories.
This week's goal:
I just have one - I'd like to extend the school day again.
Yes, I'm sure Jude is going to be thrilled! We are doing well with a "core" program of Bible, Math, and Phonics, and then we added Journaling a few weeks ago. Attention wise, he's hanging in there, and doesn't seem overwhelmed by the time things take. This week we are going to add "Calendar time," and I'd like to also add one other (maybe two) daily activities if possible. Among our potential subjects:
More art. One thing it seems sometimes that goes by the wayside is "fun" stuff. We have had a lot of running, and in the interest of fitting in the basics, the "fun stuff" goes to the side. Damien also had an OT visit last week, and one of the suggestions for home therapy was painting - both on the table and on an easel. And if there is paint out for one kid...you know there is another one who will want to paint.
Start our "gym" program. (I think Lakeshore may be my new favorite store!) Another new "toy" I picked up was a circuit program. I'd like to introduce it in for 1-2 days/week.
Do more "interdisciplinary" work. I have a couple of packet downloads that intermingle literature, phonics, science, etc. I want to try to add an activity daily that is less "single subject focus" and more of an activity that crosses subjects.
This week, the goal is to just add one "subject" and see how that works, time-wise. I'm also trying to see if it may make sense to split things up a little or if I wind up "losing" Jude when we take a break.
Looking to set goals for yourself? Come blog about them over at Life Unscripted!
Updates:
1. Continue working on the Jesse Tree. Nope. I realized that next week is Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. Instead of the Jesse Tree, I changed gears, and planned out lessons for that. Back to the Jesse Tree this week.
2. Work on a new prayer. Slow progress. He's working on it.
3. Decide what we're doing for Phonics for the next little while. Bingo it was! We also played a few rounds one day after the big kids had finished homework, and they dove on the game even faster than he did!
When I was at Lakeshore Learning Store this weekend, I also picked up a couple of workbooks. We're doing a little foray into rhyming, and trying to work on some sight words as well. ETC Book C starts today.
4. Find some books Jude may have an easier time with. I think we may have found a few. I went through the basement and found some slightly shorter books. I also downloaded a couple of short story/literature packets, and have found a few issues of Highlights Magazine that have short (2-3 page max) stories.
This week's goal:
I just have one - I'd like to extend the school day again.
Yes, I'm sure Jude is going to be thrilled! We are doing well with a "core" program of Bible, Math, and Phonics, and then we added Journaling a few weeks ago. Attention wise, he's hanging in there, and doesn't seem overwhelmed by the time things take. This week we are going to add "Calendar time," and I'd like to also add one other (maybe two) daily activities if possible. Among our potential subjects:
More art. One thing it seems sometimes that goes by the wayside is "fun" stuff. We have had a lot of running, and in the interest of fitting in the basics, the "fun stuff" goes to the side. Damien also had an OT visit last week, and one of the suggestions for home therapy was painting - both on the table and on an easel. And if there is paint out for one kid...you know there is another one who will want to paint.
Start our "gym" program. (I think Lakeshore may be my new favorite store!) Another new "toy" I picked up was a circuit program. I'd like to introduce it in for 1-2 days/week.
Do more "interdisciplinary" work. I have a couple of packet downloads that intermingle literature, phonics, science, etc. I want to try to add an activity daily that is less "single subject focus" and more of an activity that crosses subjects.
This week, the goal is to just add one "subject" and see how that works, time-wise. I'm also trying to see if it may make sense to split things up a little or if I wind up "losing" Jude when we take a break.
Looking to set goals for yourself? Come blog about them over at Life Unscripted!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Grateful for new friends
This happened Tuesday. It has taken me this long to write about it -- every time I start, I get choked up.
Jude avoids people, at almost any cost. When he was in preschool, he spent most of his days in time out. When we asked him why was he fighting and misbehaving, his response was "So that everyone would leave me alone." I was astonished; not only had he figured out how to work the system, he was using it so that he could be left alone. When we have had family over for holidays, he hides in my bedroom. At first he would stay away as long as the iPad battery held out; eventually he got wise enough to take the charger with him. Last Christmas, I asked him if was going to come down to eat. He asked if people were still here. When I said they were, he said he wasn't coming down and went back into the bedroom. He's not a "people person."
Tuesday, I had an abundance of happy tears. We had been to the hospital for Damien's pre-op visit, and Jude was exceptionally well behaved during the exam. I'll grant you he had his nose in his iPad the entire morning, but he sat so quietly that the nurses even remarked how well-behaved he was. As a reward, I asked Jude if he wanted to spend a few minutes on the playground before we left. There is a large Carillon on the grounds that chimes every fifteen minutes. I knew it was about to chime any moment, so I said we could stay until the bell rang for the second time. I was sitting and watching him, with a drowsy Damien in the stroller. Jude was climbing all over the equipment by himself. Suddenly, I heard two voices distinct through the general chatter, then saw two boys playing.
I did what any non-stalker mom would do. I texted my husband a play-by-play and took pictures. (Jude is the one in the polar bear hoodie.)
I never got a chance to talk to
Joseph's mom - she took a phone call and then they had to leave. But
I'll say here what I wish I could have then:
Mrs. Joseph's Mom,
Thank you for stopping at the playground on Tuesday. I'm sure you saw your son invite mine to play, and for a couple of 5-year-olds on a playground, it seems pretty insignificant. But your little boy saying, "Come slide with me," was a big deal, because THIS time, mine finally said "OK." He actually played with another child that he wasn't related to, and then found the desire and confidence to approach another child alone on the playground. You have an awesome kid. I hope you're not there as often as we are, but I hope someday we are there again at the same time and the boys can play. Thank you for teaching your son to be a friend.
Jude's Mom
I'm sharing this with my friends at Blogging through the Alphabet. See what everyone else has happening this week.
Jude avoids people, at almost any cost. When he was in preschool, he spent most of his days in time out. When we asked him why was he fighting and misbehaving, his response was "So that everyone would leave me alone." I was astonished; not only had he figured out how to work the system, he was using it so that he could be left alone. When we have had family over for holidays, he hides in my bedroom. At first he would stay away as long as the iPad battery held out; eventually he got wise enough to take the charger with him. Last Christmas, I asked him if was going to come down to eat. He asked if people were still here. When I said they were, he said he wasn't coming down and went back into the bedroom. He's not a "people person."
Tuesday, I had an abundance of happy tears. We had been to the hospital for Damien's pre-op visit, and Jude was exceptionally well behaved during the exam. I'll grant you he had his nose in his iPad the entire morning, but he sat so quietly that the nurses even remarked how well-behaved he was. As a reward, I asked Jude if he wanted to spend a few minutes on the playground before we left. There is a large Carillon on the grounds that chimes every fifteen minutes. I knew it was about to chime any moment, so I said we could stay until the bell rang for the second time. I was sitting and watching him, with a drowsy Damien in the stroller. Jude was climbing all over the equipment by himself. Suddenly, I heard two voices distinct through the general chatter, then saw two boys playing.
I did what any non-stalker mom would do. I texted my husband a play-by-play and took pictures. (Jude is the one in the polar bear hoodie.)
Mrs. Joseph's Mom,
Thank you for stopping at the playground on Tuesday. I'm sure you saw your son invite mine to play, and for a couple of 5-year-olds on a playground, it seems pretty insignificant. But your little boy saying, "Come slide with me," was a big deal, because THIS time, mine finally said "OK." He actually played with another child that he wasn't related to, and then found the desire and confidence to approach another child alone on the playground. You have an awesome kid. I hope you're not there as often as we are, but I hope someday we are there again at the same time and the boys can play. Thank you for teaching your son to be a friend.
Jude's Mom
I'm sharing this with my friends at Blogging through the Alphabet. See what everyone else has happening this week.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Goal Planning Monday - October 15
Trundling along fairly nicely...yes, I know it's Wednesday.
Update on last week's plan:
1. Play more games. Not as much as I'd have liked, but we did play some. One was a new game of Alphabet Bingo. He beat me both in straight-line Bingo *and* coverall. I was impressed by how many of the letters he knew, since naming letters is something he struggles with.
2. Arts and Crafts. We did do a foam-craft witch, and she is now adorning the side of our fridge. My husband and I went away for our wedding anniversary last weekend, so he got Friday as a holiday from school. Neal's mom, "Mimie" was in charge of making sure he didn't make too huge of a mess with the paint etc. I left out for him.
3. Physical Therapy.I got some great ideas from the kids' therapists on some equipment for them all, so I think I will be putting in a request with Santa's Elves to see if they can fit any of it in the Big Guy's sleigh. Our outside plans were washed out for this week, though.
4. Prep a Jesse Tree. Started. I've decided we're going to do a "real" tree (ok, artificial - the allergies can't handle a real-real one) and hang the ornaments on it (vs. gluing them to a piece of posterboard). Now I'm hunting for the tree and starting to work on the ornaments. Pinterest to the rescue again - I think I may set up another board, just for ornament ideas. I'd like to do something more than just "color in a picture" but depending on what I find, that may well be ambitious enough for us.
This week's goals:
1. Continue working on the Jesse Tree. My goal is to have it totally mapped out by Halloween, giving me November to work on getting the ornaments & materials organized.
2. Work on a new prayer. We will keep working on the Our Father, but since it is the Month of the Rosary, I'd like to teach Jude the Hail Mary. I've introduced it by praying it with him while I recite and he listens, so now it's time to start "repeating" line by line.
3. Decide what we're doing for Phonics for the next little while. We have completed books A and B of Explore the Code, and my original plan was to do a week of review and then start Book C on the 22nd. However, looking at the calendar, that may not be the right time to start new language material, as we are just starting a new Math chapter that week as well. If I put it off another week (what I'm leaning towards), it means I have to come up with other plans for the week. We may be playing more Bingo!
4. Find some books Jude may have an easier time with. I originally had planned to work with the Five in a Row program for him, but he's really struggling with paying attention to the books. First we gave up on the core of the program - read the same book daily for a week - but now I am thinking that we have to shelve the whole program for the moment. The books in the program are beautifully written and classic, but I think they just "too much" for him - too much information, too much text. I'm going to go through the list I have for "preschool" books to find a few ideas for him. Does anybody have a favorite that we might enjoy?
Better late than never, right? I had everything organized and then life happened. But feel free to check in with the people who are more on the ball this week and see what they have planned -- you can find them linked up at Goal Planning Monday over at Life: Unscripted
Update on last week's plan:
1. Play more games. Not as much as I'd have liked, but we did play some. One was a new game of Alphabet Bingo. He beat me both in straight-line Bingo *and* coverall. I was impressed by how many of the letters he knew, since naming letters is something he struggles with.
2. Arts and Crafts. We did do a foam-craft witch, and she is now adorning the side of our fridge. My husband and I went away for our wedding anniversary last weekend, so he got Friday as a holiday from school. Neal's mom, "Mimie" was in charge of making sure he didn't make too huge of a mess with the paint etc. I left out for him.
3. Physical Therapy.I got some great ideas from the kids' therapists on some equipment for them all, so I think I will be putting in a request with Santa's Elves to see if they can fit any of it in the Big Guy's sleigh. Our outside plans were washed out for this week, though.
4. Prep a Jesse Tree. Started. I've decided we're going to do a "real" tree (ok, artificial - the allergies can't handle a real-real one) and hang the ornaments on it (vs. gluing them to a piece of posterboard). Now I'm hunting for the tree and starting to work on the ornaments. Pinterest to the rescue again - I think I may set up another board, just for ornament ideas. I'd like to do something more than just "color in a picture" but depending on what I find, that may well be ambitious enough for us.
This week's goals:
1. Continue working on the Jesse Tree. My goal is to have it totally mapped out by Halloween, giving me November to work on getting the ornaments & materials organized.
2. Work on a new prayer. We will keep working on the Our Father, but since it is the Month of the Rosary, I'd like to teach Jude the Hail Mary. I've introduced it by praying it with him while I recite and he listens, so now it's time to start "repeating" line by line.
3. Decide what we're doing for Phonics for the next little while. We have completed books A and B of Explore the Code, and my original plan was to do a week of review and then start Book C on the 22nd. However, looking at the calendar, that may not be the right time to start new language material, as we are just starting a new Math chapter that week as well. If I put it off another week (what I'm leaning towards), it means I have to come up with other plans for the week. We may be playing more Bingo!
4. Find some books Jude may have an easier time with. I originally had planned to work with the Five in a Row program for him, but he's really struggling with paying attention to the books. First we gave up on the core of the program - read the same book daily for a week - but now I am thinking that we have to shelve the whole program for the moment. The books in the program are beautifully written and classic, but I think they just "too much" for him - too much information, too much text. I'm going to go through the list I have for "preschool" books to find a few ideas for him. Does anybody have a favorite that we might enjoy?
Better late than never, right? I had everything organized and then life happened. But feel free to check in with the people who are more on the ball this week and see what they have planned -- you can find them linked up at Goal Planning Monday over at Life: Unscripted
Friday, October 12, 2012
Weekly Wrap Up - Our First Test
This is our first post to the Weekly Wrap Up series. The series is a way of sharing what we did this week with others. For us, some weeks it will be a reflection of our progression; other weeks it will just be a reflection on any extra fun we may have had!
This week, our Bible theme was "generous," and we read the story of Isaac and Rebekah. They were so generous to other people that God gave them to each other. Jude enjoyed reading the picture story in our workbook; though my little literalist read one sentence as: "(Rebekah) gave (Abraham's Servant) and (the camels) (a puddle of water) from the (wishing well)."
We finished our first math unit this week. We have spent the last six weeks studying sorting (same, alike, and different), and working on careful listening (same shape AND same color; same color BUT different shapes). Jude took his first test on Thursday, and had 25 out of 27 correct, for a score of 93. I think the hardest part of taking the test was not being able to rely on me for help; I was only reading the instructions, not helping him think things through.
Jude is still working on learning letters and their sounds. Last week we finished Book B of Explore the Code, so this week we took a break from the program and decided to do some more fun language-based "review" activities. We did several activities from our folder games and played Alphabet Bingo. Jude really enjoyed the Bingo Game. It it geared for use in a larger classroom and contains 36 bingo boards, so we should be able to get lots of use out of it. I also like that it should be able to grow with us; the instructions come with several alternative game ideas.
Some more pictures of our week:
Heading to duPont one day this week. (I forget which day this was - we were there more days than we weren't!) His jacket didn't have a hood, so he borrowed his brother's hat. He decided to jump over each of the cracks in the sidewalk and the parking lot. By the time we got to our car (I think two spots from the end of the property!) he was still hopping one foot at a time more than jumping, but he was getting some nice air on the leaps.
The whole family visiting my husband's grandmother at her her nursing home. She turned 96 this past Wednesday. Happy Birthday, Mom Mom Woody!!
Journaling. Jude has decided to be a fire fighter when he grows up.
Our first Halloween art. Our witch was totally sparkly. He added pumpkins and stars, too.
Come see what everyone else has been up to!
This week, our Bible theme was "generous," and we read the story of Isaac and Rebekah. They were so generous to other people that God gave them to each other. Jude enjoyed reading the picture story in our workbook; though my little literalist read one sentence as: "(Rebekah) gave (Abraham's Servant) and (the camels) (a puddle of water) from the (wishing well)."
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| Discipleland Kindergarten Program - "Heroes" |
We finished our first math unit this week. We have spent the last six weeks studying sorting (same, alike, and different), and working on careful listening (same shape AND same color; same color BUT different shapes). Jude took his first test on Thursday, and had 25 out of 27 correct, for a score of 93. I think the hardest part of taking the test was not being able to rely on me for help; I was only reading the instructions, not helping him think things through.
Jude is still working on learning letters and their sounds. Last week we finished Book B of Explore the Code, so this week we took a break from the program and decided to do some more fun language-based "review" activities. We did several activities from our folder games and played Alphabet Bingo. Jude really enjoyed the Bingo Game. It it geared for use in a larger classroom and contains 36 bingo boards, so we should be able to get lots of use out of it. I also like that it should be able to grow with us; the instructions come with several alternative game ideas.
Some more pictures of our week:
Heading to duPont one day this week. (I forget which day this was - we were there more days than we weren't!) His jacket didn't have a hood, so he borrowed his brother's hat. He decided to jump over each of the cracks in the sidewalk and the parking lot. By the time we got to our car (I think two spots from the end of the property!) he was still hopping one foot at a time more than jumping, but he was getting some nice air on the leaps.
The whole family visiting my husband's grandmother at her her nursing home. She turned 96 this past Wednesday. Happy Birthday, Mom Mom Woody!!
Journaling. Jude has decided to be a fire fighter when he grows up.
Our first Halloween art. Our witch was totally sparkly. He added pumpkins and stars, too.
Playing Minecraft over Wifi with his big brothers. He thinks he's a big shot since he gets to play a big kid video game, but really -- it's building with virtual blocks. More shape work!!
Come see what everyone else has been up to!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Jude's Favorite Things
Our next stop as we Blog through the Alphabet is F: Jude's Favorite Things. The daily writing journal we use has prompts that often ask Jude what his favorite things are. Some I already knew - his favorite foods, judging by the grocery list, and his favorite color - but he has surprised me with some things.
Favorite color: Blue
This is not new to anybody who knows Jude. He loves everything blue. The blue crayons get used so quickly that we bought him boxes of Crayolas that have only blue crayons. (I think that was the best surprise the "Package Man" could have delivered.) He nearly had a meltdown in Lenscrafters until we found new blue frames for glasses - the blue ones he was wearing had broken beyond repair. He eats only two fruits: applesauce and blueberries. He will not eat strawberries or black berries or "purple and green berries" (grapes), only BLUE berries.
For his birthday, he asked for a blue cake, with blue frosting. Multicolor sprinkles were OK, because there were blue ones mixed in.
When you are the birthday boy, you get what you want, right?
Favorite toy: iPad. Go nowhere without it. (How to get him to sit still at the hospital? Plug the iPad in. He won't move farther away from the wall than the cord will go.) I have to admit, he is better at navigating apps than I am. He watches his share of videos, but one thing he likes is to look for Disney videos on YouTube. We've overheard him happily watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in German, House of Mouse in Greek, and Donald Duck speaking in French. I guess pratfalls are silly in any language!
Favorite TV show: I would have guessed anything on Disney Junior, but he says he likes Team Umizoomi best. This doesn't surprise me too much - he loves shapes and patterns, so Geo and Mili are destined to be his friends.
Favorite food: Tie between Ketchup Toast and Hot Dogs
Ketchup toast is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of butter or jam, Jude likes his toast slathered in ketchup. Ketchup toast is only a morning food, though, never to be eaten after lunch.
Hot dogs are a lunch or dinner food. He sometimes tries to get us to make him a hot dog for breakfast, but settles for...ketchup toast. (It's about all I can stomach making in the morning. When he is tall enough to reach the microwave, he can make his own breakfast.)
Favorite thing on the playground: Swings
He can't propel himself yet - he understands the kick out/kick back concept but can't coordinate the timing AND both feet in tandem. As long as there is somebody to push him, you can find him heading right for the swings.
Jude & Damien in the back yard
Cape May County Park
This is a bucket seat that has a rotating movement as you sway your body
The swing at Can-Do Playground at Alapocas Park, Wilminton DE.
This is Jude's Favorite because the harness provides extra sensory
input.
We have another tie for favorites. Jude's favorite STORY is "Ness and Neka" (or officially, My Little Pet Dragon), which we read during our Evening Routine. However, since it's an e-book, as far as he is concerned, it is only a *story.* His favorite BOOK is If You Give a Dog a Donut. He loves using the pictures to tell me the story, and then I read the text to him. Sometimes he tells me the "correct" story, and sometimes he makes up a new one to go along with the pictures.
Jude has just started singing songs. We could be anywhere, and you suddenly hear a little voice sing "Old Mac Donald had a farm, EEEEE-AAAAAYY...." or "Row, row, row your boat..." But Jude's first and favorite song is "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." He sometimes misses words, but he puts plenty of oomph into the words that come out.
The next few favorites are from our Journal as well.
Jude likes snowmen, which explains why he likes winter. I'm not sure why giraffes are his favorite animal, and neither is he. When asked "Why do you like giraffes?" his response is, "I just do."
Because hearts are for loving people.
(AWWW...)
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