A Snowy Day and Other Activities

Our snowy day turned into more of a snowy week. Last Wednesday, we got about 5 inches, most of which is still here since snow doesn't melt in 15 degree weather. Although Abdullah is still enamored with snow and other forms of frozen water, he's learned that ice collection isn't the safest sport after having his fingers frozen. Perhaps as a form of revenge, he now seems to prefer kicking and stomping on ice.

Last week, Aunt Najah came to visit. I don't know if she's decided on her title yet, so we'll just go with the default. The kids enjoyed the attention and gifts that often accompany visits from family. Najah came bearing cookies since we're trying to downsize on toys.

Yesterday, I got a book in the mail from my MIL about Montessori education in the home. Although we wont be able to remove our curtains or move the outlets to make Abdullah's room more of a toddler haven, it did spark some ideas for how activities around the house. Most noticeably  I've moved Abdullah's clothes to a shelf where he can reach them. I'm not sure I would have done this at 18 months, but apparently kids learn to stop pulling things down after the 100th time, so maybe we will try with KC. Also, hearkening back to blanket training (which would have been blogged about circa July 2011 had I had a blog then), I've decided to let Abdullah learn to play with his toys on a blanket that he can unroll and roll up at will. I put 4 toys on the shelf beneath his clothes where he can get them at will. He enjoys rotating through them giving each about 10 minutes of time before packing it up and switching it out.

There is the small issue of an un-blanket-trainable person who tries to eat his toys and usually ends up having to be confined. 

Abdullah is very pleased with the arrangement and I've been impressed with the success of not responding to  his every call for attention. I've been working to try to ignore or redirect him when he wants to give me a gibberish description of his every motion or when he's frustrated that he can't get a peg in a hole. He learned very quickly to keep trying and seems like he's actually getting less frustrated. 

In other parenting news, a friend sent me this interesting view on parenting, which really resonated with me.

Also, Abdullah can stand on his head. KC is still cruising with no signs of walking aside from her dramatic let-go lunges, which always end with her on the floor. No teeth yet. She's officially 9 months.  

Talking the Talk, Running the Walk

In the world of verbal and motor development, things are definitely picking up steam for Abdullah and KC. KC's disconcerting gargles and gags have given way to a host of syllables soliloquies that rivals her big brother's gregariousness at that age. Oddly enough, like he did, she chooses to chatter most often when alone.

The two have formed what some might call a twin language. And by some, I mean the woman from my grandmom's block who asked me if my kids were twins. As KC develops, so does Abdullah's baby trances: the times (usually when he's in trouble or Skyping) and suddenly looses the ability to talk, walk, or pick up objects without flailing them around in the air. Now his trances consist of strings of jabber and futile attempts to stand while seeking out some object to pull up on.

Most times, however, he's speaking his own languge and making up for our poor parenting by narrirating his own day detailing everything to his morning report of what's in his diaper to his final instructions for bedtime prep. While most of his words are easially understandable (to me) either through correct pronounciation or simple context clues, there are times when things are lost in translation. My default is just to respond to every confusing string of words with a "yes" if we are in the house or a play area or a "no" if anywhere else.

At the mall the other day, I was reminded of why I need this rule. I had told Abdullah we were going to play and suddenly he started proclaiming "Ask, unour" over and over again. I couldn't imagine what word he was saying since he was looking straight forward and there was nothing within his reach. After about the seventh repitition, I finally said yes just to find out what the word was that he wanted so badly. Abdullah took off running down a long hallway full of early morning elderly mall walkers (all of whom found him more than delightful). Fortunately, his run is about as fast as my fast walk, so he didn't get very far.

Despite the parenting advices that suggest that too much "no" isn't good for kids, for Abdullah's safety, we'll keep the no-default policy for awhile longer.

Although the word "ask" is a statement usually made rather emphatically (I think he defines it ask, hey, I'm asking you for something!), Abdullah has started using "why" rather judiciously often acompanied by a hyper perplexed face.

After round 4 of furniture moving to try to maximize floor space and minimize access to objects, I had moved Abdullah closer to their closet and put the books table closer to KC's crib thinking that both wouldn't have the dexterity to manipulate those particular objects. Of couse, the next morning, the room was in shambles. I first noticed the mountain of blankets that Abdullah had strewn all over his crib and the floor. Either in an attempt to accuse his sister or an attempt to avert my attention, he wrinkled up his face, turned his head and slowly formed out "Why.... didat.... Dijah." Opening the door fully, I found a pile of books that had been obviouly manhandled the night before.

Diapers, Bikes, and Bread

What do these things have in common, there's a lot of them in our house. As winter winds on, the latter two are increasing while finally, alhamdulillah, we're close to putting the keibash on the first.

I have to say, I did think my mom was suffering grandmomnesia when she said that we were potty trained by 2. I knew for sure, looking at my crazy eyed 18 month old scooting around on his potty chair (which was thrust upon me by his sometimes overzealous other parent), I knew for sure that my MIL must have been mistaken for encouraging us to let him "sit on the pot." She must have meant that literally, I reasoned, toddlers and potties weren't meant to be together.

Happy to say today that Abdullah has been down to a diaper a day for about 2 or so weeks now. Just last week, he realized that he could ask to go potty anywhere and today even took his swankest tinkle yet when he alerted us in Gong Fu that it was time to go. I imagine their commodes must be as pristine as their tea canisters because as AK and Abdullah were coming out, a woman in socks was headed in. Hope he aimed true.

We had thought that our biking days would be limited until next spring, but a spat of autumnal weather has enabled us to venture out more than expected. This week, as the weather pushed just above 60, I decided to finally retrofit Abdullah's bike with a push bar to enable him to actually be able to bike to the park.

Every time we go out on the bike, I remind myself that next time, I'll ask my dad to go ahead and get the one with the pole attachment. I thought it'd be too cumbersome, but now, after watching Abdullah bike in circles and fight the pedals for 6 months, I realize, there's a reason for it. Maashaa Allah.

 



It's not the sturdiest solution, but it'll do for now.

KC got her first trip in the chariot last weekend outfitted in a hood padded helmet and a blanket booster seat. Although Abdullah suffered a great deal of random swatting from KC, they both seemed fairly amused by the whole endeavor.

Lastly, but not leastly, I think I've found the bread of my dreams. I thought eggs, butter, sugar, milk, and flour made cake. But no. Apparently, they make rolls. I subbed soy milk and soy spread for milk and butter, but these still came out delightful. Unlike some whole wheat disasters I've baked, turned out exactly as pictured, pillowly and perfect. I'll have to cut the fat and sugar down, but I think this will be the base for my everyday loaf. Autolyse Smautolyse.