Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Harry vs. David
Yes, I bought the new Harry Potter book the day it came out. Yes, I've read the six previous ones. Yes, I started to read the new book the same day I got it. No, I didn't finish it. After Gusi went to sleep, I decided a nice dinner out with my husband was more of a priority than reading. Then when we got home I could have read but I wanted to watch the LA Galaxy vs. Chelsea game instead. I watched the game, the first one in which David Beckham played with his new team. I was disappointed that he didn't get to play but a few minutes at the end. I was even more disappointed that they lost to Chelsea. I have read more of the new book, but I would put it down in a heartbeat to see Beckham play again. I suppose Beckham's injury and down time will allow me to concentrate on Harry for a while.
And So The Doughnut Crumbles
I've learned a few things about parenting a toddler so far.
1. It takes a toddler a while to learn to like something new like cous-cous.
2. Once a toddler learns to like cous-cous, he also wants to feed it to himself.
3. After the toddler gets his hands on the spoon, you will be sweeping cous-cous up at least four times before everything is clean.
4. When the toddler gets up from his chair there will be cous-cous under his legs and tush.
5. Later, when the toddler is in his bedroom playing, he will scratch behind his ear and more cous-cous will fall.
6. It is not easy to feed a toddler a doughnut in the back seat at red lights when you are driving.
7. Giving the toddler a chunk of doughnut to feed himself will result in crumbs wedging themselves and disintegrating into the fibers of his car seat.
8. Even if you try to hide your frozen cappuccino drink from the toddler, he will see it or perhaps hear you gulp and will scream like a banshee since you won't give him any. At this point, the doughnut is no longer interesting; nor are the crumbs.
9. Driving in a car with a screaming, crumb-laden toddler while zig-zagging through traffic can cause a headache and the frozen cappuccino drink is of little consolation to you.
10. When you get home and shake off the doughnut crumbs from the toddler's t-shirt, pick the remaining cous-cous grains off of your bare feet and sit down at the computer to write, he will decide it is time to be irresistible and will tip-toe around you until he climbs in your lap and gives you hundreds of kisses.
1. It takes a toddler a while to learn to like something new like cous-cous.
2. Once a toddler learns to like cous-cous, he also wants to feed it to himself.
3. After the toddler gets his hands on the spoon, you will be sweeping cous-cous up at least four times before everything is clean.
4. When the toddler gets up from his chair there will be cous-cous under his legs and tush.
5. Later, when the toddler is in his bedroom playing, he will scratch behind his ear and more cous-cous will fall.
6. It is not easy to feed a toddler a doughnut in the back seat at red lights when you are driving.
7. Giving the toddler a chunk of doughnut to feed himself will result in crumbs wedging themselves and disintegrating into the fibers of his car seat.
8. Even if you try to hide your frozen cappuccino drink from the toddler, he will see it or perhaps hear you gulp and will scream like a banshee since you won't give him any. At this point, the doughnut is no longer interesting; nor are the crumbs.
9. Driving in a car with a screaming, crumb-laden toddler while zig-zagging through traffic can cause a headache and the frozen cappuccino drink is of little consolation to you.
10. When you get home and shake off the doughnut crumbs from the toddler's t-shirt, pick the remaining cous-cous grains off of your bare feet and sit down at the computer to write, he will decide it is time to be irresistible and will tip-toe around you until he climbs in your lap and gives you hundreds of kisses.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Gimme A Beat
It is truly amazing how much my son loves music. I mean, the boy LOVES music. He dances, twirls, bops up and down and as of late, he also sings.
I started him in music classes when he was just 5 months old--in a special music class for children 0 to 4 years old. Through the use of songs, basic percussion instruments and tonal and rhythm patterns he has laid the foundation for music appreciation with the kind of building blocks that will hopefully last a lifetime. Initially when I noticed that he was quite jittery around loud noises as a young infant, I decided to expose him to all kinds of sounds, especially pleasant ones, so that he would have positive experiences with loudness. It seems to have worked.
The boy dances every time he hears a tune he likes. For example, I went to this 220v shop to check out prices for stocking our home in Senegal with the basics (we use 110volts here but 220v in Senegal so we need new appliances). The shop is run by Indian immigrants and as soon as Gusi and I walked in we could hear the Bollywood tunes throughout the store. As if on cue, Gusi wiggled out of my arms and started dancing in the middle of the store piled high with luggage, hair dryers, refrigerators and alarm clocks. I stood in amazement. He had never heard Bollywood music before, but it had a beat and he obviously liked it.
Gusi also likes the classics. When I was in choir way back in elementary school in New Orleans, we learned several of the songs from The Sound of Music as part of our repertoire and magically I still remember the lyrics. Today when he woke up from his nap, we sat out on the porch swing watching the rain singing Do-Re-Mi and as I finished I was given the Gusi-equivalent of a compliment as he signed *more*. I must have sung that song six times before I wised up and told him to sing with me. He babbled to a tune for a bit and then decided it was time for lunch as he signed *eat please*. I sang My Favorite Things as he ate his lunch which actually helped him eat more I think. Do we digest more easily with music? It's worth looking into.
Another observation so far has been his knowledge of how music creates associations. For example, when we drive by the street that takes us to his music class he starts clapping and laughing. He knows that he will be with his teacher and other students for 45 minutes of fun. He practically jumps out of his car seat when we pull into the driveway. He also knows that lullabies mean quiet time or nap time. Every time he hears certain lullabies he immediately gets down on the floor and hums out the song--just as we do in music class. Music as a Pavlovian condition?
If it's samba he dances, if it's a lullaby he curls up, if it's calypso he looks for his shakers. It's just incredible how beneficial these classes have been. I really feel it has set the right tone for our world travels since he seems to be comfortable with all kinds of music. Perhaps he'll be enrolled in African drumming class when we get to Senegal. Why not?
I started him in music classes when he was just 5 months old--in a special music class for children 0 to 4 years old. Through the use of songs, basic percussion instruments and tonal and rhythm patterns he has laid the foundation for music appreciation with the kind of building blocks that will hopefully last a lifetime. Initially when I noticed that he was quite jittery around loud noises as a young infant, I decided to expose him to all kinds of sounds, especially pleasant ones, so that he would have positive experiences with loudness. It seems to have worked.
The boy dances every time he hears a tune he likes. For example, I went to this 220v shop to check out prices for stocking our home in Senegal with the basics (we use 110volts here but 220v in Senegal so we need new appliances). The shop is run by Indian immigrants and as soon as Gusi and I walked in we could hear the Bollywood tunes throughout the store. As if on cue, Gusi wiggled out of my arms and started dancing in the middle of the store piled high with luggage, hair dryers, refrigerators and alarm clocks. I stood in amazement. He had never heard Bollywood music before, but it had a beat and he obviously liked it.
Gusi also likes the classics. When I was in choir way back in elementary school in New Orleans, we learned several of the songs from The Sound of Music as part of our repertoire and magically I still remember the lyrics. Today when he woke up from his nap, we sat out on the porch swing watching the rain singing Do-Re-Mi and as I finished I was given the Gusi-equivalent of a compliment as he signed *more*. I must have sung that song six times before I wised up and told him to sing with me. He babbled to a tune for a bit and then decided it was time for lunch as he signed *eat please*. I sang My Favorite Things as he ate his lunch which actually helped him eat more I think. Do we digest more easily with music? It's worth looking into.
Another observation so far has been his knowledge of how music creates associations. For example, when we drive by the street that takes us to his music class he starts clapping and laughing. He knows that he will be with his teacher and other students for 45 minutes of fun. He practically jumps out of his car seat when we pull into the driveway. He also knows that lullabies mean quiet time or nap time. Every time he hears certain lullabies he immediately gets down on the floor and hums out the song--just as we do in music class. Music as a Pavlovian condition?
If it's samba he dances, if it's a lullaby he curls up, if it's calypso he looks for his shakers. It's just incredible how beneficial these classes have been. I really feel it has set the right tone for our world travels since he seems to be comfortable with all kinds of music. Perhaps he'll be enrolled in African drumming class when we get to Senegal. Why not?
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
A Professional, Unbiased Opinion
Yesterday PapaGus came home from his trip to Senegal and all is well again. We are so happy to have him back.
I was especially happy that he came home in time for Gusi's well-baby visit. At the doctor's office, the pediatrician asked us the typical questions as to how Gusi was doing--his sleeping patterns, his eating, etc. Then as the doctor was listening to Gusi's heart Gusi started saying "ya está" (which translates roughly as "all done") because he was tired of being poked and prodded. Our pediatrician knows some Spanish and was surprised. Gusi kept babbling after the ya está which I know means he's complaining to you why he's had enough of what you're doing and I told the doctor that.
The doctor said he was impressed, that most children this age aren't talkative or vocal in this way at all. I told the doctor how Gusi is also signing quite a bit and saying words in Spanish, English and French to which the doctor responded that Gusi was above average. I stopped him cold.
"You mean," I said with a grin on my face as I looked over to PapaGus, "in you professional, unbiased opinion, my son is above average? Perhaps close to brilliant for his age group?"
The doctor laughed and smiled and said "yes, he's definitely above average."
I glowed like only a mother of a brilliant child can. I knew it all along but it was nice to have it confirmed by a neutral, third-party.
I was especially happy that he came home in time for Gusi's well-baby visit. At the doctor's office, the pediatrician asked us the typical questions as to how Gusi was doing--his sleeping patterns, his eating, etc. Then as the doctor was listening to Gusi's heart Gusi started saying "ya está" (which translates roughly as "all done") because he was tired of being poked and prodded. Our pediatrician knows some Spanish and was surprised. Gusi kept babbling after the ya está which I know means he's complaining to you why he's had enough of what you're doing and I told the doctor that.
The doctor said he was impressed, that most children this age aren't talkative or vocal in this way at all. I told the doctor how Gusi is also signing quite a bit and saying words in Spanish, English and French to which the doctor responded that Gusi was above average. I stopped him cold.
"You mean," I said with a grin on my face as I looked over to PapaGus, "in you professional, unbiased opinion, my son is above average? Perhaps close to brilliant for his age group?"
The doctor laughed and smiled and said "yes, he's definitely above average."
I glowed like only a mother of a brilliant child can. I knew it all along but it was nice to have it confirmed by a neutral, third-party.
Friday, July 13, 2007
It Hurts So Good
John Cougar Mellencamp was one of my favorite artists growing up and these days his song "Hurts So Good" starts playing in my head when Gusi starts repeatedly signing *hurt*. Let me explain. Gusi has gotten that *hurt* results in hugs and kisses so sometimes even if he's on the floor playing and it's been a while since he's had cuddle time, he'll sign *hurt*. I of course play along.
Gusi: Mama! *hurt*
Me: Gusi, are you ok?
Gusi: *hurt* (makes puppy-dog eyes and pouts lip)
Me: Oh, my sweet boy, let me kiss it and make it better.
Gusi: Ooohhh (kisses me back)
He knows he gets special attention when he signs *hurt* and I am happy to give it to him. It just cracks me up how much he milks it for what it's worth. If he feels I haven't given him enough kisses he'll sign *hurt* again and wait for the kisses. I can't really blame him. I enjoy the cuddle time just as much as he does.
Gusi: Mama! *hurt*
Me: Gusi, are you ok?
Gusi: *hurt* (makes puppy-dog eyes and pouts lip)
Me: Oh, my sweet boy, let me kiss it and make it better.
Gusi: Ooohhh (kisses me back)
He knows he gets special attention when he signs *hurt* and I am happy to give it to him. It just cracks me up how much he milks it for what it's worth. If he feels I haven't given him enough kisses he'll sign *hurt* again and wait for the kisses. I can't really blame him. I enjoy the cuddle time just as much as he does.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I Need More Hours in the Day
Even though all the clocks in our house are digital, I can hear them clicking, or perhaps buzzing, as the seconds roll by. The countdown to Dakar has begun.
PapaGus is in Dakar at the moment. He's gone on his first business trip and will have a chance to see our future house. It is by all accounts a home suitable for a large family with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and a beautiful back yard (check out the pictures). The down side is that we will have a construction site going behind our house and that has a lot of (negative) implications. For starters, the old residents tell us that the garden has suffered quite a bit with all the dust. Also, that means a lot of people to-ing and fro-ing along with all the noise of the actual construction. PapaGus sees the house on Saturday so he'll have a better idea of how bad bad really is. I just hope it's cleaned before we get there. I can't imagine cleaning a 5BD/3BA house, much less with a toddler who's jet lagged and out of his element hanging on to my apron strings.
Here are pictures of the front entrance and the garden:
Looks like Paradise, doesn't it? Plus the beach is one block away!
This week my friend Vanessa is out of town and has let me borrow her nanny, Eva, for the three days that she usually works with Vanessa. I'm lucky that this coincided with PapaGus's business trip to Senegal. She is nice, good with Mateo, on time (one of my pet peeves is people who are late so this is a big + in my book) and oh, did I mention she looks like a young Sofia Loren? She's absolutely beautiful and sweeter than any of the nannies I had talked to previously. She entertains Mateo so I can go to the gym (since he hates the nursery there I refuse to take him there anymore), run errands and rummage through things that need to be purged from our attic. It is working out well but I find myself really needing to plan those precious, few nanny hours to the last second. I haven't been that kind of planner since I was working so it's a gentle reminder that I need to stay organized.
Yet there are still so many things that need to get done. For example, the "maintenance required" light blinks every time I turn on my car but then it disappears after a few seconds. Is this serious enough or can I hold out until next week when PapaGus is back in town? Last time it came on was also the first time and the mechanics at the shop said there was nothing they could find so it was just a computer glitch. Could it be another glitch? I hate dealing with mechanics so I'd rather just wait for PapaGus to come home so he can deal with them. And speaking of cars and mechanics, there's also the small fact that we will need a new car in Senegal. With that comes deciding: new vs used, 4WD vs 2WD, importing vs buying locally. Some givens are that it will be diesel and it will have air bags. But getting a car there means dealing with mechanic and that is an entirely different ball game in Africa. There, you always ask for the old parts they've changed out after they've done the job.
Oh, and since it's been a long time since I've blogged here are a few other updates:
PapaGus is in Dakar at the moment. He's gone on his first business trip and will have a chance to see our future house. It is by all accounts a home suitable for a large family with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and a beautiful back yard (check out the pictures). The down side is that we will have a construction site going behind our house and that has a lot of (negative) implications. For starters, the old residents tell us that the garden has suffered quite a bit with all the dust. Also, that means a lot of people to-ing and fro-ing along with all the noise of the actual construction. PapaGus sees the house on Saturday so he'll have a better idea of how bad bad really is. I just hope it's cleaned before we get there. I can't imagine cleaning a 5BD/3BA house, much less with a toddler who's jet lagged and out of his element hanging on to my apron strings.
Here are pictures of the front entrance and the garden:
Looks like Paradise, doesn't it? Plus the beach is one block away!
This week my friend Vanessa is out of town and has let me borrow her nanny, Eva, for the three days that she usually works with Vanessa. I'm lucky that this coincided with PapaGus's business trip to Senegal. She is nice, good with Mateo, on time (one of my pet peeves is people who are late so this is a big + in my book) and oh, did I mention she looks like a young Sofia Loren? She's absolutely beautiful and sweeter than any of the nannies I had talked to previously. She entertains Mateo so I can go to the gym (since he hates the nursery there I refuse to take him there anymore), run errands and rummage through things that need to be purged from our attic. It is working out well but I find myself really needing to plan those precious, few nanny hours to the last second. I haven't been that kind of planner since I was working so it's a gentle reminder that I need to stay organized.
Yet there are still so many things that need to get done. For example, the "maintenance required" light blinks every time I turn on my car but then it disappears after a few seconds. Is this serious enough or can I hold out until next week when PapaGus is back in town? Last time it came on was also the first time and the mechanics at the shop said there was nothing they could find so it was just a computer glitch. Could it be another glitch? I hate dealing with mechanics so I'd rather just wait for PapaGus to come home so he can deal with them. And speaking of cars and mechanics, there's also the small fact that we will need a new car in Senegal. With that comes deciding: new vs used, 4WD vs 2WD, importing vs buying locally. Some givens are that it will be diesel and it will have air bags. But getting a car there means dealing with mechanic and that is an entirely different ball game in Africa. There, you always ask for the old parts they've changed out after they've done the job.
Oh, and since it's been a long time since I've blogged here are a few other updates:
- Gusi now has 3 molars and a fourth one on the way
- Gusi may be cutting his incisors as well
- Gusi is this close to jumping on his own
- Gusi is all about the AquaDoodle these days
- Gusi is wearing his sunglasses without protest
- Gusi has made two new friends, Henry and Addison, and can say both of their names
- Gusi is signing *cracker*, *book*, *shoes* and *hurt* (when he falls he can sign to where it hurts)
- Gusi gets that bye-bye = adiós = au revoir and can say all of them except adiós quite well
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