Here's what I stenciled on the wall
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
"Pretty lowies"
With the new baby coming in October, David and I decided it was time to prepare Sophia's big girl room. We started by getting Nana Gladys to help David with the painting of the base colour in the room, while I spent time copying and cutting stencils for the wall. We decided to go a little girlie with the colours, but in a sophisticated kind of way....so, no princesses, or Dora, or such. Just flowers...
Here's what I stenciled on the wall
Here's what I stenciled on the wall
Monday, April 21, 2008
Musical Tastes
True to form, Sophia seems to enjoy a wide variety to of musical styles and genre. We have the kindermusik discs that offer everything from The Wheels on the Bus to American folk to Classical. Sophia will actually demand to have "Rappi" played when we are at home (she's still working on those "f"s). In the car, she happily sings along to Raffi. Her singing along right now means at least getting the last word in every sentence of the verses and the chorus. It gives me the giggles every time....I love it when she does this in the car...makes the drive much more enjoyable. And it doesn't matter if it is in English or French....she's mastered the Jacques in Frere Jacques. Too cute.
However, things changed a bit today. Sophia loves strong choral music...she still dances like crazy at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing an African Christmas Anthem called Bethlehemu (think lots of voices and lots of drums). Well, David has been practicing for a mass choral production of Carmina Burana (I don't have an audio link, but you would know it to hear it....look it up.) So that means he's been singing it, and there are discs in the cars with it. So, I popped it in for a change. Well, she started bopping along to it, and in one track even picked up a word to sing! I made the mistake of trying to put Raffi back on (for my sanity not hers). She got mad ..."no, no, no. long, long, long, more." (Translation....no, no, no. Song, song, song more. OR Where's that bloody other music gone? I don't want that kiddie music! God, mom!)
Yup, move over happy, easy listening Raffi. Dark, German Carmina Burana is here to stay (for now....)
However, things changed a bit today. Sophia loves strong choral music...she still dances like crazy at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing an African Christmas Anthem called Bethlehemu (think lots of voices and lots of drums). Well, David has been practicing for a mass choral production of Carmina Burana (I don't have an audio link, but you would know it to hear it....look it up.) So that means he's been singing it, and there are discs in the cars with it. So, I popped it in for a change. Well, she started bopping along to it, and in one track even picked up a word to sing! I made the mistake of trying to put Raffi back on (for my sanity not hers). She got mad ..."no, no, no. long, long, long, more." (Translation....no, no, no. Song, song, song more. OR Where's that bloody other music gone? I don't want that kiddie music! God, mom!)
Yup, move over happy, easy listening Raffi. Dark, German Carmina Burana is here to stay (for now....)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A few new things
New thing 1: Sleep position
Sophia has been sleeping better these days (these nights, I guess). She has been waking up in the middle of the night still, but after a few minutes of crying she will put herself to sleep again. We haven't needed a night feeding in three days - here's crossing her fingers. She is getting better at going to sleep, as well. We'll put her down then leave her room right away, and she'll cry a bit but she does manage to put herself to sleep.
The other day, however, there was a new sleeping thing. Sophia was crying in the middle of the night, and it morphed into "daddy-daddy-daddy-daddy." This usually means she won't go back to sleep without a bit of a drink or a cuddle so in I went. I was only a little surprised to discover that she wasn't in the bed - she has from time to time gotten out of her bed and knocked on the door to get out of the room in the morning. But as I looked around I became increasingly confused - she was nowhere to be seen, and still I could hear the plaintive "daddy-daddy-daddy." "Sophie?" I said, looking behind the chair. Nothing. Then I noticed that "daddy-daddy-daddy" was actually coming from the bed, so I looked around, behind, then under...
Sophia had wedged herself under the bed.
and seemed to be stuck.
I'm not sure how she got there, but there she was. I fished her out and put her back to sleep, and she hasn't been caught under the bed since.
New thing 2: Carry
Since she was young, Sophia has been good at going down stairs backwards, and didn't seem too resentful that us big people could seem to fly downstairs forwards, while she couldn't even see where she was going. Recently, she has become a little braver with the stairs, and we have been walking holding her hand more, so naturally she is starting to try to go down stairs in the forward direction. The first few times she did it (with our help) were OK, but then one day she took a tumble down the stairs (only 2 stairs to the landing, and carpeted) but since then she has been more cautious. She has learned how to use the handrails, and can make it down stairs with some regularity, but she often chooses not to - if a parent is there, she would rather be carried. She'll try one step, then look up and you, hold her arms out, tilt her head adorably and say "Cawwy?" You try to resist. You say "No, honey, you can do it. Come on down the stairs!" Then she'll start to try one more step, balk, and look at you with eyes the size of dinner plates and say
"Cawwy?"
and you're done. Carry you do.
New thing 3: Letter H
Sophia has been more and more aware of the alphabet and written words these days. She has always loved books and always looks at them right-side up. We have been going through the alphabet with more skill (see a previous post with video of the alphabet) and she regularly fills in letters. Her favorite is this. We say "LMNO" and she says, with a big grin "PEEEE!" She is even starting to refer to letters she sees in a book or on a sign as "ABC?" So she is starting to make the connection between spoken and written English.
I had a magazine open the other day, just flipping through, and Sophia, unprompted, looked at the page and said "Aitch!" I was confused, but then noticed that one of the drop-caps that begins a paragraph was indeed a big letter "H". Now this is potentially a major breakthrough many years ahead of her development. So I said "Where?" and she pointed right at the "H" and said "Aitch!" Unbelievable. I showed Mommy. Mommy was also flabbergasted. We flipped to another page, pointed at another letter (an "A") and said "What's that, Sophia?" and she said...
"Aitch"
(damn, we whispered under our breath)
"And this, what's this?" we say, pointing at a "T"
"Aitch"
Oh well, it must mean something, but I guess she's not reading quite yet...
Sophia has been sleeping better these days (these nights, I guess). She has been waking up in the middle of the night still, but after a few minutes of crying she will put herself to sleep again. We haven't needed a night feeding in three days - here's crossing her fingers. She is getting better at going to sleep, as well. We'll put her down then leave her room right away, and she'll cry a bit but she does manage to put herself to sleep.
The other day, however, there was a new sleeping thing. Sophia was crying in the middle of the night, and it morphed into "daddy-daddy-daddy-daddy." This usually means she won't go back to sleep without a bit of a drink or a cuddle so in I went. I was only a little surprised to discover that she wasn't in the bed - she has from time to time gotten out of her bed and knocked on the door to get out of the room in the morning. But as I looked around I became increasingly confused - she was nowhere to be seen, and still I could hear the plaintive "daddy-daddy-daddy." "Sophie?" I said, looking behind the chair. Nothing. Then I noticed that "daddy-daddy-daddy" was actually coming from the bed, so I looked around, behind, then under...
Sophia had wedged herself under the bed.
and seemed to be stuck.
I'm not sure how she got there, but there she was. I fished her out and put her back to sleep, and she hasn't been caught under the bed since.
New thing 2: Carry
Since she was young, Sophia has been good at going down stairs backwards, and didn't seem too resentful that us big people could seem to fly downstairs forwards, while she couldn't even see where she was going. Recently, she has become a little braver with the stairs, and we have been walking holding her hand more, so naturally she is starting to try to go down stairs in the forward direction. The first few times she did it (with our help) were OK, but then one day she took a tumble down the stairs (only 2 stairs to the landing, and carpeted) but since then she has been more cautious. She has learned how to use the handrails, and can make it down stairs with some regularity, but she often chooses not to - if a parent is there, she would rather be carried. She'll try one step, then look up and you, hold her arms out, tilt her head adorably and say "Cawwy?" You try to resist. You say "No, honey, you can do it. Come on down the stairs!" Then she'll start to try one more step, balk, and look at you with eyes the size of dinner plates and say
"Cawwy?"
and you're done. Carry you do.
New thing 3: Letter H
Sophia has been more and more aware of the alphabet and written words these days. She has always loved books and always looks at them right-side up. We have been going through the alphabet with more skill (see a previous post with video of the alphabet) and she regularly fills in letters. Her favorite is this. We say "LMNO" and she says, with a big grin "PEEEE!" She is even starting to refer to letters she sees in a book or on a sign as "ABC?" So she is starting to make the connection between spoken and written English.
I had a magazine open the other day, just flipping through, and Sophia, unprompted, looked at the page and said "Aitch!" I was confused, but then noticed that one of the drop-caps that begins a paragraph was indeed a big letter "H". Now this is potentially a major breakthrough many years ahead of her development. So I said "Where?" and she pointed right at the "H" and said "Aitch!" Unbelievable. I showed Mommy. Mommy was also flabbergasted. We flipped to another page, pointed at another letter (an "A") and said "What's that, Sophia?" and she said...
"Aitch"
(damn, we whispered under our breath)
"And this, what's this?" we say, pointing at a "T"
"Aitch"
Oh well, it must mean something, but I guess she's not reading quite yet...
Friday, April 18, 2008
blog reprise: movies
Several previous posts merit video evidence: Here is said evidence (using blogger video instead of youtube - hope it works!):
Playing in puddles:
Scarf and purse required for stroller activity, including evidence of asking for help (in Winnipeg):
Playing the 'Nano in Winnipeg:
Playing in puddles:
Scarf and purse required for stroller activity, including evidence of asking for help (in Winnipeg):
Playing the 'Nano in Winnipeg:
Ladybug?
Reports of a flash winter storm bringing 50cm of snow to our area (after +25 weather) seem to have been greatly exaggerated (feverishly touching anything resembling wood or wood-laminate products). It seems the leader-post (our local paper) and some enterprising journalists saw reports of a winter storm in the north and somehow extrapolated to include Regina in that north. In any case, unless something strange happens in the next couple days, it continues to be Sprummer here.
Sophia is fascinated with Ladybugs. It was one of her first three-syllable words, and for a while it was stuck at "lady" (lady-lady-lady- ...ladyblurg?) but now she has it along with several phrases (to appear in a subsequent blog entry). Since yesterday was such a nice day, Daddy decided to start to rake up the dead grass from the winter (which is when I heard from neighbours about the supposed winter storm). Sophia helped, and after a while Mommy and Haley joined us. We played in the brown grass and marveled at the newly appearing buds, and Sophia saw many ladybugs. For a while, "ladybug?" was the only thing coming out of her mouth, and probably 30 times a minute.
With the sun just setting and her interest captured, it was the perfect photo-opportunity. We are really happy with how these turned out and we think they will be classics in photo albums to come.
Sophia is fascinated with Ladybugs. It was one of her first three-syllable words, and for a while it was stuck at "lady" (lady-lady-lady- ...ladyblurg?) but now she has it along with several phrases (to appear in a subsequent blog entry). Since yesterday was such a nice day, Daddy decided to start to rake up the dead grass from the winter (which is when I heard from neighbours about the supposed winter storm). Sophia helped, and after a while Mommy and Haley joined us. We played in the brown grass and marveled at the newly appearing buds, and Sophia saw many ladybugs. For a while, "ladybug?" was the only thing coming out of her mouth, and probably 30 times a minute.
With the sun just setting and her interest captured, it was the perfect photo-opportunity. We are really happy with how these turned out and we think they will be classics in photo albums to come.
Outside on a beautiful day. note the fat lip from a previous faceplant. scary but no permanent damage
Ladybug?
ladybug!
ladybug...
Ladybug.
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