Thursday, 17 January 2013

Bringing up baby: 13 January 2013 bedtime


Overall, Tilly was incredibly cute tonight.

He kept giving me hugs after dinner, as I was cleaning up the kitchen. He waved Bye Bye to me as he left with Daddy for bath time. He said Thank You to Daddy as daddy poured water down his back (this was after Daddy said thank you to Tilly when Tilly poured water down daddy's front). At After Bath Play, Tilly decided to hide his duck, his shirt, his shorts behind his head. (It didn't work.)

The cutest event I was privileged to witness was his role play at bedtime. Teddy Bear was elevated to the status of Actor, and had the role of junior. This meant Tilly had to find a place for Teddy Bear to sit. Tilly had to select a book for Teddy Bear to read - Tickle Tickle Peter (touchy feely Peter Rabbit book).
"More? More book."
Tilly had to arrange the book so it would stay in Teddy Bear's lap to read. I was elevated to Actor, and he selected an appropriate book for me to read - There's a Wocket in my Pocket (original version). Tilly selected an appropriate book for himself to read - How Do I Feel (intended age range is 3-9mo). We three read together for a bit.

Then Tilly decided Teddy Bear needed to be in a different seat. So the Play got transferred to his red couch. Caillou, who was already on the couch, became an Actor. I was relegated to scenery. Caillou needed a book.
"Wait. More book." Caillou got a Littlies magazine, opened to a carefully selected page.
Teddy Bear needed a different book. (Tilly got Teddy Bear seated on the couch all by himself, which was quite a determined achievement of overreaching.) "Okay? Wait. More book. Wait. More book."
Horse blanket (a lightweight cloth, maybe a scarf, printed with stampeding horses) was involved in Play. Caillou and Teddy Bear needed to be satisfactorily covered by Horse blanket. Satisfied, Tilly joined them on the couch. They read a book - Tickle Tickle Peter. (They read the duck page.)  "Okay? One more book. Bedtime. One more book. Bedtime. Bedtime," he announced to his Players.
Tilly got off the couch to select one more book.
"Music," he became distracted, and picked up his tambourine.
"Tilly," I interjected, "you said one more book. Bedtime."
He looked nonplussed. What was scenery doing, talking? The Play momentarily broke.
He decided he needed to disassemble his bed for the green muslin cloth which is used as his bed sheet. I prevented him. Wailing ensued. After 30s he calmed down and carried on with his Play.
However, he is tired by this stage of the day. He lost his balance on the edge of the red couch, and fell off, banging his head on the wall. Outraged tears mingled with surprise and fright and hurt.
I comforted him, rubbing his head, apologising, and hugging him close. He calmed down enough to try to carry on with his Play.
He climbed back onto the couch, and looked distrustfully at the edge beside him. He was on the cusp of frustration again, so I assisted in his Play as best I could, taking direction from him. We read a three books: How to Catch a Star, a Shaun the Sheep story, and a touchy-feely book about animals.
"One more book, in bed," I said. And we did. This involved Giraffe, Teddy Bear2, and Horse blanket.
Tilly wanted one more book. I looked suspiciously at him, and acquiesced; it is such a hot night, delaying sleep was a good idea. We began reading about Idon'tremember. Part through, I was so tired, and hot.
"Tilly, how about we sleep down there?" I pointed at the cot mattress on the floor. "It's so hot."
He agreed.
We laid down on the mattress. It is so hot, even with the fan going. He kicked several times. His skin became sweaty.
After a while he fell asleep. So did I.

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Bringing up baby: Vocabulary


Tilly knows quite a lot of words, more than he uses with me.

Pikelet.
Okay.
Is that Mummy?
There's Daddy.

Fly.
This way.
Huge.
Hard.
Carriage escort.
Ambush.
Gorons.
Snow peak.
Skull shooting.
Skype machine.
Breakfast.

Uh oh where it go?
Baby sharing.
This way dog.


***
12 January 2013: Zebra crossing
Tilly practised crossing at a pedestrian crossing. I called it "zebra crossing" at first. So, Tilly insisted on crossing to find the zebras. D'oh. We had to cross back. Then cross again to look for zebras. We walked along but didn't find any zebras.

Later on, Tilly attempted another zebra hunt with Daddy.
***
11 January 2013: enounciation, and finger spelling It was so hot and humid last night - maybe due to the Australian fires, the South fires - I brought out the fan. It whirred loudly. It fascinated Tilly.

"Fan," I pointed it to him.
"Fam," he tried the word.
"Fan," I said,"with an 'N'. Nih"
"Fam," he tried again.
"Fan," I finger-spelled the word. "F. A. N. Nih."
"Fam."
"Fan." I racked my memory for an 'N' word familiar to him. "F. A. N. Like in 'No'"
"Fan," he said.

Gosh, phonics is useful at such a young age! I'm gonna look for some.

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Bringing up baby: pretty

Tilly admires his handiwork. (c) ^_^ 2013

Monday, 14 January 2013

Thursday, 10 January 2013

Bringing up baby: "Falling!"

One of my most cherished memories: Tilly learning the word "Falling!"

One night near the end of last year (November?) after bath-time, before nappy-time, Tilly was busy mucking around on the spare bed (inherited, king-sized). The bed has 3 plumped up pillows.

Tilly experimented with the pillows. He flops on one, and chortles "Oh no!" He flops on number two, and chortles "Oh no!" He bounces on number three, and chuckles "Oh no!". Again. And again. And again.

Let's call it five minutes of pillow-play; soundtrack: "Oh no!"

I am sympathetic to this play. What is more fun than full-body bouncing around on a soft bouncy surface?

There's just one permutation he missed out on...

"Tilly, let me show you something-"

I stack the pillows, one on top of the other. Its height equals that of Tilly.

His eyes gleam at the potential.

He throws himself onto the stack. He bounces off. "Oh no!"

"Oh no! you're falling Tilly!"

His alert hearing picks up a new word.

"Falling!!"

He bull-rushes at the stack of pillows. He bounces off. "Falling!!" Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!"  Bull-rush. Bounce. "Falling!!" 

Naked toddler. Bouncing off pillows. Yodelling "Falling!"

Priceless.

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Bringing up baby: Memory - dancing

One of my favourite activities with Tilly: dancing.

Most of the time Our Song is "Umbrella" covered by The Baseballs. (youtube)

He used to be much shorter than me, so I'd haul him up onto our dining room chair to get to my height, and then I'd dance around him; twirls, be-bops, half-hugs. It culminates in his big scene.

He is heaved-ho'd and swung out off the chair, then laid out on the floor (on a mat) and then quickly pulled up Whoosh! into a fling.

***
It was lovely to have him so eager to dance. The moment he heard the opening notes, he'd rapidly search for His Chair to dance in. Yes, kiddo, I did smirk at Christmas when your chair was appropriated for Christmas lunch, and you couldn't find it to dance in.

The last laugh was on me, as now he doesn't even try to use His Chair anymore. sigh. He's close enough to my height, where I can do twirls under his arm (if I bend down limbo style).

***
Anyhow, dancing with him is one of my fondest memories. Definitely makes the Bucket List.

Friday, 4 January 2013

Bringing up baby: 7 clothes named!

Tired. Again.

Still, managed to name seven of Tilly's clothes so he can wear them to daycare and have them be returned to him.

There's at least seven and seven more.