A bunch of random things - with pictures!

From the "It is all in how you ask" category:

Aidan's developmental questionnaire has this item on it, "With your child watching you, line of 4 blocks in a row. Does your child copy you and line up 4 blocks?"

So, for a couple of months, I've been lining up 4 blocks, giving Aidan 4 blocks, and asking her if she can copy me. The resounding response? "NO."

I did it the other day and she looked at my line of blocks and said, "Choo-choo." I said, "Aidan, can you make a train like mine?"

That girl sure can line up 4 blocks.

(I wonder if she has to pick out 4 blocks or it is OK that I gave her the maximum amount she could use - I hate that questionnaire.)

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The other night, Aidan and I got home early and went to play with her toys. This lead to many train creations out of blocks and then lots of choo-choo time. At one point while we were playing, Aidan grabbed my glasses off my face. She knows this is a no-no. I tried to get them back, but she was very insistent. So, I decided to watch and see what she wanted to do. She carefully folded up my glasses and put the out of the way from where we were playing, saying, "Right there."

And then she came and tackled me.

A great game of rough-housing ensued and we had a great time playing together. I figured out from the context that she wasn't taking my glasses to take them, but she took them because she wanted to wrestle and she knows that I take my glasses off before we play like that so no one gets hurt. Today at swimming lessons, she did a similar thing, taking my glasses off and putting them on the side of the pool so she could splash me in the face.

Am I a geeky mother to think that is pretty amazing for a 23 month old?

Here are some pictures of our fun:



I don't know why she did this, but she had fun and was very intent on it:



This is what happens after Aidan helps with her laundry:



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During the same play session, Aidan initiated, with no prompting from me, our "boogity, boogity, boogity, boo!" game (see June's vacation/update post for explanation of this game). It used to be that I would have to start it. Now, she can apparently remember it, symbolize it in her mind, and choose to act on it. It is amazing to see her theory of mind develop. (Only a psychologist mother would use the phrase "theory of mind" in her child's blog/baby book.)



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Today, at the Little Gym, Aidan did a somersault all by herself - 3 or 4 times.

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Aidan has shown in small ways in the past that she can have compassion for others who are hurting or sad (usually with a little prompting). Today, she demonstrated her ability to be absolutely horrified at another person's (or stuffed mouse's) plight. Her little mouse Steve has a button nose. (You may remember that we have 5 Steves so we are never without one.) Aidan likes to chew on Steve's nose. Today, Steve developed leprosy and his nose fell off. Aidan was distraught beyond belief. She held him and kissed him, and said, "oh no" over and over. She finally calmed when I told her that he would be OK, but his nose would never be the same. She's given him extra TLC today. She was mightily confused when I handed her another Steve later in the day and he had a full nose. Poor kid's going to have impair reality testing and need therapy.

Steve before:



Steve after being stricken with leprosy:



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Bedtime is going better. The books seem to be good incentives and last night she earned all 5 and kept all 5. She's also putting herself to sleep with less crying and carrying on, which is good. Once she gets that down, maybe we'll work on a big girl bed.

What a 23 month old needs in order to go to sleep:



(That would be a pillow, 3 blankets, sippy cup, hand crochetted hat, and at least 7 stuffed animals.)

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She's also showing interest in using the potty. She asks to sit on it about once a day now. After she moves to her next class (August 25th), we'll start working more intentionally on it. Until then there is no real point because they won't do it at school until they are 2.

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Swimming lessons are going very well. Aidan loves them!

Those are the major updates.