We were all up about 7:40. Skyped with Vivian and Colin. August and Vivian had fun playing the ‘don’t do it’ game with Carly. He did some Hangeul tracing a couple times through the morning. He has rediscovered that. I took down recycling, then shared some pizza with him. We read the Doc McStuffins coloring books. He had the octopus arm things made into circles – 3 small ones and one big oval shape. I started to make one of them into a crown for him, and August said the smaller two were feet and put them at the end of the big oval. My bigger circle then became the head. Of course, then he decided to step on it and “break the skull”.
We practiced drawing stars and he did his first one on his own. He’s expanded the ‘ballistic’ game from just eating in the parlor, to anything we tell him not to do, including cleaning things. Useful for now. I got him to clean up the markers, Duplos, Bob Books and other things today by telling him not to do it.
We then headed to the bedroom and had the friends eat oatmeal for breakfast, and August made a nest. He started talking about bones, and we looked at the skeleton app. He definitely read ‘vomer’ and mandible’. When he was tired of that he went out to Carly and they went and did Hangeul. Lots of Hangeul app and nursing today.
The Hangeul app time was working though as he started writing, rather easily, the complex vowels on paper and pronouncing them. He climbed on the rocking chair and said he was a spider. Was using it like a jungle gym, and was even more fun because he thought he was making mama nervous.
Carly and I were ready for a walk. I tried to convince him he wanted to go out by suggesting Mama Juice to him. That worked. To Carly he whispered “What kind should we get?”
Downstairs he chose blueberry and I got a macchiato. We headed over to the stream and walked north along it. He started to act tired on our walk, but there wasn’t a nap today. I gave him a wheelie, and he kept wanting them. Finally, he got off and did some walking through the tunnel. As usual he sang all the way through the tunnel. On the other side he was walking with Carly and she was singing her version of When Johnny Comes Marching, making up words. She was sort of marching him by the arms, which was fine but again he kept wanting more after both of our arms were sore.
We turned around and got him on the bike and he wanted to stop at Chrysanthemum Park. But when we got there he and I were singing Yankee Doodle (we learned the seventh verse) and he didn’t want to stop.
We walked over to the art museum. We thought about one of us staying with him at the play area while the other went to the post office to see what there hours are during the week (we’re working on planning our move now that summer and moving info are starting to take shape). But the play area was full. So we all went over to the post office only to find that it doesn’t have an hours sign on it (why does any business not have this basic feature?).
We went back to the park. August and I went and played on the melting ice rink, and Carly headed home to eat some lunch. August walked around on the ice and stepped in wet areas, and found spots where he could see the bottom poking through. I think the ice rink closes after this weekend, and I don’t think they’ll be extending the dates this year. He had no interest in going on a board, but had fun with the arrow throwing after we were off the ice.
We headed home after that (he didn’t want the playground, and I think his feet were a bit cold and damp) and were home at 2:45. Carly had eaten but not left for the store yet. He went to the bathroom, and came back to me excited about how he can reach the light switch and the soap. Carly mixed him up some rice and broccoli. While eating it he kept saying “I want more of my great rice.” He took the piano keys out and put them back in. Carly headed to the store. He was working on Hangeul. Outside, August had asked what playground was in Arabic and Hebrew, and I decided that should be one of the words we know in five languages. So I worked on that.
Carly came home and started cooking. August and I went in on the bed and had the friends make kimbap for lunch. Back out in the kitchen, August shared something with Carly, I think. Anyway, the idea of sharing and not sharing came up, and August, as he and I went in the parlor, said “I want to talk about sharing and not sharing.” We did some of that, but then really ended up playing with the Teuni Octopus. I set it up like the teacher had shown, kind of like hopscotch so August could jump from corner to corner. Did that, then we started to add in variations. Put in all the legs so there were 8 spaces. August said “I have another game…another game that sangsaengnim showed you.” We took the legs off and made a straight course, then he moved them around to make bigger and smaller shapes. I stepped out of the room for a second for tea or something and when I came back he had made them into a zigzag shape.
Somehow, it was decided it was a playground, then the playground was limited to certain ages. At first, if we touched it the people running the playground would tell us to leave. But August of course took it to “What if we not leave?” Then there was hose spraying involved. August really liked this, an turned into the person doing the spraying, and pretended there were kids in the playground that weren’t 7 and he would spray them.
We took a break to read Old King Cole, then he got the I Spy book and said “I want to learn how to remember things…in this book.” We went through that a couple times.
He ate the green soup and peanut fried rice that Carly had made for dinner. We saw the fire parade from our window one last time. I’ve thought we should go outside for it, but then I remember it is February and cold, and watching from the window is enough.
He then started pretending to be in Creepy Carrots, with me making the ‘tunktunktunk’ sound of the creepy carrots. He both liked the game, and got afraid of it. Carly gave him a bath, and I took down the compost. When I came back they were having fun playing with the soap. Before going to bed he wanted a nest to sleep in. He was happy with the little corner of pillows and stuffed animals. He was asleep around 7:40.
Star:
Stepping on the skull:
Spider on the chair:
Licking Green Monster:
Octopus:
Fire:
