August was up first. After a few minutes he said “Time to get up!” He and I headed downstairs at 6:57, leaving Carly in bed for awhile. We read part of Read Polar Bears Past Bedtime. He requested Cheerios, no strawberries. We then did some Wizard School and he watched part of Storybots Christmas while I made smoothie. Watched a little more while he drank smoothie. He stopped the episode when he was done drinking. He and I took care of the animals. I had him say “Happy New Year!” to Carly. He then said “I HATE Happy New Years.”
Carly made spinach pancakes. I had to take him upstairs. He calmed down and stood on his stool while Carly started cooking them: “Yeah, but it looks like green throw up!” He played on the iPad a bit and I took a shower. I then took him up for his bath and was able to wash his hair without too much trouble. We watched Arabic alphabet videos, then he played with toys for quite awhile before I washed his hair. Carly had gone out for a wog.
We went downstairs at 11:15. He was hiding in the towel and Carly pretended he was missing. He called this the “Towel trick” and wanted to do it over and over. He then got off the couch: “Follow. Follow me, mama.” He started drawing on the chalkboard and said “Nothing happening here.” He drew letters. Carly went up to take a shower. He drew H2O on the board, then made boxes and lines around it. He then made up a new song on the piano and wanted me to hear it.
He was even more excited when he found the Amelia Bedilia Christmas book. He had mentioned it a couple days ago, in the car or somewhere, and I had doubted its existence. He got so excited. He remembered my doubt and was now telling me it was real. We have never read it before. We read it and he set it on top of the book shelves so we could read it later.
I had gotten him some lasagna, and when he went to the table he looked and said “Oh dear, no fork.” I got him a fork. He was then writing on the chalkboard and wanted words to write. But he only wanted to write the first letter so it “stands for” the words “because its easier”. Carly tricked him into writing ‘water’ on the chalkboard by having him write letters for 5 different words. He and Carly then played with the Lego cars and alien, starting the gas station game.
Carly went upstairs to do some work, and he and I played with Cubetto, playing through Cubetto’s First Day and Cubetto and August’s Camping Adeventure. He then went and checked on the animals. Peter Rabbit was better, so August wanted to take of the bandage. This proved difficult though due to Peter Rabbit’s fuzzy fur. It took me awhile to get it, and August was stressed about how it could ruin Peter Rabbit. When I got it off he said “NEVER put bandages on Peter Rabbit again.” He also listened to his own heart.
It had been raining pretty well but seemed to have lightened, so August and I got ready to go for a walk. He suggested the big stroller and climbed right in and waited for me. I went up and got the brown blanket and tucked it around him. We wandered around, this way and that, discussing where we might find some cover. The sun covers over the playgrounds provide some over, but aren’t designed to be waterproof, and after they are soaked it just drips through. We ended up at Tal Garden. No cover, as August had assured me would be the case, but the rain had stopped, so we paused and had a little snack.
We then got walking again and crossed back over and went up to the dead end of Kibuts Galuyot and back. I was singing Sesame Street songs and he got quiet. He was getting tired, and then pretending to sleep, but then actually getting close to falling asleep by the time we got back, about 2:40.
Inside they nursed, then he went outside with her, then came in for his kaleidoscope. He was looking at things, saying “Whoa, whoa, whoa…”
She then headed back upstairs to work and he and I made banana bread. To keep himself occupied he made a sculpture/machine out of all of the measuring cups and spoons and lids that were about. He watched some Timmy Time while I cleaned up, then helped me with Hebrew in Memrise. He then surprised me by straightaway spelling some words in Hebrew in Drops. We were starting to learn ordinal numbers in Hebrew, and he recited English ordinal numbers up into the 30s.
The banana bread was done and I took it out. It slid out of the pan and he said “Ooh, that came out pretty easy!” While we waited for it to cool he gave me a checkup with the doctor kit. We then ate banana bread and he played with some music apps.
Carly came down and they Skyped with Vivian. Last day they can do that for a few, at least, as she goes back to school tomorrow. Carly hadn’t eaten her cookie yesterday, so there was actually one left from our Christmas batch and she let August eat it, with plenty of milk. He then showed his Lego cars to Vivian and Colin and was playing with them. Chuck and Cherie called in as a group call, but that splits the screen in half. Normally, August hates this as he gets into it with himself on one side and Vivian on the other. He hands up and calls her back as we haven’t figured out how to get out of it. So even though this was a different situation it looked the same, and he didn’t like it: “Go away, split screen!”
He was ready for bed. We went upstairs. We had gotten Drops installed on Carly’s phone, and they sat in bed for several minutes and he helped her with using Drops and learning Hebrew. Very fun to see. He also made up a song about making mistakes, and I got that on video. So cute.
As I went to say good night he first said “Happy New year” to me. I asked what he would dream about this year and he said “Numbers, Christmas lights, presents…” And then paused just long enough for us to think he was done before adding “and scary dreams!” I left them before 8:10.
Pretending to sleep:
