Finn:
- Major news stories: Finn is starting kindergarten this fall, and he is also going to have an evaluation for sensorimotor issues. His preschool teacher recommended this, and we’re willing to give it a try (the evaluation) to at least see if there is something we can give him help with. If he does have some sensorimotor issues, they may be related to his giving up and feeling like he can’t accomplish things, and (acc. to his teacher) his unwillingness at times to join in with the other kids in class even though he is interested in what they are doing. Over the summer, Finn took swimming lessons, and really enjoyed when we went to “armor games” (aka SCAdian events) at the Ukranian Homestead, where he got to go swimming and play on the Story Tree.
Earlier this year (late spring/early summer), Finn surprised me with his reading/writing skills when I hadn’t know he was developing them so strongly. He can read words to you by sounding them out, and he can write words phonetically, e.g., he wrote “TOO SAF” (translation: to Seth) on a birthday present for his friend with no help whatsoever! So exciting!!!
- Current obsessions: Still Mario. He would prefer to be constantly playing Mario, watching Daddy play Mario, or watching Mario on the computer. I feel like he needs to be restrained a bit on this to make sure it doesn’t reach an unhealthy level of sedentary time. H. doesn’t necessarily agree and/or doesn’t always follow through on the restraint, which is a bit of a frustration to me. He also still likes to pretend he’s a kitten at times, but this isn’t as common as it used to be.
- Unfortunates: A few things. The Mario thing is sort of unfortunate, I think. Also, Finn has such a hard time controlling his emotions and knowing what to do with them when he has them. He hits a lot, lately, and it’s become a difficult point between him and I. We had a very rough day where he was hitting and was incapable or unwilling to acknowledge the reason why hitting is not okay (even though I had just told him maybe 15 minute ago). I’m not sure if he’s pretending or what when he says “I don’t remember” but it’s really infuriating to me. He has such a strong memory for other things—it just makes him sound stupid, and on the whole I know he’s not. I can’t wait for him to get past this (I have to assume it’s a phase, or it will really depress me). Also, when he gets really upset, he reverts and acts like a baby with this grating whine/cry that just make H. and I want to rip our ears out. Five years old is a very up and down time for all of us—there are times when the growth is clear and the level of understanding is there, but there are times when he drops down practically into infant mode, and I personally just want to scream (and not infrequently that’s what I do, unfortunately.)
- Good things: As I said, Finn is showing signs of growing up at times, which is so wonderful. It’s the kind of thing you can’t really explain, and the examples are subtle and I tend to forget them. Just little things he says or times when he keeps control over himself when I know he wouldn’t have a year ago. Even though he acts aggressively when he’s frustrated, I know that inside he’s a very nice person. He is very good to his sister—very considerate over all. He’s looking forward to sharing a room and bunk-beds with her, which somewhat surprised me.
He likes school and doing things that require thinking, like puzzle books, which is wonderful for me to see. He is looking forward to school, which again was a little bit surprising to me. I think he’s rather smart when it comes to numbers and patterns, personally, and he’s been coming quite a long way in terms of reading readiness, as I mentioned above.
I have to say, I think he is also very attached to me, for which I am grateful. I’m not always the best Mom (see above re: screaming), and it is sometimes surprising to me (this is the “surprised” blog entry, apparently) that he comes back and seems just as attached as before when we have a rough time in which hitting, screaming, scolding, pouting, etc. occur between us. He’s very loving, and I’m so glad of that.
- Common sayings: “You’re kidding me, right?” and “Oh man” are older-kid phrases which have now found their way into his regular vocabulary. Those are the kinds of things that make you look down at your kid and say to yourself “when the heck did that happen?” (meaning growing up).
Kate:
- Major news stories: I didn't write anything here in July, and I can't immediately think of anything major.
- Current obsessions: Soggy, Lamby, and Paci (the three things she drags everywhere, if you let her); keeping up with Finn; singing (she sings in the tub… how wonderful!); doing everything herself (my mom used to warn me about this—“mother please, I’d rather do it myself!—and I truly didn’t believe her after having Finn, because it didn’t happen that way… well, now I believe).
Unfortunates: Katie loves the water and she loves baths, but she HATES getting water dumped on her head, and therefore she hates having her hair washed. I remember this with Finn, so I know it will pass, but for right now, it’s a bit frustrating. She’s also gotten a stronger temper lately, esp. with regard to bedtime. The screeching has reached a new peak when we turn off the light, leave the room, and go downstairs. On the plus side, it barely lasts 5 minutes. It may be difficult to transition her to the bunk-beds, though. She’s also much whinier lately, and at the same time, trying to assert her independence just about all of the time. These things don’t bother me too much, though. They feel like a phase, to me—but they bother H. a lot more (esp. when hitting is combined with them, which I can certainly understand).
- Good things: Her singing is hands down one of my top “good things” these days. My absolute favorite is when she sings “15 animals” from the CD Philadelphia Chickens. I just love how she slurs along with the phrase, getting the sounds basically right but not completely intelligible, and then suddenly she hit a line with complete clarity: “… and my piglet known as, BOB OF COURSE!” Her talking is also still wonderful. I never get tired of it. I haven’t met a single person yet who has. Her curls are also something that I find just to die for! Not that this is quite the same as aspects of her behavior that are “good things”, but I couldn’t not mention them, because I could run my hands through those little curls at the base of her neck just FOREVER.
- Common sayings: It’s just too hard to remember everything with this little chatterbox. Some phrases that she likely got from her brother, but which I think of more as her right now, include: “Moo-oommeeee” (the three-syllable version of “mommy”; if you’re a parent, you know exactly the sound of this one; and if you aren’t, I can’t describe it in text), “Cheese and crackers, man” (from Penguins of Madagascar).
