JourneyLeaf: Life a Page at a Time

Pirate's Booty

Dreaming of adventure, fame, treasure...

 

Or something yummy!

  

Mama had my wagon in the car from a trip to the park, so we went sailing up and down the aisles of the grocery store in search of supper.  While on this adventure, the store manager liked my spiffy hat so much that she took my picture for the Trader Joe's regional newsletter!  (We recreated the photo in front of the garage when we got home.)

  

And how did we celebrate my new fame?  With yummy golden treasure, of course!

 

  

 

  

(And if any other pirates come by, we'll hide the Pirate's Booty!)

Yo Ho Ho...

Eli has a long and illustrious career as a pirate.

Last March, Eli began sailing the Seven Seas.  Well, in his dreams and in lullabies, anyway.  

  

Then Captain Eli successfully fought off other pirates trying to steal all the baby formula.

Then this past February we found a spiffy pirate hat in the clearance bin at World Market.  

  

Tune in tomorrow for Eli's spring 2010 pirate adventures! 

American Sign Language

Lots of parents teach their babies American Sign Language.  Tots can often sign a word before they can speak it, so it helps them communicate earlier.  Believe me, it is a lot more pleasant for your child to make a sign than for you to have to hold up fifteen objects one at a time to find out exactly which one is causing him to shriek in desperate desire.  Today, for instance, Eli ate cleaned his plate at lunchtime.  I asked him if he was still hungry and he signed "more."  Then I asked him what he wanted.  Plain as day, he made the sign for cheese.  It was a quick and painless communication.  He got his cheese but also gained confidence in his ability to interact with his world.

Our family got started with a couple of sign language DVDs for babies:  Baby Einstein -- My First Signs and My Baby Can Talk -- First Signs.  Both combine children and adults making the signs with puppets, live action clips, toys in motion, and even artwork.  Eli doesn't see a lot of television, so he's captivated.  But we all also enjoy using the signs during the day; it becomes a sort of a game.  There are a lot more DVDs out there, but some create alternate signs rather than using only American Sign Language (ASL).  No thanks.  If we stick to ASL, others who know ASL should be able to understand Eli.  Also, it is nice for our family to know a language that helps us interact better with folks who have disabilities.

Right now, Eli and I are taking a free class called Baby Signs available through our county's First Five program.  Occasionally the class materials stray from ASL, but Suzanne (our teacher) kindly translates them into ASL signs so we can learn those instead.  She even encouraged me to make a list of any ASL words we want to know.

   

 

  

In the photo above, Suzanne has a big teddy bear puppet named "Beebo."  She puts her arms through the bear's hollow arms and slides her hands into his yellow gloves so that Beebo can sign to the kids.

 
  

For this week's class, the theme was "Bath Time" and in the photo above, Eli is learning how to sign "toothbrush" with the help of Sandra Boynton's The Going to Bed Book.  As you can see, Suzanne brings a lot of props so the kids will make the connection between a sign and its meaning.  Eli finds it all gloriously exciting!  He leaves no object unturned and often stands right in front of Suzanne during class -- which she encourages.

  

 

Each week Suzanne pulls out a parachute just for fun.  Eli giggles like crazy whenever he gets to run under it while we shake the sides.  Today we put beach balls on top for even more fun, signing "ball" over and over.

Last week we learned the sign for "bubble."  Suzanne blew a thousand and one bubbles into the air to show the kids.  A few days later, Eli came up to me with a glitter bouncy ball.  Some of the water inside had evaporated, so when he shook it there was foam inside.  Eli looked at it for a moment then signed "bubble."  He understood floating bubbles and foam were similar and I was so glad for a glimpse into his thoughts.  He says "bubble" fairly plain now, but for a long time it came out as "buh" and sounded very much like other B words such as "baby," "bottle," and "bath."  Signs often help me to be sure what I'm hearing.  And he really does use the sign more often than the spoken word.

Suzanne said that she finds benefits for sign language in their family even now that her children are middle school aged.  She can remind them to say thank you or do their homework in front of others without embarrassing them.  When necessary, she and her husband can make basic decisions behind their kids' backs.  They can even ask questions during a movie without disturbing anybody.

Last but not least, there is some evidence that learning sign language activates and strengthens the same parts of the brain as learning other languages.  Teaching Eli some ASL now may help him to be better at learning spoken languages later.  Wouldn't that be spiffy?  And it is so much fun to do.

Signs Eli uses:  eat, more, water, milk, cheese, apple, banana, Cheerios, cracker, orange, all done/all gone, light, sleep, bath, toothbrush, diaper, shoes, bird, duck, dog, bear, fish, cat, ball, book, bubbles, car, please, and thank you.  I feel sure he understands many more, but these are the ones he uses himself right now.

Circle the Wagons

"Back home" is Georgia.  And that's a long way.  Mama says many years ago, folks made the trip to California in wagons.  I just don't know.  I can get in this wagon, but as far as provisions go, there's barely room left over for a couple of spare diapers and a sippy cup.

  

And, really, it just doesn't seem very efficient.  I keep pulling forward on the handle, but it doesn't roll any faster.

  

I think I'll stick with airplanes.

  

 

Splish Splash

What is it with tots and water?  Like many of his buddies, Eli is mesmerized by fountains.  In our house, when I'm finishing up a shower, Eli comes running because he loves to see me splash-rinse the glass doors.  After lunch, the woooeeee exciting activity is standing on a stool to help Mama wash dishes in the sink.  And on warm days, Eli loves his water table.

 

 

   

But what exciting sport really makes a toddler's heart beat faster?  Hand washing!  If the under-two crowd had its way, it would be an Olympic event with points for enthusiastic suds-flinging, faucet-rubbing, sink-patting, and wet-hand-licking.  (We have to keep baby shampoo in the bathroom to wash Eli's hands with now because of the latter!)

  

 

All I can think is that in a few years, Eli will be like all kids -- moaning and groaning when you make them go wash their hands.  Grandma said my dad used to get mad when she insisted he wash the backs of his hands too; he didn't see the need when it was his fingers and palms touching food.  My niece used to fib and say she'd washed her hands when she hadn't...so my brother started sniffing her hands before every meal to be sure they smelled like soap!

Ah, childhood. 

Vulnerable

Eli's teeth are closer to coming in, I think.  Today his gums look more puffy and red.  In the light of day (and cushioned by infant pain reliever), Eli simply goes on about his toddler business -- building block towers and pushing his toy trains and mushing his lunch strawberries with his fork.  I'm the one still thinking about nighttime.  Those sharp teething cries in the middle of the night don't just make me jump.  They make me ache.

Vulnerable.

Last month when Eli and I visited Little Farm in Tilden Park to see the animals, we moved down a gravel path.  I wanted to carry Eli, but he wanted down so he could explore and touch and be under his own speed.  I looked around and saw there was no real danger -- a gentle slope, a practiced toddler in good shoes, no big rocks.  So I let him.  A minute later, down he went.  I was right beside him and got my hand under his arm for support, so it wasn't a bad spill.  Nonplussed, he pushed himself up and kept on toddling, seemingly oblivious to the small spot of blood on his knee.  But I noticed.  I hurt, even as I knew I'd still done the right thing by letting him walk on his own.  To Eli it was one more wobbling tumble in a walk full of wobbles when to his mama it was the beginning of a childhood full of skinned knees.  Oh, Little One.  And at the very same time, it made me proud.  My little adventurer. 

It takes courage to be a part of this world.  And toddlers often do it with such accepting grace.

 

Reverse Sleep Training

"Sleep Training" is teaching your child to be at peace in their bed, to fall asleep by themselves at bedtime and to soothe themselves back to sleep should they rouse before morning.  We've been incredibly lucky with Eli.  He's usually a great sleeper unless he's sick ... or teething.

Most of Eli's teeth came in easily and seemingly without pain.  A few, though, have been hard won.  According to parenting books, the molars and canines are supposed to be the worst.  We finished the one-year molars, but now Eli is working on the canines.  During this development, oftentimes Eli is his normal self.  But then suddenly he's chewing on everything, testing all the toys in the toy box to find edges that will fit into that swollen gap between his existing teeth.  He's never been a particularly drooly baby, but he is right now.  And his nose runs, making him cough like a coal miner nearing retirement.  Then there is the sleep disruption.  Periodically he cries out -- zero to lung-full agony in three seconds.  It instantly brings me up from a dead sleep and on to my feet.  Sometimes I'm already in the hall halfway to his room before I realize what's happening and that I'm awake.  

Reverse sleep training is a tongue-in-cheek term among parents with wee ones.  When a bad sleep pattern starts up, parents keep waking up even when the pattern stops and their little ones remain asnooze.  That's me tonight.  I turned out the light early to be sure I could make it through the long night ahead.  Eli's cough finally quieted.  The house is peaceful.  But I can't fall asleep.  Three nights in a row Eli has shrieked near midnight.  There's a lull and then the cry-outs come over and over again -- five, ten, maybe twenty minutes apart -- between the hours of one and three.  Then he wakes for good a little after six, cheerful and wanting breakfast.  We've tried all our tricks from infant ibuprofen to lullabies.  He settles quickly.  But it does not last. 

Poor little guy.  The Shrieking Time approacheth...

What to grab when rubber teethers and frozen wet washcloths don't make the gums feel better?  Toys, food, the straps on Mama's purse, the buckle on the high chair, the latch on the baby gate, the hem of the curtains...

Update:  Eli slept until 4:30 before crying out.  After only one shriek and a handful of fusses, he slept until six.  And Brian took Eli for an hour and a half in the morning so I could nap.  How in the heck to single parents do this and keep their sanity?  So thankful to be part of a good team!

Cheerio

We had wonderful adventures on our trip down the California coastline.  We saw a castle with 56 bedrooms, priceless works of art, sea mammals back from the brink of extinction, and letters written by one of America's finest authors.  But my favorite moment of the trip was sitting in the back of the car with Eli, feeding him snacks bit-by-bit so he wouldn't make a mess out of his car seat.  I held up a Cheerio and peeked at him through it.  Instant baby giggles.

  

 

  

  

  

Oh, yeah.  But there were those bold squirrels...

 

Steinbeck Center

Our last stop on vacation was at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas.  

Of course it is hard to read displays in-depth when you have a toddler with you, but we enjoyed the museum section, learning a great deal about writer John Steinbeck and the California of his day.

 

 

 

Sigh.  Sometimes there's just not enough light to get a good photo.  But here's a snapshot for Uncle Eric of Roscinante, Steinbeck's pickup camper that carried him across America for his book Travels with Charley.

Pacific Coast Highway

One of my favorite parts of our trip was simply driving down the highway with its breathtaking views.

Eli could barely contain his excitement.

 
  (We bought a new brand of sun block that dries faster than our old brand, so that's the smeary white on Eli's face.  I've got my new technique down now, so he looks better these days.)

Eli wasn't good at taking naps in the unfamiliar hotel room, so we timed our roving to give him nap time in the car.  Eli got good rest and his parents had lovely scenery and good conversation.