- "How many kids are there?" I will admit it took us awhile to figure out what question meant. He explained with, "How many kids will come out of your belly?" (He and I talk from time to time about future babies that will grace our family, but he knows there are no babies in the eminent future.)
- After looking at a picture of Adam and Eve, he asked, "Who lived when the dinosaurs lived?" (I thought that was a pretty good question for a four year old.)
- After showing his friend his Christmas ornament for this year (a marshmallow s'more dressed up like santa holding "the good list") he said, "It means I'm not not getting an present." His friend said huh? J repeated himself, his friend said huh? He said "I'm getting a present, saying I'm not not getting a present means I AM getting a present." His friend still said huh? Some how J learned about double negatives, but his friend hasn't picked up that grammar lesson.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Funny Things
A few funny things my 4 and half year old son has said lately:
Monday, December 6, 2010
Presents and Hubs
My son is particularly influenced by commercials, better known as "mercials", so every time there is one about a man buying a woman a piece of heart shapped jewelry, he turns to his dad and says, we should buy one of those for mom. Since I like encourage my family in holidays, and J was so proud of his Spiderman House Game he bought his dad for father's day, I told my husband to let him pick out an inexpensive piece of jewelry for my christmas present. Yesterday I opened my purse and found Kohls Cash, that was expiring that day. I told my husband to take it and take our son, he didn't know where Kohls was, so I went with them, since I had a return. When I finished, I went to check on my boys, they were doing very bad. Brent couldn't get my son away from the neon plastic jewelry. So I had to help them pick out my own present. The only thing J and I could agree on was, a watch. He didn't actually like it until I pointed out it had golden on it, and dimes (diamonds). Brent was entirely miserable, I felt bad that I had asked him to help our son, but then realized that there was other way that would turn out.
I don't say this to complain about my husband, I appreciate the effort. Its the thought that counts right? Brent said the only think he could find that wasn't ugly was a necklace with a little starfish on it, until he looked at the price, it was 70% off, but still $50, since it was 14k gold. Anyway, I thought it was sweet, he found a necklace for me even if he didn't buy it. Although I wish he would have.
I don't say this to complain about my husband, I appreciate the effort. Its the thought that counts right? Brent said the only think he could find that wasn't ugly was a necklace with a little starfish on it, until he looked at the price, it was 70% off, but still $50, since it was 14k gold. Anyway, I thought it was sweet, he found a necklace for me even if he didn't buy it. Although I wish he would have.
My Late Talkers
I was a late talker, my son was a late talker, and now my daughter is a late talker. She is taking longer than her brother, but she is faster than me.
Brent's cousin a few months ago posted that he had read, The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late, by Thomas Sowell. I requested it from the library and then let it sit in my house for almost two months without reading it. Saturday night I picked it up and read 3/4 of it. I found it completely fascinating; it doesn't have too much research (just two case studies of small amounts of children: 46 children and 239), but the research it does have completely fits the bill for me and my children. Children who seem bright but otherwise aren't speaking have a high rate of engineers as direct relatives. Well that is sure true for my kids, their grandfather, great grandfather, two uncles have engineering degrees (and two more uncles have degrees in fields close to engineering). On top of that, their aunt is a math teacher, who has a PhD, another uncle is going to med school next fall, and their grandma has a piano teacher for 40 years. Their other grandfather was an economist, their father has a degree in economics and is a computer specialist, and has aunts and uncles on that side who are scientists. Since I was raised in this environment I thought it was normal, in fact thought I was sort of lame that I don't have a hard science degree, my soft science, political science degree is just lame o blame ;). Turns out this is not normal, based on the first case study, 60% of children in their study who talk late have a direct family member (parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle) who is an engineer, but 60% of children in the US clearly do not have a relative that is an engineer because there aren't that many engineers in our country. 86 % of children who talk late in the study have at least relative with an analytical occupation. (The second study had very similar percentages.)
Just for records, I have been told that I didn't talk until I was three, I just pointed an grunted, but when I finally started I was speaking it was complete sentences. My son said mama, dada, before he was one, but other than that, his speaking was severely limited until he was two, when finally my husband and I couldn't stand the "ehhs" anymore and started pushing language, he still didn't really communicate until he was three. If I remember correctly Nan is actually better at communicating then he is even though he was speaking more words. I remember it clearly because he "exploded" around his sister's birth, my previously quiet child was so noisy and I had a colicky infant, for the first time as a mother I went from zero noisy kids, to TWO noisy kids and I thought I was going to scream. Although he talked, he still wasn't capable of back and forth conversation until he was four, but anyone who met my child had no doubt he was intelligent, he just was quiet. He always made progress albeit slowly so I never was concerned, not to mention he uttered words before me. Eventhough I was never concerned, I definitely wouldn't be concerned now, he is one of the more articulate children in his preschool class, his teacher is always telling me how nice it is to have him answer correctly to her questions.
Who knows the entire path of my daughter, she is only two, but she has been way less interested in speaking then her brother. She signed later, she said mama later, she understood mama later. My parents told me don't worry you didn't talk. How could I not worry? She was 20 months old and only cried mama and bwaked like a chicken maybe once a month. For the last four months I have gone back and forth on wanting her to be tested for speech problems. Brent, my parents, and my grandparents told me she is fine. But seriously was she? All her friends are speaking in sentences no joke. Her best friend, says, look mom, its Nan, she my friend. Her almost boyfriend says, Mom, she so cute, I want to kiss her. Mom, she sad, I hug her. Although I doubt complete sentences is normal for barely two, she probably just has a talkative bunch of friends to make up for her lack. Although I, and her doctor knew she was advanced in other aspects we was worried about her speech. After reading this book, it gave me the confidence to agree to my husband and parents. Also apparently its quite normal for smart children who talk late to be very defiant, and throw huge fits. Now you would think they throw fits because they can't communicate, that is not the case at all, at least when it comes to Nan. She can communicate just fine she just can't talk. She doesn't throw fits because we don't understand her, she throws fits because she doesn't like what we are doing/our answer.
This isn't much of a book review, but I will say, it presents both sides of the issues well. He makes it clear to know that not all children that talk late, are not necessarily very bright, some children who talk late do have other things causing it. But after reading the book, taking in account her hereditary history, watching her around other kids, I don't think she has other developmental problems. She is just late, and extremely fussy, because she has great fine motor skills, and gross motor skills. She can sit sill and listen to me read her books for at least 20 minutes, I never last longer. And honestly if she didn't cry so much I doubt I would have even noticed her not talking, I didn't notice my son too much. But maybe my main problem is trying to compare my children to each, which is a big no no.
I forget the best part of the book. "A kindly old gentleman, Professor Hamilton..." said, after inquiring if the boy had seen doctors, "Mr. Sowell, don't try to teach him to talk-- not right now. You just give him lots of love and attention. Take him with you whenever you can. let him known that you think he is the most wonderful little boy in the whole world. And when he feels confident and secure-- he talk."
Brent's cousin a few months ago posted that he had read, The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late, by Thomas Sowell. I requested it from the library and then let it sit in my house for almost two months without reading it. Saturday night I picked it up and read 3/4 of it. I found it completely fascinating; it doesn't have too much research (just two case studies of small amounts of children: 46 children and 239), but the research it does have completely fits the bill for me and my children. Children who seem bright but otherwise aren't speaking have a high rate of engineers as direct relatives. Well that is sure true for my kids, their grandfather, great grandfather, two uncles have engineering degrees (and two more uncles have degrees in fields close to engineering). On top of that, their aunt is a math teacher, who has a PhD, another uncle is going to med school next fall, and their grandma has a piano teacher for 40 years. Their other grandfather was an economist, their father has a degree in economics and is a computer specialist, and has aunts and uncles on that side who are scientists. Since I was raised in this environment I thought it was normal, in fact thought I was sort of lame that I don't have a hard science degree, my soft science, political science degree is just lame o blame ;). Turns out this is not normal, based on the first case study, 60% of children in their study who talk late have a direct family member (parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle) who is an engineer, but 60% of children in the US clearly do not have a relative that is an engineer because there aren't that many engineers in our country. 86 % of children who talk late in the study have at least relative with an analytical occupation. (The second study had very similar percentages.)
Just for records, I have been told that I didn't talk until I was three, I just pointed an grunted, but when I finally started I was speaking it was complete sentences. My son said mama, dada, before he was one, but other than that, his speaking was severely limited until he was two, when finally my husband and I couldn't stand the "ehhs" anymore and started pushing language, he still didn't really communicate until he was three. If I remember correctly Nan is actually better at communicating then he is even though he was speaking more words. I remember it clearly because he "exploded" around his sister's birth, my previously quiet child was so noisy and I had a colicky infant, for the first time as a mother I went from zero noisy kids, to TWO noisy kids and I thought I was going to scream. Although he talked, he still wasn't capable of back and forth conversation until he was four, but anyone who met my child had no doubt he was intelligent, he just was quiet. He always made progress albeit slowly so I never was concerned, not to mention he uttered words before me. Eventhough I was never concerned, I definitely wouldn't be concerned now, he is one of the more articulate children in his preschool class, his teacher is always telling me how nice it is to have him answer correctly to her questions.
Who knows the entire path of my daughter, she is only two, but she has been way less interested in speaking then her brother. She signed later, she said mama later, she understood mama later. My parents told me don't worry you didn't talk. How could I not worry? She was 20 months old and only cried mama and bwaked like a chicken maybe once a month. For the last four months I have gone back and forth on wanting her to be tested for speech problems. Brent, my parents, and my grandparents told me she is fine. But seriously was she? All her friends are speaking in sentences no joke. Her best friend, says, look mom, its Nan, she my friend. Her almost boyfriend says, Mom, she so cute, I want to kiss her. Mom, she sad, I hug her. Although I doubt complete sentences is normal for barely two, she probably just has a talkative bunch of friends to make up for her lack. Although I, and her doctor knew she was advanced in other aspects we was worried about her speech. After reading this book, it gave me the confidence to agree to my husband and parents. Also apparently its quite normal for smart children who talk late to be very defiant, and throw huge fits. Now you would think they throw fits because they can't communicate, that is not the case at all, at least when it comes to Nan. She can communicate just fine she just can't talk. She doesn't throw fits because we don't understand her, she throws fits because she doesn't like what we are doing/our answer.
This isn't much of a book review, but I will say, it presents both sides of the issues well. He makes it clear to know that not all children that talk late, are not necessarily very bright, some children who talk late do have other things causing it. But after reading the book, taking in account her hereditary history, watching her around other kids, I don't think she has other developmental problems. She is just late, and extremely fussy, because she has great fine motor skills, and gross motor skills. She can sit sill and listen to me read her books for at least 20 minutes, I never last longer. And honestly if she didn't cry so much I doubt I would have even noticed her not talking, I didn't notice my son too much. But maybe my main problem is trying to compare my children to each, which is a big no no.
I forget the best part of the book. "A kindly old gentleman, Professor Hamilton..." said, after inquiring if the boy had seen doctors, "Mr. Sowell, don't try to teach him to talk-- not right now. You just give him lots of love and attention. Take him with you whenever you can. let him known that you think he is the most wonderful little boy in the whole world. And when he feels confident and secure-- he talk."
Last Week's
Did I mention we had a lot of snow last week, and the week before? Maybe I don't know when it was, it took me a while to upload the pictures, we had a lot more than this at one point, but this is still a lot for us. We have two huge trees in front of our house, so we rarely have snow on the ground in front of our door, but it snowed so much one day it was up to my son's thighs.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Moo
Today I was singing Christmas songs out of the hymn book. I sang, "The cattle are lowing". Brent turned to Nan and said something to the effect, what noise do the cattle lowing make? She responded, "moo moo"
It was terribly hysterical! We clapped and laughed for her.
Nan would be classified as a "late talker", other than Mama, Daddy, baby, and yay!, she is pretty mute. Sure I have a whole page of words she can say, but choses to say is different. All her friends her age can pretty much hold a conversation while she says, "huh!" "huh!" We know she comprehends a lot and has for over a year, but its nice to get reassurances that even though she isn't talking she isn't mentally slow. How she knew cattle are lowing meant cows mooing is beyond me. But believe me it was not accident, she never talks out of accident, when does occasionally utter a word is very intentional.
It was terribly hysterical! We clapped and laughed for her.
Nan would be classified as a "late talker", other than Mama, Daddy, baby, and yay!, she is pretty mute. Sure I have a whole page of words she can say, but choses to say is different. All her friends her age can pretty much hold a conversation while she says, "huh!" "huh!" We know she comprehends a lot and has for over a year, but its nice to get reassurances that even though she isn't talking she isn't mentally slow. How she knew cattle are lowing meant cows mooing is beyond me. But believe me it was not accident, she never talks out of accident, when does occasionally utter a word is very intentional.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Holiday Jammies
I thought last year was so cute, I had to get more holiday jamies this year. But I figured might as well enjoy them all season long, so I gave them to them at the beginning of the month.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Advent Calendar Time
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