Three year old Ryan:
About this favorite stuffed animal–Fanny the Fox.
Amy: "Ryan, is Fanny a boy or girl?"
Ryan: "She is a boy."
Amy: "No wonder I was confused."
More about Fanny.
Ryan: "She is free [three] just like me . . . so we are on the same team. Her birthday is April 17. Then she will be four!"
Ryan is also into David (as in David and Goliath). "Fanny's middle name is David. Fanny David Fox."
Ryan also puts matchbox cars in his sock and twirls them around. "I'm David. Fi fi fo fum." Note the conflating of David and Goliath with Jack and the Beanstalk–who also confronts a giant.
Furthermore, his knowledge of David and Goliath is conflated with his three minutes of watching Kung Fu Panda at Wal-Mart one day.
Ryan: "Fanny's name is Fanny David Fox."
Me: "Why?"
Ryan: "She [Fanny] is named David because she likes kung fu."
More theology:
While angry at his little brother Jacob: "You are going to die on the cross forever!"
We often watch NBC Nightly News as a free podcast on iTunes. We turn it off when they start talking about the conflict in Gaza because this is unsuitable for children. Ryan therefore has learned that Gaza has to do with fighting. "I'm Gaza-man! I fight!" We have tried to discourage this talk. Oh, parenting.
Ryan also likes to play "silly Fanny game" where the parent and Ryan play catch with Fanny while Ryan stands on his bed. Fanny is a beanbag stuffed animal and thus is pretty good for playing catch. I learned to juggle using bean bags.
In past news:
We had our car accident in December. See Accident but we are ok.
Then we were sick.
Twitter post by me from Jan 5:
Andy is philosophical that some days one just cleans up poop and vomit–the price of community, relationships, and weakness. 5:48 PM Jan 5th from web
We were very proud that Ryan puked in the toilet when he puked. Of course, being the one who was sick last, we had plenty of opportunity to coach him and practice.
Ryan is also very into bringing his own umbrella stroller to Museum of Life and Science and pushing a few figures in it. So I push Jacob and Ryan pushes his stroller.
Ryan is very into the Play-dough that he got over Christmas.
Ryan's favorite CD is Kid's Praise: Psalty's Christmas Calamity.
He knows (some of the) words to lots of songs–from Away in a Manger to Blessed Be Your Name.
He sang great in front of all the mom's at women's bible study in December with all the other kids.
It should be noted that Ryan loves his mommy a lot these days–asking
for her to lay down with him when he goes to sleep which she sometimes
does.
Jacob update:
Today:
"Jakey likes it"–namely Life Cereal. Our 1 year old ate three bowls of Life this morning. What a discovery–he likes sugar.
Jacob understands everything: book, ball, hug, food, bye-bye, bath, sleep, and shoes.
Jacob can now use a spoon and fork for applesauce, yogurt, cereal, etc.
He is getting molars. He likes to eat. Of course it just takes him awhile too with only front teeth to chew stuff.
Jacob's vocabulary at 16 mos is not great but he is trying to say everything.
Dada–Daddy
Dat–That
Nana–Food
Alldu–All done
Hot–Hot/Candle
Baba–what a sheep says
Ball–Balloon
Ssss–what a snake says
Sign language:
More
Please
Thank you
Point often with "dat!"
Ryan can do his new Razor scooter around the house.
Jacob hangs on and does it pretty well as well.
Jacob still loves his riding toy and is starting to like the big wheel.
Ryan loves the big wheel and is starting the scooter and the bike with training wheels.
A few parenting thoughts:
1. Reading Aristotle: it matters how children are raised. We learn from others the virtues. Plato (quoted by Aristotle) education is learning to love the right things.
2. It is important to teach kids manners. See this article in the NYTimes by a pediatrician.
Making Room for Miss Manners Is a Parenting Basic
3. Maria Montessori was right about this. It is good to let children do as much as they can do. For example, letting Jacob use a fork.
