Apollo is running, per usual, and developing his toddler body (and personality). We are officially in the lay on the floor upset stage. This is where life truly gets interesting and the personality of toddlers really start to shine. Though it isn't the most pleasant as a parent (insert dirty looks here), I kind of enjoy this stage when not in the moment. I know he is just learning and doesn't know how to handle all the stimulation around him and the emotions he is feeling. It is going to be a learning experience for everyone.
On a happier side, he goes up and down the slide on his own. Yes, he was doing that before. Now he isn't scared to go down on his bum. Before, he would turn himself around so he could slide down on his tummy. He was too afraid of going down on his bum due to the lack of self balance. Now, he is perfectly fine going down on his bum without the fear of falling back and hitting his head. He is also into climbing the dining room chairs. He can climb right onto the seat. He likes to climb up and play with anything on the table or desk. I've caught him on the table a few times too. We try to discourage that.
Lucian has been pretty amazing. He has been reading signs here and there, drawing pictures, and making sound connections. I have changed up his learning a bit to get there. Before, we were always talking about letters and sounds of those letters. Now, I pick a few letters that sound similar or that is difficult for him and put them next to a vowel. We ignore any two letter words that sound differently and concentrate solely on the sounds they make. It has made an amazing difference. He figured out that he could make new words by adding letters to the end. He also used the idea of "sounding out" to figure out small words. We do this constantly and it has been great. Yesterday, we were in one of our old favorite stores (it's closing) and we were looking at a few things. He read two signs while we were in there. One said apple and had a picture of an apple on it. The other said go and was just green. He was carrying around a legal pad and pen that we were making notes on. The next thing we knew he was showing us a picture he drew of an apple and wrote apple next to. I was very impressed. And almost in tears. We have worked so hard, and it's showing. Then he looked at the sign that said go. He kind of spelled it out and looked at me. "Go?" he asked. I assured him he was correct, and gave him a big hug. Those are the moments I cherish. An hour or so of chaos with this one beautiful moment squeezed in between. He is learning, he is growing, and I am helping him achieve that.
I have some amazing kids. Even when they are angry, ungrateful, or annoying. They are truly amazing, and can achieve amazing things.
