Taking the Scenic Route

Some good stuff

My entries have been a little depressing of late, and I want to talk about some neat developmental things Zane is doing.

His ‘helping’ skills are improving.  Today, for instance, when we needed to clean up the megablocks all over the hallway, I started putting the blocks in the crate, encouraging him to help me clean.  Usually, this consists of him putting away about 3 blocks, getting sidetracked and starting to play with them or do something else, me handing him blocks and reminding him to put them away.  Today he helped me fill the first crate, and then when I explained that since this crate is full, we need put this crate away and get the new crate as I lifted up the crate.  He took the crate from me and put them in his room, grabbed the other crate and started walking around with it.  I thought I was going to have to catch him to get the crate back to finish the job, but instead he took it to the hall, set it down near the remaining blocks and started putting in the blocks.  WooHoo!  I still had to refocus him a few times, but we were able to finish picking up all the blocks.  Then, when I went to his room to clean up in there, he did a fairly decent job of remembering that we were putting away and not dragging out.  It took about an hour to clean up (would have taken me about 10 minutes without help), but through most of it, he helped put stuff away.  It was so nice to finally see improvement in that area.  I have spent so much time, and up until recently, it seemed like I was wasting so much time trying to get him to learn how to clean.  Today it seemed like it clicked a lot better.  I don’t expect it to go smoothly every time from now on, but at least it is moving in the right direction.

He is also seeming to understand how to do laundry a lot better.  I am sure it was confusing to him before…sometimes it is ok to pull stuff out of the dryer, sometimes you put stuff in the dryer…and for a toddler brain, which one was correct was confusing.  This week I noticed he seemed to understand that when I handed him wet clothes he puts them in the dryer instead of running around the apartment waving it around.  I had to catch a few run-offs, but most of the time he put them in the dryer and then grabbed a dryer sheet to lay carefully on top.  (because it has to be ‘just so’ lol)  Also, when I was putting clothes into the washer, at one point he grabbed his diapers.  I explained that we weren’t doing diapers right now, we were washing blue things (well, darks, but I figured ‘blue’ made more sense to him)  He actually started grabbing blue things and triumphantly tossing them in the dryer.  He even carefully poured the detergent in the washer that I measured out for him.  He was aiming for the hole in the middle of the agitator (where the fabric softener goes), so I gently helped him pour it on the clothes so I wouldn’t have to clean out the fabric softener container. lol.  He wasn’t sure about that, but was really excited to help.  After we closed the washer and started it up, he carefully moved his step stool back out of the way so he could close the bi fold doors in front of the machines.  (that is sort of cute too because when one door closes, the air pressure forces the other door to open a bit, so he is going back and forth a few times until both doors are flat) 

It is so nice to see something I have been trying to teach him take hold.  Hopefully the next thing will be not using every clean utensil I have as a drumstick.  *sigh*  Of course, I am not actively discouraging that bit of creativity, just hoping it will be less fascinating soon.

   Good Mail Today! 

We had a nice surprise in our mailbox today.  The shoes we won on ebay for Zane came!  They are some adorable stride rite saddle shoes…navy blue ’saddle’ on white.  We snagged them for $9.50!  They are $43-45 shoes.  YES!  So, inspired to complete his Easter ensemble, we went to the mall to get a hat to match his outfit.  Children’s Place had a ’spanky’ style navy blue hat that was just perfect for $5.50.  So, for $15 we have a complete Easter outfit.  (He fits into his outfit from last year, although it looks completely different because he fills it out differently).  Last year we took his photos without shoes and socks because we couldn’t afford anything that really matched, and just had him wear his old brown shoes with it when he wore it to church, even though it didn’t look quite right.  It was fun to do the outfit up like we wanted to.  I would have never expected to be able to use it again, but I am so happy about it. 

Hopefully sometime this week we can take him to a picturesque spot and get some neat Easter pictures.  I am NOT taking him back to that horrible photographer that ticked me off last Easter.  I wonder if the tulips are blooming at Botanica yet?  Anybody know when tulips bloom?  Or what flowers are blooming now?   I should go ask MellisaTulip…she knows about flowers.

We also got a flier from our DSL/phone provider with a special deal.  So, Zach called them up, upgraded our account to double the speed, and got $20 knocked off our total monthly bill for the next year.  Fabulous!  Now we have the same speed as the cable modem at a much better price and we don’t have to give any money to the aweful cable people that treated Zach so rotten.

Just a quick PSA before I sign off tonight.  Do not let your child drink Sobe orange creme when you want him to be asleep within the hour, even if there is only an inch or two left in the bottom of the bottle.  Two and a half hours later, when you are trying to figure out what is wrong with your child, you will suddenly realize the drink has Guarana, similar to caffeine, in it.