Silent Spiders

I won't go boring you with all the reasons I've been everywhere but here, lately, but suffice it to say, I've missed you! Thankfully, I have had a moment or two most weeks to jot down in the journals I keep for the kids some of the funnier (and on occasion, odder) things they've been up to or done. Those books are rife with future blackmail material!

I've been photographing some and we got a new digital recorder which I am just testing out. It is going to be immensely useful and handy and fun (as soon as I free up some room on my computer to store the digital files). Have I mentioned how digital storage of images, video, music, etc, gives me angina?

Here was one of the first videos I shot. Georgia was "noping" me to death because in reality we had already done the bedtime routine and she just wanted to go to sleep. (Normally, she readily and happily REQUESTS these songs (and at least several more), but by this point she was zonked because we'd already read our book (I am reading her "Charlotte's Web"), and sung an arm's length of songs.) It's still kind of cute, though (if you ignore my big mouth.))

Besides that, let's see. I have a lot of Rainer observations and a bunch of Georgia pictures (most of them are ones of her with her MP3 player, it's sort of a montage of images to show just how much she la-la-loves that thing!), so maybe I will just intersperse the two. Sounds fair, right? (Parents of more than one, do you find yourself doing that? Trying to equal out the attention paid to one kid or the other? I do. Rainer takes a lot of my attention, while Georgia is willing to hang on her own a lot. I have to make a concerted efforted to peel Rainer off me and seek Georgia out.) But I digress.

Let's do one of my famous lists. (Famous to whom? You ask? Why...the crickets!)

1. Rainer is noticing (and commenting on) everything these days. And he has a good memory. Which is flabbergasting. And a little scary. I went on a yellow light a week or so ago and he told me, "No go, Mommy! Yellow means be careful, not GO!" I tried to explain to him that I was indeed continuing with caution, but he wasn't having it. Also, since we explained the Don't Walk and Walk lights to the kids at a parade recently, we can't walk or drive anywhere without one or both of the children pointing them out. Georgia says it like one word, "dontwak" and because Rainer is a monkey and likes to copy everything, so does he. "That means dontwak, Mommy."

2. Lately, Rainer gets offended if Georgia doesn't answer him or acknowledge that he is talking. I, of course, think this is WONDERFUL! Built in inititve! Most people don't wait Georgia out. They just assume she can't understand or respond or whatever and they let her slide. I think she is used to being let off the hook. Not by Alex and I, and not by her therapists, but other kids, other parents. But now, not Rainer, either. He is very excited to tell Georgia about his time away from her when we pick G up from camp, for instance, and he wants her to acknowledge him and his adventures and treasures. "Mommy, Georgia not say hi to me!" "Mommy, Georgia doesn't want to see my new ball?" "Mommy, Georgia won't give me hi-five!"

When I walk him through how to get her attention, how to engage her, his is THRILLED when she responds to him. So am I!

(Surely going to be her album cover. Rolling Stones shirt, trashed room, a ukulele, a rainbow tutu, and a potty.)

And some more MP3 player love (nee, obsession).

 

 

 

3. A few months back, before Rainer was able to articulate with quite as much aplumb what he was thinking about, what irked him, what furrowed his brow, prior to his apparent new night-time waking stage (similar to the one G went through at this age, though not nearly as terrifying--nightmares??--whatever it is, it kind of sucks), we used to occasionally put on this one episode of Sesame Street and he would LOSE. HIS. EXCREMENT! Like, in the first scene. As soon as he realized it was that episode. All other episodes, he was fine. But this one? NO CAN DO!

It took us a little while, but one day I put it together that he was scared--I mean PETRIFIED--of this one skit of the itsy bitsy spider. Admittedly, it's terrifying. A quick google search garnered no video online, but let me tell you, it's a grown woman, dressed in a spider costume, a HAIRY spider costume, acting out The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Rainer HATES it.

Today. Months later. I happened to pop on a Sesame Street. Both the kids are sort of "off" tv at the moment, preferring to do stuff (thankfully), but since it's been so dreadfully hot I thought we'd take advantage of a little SS. Well, Rainer wasn't having it. It was mid-episode, and I certainly didn't recognize it, but he did. He started freaking out. Telling me to turn it off. I asked him "What's wrong, bud? You don't want to watch it?"

Through his tears, his body shaking, he told me, "Rainer no like the spider!!!!! No like the spider. I want to turn it OFF, Mommy!"

Well. There you go. It WAS the spider.

I find this interesting in so many ways. First, holy good memory, batman! Second, where does a two-year-old learn about fear, and how? Three, good verbalization. And four, huh. Wow, even. Man. Shit. Dang. I feel bad. Think of ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the times Georgia has had a meltdown or freaked out or cried or moaned or kicked or screamed or whatever other behavior. And I didn't know why. And I thought, "Maybe this is indicitive of something more." Because you freak out a little as a parent. You know>

But maybe it was just a hairy spider. Whatever that hairy spider was. 
 
  (Georgia is sitting in her chair with the tray on because I was THIS close to giving her a haircut. And then I decided I wasn't ready.)

Comments

[Jen]

That will be a great album cover! Or maybe you just add some text, print it & frame it for your family room 'til the record companies come calling. Gorgeous Georgia!

[starrlife]

Love the album cover and the video! Sweet G! Nice singing there Tricia!
I have those close to giving a haircut days too!

[Erin]

I think about "silent spiders" all the time with my not-so-verbal-yet toddler. I imagine being unable to express little discomforts like pants that are too tight, or being chilly or hot, or having an upset tummy... so many things he might feel but not be able to express. No wonder he seems easily frustrated sometimes!

[Jaida]

I'd love to hear more about how you help Rainer learn to engage Georgia. There are several blogs I am currently reading in which the oldest child has Ds and the younger siblings are learning about and helping their big bro/sis. I have the same configuration in my kids and I just love reading about how other people are helping siblings understand and relate to the child with Ds.