Unringing the Bell

Let Your E-Flags Fly!

Rainer is way into writing and drawing now. Suddenly.

Today, with just a hint for the 'i' he spelled and wrote his name. To her credit, while I was writing hand over hand with Georgia, she spelled G-E-O in her name all on her own. I had NO idea she could recite it out without looking. When I asked her what her name starts with she just said it. (And she got distracted at "o" by something Rainer was doing, so for all I know she knows how to spell her whole name.)

See his extra flag on his 'e'? How cute it that?

I have to admit, I was impressed. And yes, I suppose I am bragging. But mainly because I am sort of like "wha-? Really?"

And honestly, it's all because of The TV Teacher. I saw a presentation on video modeling by the people who run this company at the convention in Texas this summer and I was enthralled. I really think this is going to be the KEY to teaching Georgia a LOT of stuff. Not, by a long shot, "just" writing.

Apparently, Rainer, too. Although we only purchased the shapes video (which teaches how to draw basic shapes), he saw this video on youtube and between that video and the shapes one he taught himself his own way to write. For instance, the letter "r" is written as he says "Circle it around, draw a stick and another stick."

Funny monkey.

Check it (and definitely video modeling) out!

Faces of Rainer; 31 for 21

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Rainer has drawn a face once or twice before, but it wasn't until today that they REALLY looked like faces--you know, without squinting and saying "ooooooh, yeah...I guess I can see that." Before today he drew a lot of "rocks" and "beanstalks" (circles and lines straight up), and more recently he's been combing his circle-esque shapes with lines straight up and calling them "pears". But now today, day before his third birthday, and he drew a coupla' faces (a whole body in one). Kinda' cool!

I'd been waiting for him to draw more things that are representational. Process, you say? When he drew these, first he drew the round(ish) faces, then he drew a line across the forehead saying, "eyebrow" before continuing on with the rest.

HIGHlarious. It's as if one of his parents has a unibrow or something! ;)

In other news, the kids got new beds (well, one new bed and one re-arranged bed), so tonight might suck in the sleep department. However, many nights lately have. So. Whatcha' gonna' do?

Don't Want to Lose Momentum

I haven't been feeling well the last few days and the weather has been weet wot, so I have been laying low. Don't want to lose steam on the ol' blogolio though so here are some pictures!

These were from this evening after bathtime. Georgia's hair is usually up in ponies, so when it's down now I am surprised by how long it is getting. Also, I can't place my finger on who, but she reminds me of someone. elebritylookalike.com places her as either Reese Witherspoon, Gabrielle Union, or any number of Aisan actresses (gotta love those epicanthal folds), but it's not any of them. Who IS it? I dunno.

 

Rainer loves to use his "dot-dot-dots" which are do-a-dot markers. He was using them the other day while I was doing something else and when I saw his masterpieces I was impressed. Some two-year-olds are probably drawing faces and whatnot already, but heck, I was impressed with the fact that he was coloring the pictures so precisely. Impressed, and...the teeniest bit concerned. He has done this before, but this seems a little...more...like...well...me!

INSIDE THE LINES all the time as a child I was! I hope he knows it's okay to go outside the lines, too! But it is SO him to do it like this.

And finally, this is what happens on day number (what is it again??) of winter. You go a little cuckoo.

I have a running list

Of things, that in an ideal world I would be (or one day will be??) writing about on this blog if I had the time and energy, but I really have to let that go. Not the list, but the thought that if I don't pluck from that list I can't write anything. Or else? I won't. And I want to. I think.

In case you are interested, my lists include phrases like this:

the other couple/deviled eggs

R's birth (that's been on the list awhile)

1 on 1

100 not DS

Mall, etc

Soy nuts and dried cranberries

World stopped around Christmas 2009

And that's just the pieces that I can see from here without shuffling papers around too much.

Some of those things, (cranberries, soynuts) are really rather mundane when I think about them now. Basically, G is eating things like...well...dried cranberries and soynuts, and while that probably sounds utterly baseless as a topic for a post, as I wrote on my FB status update, I am veritably gaga about it! It opens up a world of possibilities that she is a little more adventurous about her eating. I don't know what more I was really planning on saying about it. But, maybe I thought it seemed more profound at the time.

I dunno.

Maybe it's better for me to just go with the flow of the day sometimes.

Like this evening? The mundane (golden) trinket du jour is that Georgia has become willing to color. With markers! She was not remotely interested before...yesterday. I was worried she would never do it (hmmm....I've heard that ol' nug before), and that we would be destined to a life of arts and craftsless evenings. (And, truth? If either of my kids became artists, though I know it's not PRACTICAL, I'd be thrilled!) (Though I also secretly want Rainer to become a carpenter.)

Rainer loves to draw, dot, color, paint, you name it, he loves it. Foam stickers and puffy paint. Glitter and playdough. He's easy when it comes to crafts. But Georgy...she's resisted!

Now, I realize this is "just" markers. But it feels huge. (Have I told you about my other secret fantasy to start an art school/gallery/workshop for people with disabilities??)

So tonight, when she came home with a homework assignment to decorate a snowflake however she wanted (she has had this same assignment, only replace snowflake with pumpkin, christmas tree, turkey...) several times in the past and we have gotten her to throw a stroke or two down, decorate one with stickers, use her dot pens for one. And I was PROUD of those ones too, even when I saw the level and quality of the ones hung up besides Georgia's--who knew 3 year olds are using multiple mediums and hot glue guns??

But the one above is ALL G. She picked the colors and how to decorate it.

It's frickin' genius, no? ;)

What a Gal Does at 3 o'clock in the Mornin'

It's high time I hit the hay, especially since it seems we are going to do some exploring tomorrow. Maybe head down south to New Haven, maybe traverse the areas between here and there to see if we can find a place that fits, though I don't think we'll jump into anything unless it makes real sense and/or I am offered a job somewhere or something. Seeing as how I haven't any coals in the fire, however, there aren't any pending offers that I am aware of.

This is the little project I have been working on tonight. I was going to do a painting, but the pencil got me side-swiped so I am not sure where this is going to go. In fact, I might also do a seperate painting of this same image and possibly even continue on this one by adding paint--actually, I almost definitely will do that. The pencil drawing is unfinished, but this pup is pooped and I will just make hasty decisions if I continue on now. So here is a lil' pic of a work in progress with the photo (not all too flattering actually) that I am basing it on.