October 12-17

I know it has been a while since I posted. We have been keeping pretty busy with our many library trips and art projects.

A couple weeks ago (~Oct 16th) Dani helped me do a leaf family by picking out which leaves to use. The book I read ("Look What I Did With A Leaf") told us not to use glue sticks, but that is all we had. As you can see, one of the leaves on the sun has fallen off as a result.

She also decided it would be fun to draw on the wall with a pen that Friday (Oct 16). The next morning I was reading on of my library books "First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos" by MaryAnn Kohl, and she mentioned that giving the child a vertical place to draw will help draw attention away from the wall. So, I made an easel by folding a box so it has three main sides instead of four (as described in the library book). Dani loved making designs on her easel and has colored a lot on it since. However, a couple days ago, she came to me distraught that she made a mess because she decided to draw on the "pi-board" (aka keyboard, this is her mix between piano, and keyboard). Luckily the pencil erased quite easily.

Below is a few details of the week to describe Dani's development, probably not interesting to most readers, but it will be of interest to grandparents, and my memory book which are the main reasons for this blog.

• The week of October 12th, we borrowed the book "Chicken Little" by Ed Emberly from the library. Dani thought this book was hysterical and laughed after talking about it and said "funny book". She still talks about the names in the book and how the fox tricked the birds.
• Dani's favorite phrase that week was "some too". She now LOVES juice like her Daddy and begs for everything he has when he gets home from work.
• That week, Dani also started singing "Rubber Ducky", though she doesn't know all the words, or the tune and generally just repeats "Rubber, rubber, rubber... Ducky".
• Thursday (Oct 15th) Dani decided she wanted to call Nana. She had practiced on her play phones by picking them up and emphatically saying "Hi! Nana?". She talked to Nana for over 30 minutes and threw a tantrum when I had to take the phone away. Nana is very patient with a little one who doesn't say much but likes being on the phone.
• Dani is now recognizing where we live and where Dad works.
• At our play group, we made a paper Jack-O-Lantern and did Rhythm activities. Dani really enjoys seeing others teach lessons (other than me).
• This week Super Why became available on Netflix and Dani became obsessed with the Giant in Jack and the Bean Stalk. When she first said "giant", we could not figure out what she was talking about, it sounded like dayants (dance with a 'y' in the middle). In this story, the giant is tired and needs a bed. Dani gets really frustrated with the "super readers" when they continue to try the wrong answers first to help the giant. I now explain to her when she is throwing a tantrum like the giant that this tantrum often means her body is tired and needs to go to bed. This actually has helped when it is bedtime or nap time.