Our weekly routine was altered when Brandon became a
preschooler. They are now with me on Mondays and Fridays and I've
found those days in between allow just enough time for me to regroup in
preparation for our next day together. They are both inquisitive and
will use their ingenuity to solve problems including accessing juice in
the refrigerator, crackers in the cupboard and candy on the kitchen counter.
With the change to cooler weather, some outdoor items have come
indoors. The most popular is their picnic table which also
serves as a mini-jungle gym. Brandon likes to be a dog and
uses it as his house. To Sophia it's a mountain to be climbed.
In early October Brett stopped to spend the night on his way to a bike race in Canada. He had his bike with him, so he, Jeff, a friend traveling with Brett, and Brandon took a short ride through the complex before the "big guys" went for a longer, tougher ride.
Brandon's now experimenting with riding while holding on with only one hand, and is even "popping (mini) wheelies." He's also able to balance on the scooter he got this summer. One of his favorite activities is to ride the scooter down the slope of the neighbor's driveway and turn into the lane.
I hold my breath, fearing a "wipeout",
but he negotiates the 90-degree turn flawlessly every time.
Occasionally he will take a spill on the bike or scooter and once
he assures himself he's not mortally injured, will, in a nonchalant
voice, diagnose what caused the mishap. Generally he shrugs
and declares, "I turned too sharp." He has no fear but he's
learning to be cautious.
NOVEMBER
The weather was beautiful the first of November,
so the party was held outdoors. While guests ate their cake
and ice cream, Dawn encouraged Sophia to dig into her
"smash" cake (made especially for the child's first birthday)
and then helped Sophia open presents.
Entertaining Brandon and Sophia, or at a minimum, keeping them
out of troublesome situations, requires advance planning and lots of luck.
Child-size cardboard boxes kept them occupied
off and on for several days. Brandon immediately set about
decorating his and then moved in.
Sophia had a box like Brandon's, but found that
what fits in one box may not fit into another.
There's something incredibly interesting to them about a two-seater airplane. Sophia sits in front because she insists
upon standing if Brandon "drives" from first seat, and Brandon said,
"That's dangerous."
Brandon likes to build and Sophia
prefers to look at books. Her favorite has textures
she likes to feel, the most popular being a puppy with
fur.
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