Mr Polite

Denis is a really polite child. It amazes me how quickly he says 'please' and he always says 'thank you', even for things I wouldn't normally think would need a 'thank you'.

As his English/talking skills improved, Denis started saying 'Thank you much". It struck me as very strange. Then I heard myself one day, I always say, "Thank you so much" but I tend to swallow the 'so'. I guess Denis doesn't really hear it. That will teach me to speak clearer at all times.

On Christmas Eve, Denis demonstrated how to be really polite. I had to go grocery shopping and anyone with a child knows grocery shopping with a 3 year old is never easy, and shopping on Christmas Eve can be a nightmare. To say the least I was not looking forward to the experience.

To prepare, or should I say survive, I'd purchased an iced gingerbread cookie for Denis, just like me he loves those things. I figured I could get most of the shopping done while he ate. And I brought what Denis calls the medium stroller (an umbrella stroller), as long as he was sitting I'd be able to sort of whip around the store. Luckily we didn't need much and I had reusable bags to load up as we shopped.

Unfortunately half way through the expedition Denis decided he not only wanted to walk, but he wanted to push the stroller. To avoid a major meltdown when I had just a little shopping to complete and knowing it was well past nap time I consented but I reminded Denis to stay very close to me and to move very slowly. At least with the medium stroller he can actually see over it. I was ever so thankful that he actually listened and did what I asked.

But as we moved into the meat / deli section there was a group of people chatting and Denis found he couldn't get past. Denis said 'Excuse me', and then waited a moment but nothing happened. Before I could help out Denis pulled on the coat of the man standing in his way and said, 'Man, I said scuse me!" The man jumped out of the way apologizing. Denis walked past saying 'Thank you much man." and off he went. Boy was I proud and amazed by his behaviour.

The adults he'd interrupted looked amazed too and complimented me on his manners. As I frequently do, I marveled that this wonderful little guy is mine to raise.

Thank you for dropping in on our little blog. LOL

What AM I Teaching Him

We had a wee bit more snow last night. I think we got about 3 cm. I have a contract with a gardening company to plow my driveway, but they usually have some kind of rule about the amount of snow they will come out for and I have to admit it is confusing as I thought this new company said they would come for all snow. Anyway . . .

Denis and I were going out and I decided we'd have to shovel the driveway. I got my snow shovel and gave Denis my emergency car shovel (which lives in the garage instead of my car - good lot it will do me IF I ever get stuck in deep snow). There we were, shoveling the driveway and Denis says he is a 'man'. And then he turns to me and says, "We are two mans working!" HUH!

Okay, so all the people who have done any work around the house or the cars since he came home happen to have been men, and the gardening company (who arrived JUST as we finished shoveling the driveway) are 2 guys, is this enough for my son to think 'mans' do the work. I know I'm the culprit here as I do tend to say things like, "Stand back and let the man finish installing our high speed Internet" etc, etc, but talk about unintentional outcomes.

I'm going to have to work on this!

P.S. Denis has been asking 'Big Snow' for more snow. I don't remember a year with so little snow, and the little that's fallen won't stay long as we are suppose to have temperatures around 9 C (that's plus 9 Celsius) this coming Friday.

I'm concerned these days as we had 2 snowfalls this week, which coincided with me teaching my students a poem called 'Snow'. Next week's poem is called 'Ah-choo'!

Skating

Today, Denis and I went skating for the second time. Wish I had photos, but the city has a by-law that you can't take photos in their spaces. It's a good by-law as the purpose is to protect the children but I'd love to have had a photo of him his first time skating at the rink.

What a difference a week makes, not skating wise, but weather wise. Last week, Loretta and I tried to take the boys out to an outdoor rink, but because of the above freezing temperatures the ice was too soft and no one was allowed to skate. This week it is too cold to skate outdoors because the said rink is totally exposed to the wind, and it is cold with the wind.

Instead, for the past two weeks, I've been out to a city rink. On Sundays, between 1:30 and 2:30 they have a toddler and caregiver skate time. It is so nice to be on the rink with other beginners and not to worry about the speed demons with no concern for the safety of others.

I have been holding Denis' hands and helping to keep him up. The first day he was willing to try and skate on his own because he believed he could do it, only he kept moving his feet way to fast and falling. This week he is so much steadier and moving so much better, but he thinks he'll fall so he wouldn't let go of my hands. I also think he was much more tired this week.

He has a great nap on Sundays after skating, but there is a problem, I'm so tired after skating I can barely stay awake and I don't get to enjoy the 'free' time to do stuff around the house while he's asleep. Ah well, who needs a clean kitchen floor anyway?

Sting of the Scorpio

I'm learning about life with a Scorpio child. This is a description I found here.

Scorpios are extremely strong-willed and powerful by nature. They know exactly who they are and that most people don't have the strength, knowledge, nor stamina to match their own.

They have a tendency to believe they were born with a crown on their heads and that they don't have to follow the rules that other people follow. They will laugh and mock you as you lay down the rules. You have to be strong and firm while teaching Scorpios that yes, the rules do apply to them too

Oh yes, this describes my little guy. He is totally strong-willed and bossy. He was only home a few weeks when I told him I was the boss. He barely spoke English and was still learning how to say his name yet but that didn't stop him from saying, "No, Danon the boss."

He has taken to screaming when he doesn't get his way, and he will throw things when he is displeased. I had tried time out a while ago, but I felt it was too hard on me and it took forever for Denis to stay on the time-out mat. Well I figure if he can tell that a king is missing from a drawing, he can understand time-out.

This evening, he was drinking from a regular water bottle and twice spilled water all over me and the couch. I told him that he wasn't using the bottle correctly and would have to drink from the red (no-drip) bottle. Denis was NOT pleased. He screamed so loud my ears are still recovering and threw the bottle across the room. So off to the bedroom for time-out.

In the past, I've used the technique of putting him back on the mat when he moved off. But it hurt my back and he decided it was a fun game. And as with the description of a scorpion, he has much greater stamina, we could play that game for over an hour. I've decided that he would have to put himself on the mat.

Prior to the water bottle incident I had told him that he'd be going to bed in about 30 minutes. I think he decided he would beat the bedtime by not getting on the mat. I told him that he had to sit on the mat for 3 minutes because he threw the water bottle, but he would be going to bed at 8 whether he sat on the mat or not. Then I sat in the room against the door (he'll walk out no problem otherwise) and then I began to read my book.

Oh, my lord, he had me struggling to not giggle. He was ever so cute trying to get my attention and make me laugh. He would repeatedly poke me (gently) or he would put his face between my nose and the book. He made faces and funny noises. It was a totally struggle not to laugh.

In the end, he didn't sit on the mat, he decided to just go to bed. I'm just glad he didn't push his luck and fight after I settled him into bed, after fighting a few little ones in my SK/Grade 1, I don't have the stamina for too much of Denis' fighting.

He must have been tired as he was asleep within 15 minutes of going to bed. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Where Da Udder One?

At mass today, Denis and I joined the children's liturgy. While the leader read and discussed the gospel, Denis seemed more interested in playing with his juice bottle and being silly. I was amazed by the knowledge of some of the children (3rd grade and younger) they knew the names of the 3 kings who traveled to see Jesus, and what each one brought. I will admit I would have to look that information up and the leader only knew as it was written in his children's liturgy manual.
After the reading the children were invited to complete a craft involving cutting gluing and colour a camel and king. On the paper there was a camel, king, the three gifts of the Magi, and a small illustration of how to construct the finished product.
Denis get his paper and looks at it and says, "Where da udder one?"
I wasn't sure what he was talking about so I asked for clarification. He points to the large king, then to the illustration of the finished product, he counts one and then two, then repeats "Where da udder one?"
I was shocked! Not only was he listening, he has 1 to 1 correlation up to the number 3. Not bad for a 3 year old I'm thinking.

Got Skates Ready to Play Hockey

Today I bought Denis a pair of skates. He tried them out in the living room.


It is really a good thing I hate the living room carpet as Denis bounced and jumped around in the skates.


Now he has skates he has declared that he is ready to play hockey.

Identity Crisis

I'm having a crisis of identity. See it all began when I was reunited with Denis and started using "Mommy" to describe myself. I'm sure I'm not the only one who says such things as "That's Mommy's. Or here let Mommy do it". Fine, that's easy, I am a mommy, I'm saying it to my son, everything is fine and dandy.

Until I went back to work. I never realized that I my Ms name when talking about myself in the classroom too, but I do. And one day I heard myself say 'mommy' instead, oh no.

And then my sister came home for the Christmas. Now with Kathryn I use Sha sha, Kathryn never learned to say Michele, instead it has always been Sha or My Sha (my favourite). Kathryn, hearing Denis and my brother refer to me as Mommy, started to call me Mommy too.

Well, the true crisis began yesterday when I was getting Denis ready for school. He wanted to wear his knapsack (which he calls a mapsack). He then declared that he was Dora. And then, then he decided I was Boots.

Who the heck am I anymore?