I've been meaning to introduce banana slicing for a while and finally got around to it this morning. She did great with it. She is becoming so self-sufficient. It's sad in a way, but also very exciting to watch her develop. She can climb into the car and car seat by herself. She can buckle the chest strap but not the buckle at the bottom. She's getting proficient at pouring her drinks, but it can be painful to watch. Sometimes I just have to look away and remind myself, "Mistakes are how we learn!" She works so hard at it. It is just amazing to see the concentration on her face.
Tonight while she was "helping Mommy cook" she started throwing things from her chair. I overlook a lot during the late afternoon/early evening -- it's always a difficult time for everyone but this was just really intentional. I turned to her and said (in a firm but kind voice), "If you throw anything else, you will not be able to stay in here with Mommy." Apparently, that would be a horrible fate, because she straightened up immediately. Another issue we have had lately is her kicking me while I change her diaper. I know, it's just one more reason we need to focus more on potty training. Anyway, I don't really like to use rewards or punishment, so I try to stay away from time-out and so forth. What I will do is enforce my boundaries. When she kicks me, I tell her, "That hurts. I don't like it. If you kick again, Mommy will leave the room" which involves going into my room and shutting the door, with her in the hall. After about 30 seconds, I open the door and ask, "Are you going to use your gentle hands?" and she'll reach out and softly stroke my arm. I've had to do that twice over a couple of days and now just the threat of "leaving the room" is enough to get her to quit beating up on me!
Rob had to go to church tonight to make dinner for Sonshine Kids and Caroline was at MYF so That Grace and I were alone for supper. The weather was beautiful today but it's supposed to turn cold and rainy the rest of the week, so we decided to enjoy this evening and eat outside. We took a walk before we started cooking supper and I put the harness on That Grace because she does not like the stroller. She always wants to walk. It's really cute. It looks like a bunny shaped backpack. Or at least to me it looks like a bunny shaped backpack. Apparently to every other kid, it looks like a leash. The first time she wore it, this boy, about 10, said, "Oh, wow, that is so cool!" I thought, "See, it's not so bad." Then he said, "You've got a leash on your baby -- like a dog!" Great. So, tonight, the little girl across the street said, "Why is your baby wearing that?"
I have to say, I like the leash, I mean, harness. At least she has some freedom and is getting some exercise, which she wouldn't in a stroller.
Coloring. She's getting good at drawing circles now, but she still eats the crayons if you turn your back on her.
Making lunch. She insisted on eating outside again today.
Tonight while she was "helping Mommy cook" she started throwing things from her chair. I overlook a lot during the late afternoon/early evening -- it's always a difficult time for everyone but this was just really intentional. I turned to her and said (in a firm but kind voice), "If you throw anything else, you will not be able to stay in here with Mommy." Apparently, that would be a horrible fate, because she straightened up immediately. Another issue we have had lately is her kicking me while I change her diaper. I know, it's just one more reason we need to focus more on potty training. Anyway, I don't really like to use rewards or punishment, so I try to stay away from time-out and so forth. What I will do is enforce my boundaries. When she kicks me, I tell her, "That hurts. I don't like it. If you kick again, Mommy will leave the room" which involves going into my room and shutting the door, with her in the hall. After about 30 seconds, I open the door and ask, "Are you going to use your gentle hands?" and she'll reach out and softly stroke my arm. I've had to do that twice over a couple of days and now just the threat of "leaving the room" is enough to get her to quit beating up on me!
Rob had to go to church tonight to make dinner for Sonshine Kids and Caroline was at MYF so That Grace and I were alone for supper. The weather was beautiful today but it's supposed to turn cold and rainy the rest of the week, so we decided to enjoy this evening and eat outside. We took a walk before we started cooking supper and I put the harness on That Grace because she does not like the stroller. She always wants to walk. It's really cute. It looks like a bunny shaped backpack. Or at least to me it looks like a bunny shaped backpack. Apparently to every other kid, it looks like a leash. The first time she wore it, this boy, about 10, said, "Oh, wow, that is so cool!" I thought, "See, it's not so bad." Then he said, "You've got a leash on your baby -- like a dog!" Great. So, tonight, the little girl across the street said, "Why is your baby wearing that?" 
Last night, That Grace was sitting on the table eating her Italian ice (yeah, we're big on formality around here) and Rob and I started asking for bites. She kept shaking her head "no." I said, "Who can have a bite of ice?" She signed her own name! 
Reading to her babies in Daddy's chair. She has all of her back issues of Babybug up there. Check out that hair. No, I'm not trimming it. I put it up during the day. It's fine.
Putting on a finger puppet show, mostly consisting of throwing the finger puppets though the stage, at the audience. Ha, break a leg!
This was after I put some of our food on her plate and cut it up. She's definitely at the imitating stage. 
Last night, I finally got around to embroidering a place setting place mat for That Grace. She had a lot of fun carefully putting her little dishes in the outlines.
All dressed up for church. We had communion this Sunday. Last time we had communion, she didn't respond to it well. She spit out the bread and Daddy had to offer it to her several times before she took it. She has a "slow to warm up" personality. This time, as we were walking toward the front of the sanctuary, I told her we were going to get bread and eat it and told her to watch the other people. She did the sign for eat, so I felt like she understood. Sure enough, when we got to the front, she even let the pastor give her the bread.
After church -- eating corn on the cob. This was so funny. Speaking of being slow to warm up. This was the 1st time she had ever eaten corn on the cob. She has gotten to the age where she does not like to eat with her hands. She is getting really proficient with utensils and prefers them. Remembering our communion experience, I told her she was supposed to eat it with her fingers and demonstrated it. She wouldn't touch it at first. She let it sit there for a long time. Then she leaned over and without touching it, tried to take a bite of it. Finally, she picked it up and then she really got into it.
Lunch is our learning meal. We usually eat at home and we have the time free from distractions to focus on skills, manners, etc. It is also a lot of fun. That Grace loves getting her lunch stuff together and setting her table. We start by getting her dishes out of her cupboard and putting everything on a little tray to carry to her little table. She loads the tray but I actually carry it to the table.
She unrolls her place mat and puts her fork down. Then she sets her little cup out. I put her plate out for her and pour her a little bit of water from her water pitcher. She is learning how to pour water, but we are working on that separately, so I do the pouring at lunch.
Sometimes she has company for lunch! After lunch, I put her cup, plate, fork and pitcher back on the tray and she rolls up her place mat. After all that work, it's time for a nap!
