Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Finding a Routine

 It's crazy how no matter what happens during this crazy pandemic, we find a way to establish a routine and settle in.  We're on our second week of online school and we've got a rythym and some habits established that are working well.  I am still really enjoying talking to the kids during the day between each class and they've been doing better about keeping track of their schedule (for the most part).  Today the weather was that perfect, crisp fall air and Bella's gym teacher has set the requirement of 60 minutes of continuous exercise per day, so I suggested a bike ride.  I know she hates most traditional forms of exercise, but she loves biking and she loves games like gaga ball or soccer.  So I suggested we bike to rotary park, play gaga ball, and bike home.  We had a great time.  She dominated in gaga ball.  I guess it's all those hours playing it at scout camp.  I hope all the time that she will be able to establihs a habit of exercise.  I know how important that is for health, well-being, etc and it makes me sad that she hates it so much.  I keep trying to expose her to different activities in the hopes that she'll find something she really likes doing regularly.   Peter loved the playground.  It's fun to see how every time we come, he's able to do a little bit more.  He's a little more confident, a little more daring.  It's incredible how much he grows.  I can't wait until he's walking and see how he approaches things then.  

We're still trying to get him walking, but he is someone who really takes things at his own pace and will not be rushed.  He can do about 7-8 steps on his own, but will rarely attempt until prompted to do so.  I am not pushing him.  He'll walk when he's ready.  I just ask every so often during the day if he wants to walk and he often will try once or twice at my prompting. Today he discovered the joy of slamming doors and when he finished I tried to get him to walk to me.  He wasn't terribly successful, but I thought this video was super cute.  Peter will only do things on his time and in his own way.  Tonight when he didn't want dinner, he threw it all on the floor.  I took him out of his seat and set him on the floor.  He proceeded to eat the food he'd just thrown down!  So I threw some more food on the floor and he ate it happily - the very pieces he'd just rejected when they were on his tray.  It has to be on his time and in his own way.

We have a favorite game we play with his stacking cups.  We're always looking for things that we can fit in the cups and then we play the classic shell game with him, where we move the cups around and see if he can find the one with the item.  We have a variety of versions to this game.  Sometimes we'll put something in each one or sometimes we'll just see if we can find different objects that all fit, etc.  Today Benjamin put his big toe in it and had Peter "discover" his toe.  Peter thought that was pretty cool and wanted to put his own feet in it.  He just couldn't quite get it though, unless Benjamin helped.  The whole process was incredibly entertaining for all involved.  Plus I thought he looked so cute with his foot in the air trying to slip it into the cup. I love that not only am I able to see the kids all day long, but that Peter is too.  It makes this crazy Covid isolation easier when he's got more people than just me in his life.





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