This is How We Get Dressed!

My strategy around television is always evolving. I do put time limits around it and try to use it strategically. I've been trying to push Sesame Street lately for a variety of reasons, the primary among them being that Daniel doesn't really watch it. He usually gets inspired by one of the skits within a few minutes and is off into imaginative play for the remainder of the show. It is in essence a launching pad into his own imagination.

Today I put Sesame Street on and used the time to get on-line and do some research. As I was Googling away I heard Daniel singing over and over, “This is how we get dressed! This is how we get dressed!” After a few minutes of this, he excited called to me.

“Mom, look at me! This is how we get dressed!”

I looked up. He had gotten his pajamas out of the laundry basket of clean clothes. He had put both of his legs into one leg of the bottoms, the shirt top over his head and one arm in one of the arm holes. He was struggling to find the other arm hole and the shirt was on backwards. All of this was over top of the clothes he already had on. He was so proud and beamed a huge smile of satisfaction.
I broke into a smile, careful not to laugh, and said, “Look at you, you've gotten all dressed!”
“This is how we get dressed!” he said again.
I can only imagine that this had been a skit on the show and he'd become inspired. Interestingly enough, David and I had attempted many times to teach Daniel to put on his clothes and he had not shown any interest. I guess it is true that it is all about proper inspiration!

Sir Batman, the Knight

July 1, 2009

This morning I had a leadership training to attend, so David stayed home with the little guy and then took him over to see his Pop-pop and Mum-mum. I arrived at about 1:30pm to a house full of people, which meant a house full of people for Daniel to play with, entertain, interrogate, and otherwise enjoy. It was great to see everyone in good spirits despite yet another day of rain.

Pop-pop was remarking on how Daniel's intonation had really evolved and was revealing more of his personality. The last time they spent time together was at the end of May for his birthday party at the park. It had been several months since Daniel was at their home. Mum-mum remarked how upon entering the home, Daniel requested “Mum-mum's bunny that is in her office” - referring to a rubber rabbit that has sentimental value to her. He fell in love with and played with non-stop during his last visit. It was rough when we had to leave. He wanted to take it with him but we convinced him that the rabbit lived in Mum-mum's office and Mum-mum would very sad if it went away. Daniel put the rabbit back in the office himself and we assured him that he could play with it next time he visited. All of us - meaning the adults - had completely forgotten about it. Not Daniel. What a memory! And sure enough, when I walked in, he had it in hand and again didn't want to part with it. He did return it to her personally when it was time to leave and thanked her. In exchange, she allowed him to borrow a small bell he'd discovered. He solemnly promised to return with it next time. By the time we arrived at the car, the bell had become a hat for Batman whom he promptly declared a knight, no doubt inspired by our recent visit to the Higgins Armory Museum the previous weekend. What an imagination. The whole way home, he alternately sang and rang the bell, knighted Batman, and requested we do “cafts” when we got home until he fell asleep, the bell dropping out of his hands onto the floor of the car.