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conuly
In my family, we go out to dinner on birthdays. Generally. Not always - we didn't for Jenn's last birthday, but often. And when we go out to dinner, we argue over what we're getting because we always get to share. This is fair, right?
(And yes, we bring Ana along. If she's feeling so bad she can't behave, we pick her up and take her outside to calm down.)
I don't remember why we started doing that, but I'm already trying to figure out where we can go for my birthday that's cheap.
Every time somebody leaves Ana's house, whoever is staying behind goes to the window and waves. Ana gets quite upset if somehow we miss "Look out the window". Why? Because one day, her mom had left, and then come back to pick something up, and Ana really freaked out. If her mom could come back, maybe she was still there, waiting right outside the door! So I raced her to the window to wave to her mother. Jenn was surprised. She was less surprised the next day when Ana insisted we do it again. By the third day, when Ana and Jenn did the same to me as I left, a bona fide tradition had started.
Now, Ana's convinced that every day, before I leave, she has a right to a "short walk". Why? Because I did it twice with her, since she hadn't been outside much. And I'm such a pushover, I can see this'll be happening for years to come.
When she puts on her mittens, she gives us a thumbs-up sign. Mostly to prove that they're on properly, but also because she thinks it's fun. We once let her eat her food at her little table, now she wants to do that all the time. She pushes me over and "helps" me up, and I go "ah.. ah... AH!", so now I have to say that every time we do this. Her naptime routine is so complicated, it practically requires a diagram (snack, potty, diaper, story or three on my lap, songs and rocking on my lap, tuck into bed, say "snug as a bug in a rug", pass over some stuffed animal, sing some more while patting the back, give a kiss goodnight, close door as leaving.)
We didn't *plan* any of these little customs. They just happened. And the things you think you're always going to do, they don't happen. There's a deeper meaning in this, I'm sure.
(And yes, we bring Ana along. If she's feeling so bad she can't behave, we pick her up and take her outside to calm down.)
I don't remember why we started doing that, but I'm already trying to figure out where we can go for my birthday that's cheap.
Every time somebody leaves Ana's house, whoever is staying behind goes to the window and waves. Ana gets quite upset if somehow we miss "Look out the window". Why? Because one day, her mom had left, and then come back to pick something up, and Ana really freaked out. If her mom could come back, maybe she was still there, waiting right outside the door! So I raced her to the window to wave to her mother. Jenn was surprised. She was less surprised the next day when Ana insisted we do it again. By the third day, when Ana and Jenn did the same to me as I left, a bona fide tradition had started.
Now, Ana's convinced that every day, before I leave, she has a right to a "short walk". Why? Because I did it twice with her, since she hadn't been outside much. And I'm such a pushover, I can see this'll be happening for years to come.
When she puts on her mittens, she gives us a thumbs-up sign. Mostly to prove that they're on properly, but also because she thinks it's fun. We once let her eat her food at her little table, now she wants to do that all the time. She pushes me over and "helps" me up, and I go "ah.. ah... AH!", so now I have to say that every time we do this. Her naptime routine is so complicated, it practically requires a diagram (snack, potty, diaper, story or three on my lap, songs and rocking on my lap, tuck into bed, say "snug as a bug in a rug", pass over some stuffed animal, sing some more while patting the back, give a kiss goodnight, close door as leaving.)
We didn't *plan* any of these little customs. They just happened. And the things you think you're always going to do, they don't happen. There's a deeper meaning in this, I'm sure.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 09:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 10:04 pm (UTC)Seriously, I think it's normal for little kids to like routines. A lot. That's one of the big pieces of advice in every parenting book and article you ever read - Toddlers. Need. Routine.
Her complicated naptime routine really *is* my doing, since I like to read her picture books, and I like to sing, and she needs to go potty before we put the diaper on or she'll pee in it first thing and it'll've been wasted. And she doesn't, as near as I know, have most of that same routine with anybody but me (though apparently she's starting to request songs at bedtime from her mom).
It's only the rest of the habits that are Ana-induced. I'm fairly certain that they're within the normal range of toddler/preschooler-hood. I mean, the "Push Connie Down" game, I'll joke and go "oh-oh-oh" or "ee-ee-ee", but she giggles, she doesn't act as though the world fell down on her like I might've at her age if people just randomly changed the rules on me of a game.
If BAP means what I think it probably means, it's certainly possible she's on the spectrum, that running in the family, but she seems pretty NT to me, other than what I see of her hearing. She's slightly better behaved, in general, than her peers, but I think that's because my family just has higher standards on manners for that age than many other families.
She's been upset lately because her mother is gone, but that's normal - I'd be surprised if she weren't upset over that. And she's been developing cabin fever from staying inside a lot, but that's also... normal. We're going outside more now that I know I can travel with two of them.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 10:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 09:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 10:04 pm (UTC)Seriously, I think it's normal for little kids to like routines. A lot. That's one of the big pieces of advice in every parenting book and article you ever read - Toddlers. Need. Routine.
Her complicated naptime routine really *is* my doing, since I like to read her picture books, and I like to sing, and she needs to go potty before we put the diaper on or she'll pee in it first thing and it'll've been wasted. And she doesn't, as near as I know, have most of that same routine with anybody but me (though apparently she's starting to request songs at bedtime from her mom).
It's only the rest of the habits that are Ana-induced. I'm fairly certain that they're within the normal range of toddler/preschooler-hood. I mean, the "Push Connie Down" game, I'll joke and go "oh-oh-oh" or "ee-ee-ee", but she giggles, she doesn't act as though the world fell down on her like I might've at her age if people just randomly changed the rules on me of a game.
If BAP means what I think it probably means, it's certainly possible she's on the spectrum, that running in the family, but she seems pretty NT to me, other than what I see of her hearing. She's slightly better behaved, in general, than her peers, but I think that's because my family just has higher standards on manners for that age than many other families.
She's been upset lately because her mother is gone, but that's normal - I'd be surprised if she weren't upset over that. And she's been developing cabin fever from staying inside a lot, but that's also... normal. We're going outside more now that I know I can travel with two of them.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 10:07 pm (UTC)