Swimming Like a Fish
Allison has been taking her swim lessons the last two weeks with great results. My mom described her as a fish – moving her arms to reach her swim instructor with face underwater and eyes wide open. We’ve all been very pleased…including Allison who put her windup frog in the tub tonight and said “Ready….Down!”
We’ve learned lots of little tips to make swimming easier, such as us moving forward with Allison facing backwards in the water so she doesn’t get water up her nose. I’ve learned how to hold her in the water, so she can move her arms and legs without grabbing me. We’ve also learned how to hold her and proceed with “Ready…Down,” so she enters face first into the water from the side of the pool. Like her sister, Allison now jumps off the side of the pool. ๐
Developmental Updates for Allison
Allison is definitely two now! We have moments of stubbornness and upset, but she is still open to discussion and distraction. Other updates:
– Allison can count up to 5 or 6 items with 1:1 correspondence pretty reliably.
– She engages in all sorts of conversation with us and Katherine.
– Her spatial and matching skills are progressing, sorting through 48 insect puzzle pieces to find 4 ladybug pieces, 4 spider pieces, etc.
– She’s finally starting to outgrow her 18-24 month clothes.
Developmental Updates for Katherine
Katherine has really been turning a major corner to age five. Steve and I attribute better listening and higher energy levels to a weeklong regiment of iron drops, then a move to Flintstones Complete with Iron and more iron-enriched food. How did we figure this out? I took her to the pediatrician, who recommended a blood test to measure iron levels. Katherine did not appreciate the blood test, but she braved through the tourniquet and needle to receive a dollhouse bathroom set. As we suspected, her iron was on the lower side. We’re going to keep up the vitamins and such – fingers crossed the energy sticks. Other news:
– Katherine loves Kindermusik class and the glockenspiel (think small xylophone).
– She makes her own PB&J sandwiches for lunch, adds soy chips, a few chocolate covered edamame (iron rich) and stuffs them into her Princess lunch bag.
– Katherine enjoys washing dishes, surprising my mom who asked her to wash not expecting Katherine to actually do it!
– She’s eating a lot more food. My mom says it’s the B-12.
After a hard first couple days missing her old third year friends, Katherine is enjoying school and bringing home lots of intricate works. Today she brought home a rainbow letter work for the sound of the week “A.” Per teacher instructions, she drew a picture on the back of the “As.” What did she draw? A picture of Allison in her crib, looking out her window to flowers outside. She also brought home a full on cut and pasted picture of the new food pyramid, another piece of paper with grains, one more with protein, etc. She seems to have a greater appreciation of eating a well-balanced meal!
Camping At Lake Wenatchee
The highlight of Katherine’s summer was our camping trip over Labor Day. We stayed two nights, with both girls in bright pink sleeping bags and delighted at the prospect of sleeping outdoors.
Highlights for the kids: s’mores, hot chocolate, tent, flashlights!, playing with inflatable tubes in the water, ice cream in Leavenworth…
Lowlights: horseback riding for Katherine (Allison loved it), waking up bright and early due to various camping noises, packing/unpacking…
