I signed Annelise up for Kindermusik the day before her classes started. I decided that weekend that I wanted her to get involved with something, especially since she lacks the social aspect of going to a daycare or something similar. I'm glad I found this just in time!
Lots of the activities involve bouncing, swaying, swinging and dancing. Singing about baby activities, or trying to use common phrases that baby would use in regular life. Most of the activities involve holding our baby on our lap or on the floor, and doing motions for them, or doing baby massage. Annelise is way too old for that. She's so wiggly and squirmy! She still really enjoys listening to the songs, though, as she wanders around and looks at people, other babies, or stuff.
Sometimes it feels like Annelise enjoys class too much! She's one of the oldest babies in the class, since it's a 0-1.5 year old class, and she's something like 1.25 years old? 16 months, whatever that is in years. She and one other baby were the only walkers in the first session, which made it awkward when Annelise would keep getting up during the different songs and exploring the whole room. I guess that's totally normal, she's a baby who wants to learn, but I just felt embarrassed that my daughter was the only one not doing exactly what our teacher was singing for us to do! She does like any time I toss her in the air, or spin her around as part of the song activity. Lots of giggles! Bouncing around the room to syncopated rhythms is always fun, too.
One of the songs Annelise loves to participate in is the "Jingle, jingle, jingle, goes the baby bells" song. We do that one at home with her all the time! She learns her "where" sign, and how to hide the bells and then find them again! She always gets really excited during class for the toys to come out so we can sing that song. She will point up to the toys up on the shelf the moment we walk in the room and get excited about playing with them. I have to tell her that they're "put away", and we'll play with them later. And then once play time with the toys is done, we have to tell her again "put away!", and "all done!". She's very understanding about toy time being all done.
Now that we've been to 4 classes, or almost a full month, several of the other kids are now full on walkers, too, so the class is much more crazy, and I don't feel like I'm the only one with an out-of-control kid. They're toddlers now, it's what they do. :)
All in all, I'm glad she's going to Kindermusik. She's still the most active one in the class, running around to everyone and playing and saying hi to them, or wandering outside the perimeter of the room and playing with the mirror, doorstops, or whatever else. But she's getting socialized, and some more interesting mental stimulation, which I'm glad for! She'll also be more ready to participate in the older classes as she gets older, and hopefully continue to develop that little brain of hers with lots of social and logical skills!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Level of tantrums
Although I like to think of Annelise being the perfect child, she does have the occasional tantrum. Usually it's because we've told her to not do something she wants to, or because we won't let her have something she wants, like candy or her pacifier. Luckily, they're still few and far between, but I have a feeling as she continues to exert her independence as a little toddler, we'll have more of them to come.
Her tantrums right now are pretty tame. The weakest ones are when she just sort of whimpers when we haven't noticed that she wants something. She'll walk over to whatever it is, and start her fake little cry. Or sometimes she starts a tantrum with that, when she can't get something to work right, like getting food on her spoon or fork.
The next level of tantrum is when she gets upset while we're holding her, or she's in her high chair, or really, wherever, and she arches her back suddenly, and just about careens herself to the floor. She cries a lot more loudly, and makes it known that she's obviously unhappy. If we take care of whatever it is that she's complaining about, this is usually where the tantrum stops. Sometimes she realizes that she doesn't care that much, and gets over it quickly. But if not...
The final level of tantrum is a full out wailing and throwing herself to the floor, laying face down on the ground and wiggling. This has happened 2, maybe 3 times. One time was because she couldn't get the food on her fork, she really didn't want anyone to help her, and she freaked out when I tried. Since then, I make sure to ask if she wants help, and it seems like she understands that phrase and that I'll just put food on her utensil and she can do the rest. Another time was just that either Mark or I was holding her, and she really didn't want to be held at that moment in time.
Honestly, I still find her tantrums funny. Especially the full out, lay on the floor and wiggle around ones. They're usually over ridiculous things. Kids are kinda crazy sometimes, you know?
Her tantrums right now are pretty tame. The weakest ones are when she just sort of whimpers when we haven't noticed that she wants something. She'll walk over to whatever it is, and start her fake little cry. Or sometimes she starts a tantrum with that, when she can't get something to work right, like getting food on her spoon or fork.
The next level of tantrum is when she gets upset while we're holding her, or she's in her high chair, or really, wherever, and she arches her back suddenly, and just about careens herself to the floor. She cries a lot more loudly, and makes it known that she's obviously unhappy. If we take care of whatever it is that she's complaining about, this is usually where the tantrum stops. Sometimes she realizes that she doesn't care that much, and gets over it quickly. But if not...
The final level of tantrum is a full out wailing and throwing herself to the floor, laying face down on the ground and wiggling. This has happened 2, maybe 3 times. One time was because she couldn't get the food on her fork, she really didn't want anyone to help her, and she freaked out when I tried. Since then, I make sure to ask if she wants help, and it seems like she understands that phrase and that I'll just put food on her utensil and she can do the rest. Another time was just that either Mark or I was holding her, and she really didn't want to be held at that moment in time.
Honestly, I still find her tantrums funny. Especially the full out, lay on the floor and wiggle around ones. They're usually over ridiculous things. Kids are kinda crazy sometimes, you know?
Friday, January 4, 2013
Bed Time Routine
Annelise's favorite bed time story lately is Pajama Time! I sing it in a jazzy tune, and she really loves it. The last page is all about her getting tucked in bed and hushing down to sleep! I did some research online, and found that there's actually a song written already. As it turns out, my version is pretty darn close to how they sing it here: http://www.myspace.com/sandraboyntonmusic/music/songs/pajama-time-81010623#!
I try to read her a bed time story each night so it sort of become routine. We not so great at routine around here, though. But at least I try? I've been trying to sit her down in her rocking chair and have her hold a book that I read through with her. She's almost got the attention span for that now. But even if she wanders away for a bit, I keep reading the story and eventually she comes back to see what I'm doing. I think it's working to just read and let her figure out whether she wants to sit there and listen. Sometimes when we're reading, she tried to pull forward to other pages, or just go to the end and she says "ah-eh", like "The End"... but it's not over yet! She just gets excited? I have to force her to let the pages go in the correct order so hopefully she'll eventually understand that we're going to read it all through before "The End".
I've been trying to brush her teeth each night, too, but it's hard to do that since she always wants to rip the brush out of my hands and just gnaw on it. The toothbrush was one of her favorite teething toys, and it's still somewhat of a comfort item for her just to hold it. She got a Baby Pooh bear toothbrush for Christmas, and I've designated that to be her regular toothbrushing brush. Hopefully it'll stick.
I try to do a bath time every few nights. If we did every night, I think her skin would dry out too much. But she really loves bath time! Especially with the new squirty toys she got for Christmas! Starfishies, penguins, whales, walruses... they're all cute and Annelise thinks they're awesome. She's also got her little yellow ducky as usual, her Cheat Commando toys, and a couple of bath books. Sometimes she has so much fun, she doesn't want to get out. But she's all pruny, and really needs to. So I drain the tub, and she gets kinda bummed. But then looks forward to the nice fluffy warm hooded towel! That hooded towel she got for her birthday is the best. I should really make her a couple more of those now that I have a sewing machine of my own.
Once bath time is over, we usually have to calm down a bit by playing in her room, reading a story, or coming down for one more light snack before bed time. Bed time is usually between 8 and 9pm, but it just depends on how hectic or lazy her day was, or if she got a good nap in. We're not totally strict with routine, and try to follow her cues as much as possible. But she sometimes doesn't want to go to bed at all! Even when it's almost 9pm! That's when we know she's either hungry, or overtired and we have to let her deal with it and complain up there in her crib until she figures out she's tired and falls asleep.
She's a good sleeper, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. Even with fussy bed times, she usually falls asleep within 15 minutes of laying her down. I can only really remember a couple nights over the past few months where she just wouldn't go to sleep. Poor baby... I think she was probably teething at the time, and nothing was really helping.
So there you go. Our bed time routine, or lack thereof, as we currently have for now.
I try to read her a bed time story each night so it sort of become routine. We not so great at routine around here, though. But at least I try? I've been trying to sit her down in her rocking chair and have her hold a book that I read through with her. She's almost got the attention span for that now. But even if she wanders away for a bit, I keep reading the story and eventually she comes back to see what I'm doing. I think it's working to just read and let her figure out whether she wants to sit there and listen. Sometimes when we're reading, she tried to pull forward to other pages, or just go to the end and she says "ah-eh", like "The End"... but it's not over yet! She just gets excited? I have to force her to let the pages go in the correct order so hopefully she'll eventually understand that we're going to read it all through before "The End".
I've been trying to brush her teeth each night, too, but it's hard to do that since she always wants to rip the brush out of my hands and just gnaw on it. The toothbrush was one of her favorite teething toys, and it's still somewhat of a comfort item for her just to hold it. She got a Baby Pooh bear toothbrush for Christmas, and I've designated that to be her regular toothbrushing brush. Hopefully it'll stick.
I try to do a bath time every few nights. If we did every night, I think her skin would dry out too much. But she really loves bath time! Especially with the new squirty toys she got for Christmas! Starfishies, penguins, whales, walruses... they're all cute and Annelise thinks they're awesome. She's also got her little yellow ducky as usual, her Cheat Commando toys, and a couple of bath books. Sometimes she has so much fun, she doesn't want to get out. But she's all pruny, and really needs to. So I drain the tub, and she gets kinda bummed. But then looks forward to the nice fluffy warm hooded towel! That hooded towel she got for her birthday is the best. I should really make her a couple more of those now that I have a sewing machine of my own.
Once bath time is over, we usually have to calm down a bit by playing in her room, reading a story, or coming down for one more light snack before bed time. Bed time is usually between 8 and 9pm, but it just depends on how hectic or lazy her day was, or if she got a good nap in. We're not totally strict with routine, and try to follow her cues as much as possible. But she sometimes doesn't want to go to bed at all! Even when it's almost 9pm! That's when we know she's either hungry, or overtired and we have to let her deal with it and complain up there in her crib until she figures out she's tired and falls asleep.
She's a good sleeper, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. Even with fussy bed times, she usually falls asleep within 15 minutes of laying her down. I can only really remember a couple nights over the past few months where she just wouldn't go to sleep. Poor baby... I think she was probably teething at the time, and nothing was really helping.
So there you go. Our bed time routine, or lack thereof, as we currently have for now.
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