Last weekend we went to Maine to visit LS's Aunt Diane. She had a great time, not least of which was due to playing outside with Isabelle the dog.
While we were there everyone pitched in to help out with some gardening, even LS. We think she probably had the job that was the most fun.
Once the job was done, she didn't mind the ride back either...
She did a great job. I don't think there was one stray leaf that got away.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Cardinality - Bonus Clip!
Just realized we had earlier video, 2 weeks ago (April 8), earlier in LS's counting career. You can see that this dislike she has to 2 and 4 is deeply rooted. Luckily she got over her dislike of 6, 7, and 8. We hope with time she may come to embrace all numbers as special in their own way.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Cardinality
LS has been dabbling in set theory and wisely chose the set of positive Integers as her starting point. Mamãe took this clip today of her practicing. One of the first times really trying to connect the act of counting with physical things. Peas of all things (Memére hates those!).
For some reason in English she is holding a grudge against 2 and 4.
You may notice that LS has a scrape along her cheek and under her eye, and a little bit of bruising. She proved to us yesterday that she's decidedly better at counting than she is at running with a stick in her hand. She'll learn though.
She was really a trooper about it. When she got upstairs a little while later she wanted to come around the desk and show me. Tough little girl. She's probably getting used to that eye getting the worst of things. That's about the third time that area has been bruised, cut, and usually both. Our little scarface.
For some reason in English she is holding a grudge against 2 and 4.
You may notice that LS has a scrape along her cheek and under her eye, and a little bit of bruising. She proved to us yesterday that she's decidedly better at counting than she is at running with a stick in her hand. She'll learn though.
She was really a trooper about it. When she got upstairs a little while later she wanted to come around the desk and show me. Tough little girl. She's probably getting used to that eye getting the worst of things. That's about the third time that area has been bruised, cut, and usually both. Our little scarface.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Bicycle Built for 3
This past Sunday (also Easter) was really great weather, so we decided to get the bike out. And, for the first time, for LS to give it a spin.
LS wasn't *too* happy about putting the helmet on at first. But after a little explanation she trusted that it would be worth it (and since that ride, she now asks for it!).
We had a good time taking a little ride. Since it was the opening weekend of our local ice-cream stand, we decided that would be a great place to ride the bike to! LS didn't mind getting a few licks of ice-cream. I'm sure this will become a regularly scheduled event during these warm weather months.
LS also had another first, at the ice-cream stand: first skinned knee (if you look reeeeeally close you might see it in the picture). Not much of one really, we're not talking about a serious flaying or anything. She thought about crying for a couple seconds, but with some encouragement she decided that she could take it. Whew! Plenty more of those to come over the years...
For the years before LS when Mamãe and Papai would ride this bike around we would often hear kids say something along the lines of "cool! two person bike!". Now it's at least 50% cooler, being a three person bike.
Looking forward to lots more riding this summer.
LS wasn't *too* happy about putting the helmet on at first. But after a little explanation she trusted that it would be worth it (and since that ride, she now asks for it!).We had a good time taking a little ride. Since it was the opening weekend of our local ice-cream stand, we decided that would be a great place to ride the bike to! LS didn't mind getting a few licks of ice-cream. I'm sure this will become a regularly scheduled event during these warm weather months.
LS also had another first, at the ice-cream stand: first skinned knee (if you look reeeeeally close you might see it in the picture). Not much of one really, we're not talking about a serious flaying or anything. She thought about crying for a couple seconds, but with some encouragement she decided that she could take it. Whew! Plenty more of those to come over the years...
For the years before LS when Mamãe and Papai would ride this bike around we would often hear kids say something along the lines of "cool! two person bike!". Now it's at least 50% cooler, being a three person bike.
Looking forward to lots more riding this summer.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Silence is Golden
It was Mamãe's idea that this video would be enhanced by leaving out the sound, and I have to agree.
I've always felt that silent family movies produced a special nostalgia. Heck, this video is barely 3 days old and I feel nostalgic watching it.
It always seems to me that those people in the movie are trying to communicate out to the future to me, but they can't. I think the missing audio really produces a particular feeling.
We can't communicate with those people from the past, and they can't communicate with us. Not having the audio prevents us from pretending otherwise.
It makes us not quite able to be in that moment. It's more like getting a secret glimpse that feels all the more fleeting.
I think it also forces us to concentrate on the visual aspect more. With the need for one of the senses removed, maybe the others are heightened slightly.
I'm sure experts of film know what is really going on here. Or maybe it's just my overactive imagination.
At any rate, this was LS this past Easter Sunday. She had a nice dress on that was a gift from her Tia Maria this past August. It was taken in the back yard at Avó and Grandpa's house.
Three minutes of beautiful silence.
I've always felt that silent family movies produced a special nostalgia. Heck, this video is barely 3 days old and I feel nostalgic watching it.
It always seems to me that those people in the movie are trying to communicate out to the future to me, but they can't. I think the missing audio really produces a particular feeling.
We can't communicate with those people from the past, and they can't communicate with us. Not having the audio prevents us from pretending otherwise.
It makes us not quite able to be in that moment. It's more like getting a secret glimpse that feels all the more fleeting.
I think it also forces us to concentrate on the visual aspect more. With the need for one of the senses removed, maybe the others are heightened slightly.
I'm sure experts of film know what is really going on here. Or maybe it's just my overactive imagination.
At any rate, this was LS this past Easter Sunday. She had a nice dress on that was a gift from her Tia Maria this past August. It was taken in the back yard at Avó and Grandpa's house.
Three minutes of beautiful silence.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Catching Up
Way too much has happened to be able to catch up on everything LS has been up to - but we have to try don't we?
It's been a big few weeks since the last post. Walking had gotten much better, and sometimes seems on the verge of running. We'll say walking briskly.
LS's language has improved seemingly daily. It seems that she knows the English equivalent of just about everything she knows in Portuguese. Often she'll translate back and forth with you like she wants to practice. I guess that's what babies/toddlers to a lot of - practice.
There's been an interesting learning of concepts and putting words together. A couple weeks back LS was with Papai and she was sitting on the sanita (toilet). Suddenly she says "Calças" ("call-suhz" which means "pants"). I often repeat what she says, I guess to let her know that she's understood and as a prompt to see where she goes next. So I say "calças". Which she follows with "Não tenho" - which best translates to "I don't have any". This is a pretty keen observation for someone sitting on the toilet without their pants on! This pattern was repeated later in the day with "chapéu" ("hat") at a point in time when she wasn't wearing a hat...
We've had some birthdays in the family so LS has had some practice with "happy birthday". Early in the month we were trying for "happy birthday Uncle John". What we got was "hap birtday unc jah!" Kind of like it would sound if over a bad cell phone connection.
Later in the month she was a little clearer for "happy birthday Aria" though it was usually in the two pieces "happy birthday" and "Aria". But just today she was still saying it, and putting it all together as one phrase. We're hoping she'll really be ready in a couple weeks with her "happy birthday Aunt April".
Speaking of Aria, since playing with her at the birthday parties LS hasn't been able to get off the topic of Aria. A typical progression will be: "Nice. Aria. Borboleta ("butterfly"). Gato ("cat"). Miau ("meow"). Bola ("ball"). Amarela ("yellow")." This was the story of Aria. She's nice, particularly because she gave LS some butterfly wings (on her own birthday!). She also pretended to be a cat, naturally saying "meow". She also played with a ball. The ball was yellow.
Last week was a big week for many concepts associated with the song (and books we have of the same) "The Wheels on the Bus". Open and shut. Up and down. All the classics. LS particular enjoys the part of what the baby says "wah wah wah" and also when the driver cries "bump bump bump". At the end of each verse she'll finish up "town" for you too, though her timing leaves a little to be desired.
To finish things up, here's a video from just today with LS enjoying a new activity - jumping on a cushion. Such simple joys in life.
It's been a big few weeks since the last post. Walking had gotten much better, and sometimes seems on the verge of running. We'll say walking briskly.
LS's language has improved seemingly daily. It seems that she knows the English equivalent of just about everything she knows in Portuguese. Often she'll translate back and forth with you like she wants to practice. I guess that's what babies/toddlers to a lot of - practice.
There's been an interesting learning of concepts and putting words together. A couple weeks back LS was with Papai and she was sitting on the sanita (toilet). Suddenly she says "Calças" ("call-suhz" which means "pants"). I often repeat what she says, I guess to let her know that she's understood and as a prompt to see where she goes next. So I say "calças". Which she follows with "Não tenho" - which best translates to "I don't have any". This is a pretty keen observation for someone sitting on the toilet without their pants on! This pattern was repeated later in the day with "chapéu" ("hat") at a point in time when she wasn't wearing a hat...
We've had some birthdays in the family so LS has had some practice with "happy birthday". Early in the month we were trying for "happy birthday Uncle John". What we got was "hap birtday unc jah!" Kind of like it would sound if over a bad cell phone connection.
Later in the month she was a little clearer for "happy birthday Aria" though it was usually in the two pieces "happy birthday" and "Aria". But just today she was still saying it, and putting it all together as one phrase. We're hoping she'll really be ready in a couple weeks with her "happy birthday Aunt April".
Speaking of Aria, since playing with her at the birthday parties LS hasn't been able to get off the topic of Aria. A typical progression will be: "Nice. Aria. Borboleta ("butterfly"). Gato ("cat"). Miau ("meow"). Bola ("ball"). Amarela ("yellow")." This was the story of Aria. She's nice, particularly because she gave LS some butterfly wings (on her own birthday!). She also pretended to be a cat, naturally saying "meow". She also played with a ball. The ball was yellow.
Last week was a big week for many concepts associated with the song (and books we have of the same) "The Wheels on the Bus". Open and shut. Up and down. All the classics. LS particular enjoys the part of what the baby says "wah wah wah" and also when the driver cries "bump bump bump". At the end of each verse she'll finish up "town" for you too, though her timing leaves a little to be desired.
To finish things up, here's a video from just today with LS enjoying a new activity - jumping on a cushion. Such simple joys in life.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Walking Translator
It's occurred to us lately that soon LS will be teaching us Portuguese back. At least two times recently, once to each of us, she reminded us what the Portuguese word for something is.
This could work out as a great tool! With her better recall, we just need to remember a word long enough to tell her a couple times. Then later, when *we* can't remember it, she'll be there to help us out! Yay! Our very own walking pocket translator.
Today it happened with Papai when we were looking at a book together. This book had a picture of a pail with a shovel next to it. So I'm going through the book with her mostly in Portuguese, and on this page I point to the pail: "balde". Then I point to the shovel and say: "shovel". A couple seconds later, LS pipes up with "pá" (pronounced "pah"). Admittedly, her pronunciation was a bit off, and I didn't quite get it at first. But after she said it a couple more times, I realized - she's telling me the translation. Wonderful!
She's actually gotten quite good at translating between the languages - providing words in both. One of her bedtime books mentions several animals and when Mamãe reads it in English, LS pipes in each time one is mentioned and gives the Portuguese translation.
The only time this language stuff is tricky is when you can't quite make out what she is saying. It could be Portuguese, it could be English, or it could be "practice". But, it's worth it.
Last week while eating dinner I asked LS: "Como é que se chama a maçã in English?" - which is "What do you call an apple in English?". After a few pensive moments she responds "Appel" (I spell it this way, because it is closer to how she says it!).
Next I ask her: "What do you call an apple em Português?" Another few pensive moments. Maybe she's thinking "he can't really be asking me that can he?". And then: "maçã!" (pronounced something like: muh-sanh)
Sim, muito bem querida!
This could work out as a great tool! With her better recall, we just need to remember a word long enough to tell her a couple times. Then later, when *we* can't remember it, she'll be there to help us out! Yay! Our very own walking pocket translator.
Today it happened with Papai when we were looking at a book together. This book had a picture of a pail with a shovel next to it. So I'm going through the book with her mostly in Portuguese, and on this page I point to the pail: "balde". Then I point to the shovel and say: "shovel". A couple seconds later, LS pipes up with "pá" (pronounced "pah"). Admittedly, her pronunciation was a bit off, and I didn't quite get it at first. But after she said it a couple more times, I realized - she's telling me the translation. Wonderful!
She's actually gotten quite good at translating between the languages - providing words in both. One of her bedtime books mentions several animals and when Mamãe reads it in English, LS pipes in each time one is mentioned and gives the Portuguese translation.
The only time this language stuff is tricky is when you can't quite make out what she is saying. It could be Portuguese, it could be English, or it could be "practice". But, it's worth it.
Last week while eating dinner I asked LS: "Como é que se chama a maçã in English?" - which is "What do you call an apple in English?". After a few pensive moments she responds "Appel" (I spell it this way, because it is closer to how she says it!).
Next I ask her: "What do you call an apple em Português?" Another few pensive moments. Maybe she's thinking "he can't really be asking me that can he?". And then: "maçã!" (pronounced something like: muh-sanh)
Sim, muito bem querida!
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