This week’s adventures in parenting took on a new curve as Joshua learned he could crawl out of his crib and decided naps were a thing of the past. I went through the stages of grief over this new change, recognizing that life as I knew it for the past 2 1/2 years was now over. For now I have the pleasure of an over-tired toddler all day. With no breaks or moments of quiet.
Bound and determined that if he wouldn’t nap he could at least have quiet time away from me, I valiantly tried to set that in place. This was a total bust for several days, but I kept at it. With an entire afternoon to fill, I’ve dangled the carrot of a “special project” after quiet time in front of Joshua. Here are a few things we’ve been exploring together.
Apple printing and pumpkin painting – we learned about color mixing and talked about lines and texture.
Cooking is always a favorite activity. Joshua’s knife was upgraded from a play kitchen knife to a real cutting knife designed for texturing, so that it cuts but isn’t too sharp. He loves cooking in his own pot alongside me. Of course forts provide endless entertainment. When I run out of ideas I can always fall back on “Let’s make a fort!” for an instant winner.
I am in the process of organizing our art supplies for easy access and ideas. We made paper bag puppets and put on a puppet show together. Joshua also used scissors for the first time today. I was impressed with his desire to stick with it, even when it was hard.
What an exhausting but fun week! I love seeing the desire to create in my son and watching him learn through play.
The Meyers 