Another school year

Another school year has begun. The feeling of fall and the excitement of new learning invite you to reflect on the year past. Although little man will continue at the same "school" and is still too young for official preschool he is moving into a different classroom. And it is just that...a classroom. There are more learning stations, less toys; short bathroom stalls, not changing stations; more structure and a more detailed curriculum. 

This summer with my two year old was full of little battles as he longed to gain independence but filled with many more smiles and laughter. It was the summer of...

Learning to climb

At the beginning of the summer he was hesitant to be able to pull himself up, would ask for help quicker and was shy of heights to step down on his own. Now I can't keep him off of anything he feels has climbing potential. He amazes me with his strength and problem solving to figure out how to accomplish his monkey like activity. At the park he officially mastered climbing the chain ladder, the rock climbing wall, going up the slide, and going up the slide with one hand while the other pushes his truck. 

Learning to jump

All summer he tried and for the longest time his upper body would act like it was jumping, arms swaying and waist bending but only one foot would rise from the ground. Then one day they both had air under them. He would jump into puddles he would find or on a leave he'd see. Then it expanded to jumping down from most every step. He jumps from various heights he has climbed to, sometimes making me nervous, and lands with excited confidence.

Sand

The sand has been a summer constant. We can not go to the park without going in it. He digs, buries toys or my feet (we lost one toy for 2 full days buried in the sand), or he moves his trucks around in it. We always have to have our sand toys and he brings them out with such pride and excitement. 

Beginning to truly learn to share

It has been the sand toys that have truly helped J start learning to share this summer. They are like a magnet to kids and Jackson started to embrace it. When other kids use his toys that means he has someone besides mom to play with. He will light up when other kids are in the sand box, get his toys from under the stroller and take them over, dump them out saying "here you go everybody!" He once in a while got upset but overall we would trade sand tools or I would help him join in the other kids on the same project. Most kids were very nice and as much as I hated when we ran into a kid that wasn't I knew deep down that this was a hard lesson Jackson needed to learn too. I only hope he stays sweet but holds his own, continues to share but values his own happiness. 

Legos

Our at home activity was legos. The kid can be so patient! He would get frustrated when he struggled to make them fit or the balance was off and they would fall, but most always we could get him to try again or at least see that if he did it could have worked. He has gotten so much better at understanding how to prevent towers from falling and to manipulate the little lego men to work. I could watch him all day when he is focused on a design, quietly going through trial and error to perfect it. 

I can do it myself!

This statement says it all. He wanted to do things on his own (often on his own schedule too). He often wanted to help whatever we were doing too. 

The summer was also full of a growing little girl. Although this school year will start with her still inside me, it will end with a giggly, crawling, beauty that I can not wait to meet. 

My little man, I love watching you grow and this summer has been amazing. You fill my heart with such happiness. I hope you learn great things this year. I wish I could be there for them all, teach it all to you myself. Continue to surprise me, keep listening and observing the world around you. Question why and don't be frustrated as you grown into a handsome three year old. I love you so much.