What did we accomplish this year 2011?
Ozzy and I had a whirlwind year last year. I’ve had to go back to teaching. Ozzy’s had to start therapy. Ama has had to wear two hats at work. It’s been very busy busy busy!
Ozzy has learned to do so many things in 2011 and here’s my account for it:
1. POTTY TRAINING … with mild to moderate resistance. He got scared of the potty at some point. He learned to say “diaper” because he wanted one on. Reverted back to diapers for a week. And now completely diaper free… unless we are in someone else’s house. For some reason, he doesn’t like going to other people’s toilets.
2. EATING INDEPENDENTLY… with much resistance. He didn’t like making a mess so he resisted for a very long time. It’s a good thing he likes to eat and so we taught him to eat by giving him some of his favorites which he can’t resist. Healthy? I confess not always.
3. BOTTLE WEENING… mild resistance. We did it gradually. Sippy cup, training cups, cups with spouts, and small plastic glasses. I didn’t teach him the straw. I’m afraid of bacteria-filled non-disposable straws. I couldn’t trust myself to clean it well.
4. POLITE EXPRESSIONS… Ozzy learned his polite expressions last year. By December he can say Please, Thank you, Welcome, Sorry, Good night, Good morning, Good bye.
5. PACK AWAY … 2011 was a year of order so for both of us, I feel as though we were preparing foundations for the future including packing away. I no longer have tons of toys lying around. Everything is organized and shelved. Ozzy himself can return toys that have been left behind in the right box and has consistently packed away before starting with another set of toys.
6. READING BOOKS… As soon as he learned to stay put, I dove into reading books. It’s calming for him to read books before going to sleep. It’s our transition time. Sometimes I’d feel too tired to read. But he would insist. And I would always feel obliged.
7. ALPHABETS, NUMBERS, COLORS, and SHAPES... Ozzy seems to take on learning like a sponge. He can count before he can string together words. His therapy teacher was surprised with what he knows when they took it up in class... so they went straight to drawing lines.
A
7. ALPHABETS, NUMBERS, COLORS, and SHAPES... Ozzy seems to take on learning like a sponge. He can count before he can string together words. His therapy teacher was surprised with what he knows when they took it up in class... so they went straight to drawing lines.
A
It’s been a very fruitful 2011 I think and I’m fairly excited about 2012. Another year of making memories. Another year for loving and learning how to love. When asked about what my plans are, I always hear my grandmother’s song in my head “Que Sera Sera! Whatever will be, will be! The future’s not ours to see! Que Sera Sera!”
