Week 95: Stokke Chair and Dining table

We got a small round dining table delivered on Jan 20th. With a new red stokke chair, Sophia can sit with us for a formal dining at home. We got the idea to eat together regularly from New year eve dinner at home. She sat there nicely eat ice cream by herself. With stokke chair she can get on and off the chair on her own. This past Saturday we had dinner together at home. Sophia ate a lot of pasta with little help from daddy and mommy. We decided to have at least twice a week this kind of eat together. Yesterday we were having lunch in Chinatown. Sophia tried to use chopstick and managed to get couple noodles into her mouth. More eating training on the way...

Olive Kids DR-FLOW-215 Flowerland Toddler Comf. Set (4 pc. Set)

Olive Kids DR-FLOW-215 Flowerland Toddler Comf. Set (4 pc. Set)

Amazon.com: Olive Kids Flowerland Toddler Comforter Bed Set: Kitchen & Housewares

Amazon.com: Olive Kids Flowerland Toddler Comforter Bed Set: Kitchen & Housewares

Week 94: Serious Cold and Chinese play group

Last week the weather suddenly got cold and Sophia had running nose after swimming class. Over the week she got more and more sick. She had suffy nose and can not breath well. Tuesday night Oliver accidentally gave her strong dosage of Tylonor. The next day she felt better but I was afraid to give her medicing. By Thursday she got so sick that nanny called me and asked to take her to see doctor. We took her to see doctor at 6:30pm that night. After taking new medicine she was getting better. But the side effect of the medicine made her not sleeping during the day. She ends up falling sleep when she got beck from nanny's place. Over the weekend we didn't take her to swimming class. We played twice with Michael over the weekend.

On Tuesday we had our first Chinese speaking play group with other two moms at the brooklyn public library. The other two moms are ABC. We all want to have our baby expose to Chinese. This is a good beginning. I also met another CHinese woman from Taiwan and we will meet next weekend.

Week 93: Sophia's new skill

After the winter break the Music together class resumed. Sophia misses the class. Often sing "hello to Sophia, hello to Katya, .." to herself. So we are very happy to sit in the music class again. AT the swimming class, she can float with only the arm floater. Her swimming skill got improved a lot. At the gym class she can hold the bar and lift her feet up and hold there for a while. She got more strength...

Because the play date with Michael always running late, we start to let Sophia and Michael taking bath together. This way they can play water game and get washed at the same time. They love it.

Lately in the morning Sophia always refuse to put one sweater. We have to find different way to get her dressed. I think the independent two year old is coming...

Priss Print Room Decoration Stick ups and border from Berlin Wallpaper

Priss Print Room Decoration Stick ups and border from Berlin Wallpaper

Week 92: First week of 2007

Over the New year weekend I sorted out and documented all Sophia's toys. Inspired by Montessori method ( observation, freedom and organized control environment) I planned a little play curriculum for her. She has 5 subjects (Numbers, Color, Shapes, ABC and Words) to play in 5 weekdays at sitter's place. I also updated her play toy at sitter's place. She got 8 big play toys. Every day a couple books in her backpack, one carry toys and color patterns. She suddenly very much enjoy to stay at sitter's place. I think to let her busy and having fun is the best way to learn at her age.

Saturday we went to Sophie and Katya's place for a play date and dinner. Only when they play together I realized that Sophia went through a growth sprout. She is one inch taller than Sophie and she is 4 month younger that Sophie. On the other hand, Sophie's mental development was very impressive. I asked her what is Buddha. She said "Buddha is a person who do meditation to get inner peace" And she was just 25 month old!

Sunday we went to Target, Ikea and Toy 'R' us for shopping. Sophia enjoyed the Ikea kids section a lot. She laid on the toddler's bed and pretended to sleep. I think she will get her toddler's bed soon. It was very hard for her to leave the Toy 'R' us. She through much strong tantrum lately when she couldn't do what she wants. Michelle and Michael back from thire trip. Sophia played at Michael's place after get back from IKEA. It was a busy day for her..

Week 91: Christmas and New Year

On Christmas Eve dining table Sophia already start to open couple of her gifts. The main fun time was Christmas morning. She sit next to the tree opened one gift after the other. She got a MP3 player, handhold palm pilot and Cell phone... Right before the Christmas I bought 6 Thomas trains from eBay. Oliver said I should hide them and show to Sophia later. I put them back in the mail box and hided it in my bedroom. While Sophia was playing with her new toys, I took 5 minute to read a magazine article. I heard she was excitedly calling me. I turned my head. She somehow found and opened the box with all the trains! I told her that we only need to play two toys at a time. The remote control Thomas train and Aquadoodle mat was her favorite toys for the day.

Sophia seems grew a inch in the past month. She got more strength. She put her two arms on the bar stool and lift her legs and hold herself up. She asked me to take pictures constantly... After Christmas I gave new toys to her sitter's place to play. Everyday a new toy. After she got a set of bathtub painting toy. She eager to got be bathtub for shower every day.

On Dec. 28th, Oliver and I went to Montessori School for a parents orientation. The school was old and the method was a little bit rigid. But over all I like that school. We ordered the book that head master recommended. We need to find out which school we should send her to in Sep. 2007.

Saturday we took Sophia to the city. We planned to ice skating with our friend Miranda and Marc. They couldn't make it. We end up did some shopping for Sophia. She needs bigger size pants. When we were at the Bed Bath and Beyond, she called mommy all the time. I remembered a year ago I carried her in front of me in the same shop. Everyone smile at us and told me that because she had such a inner smile in her eyes.

Sunday we put new cloth on Sophia and took her to Brooklyn Museum. There was a feature exhibition about Annie Lebowichi's life photograph. On one wall there were a lot of pictures protected by acrylic glass from top of the wall to ground. 3 school age girls sit on the floor and pointed to the pictures and talking. Sophia stood right next to them really would like to be invited to join the discussion ( even though she can not talk that much...) I think she will be very social in the future.

Week 90: Last week before Christmas

The swimming class and Music together class were over for the season. Our friends Michael and Michelle went back to Utah for family gathering. The whole week Sophia only can play with mom. I took her to office daycare on Friday. Even though there was a baby constantly crying in the daycare. Sophia did quiet good. On the trading floor there was a Santa giving out gift. We went there got a Doctor play set. Sophia really afraid of Santa. She cried when I ask her to touch Santa's bear. Friday at 5pm, we finally bought our Christmas tree.

Saturday morning Sophia helped me to decorated the tree. We had our neighbor came over for dinner. Sophia behaved very nice to show her toys to our friends. Sunday we had a play date with Sophie and Katya in the Prospect Park Zoo. We suppose to meet them at their home. Because Lena, the twin's mother, was sick. in the evening we had our Christmas eve dinner at home. Sophia eat her dinner all by herself. She even had two balls of ice cream by herself.