Life with Lydia

I was surprised to read how much our talking to our kids about feelings, emotions, cause and effect, and more can affect their social skills. I’d always heard it was good to talk to them to help develop verbal skills, but this one is new to me. Read the article from cnn.com.

We joined Gymboree to give Lydia another social activity, and she loves it! We have class once a week and free gym time three times a week. She’s one of the more exuberant kids in class and is in the middle of all the activities. Yesterday at free gym time she made a friend, Sophia, and played with her most of the time.

Lydia loves playing games on our phones. The latest (and most advanced game) she plays now is memory (24 squares). She picked it up just a few days ago and now she makes her first match in just a few moves. She plays the game as we would, discovering tiles and making matches. That seems advanced to me. Wonder if it is? She’s just under 1.5 years old now.

Lately I’m impressed each day by Lydia’s development. This weekend she did a few amazing things for a little person her age.

Yesterday we went to the PDK Airport playground again. It was a cool, clear morning so a perfect day for it. We must have seen 10 or more planes take off in the first 1/2 hr. It was a busy morning. At one point we found ourselves at the picnic tables far from the playground. Lydia sat down and requested to eat her snack. When I told her she couldn’t have her snack because it was way on the other side of the park by the playground she got off the bench, walked past the playground, picked up her bag, passed the playground again, walked back to the picnic tables and placed her bag on the table. Problem solved. Wow, who knew she had the ability to plan the strategy and then complete the task with such focus. Along the way there were many distractions but she never veered from her goal. Pretty good for a 1 1/2 year-old.

Lydia also recalled an event from the day recently. She had played with a dog and a ball at the park and later told Paul about the event by saying “dog” and “ball” when I asked her what she did at the park. Cute.

(Btw, this is from August, I just forgot to publish it.)

Since it rained yesterday we decided to go to John Howell Park in the Highlands this morning. The park ground is made of shredded tires so the likelihood of mud (and mess) was low. Well, it turned out to be not so low, actually. Lydia found the sand pit, so it wasn’t as clean a park trip as I was hoping. At least she had a great time playing with the sand, the kids, and the jungle gym.

Lydia still loves books. Now she prefers those with lots of details and flaps.

Lydia has a new baby that Grandma Becky got for her after she played and played with one at a store. Maggie is an interactive doll that makes drinking sounds, giggles, cries and talks. Lydia loves her and takes good care of her. She feeds Maggie the bottle and “food” from a spoon and bowl. So sweet! I guess she’s practicing for her soon-arriving cousin, Gabriel.

Lydia had a ball wearing Aunt Sylvia’s dress this morning. So much so that she was heart-broken later when she saw Sylvia wearing it and couldn’t put it on again herself. I guess it’s time to make a dress-up box!