Tot School # 5

~ C1 is 13 months & 2 weeks ~

This week was C1's big brothers last game of soccer for the season. C1 loves balls, balls of any size and colour. In fact he is just about saying ball and seems to spot a ball anywhere he goes. Do you think he is a boy? lol!

He is sitting in his dad's lap watching the soccer match. Have a look at his face, the concentration, he is so intrigued by it all. I am wondering if it is the game, if it just the ball or if he just plain old wondering what on earth all of those kids are doing out there!

It wasn't long before he spotted a ball that was just sitting there unused and he was over the fence playing with it. He's definitely a soccer player in the making this one. Just wait until next year, we won't be able to keep him off the field. Considering he will turn two during the season and will be most likely running everywhere. He's getting really good control of the ball though and if he actually had a ball that was more his size I think he would have found things easier.

I picked up a small pack of the standard crayon tadoodles this week. These things are everywhere, my other two never had anything like them and they coped fine but I was curious as to what all the fuss is about. They were only $7.95 so not overly expensive, but of course you have to buy the refill packs of crayons for them.


C1 was definitely intrigued and he seemed to get going with the task at hand immediately. No one had to show him what to do at all. His interest however lasted about 2 minutes before he bit the top off one of them lol!! He is probably still a little young but we'll keep going with them. He generally has access to the bigger kids pencils and crayons whenever they have them out also so he's been 'drawing' for a little while now anyway.

His big sister left the set of fridge phonics on the floor one day this week and C1 had a grin from ear to ear when he found them and realised that they were turned on. Whenever he saw them after that he wanted to play. Slotting the letters in was a little tricky and mostly hit and miss at this stage but still he perservered. Pressing the button to hear the ABC song brought about squeals of delight, he totally loved that.

These past few weeks he has had this super cheeky little face pulling thing going on. He knows exactly what he is doing and knows that it gets him a million laughs. It's one of those faces that is oh so cute at the moment but if he was pulling it at 3, well you don't need me to explain ;-) lol!!

Our dog's name is Charley and our daughter calls him Charla, hence most of the time we all call him that. C1 has been saying Charla for ages, dh didn't believe me at first when I told him but he says it several times a day now and often sits at the laundry door calling him.

During the week we stopped by my mum's house and as we pulled into the driveway C1 jumped in with a "Charla'. It was then that I realised that he thinks all dogs are Charla's, hilarious, super cute, but hilarious none the less.

He is just so adorable, so loving, so friendly and such an outgoing little boy. We are truly blessed to have him in our family.

I really want to start jotting down a few points every now and then on his road to independence, you know things he does, words he says etc etc. I'm terrbile at keeping a baby diary so I thought I would try and include them in my Tot School posts maybe once a month or so.

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Watch Me Grow

• Standing independently, walking around furniture, takes steps unaided sparodically
• Eating everything and anything, including apples completely independently
• Has 8 front teeth and 4 12 month old molars
• Says: dadda, mumma, bubba, charla, ball, book
• Animal Sounds: Tiger, Cow, Elephant
• Other: broom broom with cars and trucks

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To see what other Tot's have been up to this week head on over to 1+1+1=1.

Coming To An End

Well our very first season of Soccer is nearing an end. It has also been our very first season participating in any kind of group (team based) sport.

I must admit that I wasn't overly happy about B7 signing up with Soccer. I felt (and in all honestly still do) that he is far too young to be able to fully participate and meet the needs of the team in a group based sport.

Not that he lacks the soccer skills I just feel that at 7 years of age children don't have all of the social and emotional skills one needs to not only focus on your own skills, but those of the team. They also are required to listen and follow the coach and the umpire at each game. Not too mention the competitive nature of team sports and the dealing with other children in general.

It is just a lot to have to take in and alot to ask of someone so young. I am totally gobsmacked at the amount of 5 year old's that are out there running around on the soccer field. They struggle to even understand what they need to do with the ball, let alone be able to work as a team. Obviously there is always exceptions to this and I have witnessed some fabulous little soccer players that will no doubt grow up being a valuable asset to the club.

However he (and his dad) really wanted to give it a try. So I relented. Who am I to stand in his way. We talked alot at the beginning of the season about having fun and being sure to enjoy every training session and every game. I feel very strongly that at this young age it must be all about having fun! Win or lose it makes no difference.

Whilst I still think he is too young and granted that I have not attended that many games this season (the baby always needed a sleep) he has really enjoyed it. The overall feel of the club (at least with the juniors) is that of fun and friendship. Every adult that I have seen deal with the children have always ensured that the kids needs are met and have never been concerned with the 'winning' of the game.

I'd have to say that in general it has been a very successful first season of soccer and of team sports in general.

Even daddy had the opportunity to umpire and this week coming he is coaching the boys as their regular coach has other commitments.

B7 has enjoyed the season and wants to play again next year, which is totally fine by me (if that is what he really wants to do). In the meantime we are trying lots of other things, (tennis, drama etc) never know something else might catch his interest before the next soccer season arrives and I won't have to worry about him when the next season comes around.

Hey, I wouldn't be a mum if I didn't worry about these things!

Weekly Wrap Up - 9th May 2009

Week 2 of dance lessons saw us with a change of teacher. K4 was ecstatic as now we have a lady, B7 not so, but he still had a blast anyway.

We revisited the rock climbing wall this week, after nearly a year (wow how quickly that has gone). It certainly pays to keep this activity up, both of them had lost some confidence but they did regain it as the afternoon progressed.

Soccer, our regular Saturday morning thing, now that the season is in full swing. Thankfully B7 just loves his soccer games and so far we have been very pleased with the club and the way they handle everything with the children.

Our dear friends have this super cool billy cart (be watching for some videos) and we had a whole bunch of friends here on the weekend, did they have the best time or what on this thing! I think we'll have to put our order in for one of those billy carts *wink wink*