No I Am Not Ready For School YET!

Matthew will be 3 1/2 next week and soon we have to look for potential schools. He will be going to JK next September. When did the time go? It went into raising this wonderful little boy who soon will be going to school and learning, and be on his own most of the day and 5 days a week. Deep inside of me does not want to let him go yet, but I know I have to. My boy is growing up.

So really, what is the big fuss?

Well it is only JK and our provincial system implemented full time Junior Kindergarten. It used to be 2 full time days a week, and next year it will be 5.

That is the fuss. Typical mother worries, but I still think going to school full time for 4 year old may be little too hard. I am sure there is economic benefit behind this system, but I am not benefiting. I am sure he will love it, he really enjoys presence of little people around him.

Let see what my little bright child says about all that.

'So Matthew you know you are going to school next year' - I tell him.
'Yes, and there will be children to play, teacher, and I will learn' - he tells me.
'But Matthew what am I going to do all day without you? - I asked him.
'You will cook and wait for me Mommy' - he tells me back.
'I guess I will have to give you lunch box to school' - I concluded.

Well he is right this is what I do most of the day. Always cook for him, we walk, visit other children, go to playgrounds, hike, read and play, watch TV and play games. He knows that cooking is the only activity he is not able to do with me, so I guess I will have to continue to cook and most of his activities he is taking with him to school.

I thought that it was entertaining what he said about me cooking and waiting. We asked him again in presence of my family. His answer is always the same, but he also added:

'And wait, Mommy will give me big box of food to eat.'

We all laughed. I am amazed that he remembered the lunch box and lately he also been asking me if he can have chicken soup in his big box of food.

Can you see? We just have too much fun together  - 'no I am not ready to send him to school yet'.

Too Much Growing Up

How can Matthew forget about something we took away from him. Every where he looks, on Internet, in stores and newspapers - there is NintendoDS.

Couple of weeks ago we went to our local mall Upper Canada Mall. They have few little attractions - a playground, rides and spinning wheel games.

We we arrived the amusement area and I could only see how Matthew eyes opened up. He noticed the NintendoDS to be one of the prizes in the spinning wheel machine.

'Mommy get this, get this, the NintendoDS' - he got excited.
'Matthew we don't know if we can win it' - I replied.
'Mommy win this, win this' - he kept asking.
'Okay, let see' - I took some cash and we had three tries to accumulate points for the prize.
While I was spinning the wheel, Matthew was cheering me, jumping around and pointing at the game console. 'NintendoDS, NintendoDS, NintendoDS' - he kept yelling, yes yelling. Luckily there were no spectators.

Well we did not win the NintendoDS, but we got a soccer-ball key chain.

I tell you the marketing strategy for the toys and video games  is not helping me.

Later that day we went home and Matthew took his regular nap. When he woke up he started to ask again about NintendoDS.

'Mommy can I get the NintendoDS?' - he asked soon as he woke up. Talking about persistence.
'No Matthew, not yet, you need to be a big boy and be 5 or 6 years old' - I told him again for the millionth time.
'But Mommy I am 3 years old and 5 years old is too much growing up' - he replied.

I smiled.

Little Charmer

I was cooking and he stood behind me.

'Mommy can I have Nintendo DS' - Matthew asked me the other day.
'Why?' - I asked him back.
'Because I love you' - he replied and smiled.

I did not know what to say, so I smiled back and gave him a hug. Then I remembered ...

'When you are five years old as we agreed' - I whispered to his ear.
'Okay' - he replied and left to play with his toys.

Where Is God?

So we thought Matthew how to pray. Sometimes we have to ask him millions of times to pray before bed, and sometimes he just does it.

His daily evening prayer consists of sign of the cross at the beginning. Then he blesses everyone and himself. In the prayer itself he thanks God for everything, including 'nice good day', 'good food', 'breakfast, lunch and dinner', 'thank you for going zoo', 'thank you for playing with friends', 'thank you for ice cream', 'thank you for mom and dad', and anything else that happened to him during the day. He concludes with sign of the cross, blesses everyone again and himself.

All that accompanied by heavy jumping around the bed on his knees, and when finished he drops his body on the pillow. So once I dropped with him.

- 'Matthew that was a very nice prayers' - I praised him.

- 'Matthew do you know where is God?' - I asked him.

- 'On the shelf' - Matthew replied and pointed towards his dresser.

Theoretically he is very correct. We never got to hang the cross on the wall.

Things We Only Say At Home

So we have fun. I sometimes pinch him in the bum, so he pinches me back.

One day we went outside and met with our local nanny and all her children. Matthew likes to play with them a lot, but he adores Lady Margaret, the nanny. One day when we arrived at her place, first thing he said to her was - 'I pinched Mommy's bum'. 'Matthew don't say that. We can only say that at home' - I explained laughing inside. 'I understand' - Matthew replied and ran to children to play.

Another time ...

We are playing hockey outside. Matthew is really good in hockey for his age. He always makes me run on the street to catch the ball. We only play ball hockey for now.
- 'Oh Sh!%' - I heard him saying.
- 'Matthew this is a bad word and we do not say things like that when things go wrong' - I told him.
He is at the age that he understands, so rather than ignoring it we rather explain that to him when it happens. They will pick up the bad words eventually, so why not teach him right from a start.
- 'Matthew we do not say bad words ever' - I explained again.
- 'I understand' - he confirmed.
The things kids pick up from the TV, and they know when to use it. We watch kids channel almost 80% of our time, so the time we switch to something else, here he is picking up the bad words. But he knows now, and he understands.

Later that day in the evening ...

I was talking to Matthew about something and I remembered what he did when playing hockey.
- 'Hey Daddy, Matthew said a bad word today' - I called to my husband.
Matthew smiled.
- 'Oh no Matthew why did you do that for' - Daddy put a serious face mask on and asked.
- 'Daddy we only say it at home, right' - Matthew called back to Daddy.
- 'No Matthew bad words, we never say them' - I started to explained to him.
Matthew looked at me kind of confused.
- 'F$#@&en Damit' - he replied, and walked away with smile on his face.

Oops we definitely missed that one. After that we had another little talk. Matthew now understands.

Only Three Years Old & Wants His Own Car

We were eating lunch together and talking. Daddy left the table to get something. I told Matthew that after lunch we have to go to the car dealership to look for a new car.
- 'No, no, I don't want to go to the car dealership' - Matthew demanded.
I explained that we need to get a second car.
- 'Daddy needs new car for work, and Mommy will take the KIA' - I told him.
Matthew started to think, and he is very obvious usually by grabbing his head or tapping on his forehead.
- 'What will Matthew drive?' - he asked with both hands in front of him, almost demanding.
I thought that was very funny and cute.
- 'Well, you can drive your red wagon' - I replied.
He looked at me, first surprised and then laughed.
- 'Oh that is funny' - he jokingly replied.

My Next Politician To Be Always Knows When To Skip Numbers

We often take Matthew to the local coffee shop for sweet treat, sometimes a cookie, a bagel with butter or his favorite timbits (cut centre from the doughnut). Matthew usually places his order and then we do ours. That day he insisted on having timbits. I advise him that he was only to have three. At the counter, I told him out loud that he only to have three timbits. I ensured that the clerk behind the cash register heard, and she did.

- 'So Matthew tell lady you are going to have three timbits today' - I told him.
- 'Matthew speak louder so lady can hear you' - I added.
- 'Okay three timbits' - Matthew replies to me.
Then he turns around to clerk and trying to speak loud.
- 'Four timbits, please' - he places his order.
She laughed and got him four timbits.

The other day we were coming back from visiting our local English garden. As always Matthew is very friendly with people by saying Hi or talking to them.

While walking out, three ladies were passing by. I was tagging on the back trying to take some flowers pictures. When I caught on, I joined the conversation.

- 'He is the next Prime Minister' - one of the ladies said to me.
- 'This is not the first time someone told me this' - I replied.
- 'Ask him who is the Prime Minister of Canada' - I told her and she did.
- 'Stephen Harper' - Matthew replied proudly.
- 'What is your name?' - another lady asked him.
- 'I am Matthew and I am three' - he replied.
- '... and next year I will be five' - he added.
- 'You know why he said five' - I told them.
- 'Why?' - they asked.
- 'Because he really wants Nintendo DS and he can have it when he will turn five' - I answered.

Funny enough today while out shopping, Matthew started his greeting round in the store. An old man came up to him to whom he said Hi, shook his hand and asked him.

- 'Are you a politician?' - he asked.
- 'Yes' - Matthew replied not knowing what it is.
- 'Will you take taxes away from us' - he continued.
- 'Yes' - Matthew replied.
- 'You know this is not the first time someone told me this' - I told the old man.
The man laughed and walked away. Daddy came and picked up Matthew.
- 'No you will not be a politician' - he whispered into his ear.

I'm Eating A Chocolate Vanilla Mouse

- 'Matthew what kind of ice cream is this' - I ask while he was eating his ice cream cone.
- 'Mmmmmm its a mouse' - he replied.
- 'A mouse, what's that' - I asked surprised.
- 'It is a swirl ice cream, not squirrel' - Daddy corrected him.
- 'I am eating vanilla-chocolate swirl ice-cream coooone' - proudly with ice cream all over his face he corrected himself.

I turned my head away and started to laugh. Matthew could not remember the 'swirl' word, he knew was similar to 'squirrel', so he picked another furry rodent a 'mouse'.

Children Learn To Count

Short and sweet counting post. It is amazing to see how children see patterns when they learn certain things, especially counting. Matthew is now three years old and this is how he counts.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

... Twenteen

'Matthew, it is Twenty and not Twenteen' - I corrected him.

'Okay Mommy, Twenty' - he corrects himself and continues to count.

Twenty One

Twenty Two

Twenty Three

Twenty Four

Twenty Five

Twenty Six

Twenty Seven

Twenty Eight

Twenty Nine

... Twenty Ten

'Matthew, no it is Thirty and not Twenty Ten' - I corrected him again.

'No Mommy its Twenty Ten' - Matthew replied.

'Matthew, next is Thirty One' - I wanted him to continue.

'No Mommy, I am done counting NOW' - he replied.

A Sneaky Old Lady

I was waiting in line with Matthew. It was the express lane or fast lane for those with few items. More people started to line up behind me, but suddenly out of no where an older lady, probably in her seventies, stood in front of me. She was holding a pouch of seeds. I thought to myself - she is probably with the lady that was in front of me. After all she stood very close to her.

The old lady gave the cashier the seeds and paid. The first lady front of her already took off. What did I miss? No excuse me, no eye contact. She was just a sneaky old lady that was able to get her self in smoothly, but acted not that smoothly as the lady below ...

A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him.

'I'm sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It's just that you look just like my son, who I haven't seen in a long time.' - she said.

'That's a shame' - replied the young man.
'Is there anything I can do for you?' - he added.

'Yes' - she said.
'As I'm leaving, can you say Good bye, Mother! It would make me feel so much better.' - she said.

'Sure' - answered the young man.
As the old woman was leaving, he called out - 'Good bye, Mother!'

As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127.50.
'How can that be?' - he asked, 'I only purchased a few things!'
'Your mother said that you would pay for her' - said the clerk.

Ouch! I am glad then that she only got in front of me, and nothing more.

Warning! Chocking Hazard - Do Not Eat It

Matthew is now three years old and is starting to behave like one too. I don't know if it is me, but he showed some changes right on his birthday. On the day of his big day we went out for a small lunch. During the lunch Matthew was acting like a little man, no more booster chair, sitting on his own chair and enjoying his meal. With a little shyness on his face went up to the server in the kitchen area and asked for 'after lunch treat' - the ice cream.

I also noticed that Matthew wants to read and is very curious what is written everywhere. 'What does it say here?' - he would ask. Couple of days ago we walked to our local supermarket. It is about 1 km walk one way. It is a nice walk through the park and little trail. I nice walk full of nature's surprises.

At the store Matthew got himself another figurine - The Iron Man 2 Mark V, the one with the suitcase. He is always so fascinated when in the movie Tony Stark's iron man suite in the suite case morphs into the Iron Man. I also bought him a bun to munch going home.

At some point, out of blue Matthew grabs with both hands nice green grass. Okay I thought he will fill up his pockets again, no he started to eat it. 'Oh Matthew, spit it out, spit it out' - I yelled. 'Phew' - luckily at the same time he was eating a bun. The soccer field grass is usually sprayed and full of chemicals. 'No eating grass' - I said firmly. Then going up the hill, he started to reach out for the tree with a smile on his face. 'No eating trees either' - I said it again.

I will check with the doctor, may be there is something like 'green pigment deficiency' or simply he is still teething, which is true.

As the journey continued, he took the Iron Man toy from me and tried to read what was written on the packaging. 'What does it say here?' - he asked. 'WARNING CHOCKING HAZARD' - I read. 'In other words, do not eat the iron man?' - I explained. 'WARNING DO NOT EAT THE IRON MAN' - Matthew repeated. 'Well, warning also could be for DO NOT EAT GRASS OR TREES' - I continued. Matthew laughed, but understood.

Last night we were going out. As daddy was strapping Matthew into the car seat, I tried to test his knowledge and to see if he remembered the WARNING word. I pointed on the WARNING word in the car, 'Matthew can you read this?' Matthew looked closely, thought about it and replied - 'WARNING DO NOT EAT THE CAR'.

Letter to Matthew - Today Is Your 3rd Birthday

Every year day before Matthew's birthday I start to write a letter, and finish on his birthday. A letter outlining how Matthew enjoyed his life in the past 12 months. I started this tradition on my photo blog My Only Photo. This year is for Matthew's third birthday. I know that sometimes it is hard to keep up with reading, especially if you have lot of blogging friends, so do not feel obligated to read, however, you can enjoy his pictorial gallery. Read More ...

The Need To Win

I know I have not been posting a lot lately here. However, everyday I want to write here, I just don't make it. Days are busy with Matthew, and really feel bad when I have to let him play alone. Every day I think about things I can write here, but now they are just titles and notes in my notebook. I will, I will - just like in the book The Little Engine That Could - 'I think I can, I think I can'.

Let me share something I read recently in the The Way of Chuang Tzu by Thomas Merton, a little book I once picked up at the bookstore. I can also relate.

'When an archer is shooting for nothing
He has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets - 
He is out of his mind!


His skill has not changed. But the prize
Divides him. He cares.
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting -
And the need to win
Drains him of power.'

Our Children Are Our Greatest Teachers

Learning is something Matthew enjoys very much, however, he also knows what to do when things are getting harder with learning. When things are getting harder, not just children, us too, sometimes we redirect our energies somewhere else. Let's see how Matthew redirects his. He will be three years old in about plus two months.

I started Mommy's school a couple of weeks ago. Mommy (me) is a teacher and Matthew is my only student.

Day 1: 'Welcome to the Mommy's School' - my invitation.
'Yes, Mommy Matthew is coming to Mommy's school' - he would yell with excitement, come and sit on his colored chair. He would also say things like 'Yes Mommy teacher, lets get stickers'. He loves stickers every time he finishes one page of tracing.

Day 2: 'Welcome to the Mommy's School' - my invitation.
'Oh yes, lets go to school' - Matthew would yell again with excitement and come running to his colored chair.
He is drawing lines, zig zag's and spirals. Two pages completed at no time. He gets a sticker, smiles and walks away from my school to play with other stuff.

Day 3, 4 'Welcome to the Mommy's School' - my invitation.
'Yes I am coming to Mommy's school' - Matthew would reply every time.
However, he starts to slow down. Pages are getting a bit harder to trace - circles, squares, triangles, diamonds. One page per one school day now. He gets a sticker, but this time he gets it himself - he picks, he sticks. Matthew is gaining more control over my school.

Day 5 'Welcome to the Mommy's School' - my invitation.
'But Mommy, you sit Matthew's chair, I sit Mommy's chair' - Matthew replied on the day five.
'Mommy you be student, Matthew be teacher' - he announced and would not let me talk.
'Mommy you WRITE' - he commended me before I opened my mouth.

'Our children are our greatest teachers' - goes with this story.

Spaghetti Pasta Defined

Matthew asked: 'Where is my friend Daddy?'
Yes, Matthew now calls his Daddy his friend.

Matthew said once in the car while eating chocolate: 'I am chocolate-holic.'
We told him once that he is chocoholic. He loves chocolate. Favorite: Kinder and Lindt.

Matthew once was walking home with me and saw lady shoveling a snow.
He looked at me and asked: 'Can I say Hi to lady?'
I replied: 'Of course you can.'
After he greeted her, she asked him: 'Where are you going?'
Matthew proudly replied: 'I am going home and going to eat Lindt chocolate.'
I followed his response to her: 'He is chocoholic.'

Today I asked Matthew: 'Who is the Prime Minister of Canada?'
Matthew responds: 'Prime Mister of Candada is Stephen Helper'
He eventually got it right, the Minister, the Canada and the Harper.

Matthew answers the phone: 'Hello, anybody there?'
We get lot of dead calls, so he starts with verifying if anybody is there.

'Matthew what do you see, one finger and one finger together?'
Today during dinner I showed him one finger from left hand and one finger from right hand side by side.
'I see eleven'- Matthew replied.
Visually he is correct, mathematically he now knows that there are two fingers.

Matthew is a proud owner of the 'Matthew's Cuisine' - play kitchen for kids.
After while my kitchen tools slowly migrated to Matthew's Cuisine. When I look for something, now I have to extend my horizons to his kitchen.
Matthew while cooking in his Cuisine: 'Look Mommy I am chef cooker.'

Ten thousand times a day I have to pretend to be Pepper Pots from the Iron Man.
My line: 'Here comes Pepper Pots. Welcome to Tony Stark Expo' - and I slide the Iron Man suitcase.
Eventually Matthew got bored of me being Pepper Pots.
Matthew: 'Mommy you be bad Iron Man, and Matthew be Pepper Pots.'
Why bad Iron Man? No idea.
Matthew's line now is: 'Here comes Pepper Pots. Welcome to Tony Stark Expo' - and he slides the Iron Man suitcase.

While typing keyword for his favorite cartoon on the YouTube - PINGU (yes he can spell this typing and reciting), Matthew turned around and said to me: 'Look Mommy I am good typer'.

Matthew likes spaghetti pasta. I make him spaghetti pasta very often and I have usually handy if he feels like having it for dinner. When Matthew wants spaghetti, he asks: 'Mommy can I have straight long pasta for dinner'. This is his definition of spaghetti.

'Matthew how old are you?' - lady at the department store asked him, while we were shopping for appliances few days ago.
'I am two years old and nine months, I live ### Street Trail in Aurora home, I spell two words PINGU and ELMO' - and that was his answer to her.

Every time I remember things Matthew said or did, I laugh inside and I put a big smile on my face. Now I am sharing it with you and hope you can laugh and smile with me.

For Love Of Pete

Children learn fast. When we are angry we have tendency to use bad words. I did it - once and twice. The parrot started to repeat, so I had to stop. For love of the Pete is the safest saying for me around Matthew - it really covers all the angles of frustration. Love and Pete, it cannot get any better.

Matthew is now speaking very clearly, and builds perfect sentences. He also understands everything, but has very selective hearing. He picks up everything we say. He uses later. He even sometimes repeats our conversation - a technical one. But then I also wonder - when children pick up those bad sayings, how do they know when to use it?

I knew that For Love of the Pete will become his one day, and it did. When first time he was saying it, we were not impressed. We did not even know what is was, but is sounded bad, very close to Italian swearing. I asked my husband - have you been swearing in Italian around him? Slowly we figured out, and now whenever Matthew sees someone acting funny, doing something that is funny he has his own saying.

For love of Pete this lady is crazy! Or for love of Pete this man is crazy! - and he laughs out loud. Never mind he told me once 'For love of Pete, mommy is crazy'. What's next? The 'oh my Goodness' is slowly creeping in.

By the way, to follow up with the Santa Mommy post. I ended up dressing up as the Santa. Matthew enjoyed it very much. Wasn't even scared and he took a picture with me - but I know why. I forgot and started to speak normal to him. He kept looking back, thinking I was in the room. May be next year I hire Santa to do the job - I can only see him laughing at me, and he may think for a long time that all Mommies are Santas.