By popular demand

Here's a small sample of recent autumn-themed artwork by John, by popular request.  He made these at school - quite beautiful!

GJS

Recent breakthroughs in child-rearing

Home from school

We have a couple significant developments on the child-rearing front to report.  First, John has recently begun 5-day a week, full-day pre-kindergarten classes.  This school, unlike the one he had attended since last October on a part-time basis, teaches in English. (John likes this much better.)  Week one was successful, and John even told us that staying at home was "kinda boring" compared to all the fun stuff he gets to do at school.  You go, John!  Keep that attitude forever, son!

我喜歡吃crackers!

Lance is also hitting the developmental milestones.  Like I mentioned in a recent post, he is just a week shy of 5 months old right now, and this past week he began limited non-breast milk food trials, a first for him.  One evening he dined on a cracker (pictured) and since then he has begun regular evening servings of rice cereal while sitting in his high chair.  It took but a few days of this for him to develop quite a gusto for the stuff, pulling the spoon into his mouth and celebrating each mouthful.  This new food's "staying power" seems to be allowing him to go longer without feedings in the middle of the night, sleeping for a solid eight hours the other night.  In non-food related updates for Lance, he is edging ever-closer to becoming mobile, perfecting his ability to hold his head up high while on his tummy and beginning to get up on his knees (but not the essential hands and knees that he needs to figure out to crawl).  He's also working on being able to sit up by himself (actually, maintaining a sitting position on his own after being helped into it by Mom or Dad).  But he likes being in a standing position more than anything (photo).

Only a little help!

The boys are getting big!

GJS

End of an Era: Last Day of School

John (at left), flashing the "V" sign (he has picked up on some local things!)

Today was John's last day at his local pre-Kindergarten class.  He'll have next week off, then we'll be travelling in China for about 2 1/2 weeks, and then he'll have about a week of vacation time left before he starts at his "official, have-to-be-4-years-old" pre-K at a new school.

It was sort of bittersweet for John.  On the one hand, he would tell us that he didn't like to go to the old school because he had a hard time communicating (it was entirely in Chinese), but at the same time it was clear that he liked having time to play and interact with kids his age.  Kids don't necessarily need to be able to speak the same language to be able to play effectively together, although when conflict arises it is often made more difficult when they can't communicate with each other to resolve it using a common spoken language.

They gave him a couple parting gifts, which was nice.  Folks there were really nice, and I hope someday he remembers going to this school.

GJS

A few old photos from Christmas 2009

My son brought these photos home from school this week.  His teachers took them around Christmastime.  They were “old-fashioned” photos printed on photo paper, developed through a photo processor.  Digital photography is so ubiquitous now, it was a little strange to have these “hard-copy” photos in hand!  For your enjoyment…

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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