Monday, June 20, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Milestones...
Last month we hit the one-year anniversary since Rikki joined our family (ie in China), tomorrow (June 10) is the one-year anniversary of her arrival in the United States (and becoming a U.S. citizen).
A year in a child's life is full of memories and milestones, but it seems especially true in the case of little Rikki Panpan.
A year ago she could not roll over, sit, or crawl. Last week she started riding her first tricycle. She also goes to dance class, and one of her favorite things to do is JUMP!
A year ago, her only word was "ba". It seemed to refer to many things -- bird, ball, baba (father in Chinese), baobao (baby in Chinese), Panpan, etc. etc. Now it seems she may know about 500 English words. I stopped counting when she hit 100 in December, and after worrying that her speech was delayed, found her to be right on target. Now, at the rate she's been going, I'm guessing she must know 500 words by now -- not counting the words she knows in Mandarin.
And she's just in the last couple of weeks started talking in sentences, like these:
"I find her."
"Vitamin spit out." (when I told her she couldn't have another vitamin because I'd already given her one, to explain that she hadn't actually eaten it.)
"Baba fix it." (when I was having trouble assembling her bike and Davis was out of town)
"Olive coming morrow."
"Where's your glasses?"
"What happened?"
"I like it. I like it. I like it." (Relishing in having learned how to say that more so than the water she was drinking.)
"Little bit." (When I tell her she cannot have more of something.)
"Not up here, down there." (Showing me the area of the cabinet where she wants to lie down and drink her milk.)
"Mama sit there?" (Asking me to sit by her bed when she is going to sleep.)
She always reacted to music and rhythm - from our first days back in Jiangxi, we loved to watch her wiggle. Now she can almost sing Twinkle Twinkle, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Let's Go Fly a Kite. Attached dancing video is from the children's museum in Youngstown (a terrific place it turns out).
In the last few days, the things that have captured her attention are: underwear and sheets. She's discovered the world beyond diapers and cribs and she is ready for it (almost ready, anyway...)
And the scene I wish I had captured on video: At cousin Taylor's bar mitzvah, after watching first Linda and Jeff (my sister and brother-in-law) and then me go to the bima to read, she suddenly blurted out "My turn!" and started running down the aisle, only to return, saying "Book! Book!" She grabbed the program, and ran back down the aisle toward the steps wielding her reading, to a whole house full of smiles.
May she always pursue opportunities with such gusto.
A year in a child's life is full of memories and milestones, but it seems especially true in the case of little Rikki Panpan.
A year ago she could not roll over, sit, or crawl. Last week she started riding her first tricycle. She also goes to dance class, and one of her favorite things to do is JUMP!
A year ago, her only word was "ba". It seemed to refer to many things -- bird, ball, baba (father in Chinese), baobao (baby in Chinese), Panpan, etc. etc. Now it seems she may know about 500 English words. I stopped counting when she hit 100 in December, and after worrying that her speech was delayed, found her to be right on target. Now, at the rate she's been going, I'm guessing she must know 500 words by now -- not counting the words she knows in Mandarin.
And she's just in the last couple of weeks started talking in sentences, like these:
"I find her."
"Vitamin spit out." (when I told her she couldn't have another vitamin because I'd already given her one, to explain that she hadn't actually eaten it.)
"Baba fix it." (when I was having trouble assembling her bike and Davis was out of town)
"Olive coming morrow."
"Where's your glasses?"
"What happened?"
"I like it. I like it. I like it." (Relishing in having learned how to say that more so than the water she was drinking.)
"Little bit." (When I tell her she cannot have more of something.)
"Not up here, down there." (Showing me the area of the cabinet where she wants to lie down and drink her milk.)
"Mama sit there?" (Asking me to sit by her bed when she is going to sleep.)
She always reacted to music and rhythm - from our first days back in Jiangxi, we loved to watch her wiggle. Now she can almost sing Twinkle Twinkle, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Let's Go Fly a Kite. Attached dancing video is from the children's museum in Youngstown (a terrific place it turns out).
In the last few days, the things that have captured her attention are: underwear and sheets. She's discovered the world beyond diapers and cribs and she is ready for it (almost ready, anyway...)
And the scene I wish I had captured on video: At cousin Taylor's bar mitzvah, after watching first Linda and Jeff (my sister and brother-in-law) and then me go to the bima to read, she suddenly blurted out "My turn!" and started running down the aisle, only to return, saying "Book! Book!" She grabbed the program, and ran back down the aisle toward the steps wielding her reading, to a whole house full of smiles.
May she always pursue opportunities with such gusto.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Out for a stroll
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