Isaac's Journal

Usually I find January to be a loooong slow month but this year, it wasn't! I think it's because you are getting so big that I can more easily find things to occupy you – games or crafts that as a toddler you didn't “get”. It's a little scary for me as a mommy to realize that even the slow months are speeding by!

For Christmas you got a tiny plastic guitar that you loved – it was “real” to you. Unfortunately, it didn't stand up to the demands of this household very well and the strings kept falling off! So you begged Daddy for a guitar. He even took you one day to Haggerty's Music Store to look at guitars and didn't find one that was small enough. Maybe a ukulele would serve the purpose? Then last week at the thrift store I discovered a tiny guitar for just $7.50. It's just the size for you and you love it! It does seem to frustrate you a bit that you can't just strum it and have it sound “right”. So I have been trying to teach you some easy chords. You also have been gradually picking out “Mary had a little lamb” on the piano all by yourself!

You and Abby have been doing swimming lessons twice a week at the YMCA. It's been a nice way for you to be active during this cold season. You're also signed up for soccer come spring and very excited about that! I sometimes wonder if maybe we should put you in gymnastics instead, since you've taught yourself to cartwheel and stand on your head (you've been front-flipping for a while).

“Preschool” has been so much fun – we've learned to identify orchestral instruments, made “plastic” out of milk and colored valentines for senior citizens. We're learning to add and subtract using manipulatives, write the alphabet, and READ of course! You're still reading mostly short vowel words but you've graduated to two syllables, so words like “rubbish” or “dentist”.

For how fast the month went, we really haven't done a lot of exciting stuff. There was the stock show where you rode the (super exciting to you!) mechanical bull and got mini-donuts. You and Daddy went ice fishing with a bunch of guys from church (no - you didn't catch anything!) And we've had lots of people over for supper – I think you had the most fun with Ben (9) and Daniel (4) Jacobs AND jamming with your new guitar when Uncle Greg came over. It's just been a good, quiet month, full of smiles and “I just like you so much Mom.” I just can't ask for more.