Life Skills

There are things everyone should grow up knowing how to do, besides being a decent, kind, polite human being. Knowing how to change tyres, light bulbs, and the oil in car are skills I sadly lack in practice, though not in theory. More basic ones, like household chores, are down pat.

Little A is little by little learning these small things, and already enjoys helping me at the supermarket and "cooking" his own favourite dishes. We still struggle with proper hair washing and tooth brushing as I need to do the final once-overs at bath and bedtime, but we will get there, I am certain.

Next up, allowing him to help me load the washing machine. 

Puppet Shows, Singing Stints, and Selfie Smiles

Lately my son has discovered show business in a more personal way. His favourite YouTube videos these days are those of children who re-create and video their own shows. He has taken to doing the same, and was especially thrilled when I showed him how the "selfie" mode on the iPad's camera worked.

I may have created a post-millennial monster. Still, if it encourages self-expression, originality, and communicative expression, it is not at all a bad thing for a child with the kind of challenges Little A faces. So for now, we're going for it. He's definitely ready for his close-up. 

Animal Adventures, Again

Among the things Little A has long loved are animals and musical instruments. Recently, we discovered that a nearby toy store, one we haven't visited in a long time, has opened a pet section! While at first he was scared to set foot inside the "pet room", by the second visit he was brave enough to take a closer look, and within a few more visits had taken to spending time with the animals, playing them classical music and watching them.

Sadly, in a couple of weeks all the pets had gone, either been sold or returned to the other pet store across the road, and the animal room had reverted to what it used to be - a storage area for pet habitats and furniture.

We will come back from time to time and check if the pets have returned. In the meantime, there are other places to see and things to do in the limited time after school, including the duck pond at the mall where one of my stores is located. No shortage of animals in the city, it seems.