Well, I intended on writing yesterday in honor of Caden's 17 month birthday, but time got the better of me. So one day late, happy 17 month birthday to my baby! Time sure flies. Part of me is a little sad that he is growing up so quickly, but it's so fun seeing how much he changes every single day that I'm always looking forward to tomorrow.
Yesterday was the last day of our ECFE (Early Childhood and Family Education) class, Tiny Tots. Unfortunately, Caden has caught yet another cold and after much debate we decided to stay home. We've been in this class since the first of December and it's been such a good experience for both of us. Once a week we gather with a small group of other toddlers and their parents for lots of play and discussion. I was happy that for our first ECFE class we managed to have a very small group. Just four kids besides Caden (two boys, two girls), three other moms, and one dad. We spent the first 45 minutes of every class just playing with toys or doing art projects (Caden was not interested AT ALL in that) and then we'd have circle time with singing and an occasional story. Then the kids were allowed to play again while the parents discussed various topics that interested us, usually revolving around eating and behavioral issues. We'd end with snack time - definitely a favorite for the little ones!
The sole reason I signed up for Tiny Tots was for social interaction. For both of us. And I'd say it was a huge success. I feel like I gained a few new friends that are going through many of the same things as me, and even though Caden didn't spend much time interacting with the other kids, it was still good for him to be around them. Plus it was always nice having that once a week special outing to look forward to. I plan on taking an ECFE class every term from now on. I just registered for our next class, Walkers and Talkers, which begins on Thursday, March 11th.
I notice new little behavior changes in Caden every day. One of the cutest ones in the last few days is how he wants to wash his hands when we're in the bathroom. Before Tiny Tots, washing his hands is not something I gave much thought to. But in class we'd have to wash every day after art projects and before snack time. It was so much fun that now Caden wants to do it all the time. He'll go in the bathroom, point to the sink, put his hands together in a washing motion, and then start rolling up his sleeves. It's so adorable! I think it's about time we buy a few stepping stools so he can get a little closer to the water on his own.
Another thing I've noticed in the last few days is Caden's tendency to throw things in anger. When he used to throw tantrums he'd always just get on the floor and bang his head down. Now he's generally silent in his rages, but he'll grab anything within his reach and just whip it. He's emptied his whole shopping cart of play food multiple times in recent days. On Monday we were at Barnes and Noble and he was so angry with me for not walking exactly where he wanted me to that he began running down the aisle grabbing every book he could and slamming it on the ground. It hasn't been pretty!
In the last week or so Caden has also taken a much greater interest in reading books. For awhile there he was so active that the only time he'd sit still long enough to listen to a book was at bedtime. But now he's grabbing books and bringing them to us all day long. For some reason, though, he'll only bring books from his top shelf. I guess he's not ready to read the bigger and longer books at the bottom!
Well, that's about it for Caden's 17 month update. He definitely keeps us very busy!
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