Knox in June 2013

New list of things nearly 1.5 year old Knox has been observed doing this past month:

• Insists on using a bag when going out. Sometimes insists on wearing his sunglasses, and hat.
  

  All geared up for the Doha sun!

• Can climb in and out of the learning tower by himself now. In the beginning had trouble with the concept of climbing out of the tower by backing up. I helped him minimally by turning him around backwards and putting one of his foot on the first step. Did this for about 3 days and he caught on. Puts away his little apron well on the hook now too.
• Seems to understand most of what I ask him. But sometimes says “Hao! 好！” (Yes in Chinese) and is displeased with the outcome. Happens so rarely though that I feel he seems to understand most of it. At least, he is always quite agreeable when it comes to food and drink. And always does chores when he has agreed to it.
  

  Feed Me!

• Manifested interest in drawing, one week in May. The week before he would not touch the pen.
• When in car with my friend’s baby crying in his carseat, tried to comfort baby by holding his foot (imitating me), and tapping the side of his carseat (imitating the mom). When all failed, looked pensive.
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• Says “Baby” when he sees other babies and looks interested, touches gently.
• Tries to help sweep up when he notices crumbs (not there yet, but helps me when I sweep by taking the ladle to dump in the trash). When he accidentally spills water, is very willing to go down with a rag to wipe it up when I hand it to him.
• Finally got an indication that he knows, and can say, his own name. (For, when we call him outside, sometimes he ignores us and trundles on) When friend Mandy’s 2 year old daughter Irene came to play, Mandy was telling them to take turns while they were playing with buckles. “Now it’s Irene’s turn, and then Knox’s turn.” So when Irene’s turn came around, she said “Irene!” and Knox said “Ah Nwo! 阿諾！” I almost thought I’d imagined it, as he has such a soft baby voice. But Mandy confirmed that he had called himself. Ah, sometimes it takes someone else talking to him in Chinese to get him to repeat! I wonder if it is because I do not enunciate as clearly? Or it is just the mom effect? 
  

  Taking turns buckling, Irene and Knox.

• Is fascinated with the Foos Ball table in our building’s rec room. The table is above his eye level though, but he quickly figured out (along with the pool table) where the balls go. Saw him staking out the hole on the side of the Foos Ball table (holding on to edge and peering in) until the little white ball made an apparence after a goal. Happily handed it to a player. Then continued staking out. After 2 or 3 times, put white ball into the start hole himself instead of handing it to player. No instructions were attempted. I turned around and saw this after I kept hearing the neighbor say “Merci!” (to Knox). Thought he wanted to see the Foos ball table (tried lifting him for a higher vantage point) but he just wanted to stake out the hole. Think he prefers participating over watching!
• Picked up a tiny spatula charm and made eating motions with it, putting it into his mouth.
• Says “Umm!” happily when motioning that he wants to eat something, sometimes. An improvement from his previous indicator: Whining.
• Shows more patience when we tell him that he has to wait.
• Picked out carrots when eating curry.
• Learnt to chop velcro eggs with butter knife on cutting board one morning session of about 15 minutes of instruction. Then put eggs in bowl. Feels the eggs for the ‘rough’ and ‘furry’ side of the velcro. Wanted to do again and again.
• Presses pompoms into the straw hole of a cup. Will only do with larger hole though, as gets frustrated with the point of force needed for very small hole. Showed him a spice jar last week to poke toothpicks in, did it immediately. Probably too easy for him at this point. Willing to pick things he dropped off the ground though, saying “uh oh!”, sometimes when I drop things as well.
  

  Poking toothpicks in spice jar. A portable toy for mommy meets.

• Was interested in learning how to open and close water bottle before, I showed him how to screw. Unfortunately did it in one go so he didn’t understand that I have to release my fingers each round. Was shown the correct way to demonstrate to Toddlers by Stephanie but he seemed impatient to observe my demonstration now. Will have to let him learn on his own (which he seemingly has today!)
• Rinsed out toothbrush and puts it back in his little shot glass, without instruction. Puts his dirty clothes in his basket in his room, after showing him once. Puts correct diapers in correct diaper bins (bucket for the cloth ones, trashcan for the disposables), though still needs reminding to put the poopy disposables in the diaper genie. Closes dishwasher soap hatch and dishwasher. Hands me clean dishes from the dishwasher for me to put away. Helps carry dirty laundry out and putting into washing machine.
• Increasingly able to play well by himself, for longer times. Becomes more clingy when he’s tired/hungry/feeling unwell. 
• Loves turning on the Ikea light in our living room in the evening.
  

  Holding a lantern light that was from the Kaohsiung lantern festival paper dragon.