Jasmin knows it all

More often than not, I am surprised by Jasmin's ability to understand the world around her. she simply and truly knows it all! Here are a few quaint examples:

Blowing her nose: Even though Jasmin is just two years of age, she can fully blow her nose. She also knows to get toilet paper for the purpose of doing so. If he hears me or someone else sneeze, she will hurry to the restroom and bring with her a piece of toilet paper, so that the person who has sneezed can blow their nose. after the paper has been used, Jasmin always says "Pach!" the Hebrew word for wastepaper basket - she expects that the used paper will be tossed to the trash.

Taking her medicine: Jasmin does not like to take medicine and its always a fight. Even so, recently when she needed to take antibiotics, although she fought me every step of the way, she instructed her grandmother (my mom) in my absence, when and how to administer the medicine. She showed my mother the pipette and the medicine bottle and willingly tipped her head back to swallow the liquid. After that, I negotiated with her new terms for taking medicine - by mixing it with water and serving it as a drink. Jasmin even asked to get medicine once and was angry when I refused. I has to explain that medicine is only served when needed, even if it is a yummy syrup with strawberry taste... Despite these advancements, Jasmin still does not really like to take her medicine...

Jasmin the copycat: Jasmin has recently taken to copying anything her older brother does. If he is hanging on my leg, she will immediately do so after him. He has taken to sitting under the table in my study, and has made a small house for himself there, with his toys, she now also goes to sit there. She has  learned to climb my back because her brother likes to do so, but she has improved on him and is now also jumping up and down , insisting that I play "horse" and give her a piggyback ride in the process. She has even agreed to sit on my shoulders (though she does not usually like to do so and prefers walking or being carried in my arms) when noting that Jonathan was similarly riding on his fathers shoulders.

A rare full family portrait

Logistics and operation: Jasmin knows to open the door for me if she sees me holding a garbage bag. Jasmin knows to put on shoes before leaving the house and taking off shoes when remaining indoors, Like her brother (when he was smaller) she insists that anyone who comes to our home take off their shoes as a sign that this person intends to stay, taking my boots off for me when I arrive from work (and before I play with her)  is by now a routine ceremony. She is slowly learning to operate the DVD and CD player. She especially enjoys playing music and dancing with any willing participant.

Turning on the light: Jasmin can stand on a stool and switch in the light in the bathroom or toilet or her own room before she enters the room.

Hygiene: Jasmin has learned to brush her front teeth nicely from side to side. she knows we brush our teeth mornings and evenings and always insists that mommy brush along with Jasmin. In general she wants to join in on any activity, and she wants people to join her in whatever she is doing (the word GAM , which means also in Hebrew is a staple with Jasmin - its means she wants to also do something or that someone else should also be doing it)

Jasmin by now can report exactly when she has a wet diaper. She says "pipi" when its wet. she sometimes asks to be seated on the toilet, but only one time has she peed in it. Most times she asks to be seated after she has already "done the deed" in her diaper. She can also report solids - and has even brought a new diaper and wipes, asking me to change her diaper saying "poo poo" indicating the content of the used diaper and the relief she seeks me to provide. She knows exactly where she can find diapers in wipes in our home or the home of her grandparents. Its is obvious that Jasmin likes having a clean diaper. Jasmin can also answer correctly if I ask to know if she has anything in her diaper. I have learned to trust her to answer correctly. We are confident that in the summer, when she is 2.5 years old, we will be able to successfully ween her from diapers.

Jasmin the almighty cook

There is nothing Jasmin loves more that to play "kitchen". It is her favorite game, no matter where she is. Jasmin just likes to serve food, and she does it whenever and wherever she can, serving a verity of items.

At home she is always taking out all the pots and pans from her kitchen crate. She places the small plastic tools in all the esoteric corners of the house and serves and mixes and cooks in them to her hearts content. I find myself scooping the plastic tools from any number of nooks and crannies.  Jasmin likes to serve any verity of toys as food (not necessarily food like items, which she has in abundance in her kitchen set) , but she does not insist that we play at eating the food she serves. One time she took Jonathan's "angry birds" collection (pencil tip figurines of the famous bird characters) and fried them in a plastic pan, stirring away for a full ten minutes. She also likes to eat real food with her play plates and cups. Especially drinking milk of juice using a small plastic cup is a favorite. Jasmin has learned that when one is finishes a meal (for real), we put the plates and glasses away in the sink in the kitchen, hence I often find her play set items in there as well.

Wherever Jasmin goes, she zooms in on the kitchen set. In her own kindergarten, I often find her playing cook when I come to pick her up. When she accompanies me to Jonathan's kindergarten, she runs directly to the kitchen playing corner in his kindergarten as well. She has very quickly learned exactly where this is located in the rather large facility. When she is visiting her grandparents, she also has a kitchen corner there too. Even when taking as bath, she enjoys playing with her plastic kitchen set. pouring water form the various cups. In fact, she enjoys serving "food" to all members of the family, no matter where they are - including the toilet...

Jasmin never forgets the spoon! Whether she is eating for real or serving play food in her plastic kitchen, there is always a teaspoon to be had. Jasmin can by now stand on a small stool and take a spoon out of the kitchen drawer by herself! She is always asking for a spoon when she comes to ask for food or a snack. She selects her favorite spoons - she likes real metal spoons (plastic will no longer do) with special children motifs. Luckily her German grandmother has indeed provided such metal sets with cute animals on the edge of the cutlery handle.

If Jasmin knows that dinner is about to be served, she will happily set about to setting the table, taking plates and cups and cutlery from the lower drawers, in which I purposely placed plates and cups for the kids, within there reach. she does this however, only for real and no as a game. Jasmin  may also try to invite Jonathan to join her in a meal. She will then take two portions (for example two cups of pudding) and set a portion aside for Jonathan as well. she then will insist that he eat - even if he is not interested! Jasmin can be very pervasive...

It is interesting to see however, that Jasmin is not particularly interested in the real kitchen. After a short period in which she emptied out the drawers with the plastic plates and cups in our kitchen, she has lost interest in it. Jasmin (unlike Jonathan when he was smaller) has no compulsion to drum on my pots and pans and no need to empty every drawer and cupboards in my kitchen. When she is hungry or thirsty, she know to demand and to show me what she needs, even opening cabinets or asking me to open the fridge in the process, looking for whatever her heart fancies. But her interest in the real kitchen remains a functional one - she comes there when she wants to eat!

Considering her ability to understand the way things function and her interest in the theme of kitchen, food and cooking, I often wonder if Jasmin will turn out to be a good partner to real cooking and baking when she is a bit older...(Jonathan always loses interest after a minute or so). I must wait patiently for my answer. Only time will tell...