זאת הקטנה , כבאית גדולה תהיה! אם רק תרצה! יסמיני שלי המשיכי כך!

יסמין בראש השנה, 2016

והסיפור הוא כזה, יסמין ואני הלכנו כבכל יום ראשון לחוג שחיה הורים וילדים. במלתחת הנשים דלק תנור, והוא לא היה בסדר. למען הדיוק, יצא ממנו עשן והמיס את הכיסוי הפלסטי של המנורה שמעל התנור. לי קצת סתום האף, ולכן לא הרחתי את הפלסטיק הנמס. עמדתי עם הגב למנורה והלבשתי בדיוק את יסמין בבגד הים שלה. בקיצור, לא ראיתי ולא הרחתי כלום!

והילדה הרימה מבט, ראתה עשן ואמרה לי בקול בוטח וברור "אמא אש!" ואני שואלת, מה פתאום אש, איפה, בואי לבשי את בגד הים קדימה אנחנו מאחרות לחוג...והקטנה מתעקשת, רגועה אך מתמידה. "אמא תראי אש!" טוב, אם היא מתעקשת, חשבתי לעצמי והסתובבתי ואכן ראיתי לאן היא מצביעה. אין מילים לתאר את זה חוץ מ"אמא, תראי אש!" נור טוב, ליתר דיוק יותר עשן מאש, אבל בפירוש היתה כאן בעירה.

אז כמובן שהוצאתי התקע של התנור הקלוקל מן החשמל, ובדקתי שהעשן אכן נפסק. ואז גם כבר הגיע הריח של הפלסטיק השרוף אפילו לאפי הסתום. ועוד גברת נכנסה להחליף לבגד ים והתלוננה על הריח...ואז כבר היה ברור שצריך לפנות להנהלה להתריע ונדברנו שאני אעשה זאת. ואכן פניתי וגם כתבתי שלט והדבקתי על הקיר - שאף אחד אחר לא ידליק את התנור בטעות...

בקיצור, הקטנה פשוט מנעה דליקה! בימים אלו, של בעירה מיותרת, אני גאה כפליים על הראש הרגוע והכושר להתמיד של ביתי המקסימה, יסמין.
רק בסוף שבוע האחרון היו הצתות בכל הארץ ודליקות רבות. ואפילו הבית של הורי כמעט ונפגע - במזל רק המחסן בחצר נשרף והבית נותר ללא פגע...אבל היו חסרים בדיוק שני מטר בשביל שגם הבית שלהם יישרף! 

זאת הקטנה , כבאית גדולה תהיה...בעצם היא תהיה גדולה בכל אשר תרצה! יסמיני שלי, אהובת חיי, רק תמישיכי כך!

נוסעת כמו מקצוענית , בלי גלגלי עזר, כמו טיל, והיא עוד לא בת חמש!

בעלת הבית שרואה הכל ומבינה כל מה שהיא רואה! חזקי ואמצי, המשיכי לשמור על קור רוח ולהתעקש על מה שחשוב באמת. אוהבת אותך כל כך! אמא.

יסמיני מדגמנת מותגים, אוקטובר 2016

קיץ 2016 - יסמין בת 4.5

Whatsapp Collection

Little anecdotes I collected form our Whatsapp family group, hidden pearls of Jasmin wisdom!

3.5.15

יסמין החליטה שעד שאני מנקה את המטבח ומקפלת כביסה היא תסתפר...היא הגיעה לאמבט עם מעט שיער גזור...את המספריים מצאתי על השולחן בסלון עם עוד שארית שיער. ההזדמנות הפכה מיד לתספורת יזומה בידי אמא הספרית המדופלמת עם הסבר על איך גוזרים ושומרים קו ושלא טוב לגזור לבד כי זה אף פעם לא יוצא יפה. בעלת הבית הקטנה תפסה את הפרינציפ של גיזום סימטרי והתחילה מחלקת הוראות מדוייקות איפה לגזור בכל צד כדי לאזן את החיתוך הקודם...והחזיקה ראש יפה בכל הזויות הנדרשות.מקצוענית ובוגרת.

מתולדות יסמין המהממת: אני במקלחת, השארתי קרטון ביצים על הדלפק במטבח. יסמין החליטה לסדר את זה במקרר. את הקרטון פתחה בקריעה ללא נזק לביצים. העבירה הקופסא לדלפק השני גם ללא פגע ואף סדרה 3 ביצים במקומן המיועד... אלא שאז הביצה הרביעית נפלה על הרצפה. היא באה לקרוא לי ומשראתה שאני מתקלחת לקחה מטאטא קטן כדי לנקות...אבל זה לא הצליח. המקלחת שלי הסתיימה וילדה בוכיה הגיעה לספר לי את כל קורותיה...מצאתי במטבח מקרר סגור ומטפטף.שארית ביצה על הרצפה ומטאטא קטן...

2.12.15

לאחרונה יסמין התעיינה בעקבים...וביקשה נעליים עם עקבים...ולא קיבלה..אז היא לקחה את שלי.

21.12.15

יסמין יודעת שבסוף מספר טלפון של סבתא יש הספרות 88...גאונות! כרגיל היא צריכה לראות רק פעם אחת וקולטת...

2.1.16

בשבוע שעבר הגיעו באורח מסתורי לגן של יסמין מסטיקים...והילדים, ובתי בינהם לקחו ואכלו ובלעו...

כששאלתי את יסמין מה היה, האם אכלה מסטיק? היא אישרה שכן. אז הסברתי לה שזה מסוכן ואסור...ונתתי הרצאה שלמה...ואז מה היא אומרת לי? " אבל אמא, אני לא יכולה להוציא אותו"...ומצביעה על הבטן. וברור שהיא מנסה להסביר לי למה היא לא יכולה לתקן את דרכיה ולהחזיר את המסטיק האסור...חחחח...הפילה אותי והוציאה לי את כל האויר מההרצאה.

19.1.16
יסמין נעמדת בכניסה לניו פארם ומודיע שצריך משחת שניים חדשה לילדים...אמרנו כבר שהיא יודעת הכל?

24.3.16

מעלילות יסמין: את התיק שבו התכוונתי לארוז בגדים לסופ"ש הורדתי כבר אתמול מהמדף בארון. היום בצהריים כשבאתי הביתה מצאתי אותו מלא בגדים. היה שם כמעט כל מה שצריך. בגדים של כל בני הבית...אתם יכולים לנחש מי ארז...רק תחתונים ומכנסיים לאמא ואבא היא לא שמה כי זה במדפים גבוהים. אני תוהה איך היא הגיעה לחולצות של אבא כי זה מצריך טיפוס...

10.4.16

מעלילות יסמין. תוך שעה באמבטיה היא למדה את הפרינציפ של לצלול. הביצוע עוד לא מושלם אבל הבטחון העצמי בשמיים והיא כבר עושה תנועות שמוכיחות שאת הקונספט של שחיה היא מבינה בראש...והיא כמובן הודיע  לי שהיא גדולה ושהיא כבר שוחה...טירוף!

3.5.16

יסמין כל הערב מחפשת מתנות...ובמיוחד לגו נסיכות...אין לי מושג מה היא רוצה עד שאני מוציאה לקראת השינה את תיק הספריה ובו ספר שנקרא הנסיכה חכמולוגיה...אז הכל התבהר.

5.6.16

יסמין רוקדת סמבה...בסופר...חופשי. יצא אחלא וידאו ביתי

6.6.16

יושבים בסושי ולקחתי ביס גדול מידי של ואסבי והיה לי חריף... יסמין המהממת שמה לב שאני בצרה וקראה מיוזמתה למלצרית...

"לאמא שלי חריף"  הודיעה. " את יכולה להביא לה משהו?" הילדה כרגיל מפגינה תושייה ️️️

Pearls of wisdom

I usually collect pearls of childish wisdom in my email and then on occasion I curate them into one post. Here are some of Jasmin's pearls in the last half year.

יסמין החליטה שעד שאני מנקה את המטבח ומקפלת כביסה היא תסתפר...היא הגיעה לאמבט עם מעט שיער גזור...את המספריים מצאתי על השולחן בסלון עם עוד שארית שיער. ההזדמנות הפכה מיד לתספורת יזומה בידי אמא הספרית המדופלמת עם הסבר על איך גוזרים ושומרים קו ושלא טוב לגזור לבד כי זה אף פעם לא יוצא יפה. בעלת הבית הקטנה תפסה את הפרינציפ של גיזום סימטרי והתחילה מחלקת הוראות מדוייקות איפה לגזור בכל צד כדי לאזן את החיתוך הקודם...והחזיקה ראש יפה בכל הזויות הנדרשות.מקצוענית ובוגרת.

מתולדות יסמין המהממת: אני במקלחת, השארתי קרטון ביצים על הדלפק במטבח. יסמין החליטה לסדר את זה במקרר. את הקרטון פתחה בקריעה ללא נזק לביצים. העבירה הקופסא לדלפק השני גם ללא פגע ואף סדרה 3 ביצים במקומן המיועד... אלא שאז הביצה הרביעית נפלה על הרצפה. היא באה לקרוא לי ומשראתה שאני מתקלחת לקחה מטאטא קטן כדי לנקות...אבל זה לא הצליח. המקלחת שלי הסתיימה וילדה בוכיה הגיעה לספר לי את כל קורותיה...מצאתי במטבח מקרר סגור ומטפטף.שארית ביצה על הרצפה ומטאטא קטן...

Jasmin using a U shape pillow as a prop. First is earphones then breasts...or cat ears. She is very good at imaginary play.

She copies Jonathan in everything. If he fools around she joins right in with great joy. She makes the same faces as her brother, father.and me too...probably.

Jasmin must join in everything. Even if Jonathan is sick and has fever, she must join in, saying "Gam ani" me too.

גם אני לא מרגישה...יש לי חום...אני לא מרגישה את החום, כואב לי בחום

theater first class:-)

Jasmin saw that I was not feeling well, so she came to my room with a wet towel, with ice cubes in it to treat my headache. She got the ice cubes all by herself...

One day Jasmin put on my shoes and tool my bag and announced that she is going to work. she was well intent on leaving the house!

Sometimes Jasmin announces that she s a big girl. Sometimes she protests that she is NOT a big girl, but a small girl. it all depends on her purpose...

Pearls of Childish Wisdom - Bed Time

Here are some of Jasmin's pearls in the last half year. This time the subject is "getting ready for bed" and other domestic tasks.

Getting ready for bed - Jasmin knows the rules. One evening she cam into my room just when I was changing into my night clothes. Jasmin immediately decided it was imperative to give me guidance, announcing that I need to take a bath before putting on my PJ's for the night. I was roundly scolded for not doing things in the right order!

Brushing teeth - Jasmin has been thought to brush her teeth in all directions to clean her entire mouth. If I am in the bathroom when she is brushing, she immediately insists that i join  her, claiming that I too need to brush. If I say I already have brushed, she does not accept this. She needs to see me do it. if I am not in the bathroom when she brushes and I ask her if she has brushed her teeth, I am likely to get a description of all the directions (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right, front etc) she brushed as part of her confirmation to completing the task. If she just says "yes" to my question, its most likely that she is lying to me and did not in fact brush her teeth as she was asked to do.

Jasmin spends one evening every two weeks with my parents who come to babysit. One evening my mother reported that Jasmin made sure her doll was ready for bed - Jasmin gave the doll a bath, brushed her teeth, sat her to the potty and the put her to bed covering her with a blanket. When my mother told me this i immediately asked if she had filed Jasmin, to my chagrin she did not. When I told the story to my husband later that night, his first reaction was also to ask if this had been filmed. Modern parents of the digital age of smartphones...
On another occasion I found Jasmin washing the doll with real water in my parents' back yard - she told me the doll needed to be cleaned up.

When she is asked to tidy up her toys Jasmin declares that she cannot. She then explains that she is just a small girl and cannot do it alone. sometimes I help, sometime I insist she complete the task, sometimes I just do the tidying myself real quick...

Although she does not always want to follow the daily evening routines, there is no doubt that Jasmin knows ALL the rules.   

Jasmin speech and behavioral pearls - age 3.5

Jasmin is still not pronouncing her R's and T's properly and she makes many grammar mistakes, but she can always be relied on to drive her meaning in tome and body movement...and some of the mistakes are adorable, thus her speech pearls...

Putting her hand on her waist or lifting an accusing finger and declaring "Now I am talking.."  עכשיו אני מדברת... this one to definitely come from the kindergarten teachers...although my husband claims that the hand on waist is from me...

a Potato is an "yum yum apple" and interesting combination of similar sounds and connotation, particularly ironic as Jasmin does not like potatoes (other than in the form of French fries, but then the name of the dish is "chips")  תפוח אדמה...אצל יסמין זה קפוח הם הם הם

If she bumps into anything or falls down Jasmin will use slang and declare that she has received a big bump... קיבלתי בומבה
Bomba is Hebrew is slang for bumps but also for any big hit, usually in a positive way - almost like English speakers should say that something is a blast!
When she si really hurt by the mishap she will come wailing and wordless. If she says KIBALTI BOMBA then all is well.

Wagging her fingers at items of people when she is angry and scolding with "Nu nu Nu" is still a stale and very Israeli too boot, but she has also elaborated her "anger" reaction by imitating her mother and declaring with a frown when she is "angry with you". אני כועסת לך! אני כועסת לך מאוד מאוד! A small grammar mistake in formulating this sentence combined with the frown is absolutely adorable!

In a streak of total independence we lost Jasmin one morning for  a few minutes, only to find that she had crept into someone’s back yard and was pooing…squatting and all, not getting herself dirty – and why did she choose that location? Because the toilet of the coffee house nearby was closed…so she found a solution and went about her business. I found her with mixed feelings, a woman had seen her and scolded me that Jasmin was taking a dump in her back yard… but  on the other hand I was proud of the child’s independence and problem solving…and yet I was embarrassed. I picked up Jasmin’s poo and took it to the trash. No long term harm done…

I hope than when Jasmin is grown and reads this, she will enjoy the "adorable factor" of all this pearls – and look back with fondness (and not with embarrassment), as I am sure I will do.


 

Who Went Missing?

Jasmin is a very independent child. She manages also rather well and understands things after being shown only once (ok, maybe twice...but not more). An she can navigate too...its a shame that she sometimes takes off without notifying anyone...and then she wonders why we have "disappeared" and scolds too...

We went to see a movie today. It was the first time Jasmin went to the movies. She was soon fed up with sitting and took off to the ladies toilet. After seeing the way once, she took off there and back, with me just running after her, only to see her go in the other direction. Jasmin has no problem finding the correct theater, or differentiating between the boys and girls restrooms... I did not get to see much of the movie, and Jonathan could not really tell me the story either. :-(

After that we went to the play area in the shopping mall. At a certain moment Jasmin decided to go towards the toilet. There were many people and I found myself just seeing her go into the restrooms and hence I chased her there. but she was not to be found. She went back to the play area, where I was originally sitting, but she did not find me there, because I was chasing her to the restrooms. For what seamed like my biggest nightmare and an eternity of time, I went in and out of the restrooms and to the different compartments and yelled her name. People were getting interested and offered me assistance, wanting to know what the lost child looks like.

Its not the first time Jasmin takes off without a word, She is also very fast! Just two weeks ago, we were in a playground in the vicinity of the sopping mall and Jasmin decided she wanted to play n the shopping mall. and off she went! This time we had a much larger area to cover, and my husband chaned her and lost track of her. Luckily I recalled how she loves the play area in the shopping mall and decided to look for her there, and that is also where I found her. Pheeeeww!

And so, to get back to our story, Jasmin and I, in a fully crowded shopping mall , due to the Easter and Passover holidays, were chasing each other around the area between the restrooms and the play area... (Jonathan was buyign a drink and also joined me in the search).  Eventually, after a minute or two...or five... (but who counts time at such a time) I found her just coming towards the restroom, which I was just leaving for the third time...and as I was about to say something about her leaving my side without notice, Jasmin made an angry face and scolded me soundly. "Where did you disappear off to?" she yelled, so I retorted with the same question, but Jasmin was not convinced.
"You really should no go and disappear!", she repeated. and then she added that she was very angry with me, for god measure.

I must admit that this escapade made me think that indeed it is not certain who went missing. Jasmin wondered off, true, but she also know exactly where to come back to. Maybe if I had not gone searching, she would have found me sooner. With Jonathan, who is 7 years old, this is how we behave, waiting until he comes back (well, if we know where he is going to - he needs to say something before taking off). But Jasmin is just 3! Its interesting that she knows very well that one should not just "disappear"and get separated from the others, after all she scolded me for getting lost. Still she does not adhere to the rule herself! I guess she just trusts that we will follow... after all, that is what parents do.

The way your brain works as a reflection on personalty

Its interesting for me to watch my two children and how they react differently to what life throws in their way. the two children have two very different personalities and its fascinating to watch as their character evolves and develops. Even though they are just children there are threads that weave into their actions and are in my opinion core characteristics of their personalities.

If I were to summarize the characters of Jasmin Jonathan each in one sentence I would say that Jonathan relies on providence and that Jasmin is more down to earth.
Jonathan's learning pattern is that of making quantum leaps of sudden understanding after the shoe dropped, his having been stuck in a certain phase for quite sometime.
Jasmin seams to have an innate understanding of the various functionings of the world that surrounds her from a very early age. She just "gets it"! By default she understands how things work.

Recently I noticed how the two children react to a situation that required them to request help. Jasmin will say or even shout "taasvu oti" (which means - leave me alone! plural) if in distress, or "taazor li" (meaning - help me, singular) when asking for assistance. When Jonathan was at the age Jasmin is now (2.5 years old) his way of signalling distress was calling loudly for rescuing (in Hebrew "Hatzilu" which means save me! and is a call for the general public present for help in distress) and he whines when things do not go his way as a first remedy (unfortunately he still does this and he is almost 7 years old) rather than asking for help or looking for a solution to his problem.

It would almost seem that Jonathan is operating as if relying on providence (some great force will send help - and this help is usually manifested in the form of mom giving a hand...) almost as if he has a "contract" with God, and he is disappointed in it every time things do notwork as he imagines they should. Jasmin relies on her surroundings for a solution. She will seek a solution by either taking action or requesting assistance. When in distress she can also express the remedy in the form of addressing the reason for her predicament. If she is indeed left to herself when she demands to be left alone (taasvu oti!) then she will achieve her peace of mind and all will be ell! the people are the reason for her predicament and they should be called on to make the desired change, y either leaving or helping...

Despite differences of character,they are siblings. They have many things in common (both are very skilled at ignoring my requests when these interfere with their preferences or favorite TV show...). Jasmin being a fast and practical learner,imitates her big brother (and her kindergarten teacher,and sometimes my expressions too-fascinating mirror that is...) and so she learns skills from him at an incredible pace, doing things (talking on the phone, riding a scooter) much earlier than Jonathan. I can only hope that Jonathan, all imagination and artist's soul that he is, will learn some of his sisters pragmatism from her. Jonathan is in fact a rather doting elder brother and he plays with Jasmin and smothers her with affection. I hope this last to their adolescent years...Optimisms good for the soul...

Jasmin the Educator

Jasmin may very well be my second child, but when it comes to a talent for understanding the world and how it works, she is first rate! Jonathan my eldest, on the other hand, is more the expressionistic type, too busy imagining amazing sceneries to bother with the basics of how things actually work...at other times he can be the true scientists and investigator, with a natural curiosity. It is Jasmin however, who really gets things by instinct. she just knows! this know-how has earned her the title "house mister" in our home (or in Hebrew, baalat ha'bait - the owner of the house...meaning the one who knows and even dictates how things run!)

We are visiting family in Germany. This is our annual summer holiday. As a result, things are a bit more organised in our daily routine, as in, grandma cooks dinner and we all sit down to a family dinner daily. Also, my husband and I take time off and the kids stay with their grandparents. this means grandma runs everything in the order she likes.

Yesterday evening she told me that when she called the kids to dinner, all she had to do was call out "kids, dinner!" and Jasmin simply got up and shut the television and called her brother to come along... but Jonathan does not like having the TV shut (in any situation whatsoever!) and so he did not move. Jasmin returned therefore directly to get him. Giving him a lecture and shaking her warning finger at him, like the educator she became for the occasion. The one who knows how things are done, she scolded her brother for not coming to the dinner table. In Hebrew,  my parents' generation used to shake a finger and say NU NU NU! to express displeasure with children. Hence Jonathan received the finger treatment from his little sister, and as my mother in law told me, he immediately obeyed Jasmin after being called to order... and so dinner once again was served in peace.

We do not use the shaking finger much at home, but I am sure that Jasmins kindergarten teachers use the gesture to indicate great displeasure when a child strikes another or bites (well they are only 2.5 year old...). I use it only when Jasmin hurts herself, then the object into which she crashed (table, chair, floor) and caused her to fall and get hurt gets scolded, finger treatment included, for actually causing Jasmin pain. This calms her at most times immediately.

It would seam that Jasmin has assumed the role fo educating her older brother to better manners. He eagerly returns the kindness by repeating various rules to her constantly (you cannot take more than one cracker...you need to go to the bathroom...you need to brush your teeth daily...) proving that he indeed knows the rules , even if he chooses to ignore then more often than not! It may sound like my children argue and condisend each other at all times, but the truth is that there is a lot of love and warmth between them, each looking out for the other in their own special way. they play a lot and hug and kiss and are always happy together (unless arguing over some toy, or who gets to do something first...well, children will be children).

I have to write this one in Hebrew...Jasmin says "this is the Boom!"

יולי 2014 הימים ימי מבצע "צוק איתן" והילדים בכל זאת מושפעים...

אין דבר יותר שגורם לליבי להתכווץ מאשר השעה אחת עשרה בלילה כשביתי יסמין בת השנתיים וחצי עדיין ערה. שעה שהיא שוכבת בעניים פתוחות ואומרת "זה הבום". לפעמים היא יושבת ומלווה את האמירה הזו עם תנועת מחיאת כף, ככל שהזמן עובר היא מתעייפת ושוכברת אך עדיין לוחשת...זה הבום! כן הערב נשמע יירוט עצבני מעל לראשינו ולא היתה אזעקה, רק בום. והקטנה מכילה את המידע ומעבדת אותו...אומרת שוב ושוב "זה הבום" וממאנת להירדם... וליבי נחמץ. לא נותר לי אלא לחבק, לשיר ולהרגיע, להגיד שאמא פה...ולהרגיש חסרת אונים. לו באמת זה היה נופל עלינו, לא היתה לי היכולת באמת להגן על הילדים המתוקים שלי...זה גורם לחשוב על אמהות בכל העולם המרגישות חסרות אונים אל מול לחימה ואלימות. והקטנה שוב אומרת... זה הבום. ואני שואלת אם הבום מפחיד אותה והיא אומרת כן. אז אני מרגיעה ואומרת שזהו, אין יותר בום...עצוב לחשוב שאני משקרת לביתי...הרי יהיה עוד בום, מחר, עוד שעה...מי יודע? אבל מה עוד אני יכולה להגיד? אני שוב מחבקת, שרה שיר לילה טוב, אומרת לקטנה שלי שהיא מקסימה, גיבורה ומהממת...וסוף סוף היא נרדמה...

The Repeated Sylable

As Jasmin develops her speech, I have often noticed that she likes to repeat a certain sound to create a word. Despite her inventiveness, we (the adults in the family) usually understand what she wants. And what she cannot say with words she will make up for with amazingly clear and creative body language.

The repeating syllable examples
Fofon - means cucumber (MELAFEFON in Hebrew) but...
but... HALLO means Telephone (actually my cellular phone)
Zezer mean carrot (GEZER in Hebrew)
Niaiya means tomato (AGVANIA in Hebrew)
Babu or Bu means bottle (BAKBUK in Hebrew)
Sabobon means soap (SABON in Hebrew)
Tata means Grandma (SAVTA in Hebrew)
Mama measn mommy (by now Jasmin says the proper word  in Hebrew IMMA)


Body language
Wiyoo means to spin (I should lift her and spin or she makes her skirt fly during a spin), to show me which of the two options she refers to she either turns her waist to indicate the spinning dress or skirt, or she takes my hands and starts to dance in a circle with me, and even lifts her feet to hand from my hands, in the hope that I speed up and she will end up flying around.
Yer *along with finger showing a drawing motion on the other hand* means to draw (LETZAYER n Hebrew) usually in the context of my tablet app.

Other pearls
Lash means milk (CHALAV is Hebrew). This is her favorite drink. She even has a doll in the shape of a milk carton (Tnuva, the main dairy Israeli brand) that has been dubbed "Lash". Recently Lash is slowly disappearing to be replaced by the more mature and exact version Chalaf (only the end is still not exact). We are confident she will say is properly soon, she has use of it often enough.

The tone makes the music...Der Ton Macht der Musik

in German there is a saying "the tone makes the music", it means that the tone one uses when one speaks determines the true meaning of the said words. Jasmin can recognize the tone, but she can not yet always get the music right.

These days my husband is watching the "Mondial" football championship, when he watches a football game, he can get enthusiastic and even screams when a good goal is shot. When Jasmin hears these cries she responds by scolding my husband! waving finger (no no no...) and all, not to mention the correct tone (even though her words are still gibberish at most) - because she thinks he is screaming and one must not raise one's voice...

Pattern Recognition

Jasmin knows her patterns. she also knows where each design belongs. As she recently demonstrated with  a very vigilant comment about my new glasses.

As a homage to my husband, and admittedly maybe as a bit of a joke, I has eye glasses made in a similar pattern to the ones my husband usually wears. My husband is a stickler about his glasses and his favorite pattern of frame is a 1980's RayBan look with a half frame in thick black on the top and thin gold at the bottom.

When I first met my husband, I used to hate the glasses.I thought they were old fashioned and ugly. I have gotten used to them on him by now. The glasses were always an issue between us because he had the frame he was wearing a good 20 years and could not find a replacement in the first few years of our acquaintance and marriage. In addition, he finally lost them one night (close to Jonathan;s birth) after a long night watching a football match... In recent years RayBan decided to bring the pattern back and finally my husband got to replace his long lost pair.

As this pattern returned to the shops, it was also made in different sizes and thus became also available to women. It soon became obvious to my husband and to me that we could finally find this pattern not only in his extra large head size (14" glasses) but also in my miniature head width. and so, I had a pair of glasses made in homage to my husbands taste. I do not wear them often because of two reasons:
1 - because of the thick top black frame, they hurt my ears.
2 - despite the small size, I still think they are too big for me
my husband thinks I look really cool with them, creative and stylish. I can tolerate them only when I have really big hair (to compensate for the narrow width of my head and the large size of the lenses).
The serve thus as my replacement pair of glasses when the main ones I have need to be repaired.

Yesterday, I had to give my regular glasses for repair. I put the alternative homage glasses on. Jasmin noticed the change immediately. She demanded to know what is going on by asking MA ZE? ("what is this" in Hebrew). I explained that mommy has new glasses. Jasmin answered immediately - NO, it's daddy's (LO, ZE ABBA in Hebrew) indicating that she is used to seeing such glasses on my husbands nose...

It is a pity one cannot demonstrate the tone of voice she used when making these tow short declarations, the music of Jasmin's speech is adorable in general and amazingly perceptive and imitating of her surroundings.
This time her tones indicated surprise and even protest. After all mommy should not be wearing daddy's glasses, everything has its place. Order must be kept (in German the saying goes ORDNUNG MUSS SEIN and its a staple of the German culture!).

I thought that her remark was an indicator if great wisdom...but we know she is really smart and worldly...

Notes for Blogging

I am changing my workplace and have to return the cell phone. here is what I fished out of the s memo app. my  notes for the children blogs.

יסמין עושה קקי במרפסת וקוראת לי לנקות. אמרתי שתבוא אלי לשירותים לפני שזה קורה אז בפעם הבאה עשר דקות אחר כך היא באה תוך כדי לקרוא לי...והמבין יבין.  שאריות אחריה בכל הבית...

יסמין עושה פיפי בשירותים בתוך התחתונים. צעד בכיוון הנכון.

יסמין עושה בסיר כמו שצריך...חמש דקות אחר כך מפספת...

יסמין מצליחה להזהיר מפני הפיפי שבא בקניון ומספיקים לשירותים ואז בבית היא דוקא מפספת איפה שנח...

חוויות גמילה. יסמין לא אוהבת חיתול עם קקי ומפה הכל התחיל.... לאחר שמרחה עצמה פעמיים בגן הוחלט פה אחד להתחיל בגמילה גם אם היא רק בת שנתיים וחודש...

יסמין עוזרת כל פעם שאני מחזיקה מגב או מטאטא. היא צריכה גם... כרגיל.

כל מה שאני עושה או מחזיקה ביד או אוכלת, גם יסמין רוצה. כל מה שיונתן מחזיק או עושה, יסמין רוצה גם.

יסמין יושבת במגלשה בגינה. מושיטה יד לעומר (בן דוד) שיבוא לעזור. הוא בא. מחזיק לה היד והיא גולשת.  

הם בכלל משחקים מקסים ביחד. המון צחוקים וחיבוקים ונישוקים. יש בינהם כולה 9 חודשים הפרש. מקסימים ומתוקים...

יסמין עוזרת לי לסחוב שקיות הביתה. לוקחת את החלב ויודעת שזה בשביל אבא.

עושה קקי בעמידה ואומרת קקי אבל לא הולכת לשירותים . שאלתי אותה אם תלך פעם הבאה והיא אמרה "לא" החלטי. 

מזל שליסמין יש קקי מוצק, גם אם היא מפספסת בתחתונים זה לא בורח למכנסיים ברב הפעמים וקל מאוד לנקות את זה...
                     
יסמין בהופעה.שרה לתלמידים של לוץ "קקי צא" ונהנית מתשומת הלב.

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...

Jasmin's shoe and foot fettish

Jasmin has always liked shoes.
She accepted the shoe without much difficulty the moment the contraption was presented to her when she was just 1 year old. Walking happily in her new red Elephanten shoes  - the first shoe her Oma (German grandma) brought her.

She signals clearly when she wants to leave the house by trying to put on her shoes, or having someone assist her is putting them on, and then running to the door. She says "NANAY" which is a near should to the Hebrew word for shoes, as she goes to get them, sitting on her stool and awaiting for assistance is being properly fitted with her shoes. She brings each person the correct shoe form them to put on before leaving the house - and I do not mean only family (people and shoes that are regularly there - like mom, dad and Jonathan) but also guests, babysitters, cousins vising once a year from Germany and grandmas.

When we come into the house, she also knows where to put the shoes away. She places her shoes along with Jonathan's on the shelf near the door. Mommy's shoes are located in her room (and grandmas shoes are placed there too - when she visits, they are alike in style and size), daddy's  shoes are on the shelf in his study. When we were visiting my husbands parents in Germany, Jasmin was quick to learn the shoe habits (and general order) of the house and placed her newly purchased shoes right above the slippers of her German grandma - on a stool in the kitchen. This is a different place from other shoes; those recently worn can be found at the entrance and all the others in the various rooms.

Shoes were always a signal in our home. When Jonathan, Jasmins elder brother, was little he insisted that people take off their shoes, in order to ensure that they will indeed stay. Jasmin showed the same tendency at first, but she quickly moved to the other extreme, paying attention to shoes when the time comes to leave the house. If I intend to leave without her and she accepts this -she will wave her arm and say a musical "bye"...but if she wants to come along regardless of my intentions, she runs for her shoes! She even tries to put them on, her motoric is not great and she is not yet successful but she can open the Velcro shutters...its a start...

Different body organs have always interested Jasmin, but its her feet she loves best! Pointing at mommy's breasts or grandmas nose is fun, as is waving her arms and singing about fingers,  but having mommy blow on her feet is a real treat! Jasmin will ye down in her bed and signal her wish by making a blowing sound "ppppfffff" and pulling her feet up closer to me. alternatively she says "AWA" and holds her feet and hand up for kissing. Feet kissing is a game we play every night, just before she goes to sleep. Just the other day she was playing with my mother and she fell. Thus she received a kiss on her arm from my mother, to relieve her pain. Jasmin promptly handed my mother her other arm, for more kisses...

Jasmin The Singer

Jasmin is showing her first melodious tendencies. Although it would not seam that she is as musical as her elder brother, it is obvious that Jasmin lies to sing and dance to the music. She has already sung and hummed and imitated dancing from routines she has learned in kindergarten, hiding her arms behind her back or lifting up her hands...all suitable to works of a nursery rhyme when she was 1.5 years old. preferring to play with toys that make music is obvious from day one! She also falls asleep to a music box.

But yesterday she made a musical quantum leap. While sitting in the car ,as my husband was driving home to the music of Tory Amos, Jasmin started humming along to the critical point in the song in which Tory sings a higher pitch of "ooh-hoo!" Only think, my husband hat laughing fit in the middle of the street, and all because of Jasmin's oh so cute "ooh-hoo"s. As soon as he got home, he hurries to play the Tory Amos track again, so he could demonstrate,Jasmin's newest trick to me. We thus ended up as the "ooh-hoo"-ing trio, among smiles and other encouraging sounds, Jasmin sang along with Mum and Dad, and not to forget right on time with Tory...

Its been a while since I wrote a post...

Ideas I have collected in the past months, and that will serve as the base for this blog.
(in Hebrew)

יסמין מביאה משפכים כדי להשקות צמחים עם יעל (בלי מים)

יסמין נותנת נשיקה עם היד וגם עם השפתיים ומתעניינת בשערות החזה של אבא, בפופיק של אמא ושל עצמה וגם באיברי מין של בנות...

יסמין עושה פו כי אני עושה תרגילי נשימה עם יונתן

DONE-I think I wrote this already...ha ha

יסמין מביאה משפך ומשקה כי יעל משקה על אמת

יסמין אומרת לא, הופה, אפצי, או-לא

סבתא אומרת שהיא יודעת גם איפה אף ואומרת אף

מראים לה והיא לומדת; פותחת דלתות, עושה פו לאוכל ונושפת מהאף

לפני זה עשתה תנועת קינוח אף עם ממחטה אבל פו עם הפה בשביל האפקט הקולי הנכון

אוהבת לשחק תופסת ומסירות

מביאה דברים שמבקשים

יסמין יודעת שנועלים נעליים לפני שיוצאים מהבית ושאצא לוקחת תיק אז אמא הולכת- ויסמין רצה מיד לדלת כי היא רוצה לבוא גם

יסמין נועלת נעליים או לפחות מנסה, התנועות נכונות המוטוריקה לא משהו, אפילו את הסקוצ היא פותחת

DONE-I think I wrote this already...ha ha

יסמין הולכת להביא  צלוחית מהמגירה ואז נגשת למקרר

בוחרת מאכל ואז שמים לה בצלוחית והיא מרוצה ואוכלת

ואם זה לא קורה יש לנוזפת הקטנה גם מה להגיד...ועל זה אומרים בגרמנית - הטון הוא שעושה את המוזיקה

DONE-I think I wrote this already...ha ha

בלוג

מי ים ליסמין זה טעים

יסמין לוקחת צלוחית ומושיטה יד למגירת כפיות ואז הולכת למקרר ומבקשת לפתוח ואז בוחרת את מה שהיא רוצה לאכול

יסמין רוקעת ברגליים כשהיא מתרגזת והטון נוזף

יסמין מאמצת סדרים חדשים בגרמניה במהירות הבזק לומדת איפה הפח ומחכה הרגלים של סבתא סיבילה

יסמין מוזגת לעצמה מים לבקבוק מטפטוף של מזגן והיא זכרה שזה שם אחרי חודש העדרות וגם את המכונה של חטיפים היא זוכרת

יסמין אורזת בגדים וצעצועים וספרים בשקית , אומרת ביי ועושה שלום עם היד ויוצאת מהבית, או לפחות מנסה לפתוח הדלת, לא ניסיתי לעקב אחריה ולראות איך זה מתפתח

יסמין יושבת בשרותים ועושה פששש עם הפה, להגיד ליפי היא גם יודעת, אבל בסוף בורח לה ברצפה ולא באסלה

שלבי טרום גמילה

יסמין מראה לסבתא איפה כואב ביד ומקבלת נשיקה, ואז מושיטה שוב את היד כדי לקבל עוד אחת

יסמין משחקת לפני השינה, אווה ומושיטה יד או רגל וככה מקבלת עוד נשיקה באיבר המושט

יסמין יודעת לקחת צלחת מהארון, עורכת לעצמה ולאמא את השולחן, יודעת להביא כפית,ואוי ואבוי אם לא אעשה שימוש בצלחת שהיא הביאה לי

From an email to a friend

יסמין ממש מקסימונית, היא רואה משהו ומיד מבצעת

היא פשוט יודעת הכל

כבר עורכת לנו שולחן ושמה צלחות לכולם

צריכה לטעום ולעשות כל מה שמישהו אחר עושה לידה

נוסעת על בימבות ותלת אופנים למינהם (בלי פדאלים) ממש כמו נהגת שודים במהירות וחרקה , וגם רוורס

רק פדאלים עוד לא כי הרגליים עוד לא ארוכות דיין

בקיצור, הסטרי

מתחילה גם להביע עצמה במצלולים יחידים, אבל התנועות והדרך שלה עם שפת הגוף זה מדהים!

בקיצור, אוצר

All this is accumulated in two months...got lots to write about...

Aping and Speech

Jasmin is beginning to talk. If we were not sure at the beginning if she is getting it (the idea of verbal communication) by now it is clear and she has established her first word too! Jasmin continues to ape the world that surrounds her and learns at astounding speed. And the  more she knows, the more opinionated she becomes.

Jasmin’s first clear sound was mumumum. I was not sure if she  meant mommy or mmmm…delicious. Or maybe the combination of “mommy feed me mmm delicious food”. Jasmin eats well! She eats everything! Aparticular joy to her grandfather… The second sound she repeated was “TSE”. I thought it was a mimic of the words “Et Ze” which mean THIS in Hebrew, but I must admit I am not sure. By the time Jasmin made her third clear sound, I was sure. She says “Hoppa”. She uses this sound like her kindergarten teachers to representan action (like jumping or falling on her but) or satisfaction. She also clearly laughs (her bigger brother often makes her laugh, and she likes a good swing in the park too). As her fourth sound she combines a clear “LO” (the Hebrew word for NO) with a shake of the head or a lifting of her shoulder. There is no mistaking the meaning. So “no” counts as her first word (it was her big brother’s second).

Her second word is “ATSCHEEE” which is a mimic for a sneezing sound. All Israeli kids know the song about the b8unny who forgot to close the door and got a cold and started sneezing… la la la APCHI!, la la la APCHI! Jasmin loves this song and asks for me to sing it by saying “ATSCHEEE”. Her elder brother Jonathan also did this. In fact they reversed the order of the words. Jonathan said Apchi first and LO later, Jasmin said LO first and ATSCHEE as a second word. Or maybe it was her third when one counts her amazement sound of “WOW!” as a word.  One day she was looking at magazines sitting next to granny and when a colorful image of fans came up she exclaimed “WOW” and showed my mother the page. Jasmin loves to read! She carried books and magazines with her and turns the pages. Scribbling with a pencil (than k God)in the books is another favorite pastime. My mother has claimed before that Jasmin can say “AF” (nose in Hebrew), I first saw it last weekend when instead of the usual sneeze in the song, Jasmin pointed to her nose and said “AF! So we have four words until now.

Her fifth word is ABA! The Hebrew word for daddy. She is calling for my husband when he is no home. Jasmin is clearly a daddy’s girl. She likes to take part in all activities, so today; when dad and Jonathan were cooking together she joined them in the kitchen. When I took her away to bed, she clearly combines “LO mama”, telling me she did not wish to go away with me (does mama count as her sixth word?).

 Jasmin is definitely getting more opinionated. The “music” of her babbling tells me when she is not happy. In German there is a sating “the tone makes the music”, meaning that the music behind our conversation transports the true meaning of our words. Recently she started biting me (picked it up in kindergarten probably), and got scolded heavily for it, so now clever little bugger that she is, she starts to bring her mouth closer to my shoulder, but closes it at the last minute. This is a great example of the fast learning Jasmin can do! Such intelligence! Ah, I am enjoying a “proud mom” moment as I write these lines (despite the fact that my daughter did bite me a few times).

Jasmin’s verbal speech development is not impairing her other learning. She continues to mimic the world t an astounding pace. Last weekend we had friend come to visit from Germany and they wanted to go to the beach. In preparation they put on tan lotion. Jasmin immediately began to “crème” her own legs after the fashion of our guests. She likes to stand on Jonathan’s high stool in the bathroom and brush her teeth. She is no longer satisfied with her own baby tooth brush but prefers that of Jonathan (or second best, mommy’s toothbrush) –I can only assume the small remains of toothpaste (which she can probably taste on the brushes) are the root of this preference (because usually she is very possessive of her own stuff). She shoves the brush into her mouth and mimics the brushing motion. I showed her only once how to brush her front teeth and that’s it! She was brushing correctly! She even imitates a spitting sound to represent washing her mouth (sadly she still spits after if it’s from a cup, so we cannot truly start her on properly brushing her teeth).

Jasmin also tries to put on her own shoes. She can open the Velcro that holds the shoes and her motoric actions are on a continuous improvement, I am sure she will soon be truly able to put them on! If she sees me take up my bag or keys, she knows I am about to leave and she runs for the door. Jasmin brings her shoes to me every morning of her own accord; she knows that part of getting ready in the morning means to put them on. On Saturdays she can bring her shoes to me as a sign that she wants to go out (despite the Israeli summer heat, which is already upon us!) just like dogs bring their owners their leash (dog lovers will claim dog psychology is very like that of a child, and that canines are as much a part of the family). Just the other week, Jasmin saw her cousin watering the plants in grandma’s home. So she ran to the storage room and got her own watering pot (empty) and started to follow her cousin and “water” the plants as well. A week later, the first thing she did when arriving at grandmas was to go get the watering pot and “water” the plats once more.

By now she is tall enough to reach items on our dining table, climb grown up chairs; she can even open the front door of the house! She can blow soap bubbles, blow to cool her food and make a blowing sound with her mouth when mimicking the action of blowing her nose. I was doing some breathing exercises with Jonathan to help him calm down and Jasmin immediately joined with some breathing of her own. She blows me a kiss to say goodbye when I take her to kindergarten in the morning and kisses daddy on the lips when encouraged. Exploring her own naval and mommy’s is her first curious “lets research my body” activity, right there with trying to clean herself with a wet wipe when I change her diaper. In the bathtub today she clearly mimicked older kids wiping themselves after a visit to the toilet, and then washed her head with her hands so proficiently that I began to think of purchasing a bathing sponge for her to use.

At the advanced age of 1 years and five months it is clear that Jasmin understands what is being said to her, and she will even do as she is asked at times (bring me stuff when I ask). She likes to play catch with mommy chasing her (she  loves to hear me stomping my feet, this knowing I am on her heels) and she likes to chase after balls and then pick them up and throw them. Jasmin has even taken recently to kicking a ball and running after her, her granddaddy (who has a history as a teenage football player) will be mighty proud!

A fast driver, even her bodice says so, and has a suitable baby car design to go along!

Moving on to more serious vehicles (she climbed on her own at Jonathan’s kindergarten)

The bodice says “my grand-dad is crazy about me” and I do believe they both are…

Swinging siblings!

Nothing like a good swing ride to while away a very hot afternoon!

A Quick Learner

Jasmin needs to see something only once to grasp it. She then sets immediately to trying to imitate what she has seen and usually masters the skill rather easily. If she does not, it can only be said that she is just 1 year and 2.5 months old. Her experimentation at skills is a delight all the same.

It is clear to see that Jasmin understands her world instinctively. She simply gets the way things function. She needs little trial and error to get it right. There are many examples. She was able to attach a magnet to the fridge and getting the right side so that the magnet indeed attaches and does not fall, on the first trail. No other cousin or sibling has achieved this so fast. We have a Smurf magnet puzzle on our fridge, Jasmin likes to pull the pieces off and then put them back on the fridge. All toddlers in Israel have these puzzles and like to pull of the pieces and re-attach them. But only Jasmin used the fold of her shirt as a pocket for the pieces she removed, like storage. Although she is not old enough to put the puzzle together, she is already trying to do so.

With more simple puzzles it is clear she understands the concept of attaching two pieces together to create an image. We have the Fisher price box with a lid with shaped holes (circle, square, and triangle) and she immediately copied me after I showed her once that the shapes fit in the holes. With a similar toy She tries to push all shapes into the square (into which they all do fit), but if I show her another shape (try to push the triangle into the triangle sweetie…) she will immediately do as I suggest.

It is clear she understands what she is being told. I asked her to return a magnet that fell of Jonathans score board of good deeds and she immediately picked it up and returned it to its place. When I asked Jonathan one morning to get dressed, Jasmin started pulling at his shirt. Ever since she saw me sitting on the balcony, she wants to open up a resting chair when we go out there. She even knows one reads a magazine in the restroom (I saw her try, while sitting on a stool in the toilet aside her brother…) Did I already mention she is just 15 months old?

When visiting the neighbor from across the hall she knows where the cookies are in the kitchen and points clearly in their direction to request a treat. At home she points every morning to the cornflakes box on the top of the fridge, thus asking daily for her breakfast. When she sees me pick up my bag, she knows I am leaving and asks to be picked up and taken along (or protests in tears when I do not comply). When we go out to kindergarten every morning, she knows to take her small bag, and even takes that of Jonathan as well…

My mother showed Jasmin how to ride a toddler’s bumper car (so called Bimba in Israel) and she was immediately off! My mother set her astride the contraption and she was pumping legs and driving off in no time at all, never once bumping into walls as she took turns and corners. It took a day of practicing to climb and sit on the car by herself without being assisted. On the second day she was speeding through grand mama’s garden as if she was born to drive! A professional by all baby standards, and that in just a day and a half.

My parents came over to babysit Jasmin this evening and my father used the opportunity to repair a sliding door for me. In the process of doing so he was obliged to use Jasmin’s wooden stool. She came to look out for her property. Every time the stool stood free (or my father…) Jasmin sat on it. My father would then take it and use it, and when it was free again, Jasmin would sit again. Then she watched as her granddad hammered and screwed and she immediately needed his tools to try the hammering and screwdriver twisting herself. My mother calls Jasmin the professor, because it is so clear that she really does know everything…

On her way! Unterwegs!