This will be a bullet point post, as I do not have much time to organize my thoughts in complete sentences that fit together nicely into paragraphs. So here it goes:
* This past months we have noticed a huge change in Pepe's ability to reason with us (and viceversa). I can actually explain things to him, and he listens, asks questions, thinks about what I say. He still uses some automatic sentences (I think he learns these at school) that come across as very polite (e.g., yesterday I told him that I swallowed water while swimming laps at the pool, and he said :"Oh, I am sorry to hear that"), but he is definitely at the point where he is putting thought into things he says, most of the time.
* He still does not have the ability to get outside of himself and understand other kids' feelings. When he is hurt, he thinks that everyone is hurt, when he is not, he thinks everyone is fine. The other day A. the 2 y old from across the street fell pretty hard and was crying. Pepe went to her and called her "booby head" (I later learned that the word means "your brain is not functioning well" - another gem from school) in her face. Chris was furious and close to giving Pepe a time out. I talked to him later and realized he had no idea what was happening. Kids really need to be taught these things - so many times we assume that they get emotions, feelings, etc bc of things they may say, but really, they don't have the ability to do so. They need to be taught how to do that. Repeatedly. It's clear to me now.
* I love to explain things to Pepe and talk to him. I think it's one of my strengths as a parent. I also love to be silly with Pepe, to regress and behave like a 4 year old myself. Sometimes Chris looks at us in disbelief.
* Pepe continues to be in love with music (fav now is Ryan Adams - he uses his thumb as a microphone and sings away) and drawing. He produces at least 20 drawings of lighthouses, traffic signals, and bridges daily. He can draw for hours at a time and he is really good at it.
* Pepe continues to dislike watching TV. He does watch a bit of Wiggles, or Clifford once in a while, but mostly when we go to New Hampshire. We do not have cable, and as a result Pepe has never watched any of the cable popular TV shows. At school, kids who watch those shows ask Pepe to play "Superman", or some other character, and Pepe does not want to do so. This causes some changes in his friendships. He is OK with that. "C is no longer my friend, bc he likes to play Superman and I don't. Now L is my friend and we play firefighters".
* Pepe's interest in lighthouses and traffic signals migrated to the other kids; now almost everyone is drawing lighthouses and traffic signals (as heard from teachers).
* Pepe continues to like going to school. He loves staying home much more, mostly because he pretty much get to do all his favorite activities.
* Everynight now Pepe wants to look at "books with words" when going to bed. Chris thinks he is going to read soon. I am not sure, bc he has a hard time with cursive letters and we are not teaching him - I believe this is school's job.
* His diet consists of mainly: pizza, mac & cheese, yogurt, yogurt drinks, pears, bananas, apples, crackers, cheese, peperoni, chips, popcorn, waffles, eggs, pasta and sweets. No veggies!
* He has a good brain and a funny personality!
* You can't take a pic of him these days....see, he turned his head again!* This past months we have noticed a huge change in Pepe's ability to reason with us (and viceversa). I can actually explain things to him, and he listens, asks questions, thinks about what I say. He still uses some automatic sentences (I think he learns these at school) that come across as very polite (e.g., yesterday I told him that I swallowed water while swimming laps at the pool, and he said :"Oh, I am sorry to hear that"), but he is definitely at the point where he is putting thought into things he says, most of the time.
* He still does not have the ability to get outside of himself and understand other kids' feelings. When he is hurt, he thinks that everyone is hurt, when he is not, he thinks everyone is fine. The other day A. the 2 y old from across the street fell pretty hard and was crying. Pepe went to her and called her "booby head" (I later learned that the word means "your brain is not functioning well" - another gem from school) in her face. Chris was furious and close to giving Pepe a time out. I talked to him later and realized he had no idea what was happening. Kids really need to be taught these things - so many times we assume that they get emotions, feelings, etc bc of things they may say, but really, they don't have the ability to do so. They need to be taught how to do that. Repeatedly. It's clear to me now.
* I love to explain things to Pepe and talk to him. I think it's one of my strengths as a parent. I also love to be silly with Pepe, to regress and behave like a 4 year old myself. Sometimes Chris looks at us in disbelief.
* Pepe continues to be in love with music (fav now is Ryan Adams - he uses his thumb as a microphone and sings away) and drawing. He produces at least 20 drawings of lighthouses, traffic signals, and bridges daily. He can draw for hours at a time and he is really good at it.
* Pepe continues to dislike watching TV. He does watch a bit of Wiggles, or Clifford once in a while, but mostly when we go to New Hampshire. We do not have cable, and as a result Pepe has never watched any of the cable popular TV shows. At school, kids who watch those shows ask Pepe to play "Superman", or some other character, and Pepe does not want to do so. This causes some changes in his friendships. He is OK with that. "C is no longer my friend, bc he likes to play Superman and I don't. Now L is my friend and we play firefighters".
* Pepe's interest in lighthouses and traffic signals migrated to the other kids; now almost everyone is drawing lighthouses and traffic signals (as heard from teachers).
* Pepe continues to like going to school. He loves staying home much more, mostly because he pretty much get to do all his favorite activities.
* Everynight now Pepe wants to look at "books with words" when going to bed. Chris thinks he is going to read soon. I am not sure, bc he has a hard time with cursive letters and we are not teaching him - I believe this is school's job.
* His diet consists of mainly: pizza, mac & cheese, yogurt, yogurt drinks, pears, bananas, apples, crackers, cheese, peperoni, chips, popcorn, waffles, eggs, pasta and sweets. No veggies!
* He has a good brain and a funny personality!
