Elias am 22.06.2000

Now Elias is 33 months old - his third birthday is near! He has become a bigger and more independent toddler.

At the age of 28 months at last he could walk alone! We were so proud! Then his gross motor skills developped very quickly: he is walking on all kinds of surfaces, is walking up and down curbs and - cautiously like he always is - is walking up and down stairs holding himself on our hands or even the banister. Once in a week we are attending a regular mother-and-child gymnastic-group where we are running, balancing, climbing. Elias is absolutely amazed! But not always he agrees with the rules, and he is rather creative inventing his own kind of activities. : he won´t climb up too high or do anything which seems too risky for him.

In the meantime we have begun early sightreading. Elias knows more than half of the capital letters and about 10 single sight words. But mostly he seems to recognize them by the beginning letters. But we have just begun and follow Elias´ interest in going on. But we already noticed that early reading is helping his pronounciation.

Elias is talking all day long, and he knows really many words. Mostly he is still talking in one-word-sentences, but there are some two- and three-word-sentences from time to time. Nearly all sounds are in his repertoire - more or less distinctly spoken... Since some time he even tries the "s": "Iccccce!" I think it will need time until his pronounciation will be really correct, some words are really sounding rather similar in his speech- but we are on our way... Elias loves songs and rhymes and adds words we leave out. He doesn´t use much signing any more, only as a confirmation or when the word is really difficult (eg butterfly in German is "Schmetterling") Elias likes building with Duplos, playing in the sand, he is bringing his puppy to sleep alone.... His cassette recorder he handles alone and loves dancing according to his children music. But he loves Bach as well and sometimes it must be the passion of John! He has begun to conquer my computer as well - in his program: "Billi Banni- First Steps" he is doing everything alone.

The daycare is part of his every-day-life and he loves very much to be there! He is absolutely included, has friends and first invitations - and he learns a lot of things together with the other children. Our decision for a group of children with mixed age (0-6) has proven well - for each activity Elias has the appropriate partner: he has learned to walk with the youngest children, with his age mates he puzzles, draws and glues.. And to our amazement even the first months passed without any illness: all the time from last september Elias stayed at home only one day because of a stomach problem!

For the last half year we had a "therapy break" which did no harm to Elias as far as we can see. From the summer he will get speech therapy and we are thinking about hippothery, too. We think that more weekly appointments would probably too much additionally to daycare and gym group.

Elias is now a child you can really have intense talks with: this is such a joy! Of course, we can clearly see the difference to other three-year-old children - but this doesn´t diminish our happiness about living wih our youngest child - who is sooo cute!

Anke