Practicing Smiles

We're having fun finding a natural smile :)

Chess Champ

Cameron has really been enjoying his chess club and is now getting into tournaments!  He won his group in the third tournament and was properly proud of himself :)

Cute antics:
• offering hugs with wide open arms and a declaration, "Huggins!?!?"  (That's been going on for at least a month and it's cute as long as it's not too often and not knocking you off balance.  "No thanks" is often not an answer he waits to hear.)

• asking Daddy, "What are you doing?"

Daddy: "Standing."

"Daaaaaaaaad!  Why do you give the vaguest answers!"

• tip toeing around the house one morning!!!!  That is huge that he remembered to close his door quietly and step quietly when his dad was still sleeping, WOW!  I gave him a high five and mentioned that I noticed.  He informed me, "It's good to tell people you notice."

• taking the initiative to properly pronounce the th sound and being quite pleased with himself as he emphasizes it, for example, he'll say he is going to the bath-room.  He's making it a new habit though and referred to paper clips as "thin things" without any extra emphasis.  (It's been nagging at every speech therapist that interacts with him since it's well beyond normal for that mispronunciation.)

• playing lego Creationary and guessing buildings, he yelled, "Chateau D'if"!  (I don't think they'd try for something that specific in a Pictionary-type game, but we all laughed at the Count of Monte Cristo reference!)

Happy New Year

Time for another set of cute antics and they're quite a fun batch :)
I hope you all had a happy New Year!

Cute antics:

• responding to my query if he was well enough to do his chores with a matter of fact, "Yes." and then proceeding to set himself a timer and fill the dishwasher!  (He was definitely not well enough when he had the tummy bug!)

• counting up big numbers and inventing "Taratulatillions"

• when I'd explained my reasons for not listening to Enders Game at his grandparents' house, Cameron pondered, "I couldn't get around your very strong reasons with my whims.  I'd been trying and trying to win, but I couldn't."

• regarding comments on his lengthening hair, "I like being shaggy."

• tentatively putting his fingers onto his dad's hand during some playful rough-housing with a meek, "Negotiations?"

• announcing, "So, we all need to have proper excuses if Emma says anything Santa-ish." (His five year old cousin was expecting Santa.)

• flopping down next to me and then seeming to fly upwards!  My bandaged child just announced ruefully, "Don't sit on a cat without expecting some claws!"

• as he helped his cousin open a string cheese part way, "When I was younger I used to ask for the same thing!"

• during our family meeting, "My compliment for Mom and Dad is, you always handle things the right way." (After thanks and smiles and some light laughter, I pointed out the next part of the family meeting was "mistakes". http://theplayfulspiritrachel.blogspot.com/2012/10/family-meetings.html.  He ammended it to add, "when someone's sick".)

• going through the conversation cube at breakfast, the prompt was "Can you tell if someone is telling the truth or lying and if so how" to which Cameron answered immediately, "I don't know.  No one has ever lied to me."  (Ya, we had a chat about white lies and character and all sorts of other stuff :) )

… and these conversations:

Me: I'm cold.

Cameron: Is that a complaint?!? 

Me (musing to myself): Where does this kid come from.  I'm a mammal.  I know were he comes from.

Cameron: Right. Mars!

Cameron (being bugged by his 5 yo cousin): Meow!

Me (noticing that she's still bugging him and he's about to push her away, I said quietly): Use your words

Cameron (looking her right in the eye): Roar.

My kiddo playing Candyland with his cousin