Counting stuff is back in fashion again. At nursery she’s learned to count on her fingers. She doesn’t really use them as help when counting. Rather, it’s when we mention that we have, say, six library books to return, that she might hold up her hands and count until six fingers are up. “Så här många böcker!” – “This many books!”.
Since numbers and counting are such a favourite, I’ve signed her up for the Mitt första 123 series of books (“My first 123”). Julia’s big sister has those books, and they are by far Ingrid’s favourite thing in that house. There are 15 books in the series, and you get a new one every 3 weeks. Each book is about one particular number, as well as a number/counting/maths-related concept. The 1 book is about counting in general, and why it’s a good thing. The 2 book is about pairs, etc.
Initially I found the books a bit pricey, and too pedagogical for my taste, but of course they don’t need to cater to my taste but to the kids’. And they really succeeded in Ingrid’s case. And it’s clear that a lot of work has gone into them. Each book does have a story, but on the whole the books are very visual, with large, colourful, detailed pictures. There are things to count in the pictures, or items to look for, etc. Each book also has suggestions of topics you could discuss and activities you could do with your child around the theme of the book. Plus you get a game with each book, which matches the theme.
Favourite activity number two: adhesive tape. Again it seems to be something she picked up at nursery. She’s known about tape for a while, but not quite had the dexterity and/or strength to use it well. It seems they’ve practiced at nursery, or maybe they have a better dispenser. In any case, Ingrid now very much likes to tape things.
When she makes things at nursery, she insists on taking them home. So some days we’ve come home from nursery with a bunch rolled-up papers, each secured with seven or eight pieces of tape. She also likes taping notes on the wall. I’m glad she is not aware of the existence of post-it notes.
Apart from art and crafts, the other thing that Ingrid likes to take home from nursery – or to take anywhere for that matter – is sticks. Basically she kind of collects sticks. The ideal stick is about as thick as her finger or maybe slightly thicker, and about as long as her arm. And solid, sturdy, the kind that won’t break too easily. Occasionally she picks up a whole bushy branch, but luckily she doesn’t get very attached to these, and we can sneak them out of the house without much drama.
Whenever we go out, she will sit in the stroller, holding a stick in her hand. Sometimes she drags it along the snow, sometimes she knocks it against the ground, but mostly she just holds it. When she drops it, she insists on stopping to pick it up, but she’s usually not too upset when a stick breaks: she has understood that there are many sticks to be found in the world.
Once the snow is gone, we will find a good place for the sticks in some corner of the garden, so we can move the collection outdoors.
Sometimes she also collects gravel. Not pretty stones, not pebbles, but gravel, about the size of her fingertip. There’s lots of that stuff lying around now that the snow is melting. Here it’s only the gathering that is important. She may pick a pocket full of gravel and, while she won’t want to empty that pocket when we continue walking, she will then forget about it so I can empty it at home.
Speaking of walking and strollers, Ingrid’s preferences are still sedentary. In fact I am sometimes tempted to call her lazy. She strongly prefers the stroller to walking. I try to encourage walking, but it’s not having much effect. And I don’t feel that I can just leave the stroller at home, either: after a long day at nursery, the walk to the supermarket and then home would be a long one for her. But I wish she would at least get out part of the way.
And she is slightly on the chubby side. Not enough to worry about, but enough to make me think about her lifestyle. With spring and improving weather and longer daylight hours, I’m hoping that there will naturally be more outdoor activities – cycling, playground visits etc. But I’ve also found a children’s “aerobics” session in a nearby gym. We tried that once and she seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately it takes place on Sunday mornings so it clashes with the Estonian playgroup, but at least we can go there every other week. I’m hoping that the joy of movement, of jumping and running around, will somehow spread from there to her everyday life, too.
On a completely different topic, Ingrid and I have had our first few phone calls. We tried a while ago but she didn’t seem to quite understand what was going on. Now, though, she understands very well. I’ve worked some late evenings, and now been away in Gothenburg for three evenings, so I’ve called home to say hi. She has clear expectations of what a phone call should contain: she basically gives me a report of her day – who she’s played with, perhaps what she’s eaten, and any major events during the day (like someone hitting her, or her spilling jam on her clothes). And then it’s good-bye. She is not interested in hearing anything I might have to say.
And all of a sudden, hugging has become important. It used to be that we’d say good-bye just like that, and perhaps she’d wave. Now she wants to give me a big hug, and lots of kisses too. And shout good-bye not just in Swedish but in English, too. “Hejdå hejdå hejdå bye-bye bye-bye hejdå”. Don’t know where that came from.
Favourite characters: Pippi, and Barbapapa.
Favourite stories: Hirmuäratav tolmuimeja, and Hansel and Gretel.
Not favourite foods: anything mushy like mushrooms, aubergines, zucchini/courgette; anything leafy like spinach, leeks, lettuce, herbs. Today she actually told me she is “allergic to lettuce” (I guess someone at nursery is allergic to something).
