We feel so lucky to have come through Superstorm Sandy in tact. We had done some preparations but nothing like we would have needed if we had really gotten hit hard. We just had to stay home for two days, warm and cozy in our home. Of course, keeping everyone entertained did get to be a bit hairy. At one point, we got desperate enough to suggest watching a movie. It was cold and rainy and windy, so the four of us made popcorn and hunkered down on the couch to watch Monsters, Inc. Unfortunately, the three adults were all just getting into it when the four-year-old asked to turn it off and watch a cooking show instead. Now I know how to make fancy cakes.
We are trying to devise ways to expand Romi's world, both intellectually and socially. When I recently asked him if he wanted to take a class, I offered up such suggestions as swimming, soccer and cooking. But the Romster would like to take jump rope; honestly, I have NO idea where to find that. This is just a sign or how much his mind and body are growing and changing. Recently he has gotten very into math, adding things up. When he gets frustrated that we don't understand him, he patiently, and with a bit of condescension, spells out what he's trying to say. (No, he doesn't spell it correctly, but it's still hilarious.) He asks how to spell all sorts of words, which is great, but he's got a pretty sophisticated vocabulary and I am dreading the day when he asks us to spell appetizer and cacophony. (Both words that he uses correctly, but the way.) He is outgrowing old loves and making new ones. I realized recently that the age and stage of Thomas the Tank Engine was coming to a close when he opened a flap on the book, acknowledged Sir Topham Hat, studied him closely and then remarked, "He looks disappointed." On closer inspection I realized he was absolutely right, he did look disappointed.
Romi doesn't have an imaginary friend, unless you count Elmo. Seeing as Romi doesn't watch Sesame Street, it's interesting that he has focused on Elmo. He doesn't even particularly like the stuffed Elmo he owns, but Elmo does everything contrary. In Romi's world, Elmo doesn't keep Kosher, eats all sorts of odd things, and has a birthday pretty much every other day. When we explain how something is done, without fail, Elmo does it differently.
We had been building Halloween up for a while with Romi, hoping he would warm to the idea. Although he liked it in theory, knowing our hamster like we do, we figured there might be some resistance when it actually came to celebrating. Romi looked awesome as Curious George. In fact, he had been trying his costume on for weeks, showing it off to various visitors. When the big day came, he still wore his beloved ball cap, mostly to keep the monkey face from falling into his eyes. Rob being the awesome Abba he is, and a good sport to boot, dressed up as The Man in the Yellow Hat (Romi calls him The Yellow Man in the Hat). We headed off to the Lunken's, where the entire neighborhood gathered for a parade up the street. Romi didn't love that part, but we eventually got him to go door-to-door. It held his interest for about 35 minutes and he was done, even if it meant less candy. When the boys got home, Romi discovered his true love about Halloween: passing candy out. The doorbell rang and he jumped and squealed, unable to contain his excitement It truly was his favorite part of the holiday. When we ran out of candy he enjoyed handing treats out so much he offered to give out his own stash. That's our little monkey!
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