Everything, Everywhere

By Jasmine and Jon Faison

At 6 months old, Jade is curious about everything, everywhere. From the moment she was born, she was super alert and always aware of what was happening around her. She sees and hears everything!

Every moment is a learning opportunity. Talk, sing and point has helped us to explain what’s happening and why. In addition to not only teaching her what actions are happening, she’s constantly in tune with words and tries to mimic what she hears. She’s in the full swing of “baby talk.” Jade doesn’t hesitate to let us know what she enjoys and doesn’t enjoy. Let’s just say she loves to watch us clean up, but is still trying to figure out why in the world washing dishes makes so much noise. Of all things, counting, singing, watching Mommy vacuum, watching football, and independent play are her favorites!

 

 

On the move (almost)

By Lizzy and Colin Tahsuda

At 5-months-old, Eleanor is antsy to be on the move! She is no longer content lying on her back on her mat but doesn’t quite have the core strength to sit up unassisted. We are working on her head, neck, and core muscles through tummy time.

Her favorite tummy time activity is playing with her water mat. We fill it up with water and the sea animals move around when she pushes the mat with her hands. She loves making the fish “swim”! Not only is this activity a great way for her to build her strength, it also prompts us to count and point out the colors of the animals. This entertains her for at least 10 minutes (a feat at this age) and makes tummy time so much more fun! She’ll be sitting up on her own in no time!

Watch Eleanor’s tummy time here!

Classroom in a Kitchen

By Shontia and Jayvon Johnson

“Open the door please.” This seems to be the anthem of our home in this season with our son Parker (PJ). As a growing 2-year-old toddler boy, it’s as if he never grows full, and the door he is mentioning is our pantry. We have spent many moments in the kitchen these last several weeks, so we have learned to embrace this time for the better.

While standing in the doorway of the pantry asking for the next item to eat, we have learned to encourage PJ to pronounce the items he would like and even the color or names of characters on the box. Think of it as a “Classroom in a Kitchen,” the exploration of new shapes and the understanding of kitchen safety all in one. The kitchen has become a great training ground for us to learn new facets of our son and share in his curiosity. He observes and shares in food preparation, availing to us family time and teaching.