As we mentioned in Curie’s blog post, Disney World and many of the other things we did during the month have been well documented, though in Elia’s case, Disney World was her first time at the park and at an age where she is old enough to more appreciate the experience. And while we had her birthday party before the trip, her birthday was on the flight back so we celebrated when we returned. The trip was for Elia and Albert’s birthday, but it was still nice to have a cake together. Curie, like Elia on Curie’s birthday, got her own cake as well.
At Disney World, Elia identified immediately these bubble wands that the vendors were selling as what she wanted. Albert dissuaded her from them early on, but when Derek and Alice asked the girls what they wanted, they picked the wands which were a hit. The wands blew bubbles and lit up so they were used everywhere. Both girls though exhausted had a great time with them.
For Christmas, Cy and Librada got the girls dresses, which because we had trouble getting together, the girls got right before New Years. To say the dresses were well-received would be an understatement. The girls have worn the dresses at every opportunity for the month after they got them. They are wearing them today. The dresses are not the same and yet it seems so fitting for the girls. Curie’s is black and blue, and Elia’s is white. Both have sequins. They are called the New Year’s dresses, while the red nightgowns we bought around Christmas are called the Christmas dresses.
Elia is growing like crazy, but in height, now 25th percentile, but intellectually as well. She can count where we are not sure Curie could count the same at the same age. She can count in Korean also taught by Curie. It is likely birth order but it is interesting to see, She is not as articulate as Curie at the same age, but more open to new things. Elia will watch movies, where Curie still will not. Elia likes things that she thinks Curie does not, so that means more complicated movies where there is tension such as the live action Tintin. When we watched Planet Earth II Elia was enthralled by the catching of prey and wanted to see more of that type of activity. She also was adorable in being impressed by how a pigeon flapped its wings and instead of the flowing wave motion, she approximated it with slapping her hands in front of herself. So where Curie’s new favorite animal was the peregrine falcon, Elia’s was the pigeon. Now she does not want to be prey though, so she will tell us her eyes are in front, which is interesting.
Elia has been developing a fear of strangers that has extended to being particularly afraid of male strangers. She was upset at the new male teacher at school, did not like the male nurse we saw (though we did not work on explaining we had a doctors appointment that day, so it is hard to tell if that was what was upsetting or if it was the nurse). We plan to monitor it and see if it is a phase. We asked the doctor about her pains in her knee and were told it was likely growing pains.
Elia is particularly attached to Albert still. She will wake in the night calling for him and prefers to be picked up by him at times. When she is very tired she wants Erin, but she will identify with the purple car which Albert drives more than the yellow car (her favorite color).
She is entering the whiny resistant phase just as Curie is leaving it. So she does not want to help, and is not willing to learn the lessons yet or as well. It is possible this is because we spend less time reinforcing the lessons to her because there are two of them. Something else to monitor.
Elia has always loved to sing to herself and make up songs. The songs she most loves to sing recently that she knows the words to are Jingle Bells: “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, have a ho, is to rye, and a horse in a sleigh,” and interestingly the second verse of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: “And when the blazing sun goes down…” The most impressive song is the song from Mulan. Curie loved “Let’s get down to business,” but Elia will soulfully sing Reflections, down to the wandering walk, staring out, and the long note at the end of the first verse. Her version is: “Who is that girl I see? Standing straight, look at me. Why does my reflection show who I am insiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide?” We have video.