Elia transitioned into K-Prep and missed her old teachers a lot. That translated in not wanting to go to school as much at first, however in recent weeks she has liked her new class and her new teachers more. She also asks Albert to pick her up early when he can as a treat for her, and Albert has come to lunch once to cheer her up.
Lately when we watch movies or TV shows with some tension or fighting Elia will tell us she is scared. Curie is going through this too, so we don’t know if she is learning from Curie or not, but she is actually scared to the point of crying. She had gone through a period of nightmares and crying at night or even asleep. The crying has subsided, but she will tell us when she is scared before she sleeps that “I have a bad dream” even before she sleeps. She knows she gets attention from us when she does have a bad dream, so likely this is a way to make sure we take care of her and hold her. She likes to be held and “sleep on your belly” at night.
Elia had a tooth extracted at the dentist at her last visit because of an infection. It was the cause of a lot of her pain. Because of the extraction she will have to go back to take care of the remaining issues. When we brush now we brush their teeth a second time as per recommendation from the dentist, but she will remind us that she doesn’t have a tooth there. Albert also told her that she is now like him and Curie with missing teeth.
Elia continues to show how precocious she is remembering things from when she was two. Counting in her workbook and writing “16” the correct answer. Elia will be an older kid in her class where Curie is the youngest, so it is not a basis of comparison. Elia is also trying to catch up with Curie and trying to learn to read and count. Curie at the same age was just as precocious, but in different ways (diction, vocabulary, milestones…).
Elia loves to sing and dance and came home one day singing “Kiki” by Drake, it was very cute until we looked up the lyrics to the song. Luckily she only gets up to the first verse so it is still very cute. When we asked where she learned it, she learned it in her Pre-School 2 class from Ms. Tiana. It turns out that Mr. Wally has found a new job teaching English in Korea, so we are sad that he is leaving. Elia also learned the Penguins attention song and sang it for Albert in the car who learned it from Elia. For both songs, it is the hand motions and dance while Elia is doing them that makes the song.
Curie ordered a coconut to try the coconut water inside, she hated it, but because we have been watching “Kids Try” we all had to try it, and we all hated it. It is funny because so many people like it. Elia in general likes “code water (cold water) above all else and loves that our new refrigerator has an ice machine that she can get ice easily. She actually loves ice too. She does drink chocolate milk, Sprite, and ginger ale, but she has stopped drinking lemonade and orange juice lately.
This month Elia got a few paper cuts and cried a lot when she had to wash that hand. It has meant that she only likes to wash one hand even though her paper cut has healed. She also still wants us to go to the bathroom with her to help wipe herself, which while cute, also means that we worry that we are helping her too much. One of the days we all wore purple as we got ready and Elia was really into it, going so far as to find more purple to wear. Both kids really like family, especially being a family together.
Finally, Albert told the kids a hand squeeze code with one code being, “stranger, let’s get away,” and another being “I love you.” It is an easy way to say “I love you” at any time even when crossing the street. It is amazing when you say “I love you” and they squeeze the same thing back. The best though is when they squeeze “I love you” all on their own. Hopefully when it is no longer cool to say “I love you” to your parents in front of people that they will be willing to squeeze it surreptitiously to us. For now, it is heartwarming. Elia’s four-year old hand doesn’t squeeze hard, and you have to “listen” for it, but it is there and she is trying to communicate that she loves you.