Fast-Learning Ivan

The satisfaction of being a stay-at-home mom is when you see how much your baby is learning and being directly involved in his learning process.

Ivan, being almost 2 years old (he's turning 2 on 23rd next month!), has learnt to feed himself and he is pretty good at it - not extremely messy and always manages to get most of the food in his mouth. In fact, nowadays he insists on feeding himself. So the usual routine is that I'll prepare his food and a cup of milk (he likes milk), he'll then carry his own small chair, which we bought from Ikea, and places the chair beside the table in the living room and have his meal in front of the tv. I know, I know, I should insist that he sits by the dining table in the kitchen to eat (which he does when we have breakfast or dinner together), but if he's eating alone, especially during lunch, the only way to make sure he sits and finish his meal is in front of the tv... (please don't call the social services....!)

He is also very polite. He always says "Tack" ("thank you" in Swedish) when we give him something or help him with something, and we'll say "Varsågod" (this word can be used in many other situation but when you say it after someone thank you it means "You're welcome") in reply. In fact, sometimes I think he's overly polite. Like yesterday when Angel poured him his cup of milk, he looked at his elder sister and said "Tack." Angel was engrossed in watching the tv and didn't say "Varsågod" back to him. So he put his face in front of Angel and said "Tack. Tack. Tackar. Tackar (it means "Thank you" too). T-aaaaa-ccccc-k.".....

He is very good in talking on the phone to his "friends/business associates" too. He'll put the phone to his ear and walks around (copying daddy who can't sit still to talk on the phone, his brain doesn't work so good when he's not moving...). Sometimes the "conversation" gets funny or interesting and he'll laugh out loud , other times the "business calls" gets annoying and he'll say "Nej! Nej!" (which means "No") and shakes his head, looking really annoying and probably thinking why is he talking to an idiot... There are times when he receives good "calls" and he'll nod his head several times with a "good-to-hear-that-you're-following-my-instruction" look on his face... I told Lars that Ivan will be a good receptionist in his company, though the conversations will be mostly one-sided...

Today, he has learnt to put on clothes! He pulled out Jovan's tshirt from my freshly-washed laundry and tried to put it on.


Well....he almost did it. One of his little legs was sticking out from one of the armholes and the other was sticking out from the neck...but the concept is there!

So the next "to-learn" thing on the list (a very looooooong one too) is to get him to be potty/toilet-train.

One more milestone waiting to be achieve.