the good, the bad and the naughty

I was not prepared for the new thing Joseph showed me on the way home from school yesterday. He showed me his third finger and said, "Mama see....I can point like that!"

My eyes opened wide but I kept my cool because it wouldn't be cool to hit another car like I did on Sunday (but that's another story).

Since starting school, Joseph has grown a lot. He's now much more mature and sociable. A couple of weeks ago, he migrated back into his own bed and now our king-sized bed is for 2 again. He even puts himself to bed and doesn't need me to pat pat him anymore because he says "I'm a big boy now".

He loves washing at the kitchen sink. His hands are not quite long enough to reach the tap but Nana taught him how to use a chopstick as a lever to switch on the tap.

He always wants to wash his hands all by himself.

He wants to wash his own cup.

He wants to pour cups of water for everyone in the house.

Actually I think he just wants to play with water.

He comes home from school and says he can be Teacher Esther. Joy-Anne is his student and he teaches her phonics using the alphabet chart we have on the wall.

The downside of school is that he has been nursing a chronic cough just like a few of his classmates. He's also been having a runny nose on and off.

He learnt to shake his bum and say "shame shame, all the monkeys know your name" from Nat (according to him).

And now he knows how to show his third finger!

I explained to him that it is not a nice thing and that it's rude.

His response : why?

Ahh....why? That's his favourite question. Why this, why that. How this, how that.

For example...

In the morning.....

mama : Joe, it's time to wake up.

Joe : Why??? (rolls over, hides his face under his bolster)

I tell him the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den.

Joe : But how did Jesus protect Daniel?

mama : Jesus kept the lion's mouth shut.

Joe : But how?

mama : Jesus will close the lion's mouth.

Joe : But howwwww??????

So anyway, I explained to him that he can use his pointer to point at things but not at people because it's rude. And then I showed him that if he wants to point at someone, he should use his thumb turned down.

I'll have to have a chat with his teacher to see what he's learning from the other kids.