Max to Gaga: “we drove for 3 hours we went to this place called locken where it was better for people with this lung disease.”
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After 2 months at home because of COVID-19, Elliot returned to pre-school yesterday for a shortened day with just 2 other children in Bet class, including his friend since infancy, Olivia.
Karolina wrote to me, “I took the corner to the pre-school and he started shouting ‘NO WAY!'”
Same reaction both yesterday and today.
snake hunting in our backyard
Yesterday, Grendel was in the field behind our back yard. Karolina said she caught something so I went to look.
It was a snake, quite long. I felt terrible that she might be hurting it, so I pushed her away from her toy. The snake did not look injured or bleeding just yet.
Karolina was holding Elliot in the yard not too far away. Elliot has been carrying around Max’s stuffy snake on and off for last couple of months. Often, I pick up the stuffy snake and said “Sssssss!” to him which he loves. We also make snakes from play dough, and I make the hissing sounds. He loves it.
So I really wanted to show him this live snake.
I picked up the snake near the head, against my better judgment (the poor thing was already traumatized by Grendel).
I held it up and Elliot immediately started crying and reaching out for it from Karolina’s arms. I had to persuade Karolina to allow me to get close because she was afraid of it. I climbed over the fence. Elliot briefly touched it and while breathing in said “AHHHH!!!!”
I released the snake back into the field.
A little while later, Elliot had grabbed Max’s stuffy snake and was outside pointing to the field. We went into the field and spent the next 20 minutes looking for the snake. Full of surprise and wonder, we would push away small bushes or grasses hoping for another glimpse.
I got in the car few minutes ago to pick up Max in Vail from Mark. Karolina was holding Elliot. He wanted to go with me so badly that he started crying. It was so sweet. For how many years will he be like that? Just a few
July 16, 2020
From: Toddler Room toddlers@gardenpreschool.com
Date: Sat, Apr 25, 2020 at 10:49 AM
Subject: Pic collage
To: Eric (Elliot) Jung eric@ericjung.net, Karolina (Elliot) Blodgett blodgettkarolina@gmail.com
We miss you so much and hope you’re doing well. I hope you enjoy this little collage I put together for you. -Ms. Sam
Elliot and I went hiking at Corwina Park (between Lair ‘O the Bear and O’Fallon Park). I walked an hour in and it took maybe 30-45 minutes to get back. We had lunch 1/2 way (salmon pouch, biscuits, and water), but Elliot was asleep in the backpack and didn’t eat.
Some of the trail follows a stream, and all Elliot wanted to do was get down and throw rocks and sticks and things into the water — his favorite thing to do anytime, anywhere. He points at the water and say, “PHI! PHI!” (for fish, his favorite animal next to the “RAY! RAY!” — sting ray).
When I didn’t stop, he cried, but I told him we’d play in the water on the way back. He didn’t understand, of course, but we did play in the water after the hike, and he loved it. The hike? He probably got bored and that’s why he fell asleep. But he did point out a plane in the sky and other things on the way.
Since we have to stay home during the Corona virus shutdown, Elliot’s speech therapy is done through video conference with his therapist, Carrie Quimby.
A couple of weeks ago, Elliot was on-camera during his session. He ran off-camera for a moment and came back with this:
Saying, “PEW! PEW! PEW” and shooting Carrie.
I’ve been concerned that Max isn’t getting the same quality of education at home as with Google Classroom. So we scheduled a meeting with his teachers, who insisted on including Mark. One of the teachers didn’t make it, but Tiffany Fitzwater and Hannah Joslin did.
Karolina talked me out of saying anything substantial since Ms. Fitzwater is a nut-job — she wanted to include the school psychologist and the principal, Ms Ellen Hall, in the call. We talked her out of it.
I’m not in the screenshot because Google Hangouts doesn’t show an image of yourself on the screen.
The meeting was helpful in that they told us Max is attentive. I’m still concerned about the quality of what’s going on; he seems to have lots of breaks and very long ones, and school ends at 2? or so. There’s not much I can do about it.
Another day staying at home because of the Corona virus.
I went outside at 5 PM with Elliot, & we went to one of his favorite spots: the puddle crossing the stream on the way to the playground.
We spent 25 minutes doing nothing but throwing rocks and two tennis balls into the puddle. This is one of his favorite things to do. I sit patiently, handing him rocks to throw (the bigger the better) and retrieving the tennis ball. He claps for himself after throwing a large stone.
I love when Elliot falls asleep for the night clutching a favorite toy. Here he is with an Imaginext sawtooth shark (he loves fish and anything aquatic).
Havern School asked the kids to take a photo of themselves holding a “thank you” sign and then email it to teachers. I did this with Max. We sent it to several of his current and past teachers, and even the librarian, Mandy Piscopo. This one was to Jill Hoylman.
Last night, April 5 2020, Elliot slept alone for the first time. He was in his room, in his crib. I slept in the neighboring “toy room” in case he woke up during the night, but he didn’t.
The corona virus is raging!
