My Quirky Child: List 1

Quirky Developments of the Last Two Weeks:

1. Ryder now insists upon washing his hands before naptime or bedtime. He has a very good memory, and since he began insisting upon the hand washing, he has not forgotten once, even if we have just taken a bath. Someone said how sanitary it was as long as it didn't turn into a compulsive disorder. My professional opinion: It is neither an attempt at cleanliness or a compulsive disorder, but rather a delay-bedtime-for-a-little-longer-with-something-Mommy-can't-reasonably-object-to disorder.

2. Ryder now can climb out of the bed himself. He still sleeps in his sweet and nice pirate crib with his bumper pads, and he is so, so easy to put to bed now (assuming we have washed our hands properly :) In the morning, he wakes up sweet and happy, and I love to listen to his conversations with himself or the chorus of "Trust and Obey" or a song he has made up, such as the chart topping favorite "Sticker on the Door." I have been wary of the day when I would hear him climb out of bed, and be free from the cage of the crib. It came last week, but not as I expected. I went up to get Ryder after taking a shower while he talked and sang, and Ryder said "Ryder get you up. Mommy not get you up." I watched as Ryder puts one leg over the crib, balances on the top of the rail, says, "Ryder has to be very careful," lowers his legs to the mattress, and then lets himself out of bed. This is now how Ryder gets up, except today he said, "My get you up" in recognition of Oh Wow!'s speech patterns.

3. Ryder can now draw squiggly, wobbly, funny Ws. This would not be quirky, except for Ryder's history with the W. He now can identify all (uppercase) letters of the alphabet, and he knows all their sounds, however W is the only letter that consistently makes him laugh. I really wish that I had let him be a W for Halloween.

4. Ryder was so excited to go to Joe and Jonie's for our Thanksgiving dinner with our family. Cody got to come home from Indiana, and we weren't having to travel; it was really a pretty perfect day. Ryder asked if we were going to Joe and Jonie's and I told him we were going after naptime, so he says "I go night night," and he runs upstairs, climbs in his crib, and I hear him fake snoring over the monitor. A few seconds later, he says, "Mommy come get you up. We go to Joe and Jonie's." Of course I go up, and Ryder climbs out of bed, and we play some more before real naptime, then a wonderful evening at Joe and Jonie's with Mom and Dad, Granny, Papa Bear and Gigi, and our cousin Caitlin.

5. Ryder has changed his prayer stance. He now holds his arms above his head and clasps his hands. He is very committed to this new stance, so much that as he was praying in church last Sunday, he left one hand above his head, moved the other one to get a cracker, put the cracker in his mouth, and then returned his hand above his head. Of course, when Kyle and Kellee were with us at Joe and Jonies, we all prayed for dinner in Ryder stance :)

We've really been missing Cody, and we'll be so happy for him to be home. Ryder and I, and even Aprilia, have been well taken care of by family and friends since Cody has been gone, but now Ryder and I are waiting for Cody to get home with us!

(Photo by Denise Skelton-www.skeltonphotography.com-Ryder's previous prayer position.)