“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014.”
Lillia: You got a new haircut and suddenly you seemed at least two years older (and about a foot taller). You just seem older in general. Yesterday morning you spent some time cleaning up the living room, just to be helpful. Dad told me that by the end of the day you were lamenting how fast everything became messy again…I know the feeling, kiddo! You also made me sign a petition for you because you were too young to sign it yourself. The issue at hand dealt with intellectual property rights and, more specifically, the rights of artists and writers to make fanart and fan fiction using copyrighted characters. It’s great to see you becoming more interested in the world around you.
Zane: This week your favorite phrase is, “will you play with me?” Playing “with” you usually entails being directed to watch you or to perform a specific action. I think you’re definitely in the “associative play” stage of social development. It will be interesting to see how you interact with your peers at school in the fall. It’s one thing to have adults doing your bidding, but another thing entirely to learn how to deal with other kids. I think you will be fine; I just hope that exposure to conflict won’t turn you into a big meanie (probably unlikely considering what a sweet temperament you have).