Wednesday, October 8, 2008

T's Bedtime--Ahhh the Repetition of Toddlerhood

This is T's bedtime and naptime book:

I have read it twice a day everyday for the past week and a half. He calls it "Olio" and will have no other book read to him. This is it. Believe me, I've tried to introduce others--Dr. Seuss and others, but no go. When Q was this age, I read this book over and over again for months:





I think I can still read it verbatim. I love the illustrations in both of these books, so I really don't mind reading them again and again.


After we read this, he says, "Song. Song." I ask him to pray first, which consists of him saying, "Pada"--his salutation to Heavenly Father and then I say the rest. Sometimes he repeats after me. Tonight, his prayer consisted of thanks for motorcycles and helicopters (which are those seeds that fall from trees that fall like helicopter propellors; we pick handfuls of these up in the morning on the way back from dropping the kids at school and throw them in the air for him. Of course, once is not enough). He was also thankful for soccer, Olio, frogs and his upcoming birthday.



Then we get to the part that he really wants. This is T's current bedtime song:










I'm surprised I still remember the words. It's actually a traditional New Year's song in Japan. It talks about flying kites and playing with tops. A magazine the kids get had toys from around the world and what they are called in those countries. We were reading it and came across the word "koma" and a picture of a wooden top. I started singing this song. It caught on and now T wants to hear it all the time. He calls it "To." Not sure if that's two, to, or too, but that song's what he means.



When that one's done, he wants the "frog" song:









"Gua" is what a Japanese frog says as compared with an American frog's "ribbit." This to T is just known as "frog."


Funny that he doesn't want English songs. I assure you I know a whole lot more of those. My Japanese song repetoire is about used up with these two, but it's nice to sing them again (and again and again).


I forgot to mention that while we're doing all of this, he moves as far as he can, crammed over against the wall, and I'm laying next to him as my legs hang off the edge of his toddler bed. It's the BEST! I love it!

6 comments:

The Garver Family said...

It really is the best.

Dolly said...

My four year old has a string of activities as he's getting ready for bed: brush teeth, find P.J's, find books, get dad to read books, pray and sing songs, then turn on night light, and finally say goodnight!! This could take hours if we didn't speed-it all up :)

vaxhacker said...

Oh, yes. That's one of the joys of that age. Choruses of Again! Again! Again! Again! Again! to the book/movie/game they've enjoyed 6,000 times already that week.

For us, it was usually one of about four Dr. Seuss books they latched onto, or Goodnight, Moon.

I think it's terrific that you're singing Japanese songs to him. I had a few toddler books I brought home from Taiwan I used to read to them and exposed them to Chinese words for things, and used to sing to them the whole two Primary songs I remember in Chinese (which I sneaked into the Chinese music collection we played during the Chinese New Year Blue and Gold banquet this year, but I never heard if anyone recognized the tunes or not).

It never hurts to expose kids to languages early on when their minds are such hungry sponges. So much easier than when they get older and have to struggle more to pick up a language.

I'm curious, too, now that I have a Japanese-speaking friend here... have you noticed, with any of the little snippets of Chinese that occasionally show up in my blog (or text you see elsewhere), are the Chinese characters really similar enough in usage to Kanji that it's understandable at all, or is it just too different? I have no clue, of course, what anything in katakana/hiragana, but not sure how it works the other way 'round.

Anonymous said...

JULIEEEEEE!!!
ADORABLE!!

{goo goo!}

i love those videos! you are one lucky momma!!!!!

1000 Miles in 2021 said...

Now-- I want a picture of the two of you in his toddler bed-- please?????

Darilyn said...

Julie,

I sent you an email at the beginning of the week and haven't heard back from you. Did you get it?

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