Gabriel is so smart. I know every parent thinks this about their child, but Shpresa agrees with me – she says he is “zgjuar,” which literally means “awake” (we would say the same thing in Andean Spanish – despierto), but implies alert intelligence as well.
He’s making sentences with his signs – where is the horse? (hands out with palms up, clicking noise with the tongue); the chicken is asleep (hand by cheek, clucking “ka ka ka”); she bit me (see previous post). Albanians are amazed when we play “si a bënë…” , asking him how does the [fill in animal] go in Shqip, and he makes the appropriate noise or hand motion. He seems to understand English and Albanian equally well; I’m not sure about the Spanish as he only hears it from me rather than conversations between multiple people, and not as often.
He can unscrew the lid off a plastic jar.
And he’s such a rascal! When I say “Gabriel, NO,” he just laughs and runs to do it again. He deliberately provokes me, doing things like shaking water out of his sippy cup while looking at me with a delighted grin and waiting for my reaction.
He tries to sweep with a broom, and can help me wipe up spills from the floor. He hands me clothespins when I’m hanging up the laundry. He will get a wet wipe from the package and wipe himself (not very accurately, though) while I’m changing his diaper. If he sees trash on the floor, he will pick it up, carry it to the kitchen, open the cabinet under the sink, and throw it in the trash can, unprompted. He wants to use the sponge when he "helps" me wash the dishes. He can sometimes feed himself with a fork, with a little help. He also likes to throw food on the floor, though.
(I think our fish are smarter than I previously realized, as well – they know when I turn the lights on in the morning that they’re going to be fed, and they follow me around, watching me through the jar, until I actually do feed them! Also, they’re terrified of an octopus toy I put in their jar once. If it’s even on the table next to their jar, they swim in circles as fast as they can, bonking their noses on the glass until I move it. Poor fishies. I just thought it would be cute. They don’t mind the starfish, but the octopus shape? Pure terror.)
I can’t believe Valerie is already three and a HALF this month, and Gabriel is sixteen months! Where does the time go?
Picture this:
You hear the door open; Shpresa and Gabriel are back from their walk. You look down the hall, and you see him being lowered to his feet, his fat little legs sticking out like prongs to meet the floor.
He turns to you and his whole face lights up with the beaming smile that says you are the person he loves most in the world. Shpresa puts a posy of marigolds in his dimpled fist, the flowers exactly matching the orange in his shirt, and he toddles straight down the hall towards you, with that dimple in his cheek and the fine brown hair falling across his forehead.
You crouch to meet him, arms open wide, and he throws himself against you and you lift him up. He sniffs the flowers, looking up at you, then pushes the posy into your nose and plants a wet kiss on your cheek.
You hug him tight - Hijito lindo, pequeño, precioso, mi amor.
That glowing puddle on the floor? That's me - a melting pool of pure happiness and love.
Can you believe he was so tiny and skinny and red? Where did this wee baby go? Where did this loving, laughing, funny, adorable little boy-child come from? What a blessing you are to us, beloved Gabriel!
Terry bought these Russian Nesting Dolls en route home from Mongolia. They're a great toddler toy, Valerie loves taking them apart and putting them together in novel ways. She calls the pieces "bowls," and then she'll say the Albanian word - "tas - RIIIIIGHT!" (she always says "RIIIIIGHT!" after she uses a word in Albanian - sometimes that's the only way I know she's talking Shqip!)
Not sure why he was making this face - probably I tried to give him a bite of food he didn't want!
I was bored while we were waiting for Valerie to be done playing on the steps so we could go inside
He's getting the hang of shaking the little rattlers and tapping them with the hammer!
The boy loooooooves bread - he'd eat nothing but bread if I gave him that option. He grabs it and crams as much as he can into his mouth at once! (The booster seat is one we borrowed and since then have passed on to another friend, while we borrowed their high chair - musical kid stuff!)
