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Sep. 8th, 2007 02:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_rckI'm almost done with my Shamethon fic. I just need to tweak it a bit in order to make the characterization a little clearer and to find a way to shoehorn in some details that my beta readers have indicated are needed but that don't fit the current flow of the story-- Basically, I've got some backstory elements that I know about but that didn't make it into the story because they're supporting structure. Making them visible will require shifting the story elements enough that I don't lose or obscure the bits already there (which all do pretty much what I want them to do).
I'm trying to let what I need to do stew in my head a bit. Delia's not helping because she wants to ricochet off me every three minutes. She's desperate for stimulation-- something to *do*, something to chase after, someone to bounce off the walls with her. In not too long, I'm going to let her drag me outside to spray her with the hose, but I'm putting it off in hopes of (a) letting my hair dry first so that I can put it up (I showered an hour and a half ago) and (b) getting a few minutes of peace to sit and think about nothing much until the story fits itself together.
My usual techniques for thinking about nothing much aren't working at the moment because, when I open either solitaire or My Mahj2D, Delia demands to play, too. She doesn't understand how to play though, so I end up working hard at thinking about how to teach her and about which bits I can trust her with given that my laptop is *my* laptop, that I don't want her playing with any laptop unsupervised (yet), that I have other things I need to do than to supervise her.
Delia has started to be able to recognize some words. Not many yet, but the number is growing. She actually started, surprisingly enough (at least to me), from her desire to be able to navigate the on-demand menu by herself in order to watch various kids' shows. She can now recognize the names of several PBS shows and the words 'kids,' 'Disney,' 'PBS' and 'Noggin.' She's also asking about the words on the remotes and recognizes that the three PBS channels we get are different channels and so might be showing different programs at different times. (She's disappointed, though, that knowing the channels doesn't mean that her favorite shows are on on Saturday and Sunday. I think she always assumed that we were just being obstinate and refusing to go to the right channels. Today, I was able to prove to her that channel 12, her favorite of the three PBS stations, was airing cooking shows and home repair shows and camping/fishing/hiking shows.)
The on demand breakthrough has lead to Delia realizing that the ways that letters are put together convey useful information. We'd told her before and always point at the words as we read her books, but I think that she feels that there's no point in learning to read for books because she can get her parents to read books any time she wants. She's always viewed books as a way of controlling her parents rather than so much as sources of stories.
Delia is currently playing a game with Fisher-Price figures, dinosaurs and her imagination. There's a dinosaur who keeps getting turned from a good monster into a bad monster and back again and objects. There's a queen doing something and shrieking about being locked in a dungeon and stomping around. She's doing voices and everything. The first time it happened, three or four weeks ago, Scott and I both just stopped what we were doing and sat, listening. It's pretty amazing. (I wish she'd do a bit less with princesses and princes and marriage, but that will come later.)
Two days ago, Delia dragged out an old workbook we'd bought for her months ago. We'd been on the verge of throwing it out because half of the pages have come loose and because Delia never showed any interest in doing more than leafing through it and spreading the loose pages around the living room. This time, however, she was looking at it and obviously trying to figure out what she was supposed to do with it. I found a pen, got down on the floor with her and talked her through tracing out the letter 'U.' She's been unwilling to attempt any letters or drawings on her own, but these letters are done as a series of dots that she can trace over, and she's gotten very into it. Scott's going to see if he can find her some workbooks with letters to trace that won't fall apart when breathed on.
Today, Delia tried to figure out how to climb into the TV. It's a long standing ambition of hers, and she keeps saying that all that needs to happen is for us to remove the glass. I've explained that that's not true, but I'm not sure she'll believe me until she watches someone take a TV apart. Maybe there's an exhibit at the Hands-On Museum that would help... At any rate, today she was tapping on the glass and calling on fictional characters (not those from the show on the screen) to help her get in. She wants to play with Caillou, dance and sing with Barney, fly with dragons and visit Cinderella. I may think that Cinderella is dumber than a rock, but really, I'm glad that Delia can imagine doing all of that.
Delia has, once or twice, announced to me that, "You're the best Mama a daughter could have." I don't know if she really understands what that means, but it's been spontaneous, generally early in the morning when she's trying to pry me out of bed. (Hm. Maybe she does know what it means and is flattering me in hopes of encouraging me to wake up... Or maybe she just means it.)
I'm trying to let what I need to do stew in my head a bit. Delia's not helping because she wants to ricochet off me every three minutes. She's desperate for stimulation-- something to *do*, something to chase after, someone to bounce off the walls with her. In not too long, I'm going to let her drag me outside to spray her with the hose, but I'm putting it off in hopes of (a) letting my hair dry first so that I can put it up (I showered an hour and a half ago) and (b) getting a few minutes of peace to sit and think about nothing much until the story fits itself together.
My usual techniques for thinking about nothing much aren't working at the moment because, when I open either solitaire or My Mahj2D, Delia demands to play, too. She doesn't understand how to play though, so I end up working hard at thinking about how to teach her and about which bits I can trust her with given that my laptop is *my* laptop, that I don't want her playing with any laptop unsupervised (yet), that I have other things I need to do than to supervise her.
Delia has started to be able to recognize some words. Not many yet, but the number is growing. She actually started, surprisingly enough (at least to me), from her desire to be able to navigate the on-demand menu by herself in order to watch various kids' shows. She can now recognize the names of several PBS shows and the words 'kids,' 'Disney,' 'PBS' and 'Noggin.' She's also asking about the words on the remotes and recognizes that the three PBS channels we get are different channels and so might be showing different programs at different times. (She's disappointed, though, that knowing the channels doesn't mean that her favorite shows are on on Saturday and Sunday. I think she always assumed that we were just being obstinate and refusing to go to the right channels. Today, I was able to prove to her that channel 12, her favorite of the three PBS stations, was airing cooking shows and home repair shows and camping/fishing/hiking shows.)
The on demand breakthrough has lead to Delia realizing that the ways that letters are put together convey useful information. We'd told her before and always point at the words as we read her books, but I think that she feels that there's no point in learning to read for books because she can get her parents to read books any time she wants. She's always viewed books as a way of controlling her parents rather than so much as sources of stories.
Delia is currently playing a game with Fisher-Price figures, dinosaurs and her imagination. There's a dinosaur who keeps getting turned from a good monster into a bad monster and back again and objects. There's a queen doing something and shrieking about being locked in a dungeon and stomping around. She's doing voices and everything. The first time it happened, three or four weeks ago, Scott and I both just stopped what we were doing and sat, listening. It's pretty amazing. (I wish she'd do a bit less with princesses and princes and marriage, but that will come later.)
Two days ago, Delia dragged out an old workbook we'd bought for her months ago. We'd been on the verge of throwing it out because half of the pages have come loose and because Delia never showed any interest in doing more than leafing through it and spreading the loose pages around the living room. This time, however, she was looking at it and obviously trying to figure out what she was supposed to do with it. I found a pen, got down on the floor with her and talked her through tracing out the letter 'U.' She's been unwilling to attempt any letters or drawings on her own, but these letters are done as a series of dots that she can trace over, and she's gotten very into it. Scott's going to see if he can find her some workbooks with letters to trace that won't fall apart when breathed on.
Today, Delia tried to figure out how to climb into the TV. It's a long standing ambition of hers, and she keeps saying that all that needs to happen is for us to remove the glass. I've explained that that's not true, but I'm not sure she'll believe me until she watches someone take a TV apart. Maybe there's an exhibit at the Hands-On Museum that would help... At any rate, today she was tapping on the glass and calling on fictional characters (not those from the show on the screen) to help her get in. She wants to play with Caillou, dance and sing with Barney, fly with dragons and visit Cinderella. I may think that Cinderella is dumber than a rock, but really, I'm glad that Delia can imagine doing all of that.
Delia has, once or twice, announced to me that, "You're the best Mama a daughter could have." I don't know if she really understands what that means, but it's been spontaneous, generally early in the morning when she's trying to pry me out of bed. (Hm. Maybe she does know what it means and is flattering me in hopes of encouraging me to wake up... Or maybe she just means it.)
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no subject
Date: 2007-09-08 06:57 pm (UTC)It's so lovely to hear about Delia's development. I feel very privileged that you share these little insights into her life with us. She's growing up a fine and clever little girl. :)
no subject
Date: 2007-09-08 07:28 pm (UTC)Part of the reason that you all get these little bits about her is that I want to record them. My LJ posts are all taken from entries I write in the journal I keep on my laptop. I do write most of them with LJ in mind, but LJ is kind of a means to the end of writing stuff that I can keep in my own records.
Of course, being able to talk in public about how wonderful my daughter is is a big plus.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-08 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-08 07:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-08 11:29 pm (UTC)