M&M games

Matthew and Melissa are playing together more now. They liked to chase eachother and hide. They zoom around the couch, and up and down chairs and stairs, all the while giggling madly. Yesterday, when Matthew lied on the floor, Melissa toddled over and started tickling him and making "bee" noises. She then grabbed his shirt pulled it up to expose the belly button and said "there it is!"

For the most part Matthew is pretty gentle with his sister, but sometimes he forgets that she is littler. He's still a high energy kid and can be too much in her face. We've had to institute rules such as "no wrestling with your sister" and "no picking her up." He does get frustrated with her a times too. He'll explain a game and expect her to go along with his rules. Melissa mostly doesn't understand his more sophisticated "pretend" games and does her own thing. At other times she does get it, but has ideas of her own. This causes great consternation in Matthew. "MOOoom! Melissa not listening me!!!" Welcome to the club kiddo.

MORE!

I'd pretty much given up on signing with Melissa. Yesterday I offered her some more yogurt and didn't bother with the sign. Matthew, however, signed "more" and low and behold Melissa signed back to him! And she really did want more! Today she did it again at lunch time. Wahoo! She's finally signing back! 'Course she's getting more and more verbal all the time, so she probably won't sign very many words before she's chattering like Matthew.

Competition

There are few things that motivate Matthew more than competing (and winning). Last week his room was in an abysmal state. After spending an hour trying to prod him to clean the mess, I was getting frustrated, he was getting bored, and the room remained in the same sad condition. Knowing how much he likes games I decided to make cleaning his room a contest of speed. I would clean my room and make my bed while he had to clean his room, and we would see who the victor would be. Well, I beat him, and he was extremely dismayed (though he had been cleaning his room at a frezied pace). Seeing how much he wanted to "beat mama," I set up new parameters. Mama would strip and make his bed and he clean his room. That time he won hands down. (Melissa assisted by being very cranky and wanting to be held, so I was handicaped somewhat.) He was thrilled, and the room was clean in record time. Since we had both done such a good job, we decided that a treat was in order.

-Rachel