Video Roundup

I catch so many great moments on video by simply storing our camera in the living room on top of the bookshelf with the lens cap off.  This makes it easily to whip it out when the kids are being extra cute.

Enjoy!


One day I asked Magnus if he wanted to feed Maya.  He was more than happy to do so!

Daniel stayed at our place for a few nights.  In return we asked only for a performance.  At first, Magnus declared Daniel's playing to be "bad."  In the end, Daniel won him over:

Magnus loves substitution jokes.  This joke ran for a couple of weeks.

It's amazing to watch kids develop.

Maya likes to stow things under the TV stand so that she can skootch down and look at it.  I didn't quite capture this on video but it's pretty close:

Ditto for putting stuff into bags.  I lost my keys once this way.

Magnus' game amused Maya.  He was making a pig spin.

I let Magnus drive Maya around on the strict order that he was to be gentle and to report to me the second Maya would try to climb out.  This happened quite often.  Magnus was very diligent about reporting, too.

She does this all the time, but it's cuter with the dots. :)

What Magnus Said...

The art of explanation:

Gina: Did you like it when Daddy pretended to be asleep and you jumped on him?

Magnus: Yeah!  I jumped 3 times

Gina: 3 times!

Magnus: Yes, so I didn't vomit! <Kendrick asked him to stop jumping so that he would not get overexcited and vomit, which is what happened last time>

Driving at night:

Gina: When it's daytime, it's sunny outside

Magnus: Yeah, and when it's sunny I wear my sunglasses! <pause> It's moony outside now!

Too much pressure?

Magnus: Mommy, what's that?

Gina: The GPS said, "satellite connection lost".  Do you remember what satellite means?

Magnus: I can't remember what satellite means! <bursts into tears>

Putting the pressure on Grandpa instead:

Grandpa: Now we're in business!  Magnus, do you know what a business is?

Gina: Grandpa, why don't you explain to Magnus what a business is?

Grandpa: <tee hee>

Playing the opposite game with Tristany

Tristany: What's the opposite of high?

Magnus: Bye!

After this exchange, we hastily taught him the words; beard, mustache, and shave

Kendrick: Daddy has to go take a shower now, Magnus.

Magnus: Mommy, Daddy will have no hair!!

A conversation I have every time I do a rolling stop (often)

Magnus: Mom!  STOP at the stop sign!!

Gina: Oh did I not stop?  You're going to be a much better driver than Mommy.

Magnus: Yeah, when I get bigger and bigger, I will stop at the stop sign!

Cue world's smallest violin:

Magnus: No Dad, I'm still sad!

Kendrick: Would you like to go to the balloon store with me?  Would a balloon make you happy?

Magnus: No, a balloon will make me sadder.

Gina: Would you like to get a balloon, Magnus?

Magnus: <sigh> yeah

Every time I talk to visitors:

Magnus: Mom!  Mom!  Mom!!  I want you to pay attention to me!!!

Magnus is sharpening his arguing skills:

Gina: Magnus, Mommy has to take a shower now.

Magnus: No!!!

Gina: Magnus, I need to take a shower!  Look at my feet!  See how dirty they are? 

Magnus: Mom, you can just wash your feet.

A future in marketing?

Magnus: <reading the side of a bag> J B C!  Mom, how come they put J and not A?

A food request:

Magnus: Mom, some people like to eat meatballs

Gina: Would you like to eat meatballs?

Magnus: Yeeeah!!

A lesson in equality:

Magnus: Mom, blue and red make purple!

Gina: Yes!

Magnus: Mom, purple and blue make red!

Gina: No, purple and blue do not make red. 

Using "an" a little too often.  This is just one example:

Gina: That is a picture of...

Magnus: an strawberry!

Informing Maya cheerfully:

Magnus: Maya you are driving mommy crazy!

Kendrick was playing with Maya on the sofa:

Magnus: Maya loves her daddy

At Alexander's

Magnus and Maya had a wonderful playdate at Alexander and Izabella's place a couple of weeks ago.  Magnus had been looking forward to it the whole week, probably because of the promise of toy cars and trains.  Alexander, our gracious young host, was happy to have Magnus play with any and all of his toys.  The only catch was, he loved to prank Magnus by occasionally snatching and hiding whatever toy Magnus happened to be interested in.  This was funny for everybody except for Magnus, who eventually got over it when we went to play outside.  Maya was a little clingy, but got along well with Izabella.  She particularly liked the executive chair, and is planning to get one for her future office:

My next trick is going to mess up my hair, but it'll be good for employee morale:

Here is Magnus enjoying lunch:

And Izabella looking quizzical.  

The boys did really well when we were outside playing with the soccer ball.  Usually boys will be boys stuff:

Magnus was really testing his boundaries by the end.

I let him squish all the way home.  A fine end to a wonderful afternoon.  Tak for sidst!! :)

School Assessment 1

In Dubai, all children must be assessed prior to an offer of placement at a school.  It is such a foreign notion to us and our public school upbringing that I thought I would document part of this process.

Yesterday Magnus did his assessment at one of the three schools where we have him wait-listed.  This school is ranked "Good" by the education authority in the UAE.  A very quick overview:

Pros: Will allow Magnus to start KG1 in Sept 2013 (so he will be youngest in his class); We have several good friends with kids at this school
Cons: Most expensive school (tuition is almost double); Very far (20 minutes highway driving)

The assessment was the interesting part.  At the appointment time, they asked us to take our children to the library.  The library was set up with desks - 1 teacher per desk.  Magnus was appointed to a specific teacher, and he was seated across from her.  I sat next to Magnus.

I was not aware that I was supposed to leave him.  Nobody briefed me about this.  Halfway through the assessment the teacher whispered to me, "is there a reason why you are still here?  The assessment will be better if you are not here."  I was not very impressed with that, but it did give me the opportunity to watch the first half of the assessment.

- She asked Magnus his name, his age, and where he was from.
- She gave him a six-piece puzzle and asked him to construct it.  The puzzle pieces were all numbered.  She asked him what the numbers were randomly.
- She took out a toy with multicoloured pieces.  They were little camels that connected (the mouths would snap into the tail of the camel in front).  She asked him to connect the pieces, and in the process tested his knowledge of colours.

At this point she asked me to leave.  Magnus had aced everything up to this point.  I was a little nervous about the puzzle because he doesn't like doing puzzles at home, but he totally loved doing this elephant puzzle!

Before we left, Magnus wanted to show me what he "drawed" for me.  I used this as an excuse to go back to the assessment desk to pick up the paper he was drawing on.  I could see that the teacher had written some letters of the alphabet, mostly upper case.  But then I also saw that she had written two lower case letters.  I also saw an attempt by Magnus to write his own name.  I could see the M A and G, but the rest was not really there.  He had also scribbled some kind of drawing.  His usual mish mash of nothing in particular.

So I think he did pretty well as the assessment.  We will hear the results next week!