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I'm sorry, Chris: did you realize you were describing MY DD 26 mos? LOL! I think you must know her, especially the part about the funny, new lyrics and the violin (a guitar in our case, and we got her a toy one with strings). Your post is so spot-on it gives me goose flesh!

My son had fine and gross motor delays because of a mild disability so at your daughter's age when he would try to draw something, he would often see that it looked more like something else, and change what he called it to fit what the picture looked more like. He even had a sense of humor about it, but he hated coloring in the lines, absolutely hated it, and he complained that everyone wanted him to color in the lines everywhere he went--even Sunday school.

He sang in tune, sometimes made up his own songs, and when he had just turned 4 he saw a musical theater performance and fell in love with it. He said he wanted to do musical theater so at 4 1/2 he joined a community musical theater group. He could memorize faster than a lot of much older kids. He would sometimes sing what he was reading as if he were doing a musical. He sang in the bathroom. He would occasionally forget that he couldn't sing in the bathroom in Kindergarten. He started piano lessons at 5.

He counted things at that age and did simple addition and subtraction and liked doing First Grade Reader Rabbit and other educational computer games, but he didn't like to build with Legos or do jigsaw puzzles because of his motor delays.

He made up a lot of stories but didn't have any imaginary friends. I guess he didn't feel like he needed them. He talked to me a lot more than I noticed other kids talking to their parents, even following me to stand outside the bathroom door because he kept thinking of more things to tell me. He always loved to talk and make up stories and jokes.

He liked baking too, but it was more watching and talking about what I was doing.

He tried gymnastics at five but we didn't know that he had motor dyspraxia at that time, only that his muscles seemed a little weaker because he had low muscle tone and we did tell the teachers about that. He didn't look different, but he fell more often than the other kids and one of the teachers refused to give him the sticker that she gave all the other kids in the class because she didn't think he was trying and he was trying as hard as he could. We had to take him out so there was never any opportunity to improve his balance until years later.

How great he got into gymnastics and how horrible (!!!) his instructor was so insensitive. I hope that doesn't turn him off to movement forever.

Seablue - too funny! Lately she's been trotting around the house in ds8's old 'workman' toy goggles, a big geeky watch and carrying several bags of toys with her so no one will get her stuff. It's really hilarious looking. (oh, and if she thinks of it, throws on the ballet shoes)

Lori - I think we cross-posted - sorry to hear about the bad gym experience (I will never understand some of these teachers/instructors!)
Our ds8 is a talker/follow-you-to-the-bathroom type, too. It's really funny now he's old enough to realize he's doing it!

This is so funny to me b/c all of the above is my DD. I actually have footage of her playing daddy's guitars. Amazing stuff to say the least. The guitars are on their stands and she is standing strumming them up and down creating her own music and then proceeds to add song to the music. And she really wants a violin. Here lately we have seen more Cellos on the TV and she asks what it is but isn't interested. She wants a violin. I meet this one man who builds violins and he got the biggest kick out of her while we were in the store. She was so excited to be near the violins. But I could not imagine getting her one at 2 1/2 years. She will have to wait for a while on that one. In the mean time she has her toy guitar which she loves to play; a hand drum much like the African ones and an accordion which she walked around today playing twinkle twinkle little star and singing. She is completely infatuated with music.

And this infatuation involves her dance and movement. She loves her ballet. I am still debating if I should take her to see Cinderella: a ballet production this spring. We went to the nutcracker and that was a huge success.

And just to put my two cents in on the gymnastics and withholding stickers. I think my mouth dropped open on that one. My DD takes ballet, tap and gymnastics all in the same class. They as a class have only once not received a stamp or sticker b/c they were rowdy and not cooperating. I applauded the teacher for not giving them the stickers. So the next time they were reminded and they have not acted out since. But to withhold for one child such as described is cruel to say the least. This is not advanced classes but rather introduction to and should be a fun time for them. The whole point of this type of class is to bring joy and activity to them. See if it is something they would like and also to start establishing the ability to follow directions. It is not about being perfect. So annoyed when I read about teachers taking it to such an unnecessary level.

Folks - sounds like we really need to think about a girl-band in another 10 years or so!!
K'M - Dh is toying with taking us to Cinderella in Philly- is that the one you are considering? The theatre alone looks incredible!

Ooh!

<holding lighter aloft and swaying>

Add DD3 to that list for sure!