i keep finding weird things in my laundry.
the other day was a spatula and measuring cup and today was this...

lol.

let's play pretend!

Why playing silly jokes is the best lesson for children: Clowning around helps young make friends and think more creatively by Colin Fernandez, Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Serious-minded parents may want their children to excel in life by teaching them Chinese or advanced physics. But scientists have found that in fact silly play – such as an adult putting a toy chicken on their head - helps a child develop abstract thought.

As well as joking, playing ‘let’s pretend’ is also a vital way for children to learn important life skills, such as maintaining relationships, creativity, and generally enjoying life researchers argue.

Children as young as 16 months old learn the difference between an adult joking and playing ‘let’s pretend’ from picking up on their parents’ cues.

Researchers from Sheffield University carried out two studies. One involved parents being asked to joke and pretend with their 16 to 20-month-old children. Jokes involved misusing objects like putting food on their heads, while pretend play included activities like washing hands without soap or water. In the other study, parents of 20 to 24 months old were asked to joke and pretend verbally with their toddlers. Pretend play included parents telling their children a round block was a horse and jokes included mismatching items like saying that a toy chicken was a hat.

When pretending, parents showed more ‘belief’ in what they did. The study found a mild difference between the sexes in whether they preferred joking or pretending. The authors noted: ‘Girls were perhaps more engaged in pretending than joking compared to boys.’ Dr Elena Hoicka, from Sheffield University’s department of psychology, said: ‘The study shows just how important play is to children’s development.

‘Parents who pretend and joke with their children offer cues to distinguish the difference between the two and toddlers take advantage of these cues to perform. ‘But if parents were pretending that, for example, a block was a horse, they might repeatedly make the block gallop, which would encourage children to do the same, and understand that the block really was a horse in their imagination.’

She added: ‘The research reveals the process in which toddlers learn to distinguish joking and pretending. Knowing how to joke is good for maintaining relationships, thinking outside the box, and enjoying life. Pretending helps children to practice new skills and learn new information. So while parents may feel a bit daft putting a toy chicken on their head they can at least console themselves with the knowledge that they are helping their children develop important skills for life.’

Future research projects will include parent surveys on joking and pretending to see how these abilities develop from birth through to three years old.





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3183280/Why-playing-silly-jokes-best-lesson-children.html#ixzz3hiQ8FSDB

I am sitting here at the pool watching the little girl in her new float. she is kicking water so well and I am so proud of her. glad and thankful for the husband's patience and commitment to bring her to the pool on weekends :)

that's a blur photo of them together and you can see the little girl kicking water :)

my little girl and i were hiding from her daddy earlier at bathtime.

we were under the blankets and was doing a good job keeping quiet...
she even put her finger on her lips to ask me to stay silent.

until her daddy asked, rosanne.. where are you?


she shouted "here!" from under our hiding place and pop out of the blanket. -_-"

and so..

my little girl can fist bump!

not sure if it is from the cartoon but when her gong gong ask her randomly today to fist bump she gave him her fist! she is alway full of surprises!

last night was the first time the little girl slept on her own.

I woke up in the middle of the night by the sound of her cries.. I jumped out of bed and quickly ran to her room. 

it was bright and cool in her room.. she was crying and trying to get back on to her bed.. I scooped her up and hugged her tightly. turn off the lights and fan and we went back to my room, decided that this is enough for a night in her own room. 

I placed her in between the hubs and I but she preferred to sleep on my side.. I gave her reassuring pats to calm her down.. after fifteen long minutes, she stopped her sniffles and beginning to drift off to lala land... 

but something in my head is not clicking.. did I off her lights and fan? LIGHTS?? who on the lights?? but it was bright in her room - the light was surely on.. but the remote is on the top shelf in her wardrobe and is pretty hard for her to reach.. so who on the lights?

today is the second day of may.
nothing special just another day of the year.
maybe just a little special - it's the day after my little girl gave me a flower she picked from the pool :)

see my flower nice?

anyway, this is the little girl having dinner on her own!

the hubs was not around and the parents went for a wedding dinner, so the dodo came over for dinner.
she made us muffins and tuna bake for dinner.
i placed the bowl of dinner in front of the little girl expecting to be feeding her all the time.
but she took up her spoon and fork and started eating on her own! how amazing is that!

so the second day of may, 

my rosanne ate her whole bowl of tuna baked on her own!

#mysmartlittlecookie