Manipulator or ??

It was Abi's bedtime and she had just finished reading with her mother.
Where was papa? At work.
Abi asked to phone papa, then said something along the lines of:
When are you coming home? I need you. Mama has to feed Pascale milk and so there is no one to look after me. You have to come home now.

After a short conversation with her papa, Abi agreed that she would see papa in the morning because he had to finish his work at the office and she needed to sleep now in preparation for swimming tomorrow. She didn't want to be a crab (crabby) and cranky like she was today before her nap.

Papa felt bad about staying away from the children so far into the night and seemed to be ready to pack up and come home to continue working. Was she manipulating him?

She also said "Let's not talk about that now" in answer to one of papa's questions. Amazing how much of her parents' speech and idioms she uses in return. Ouch.

Swimming without a bubble or a noodle

Was amazed today when Abi bravely and without hesitation jumped from the kids' platform towards her swim teacher without any flotation devices. She was supposed to dog paddle towards the bath toys scattered in front of her. Dipped her face in the water too but came up smiling.

What a contrast to the first few teary weeks. She loves the noodle and practised back floating after the class without a bubble on. Had to be coerced out of the water after everyone had packed up and left.

Bike Riding

Abi was very happy today. We rode around Centennial Park with her cousins and uncles. She really gets on well with Lorien and they ran around the grassed area, and followed a girl with a jellyfish kite and played with her. Abi tried to climb a tree with Priscilla's assistance. She walked to the bin by herself and didn't want to go home when it was time (prolong the experience or just tired?)

Applying a Label too early?

OK, so Abi is probably (only) a bright child, rather than gifted. Guess that label implies a whole lot of things and brings expectations. Have been reading on giftedness in early childhood and this makes me re-think calling her gifted.

Anyway I still find what Abi does quite interesting and amazing.

Yesterday she was reading through a book of craft for children that we borrowed from the library. She was quite interested in the dog jigsaw puzzle so we made that. I drew the outline of the dog onto a cereal box. Abi drew the ears and collar then cut the dog out. She then drew a cross over the dog and cut it into 4 pieces to make it into a puzzle.

Then she continued her easter egg project (started with Por Por) and pasted tissue paper over 4 plastic eggs and added stickers for decoration.

It's been good being able to at last give Abi a craft space away from Pascale's baby explorations. I think that it's been a good trade-off to go from a single large living room space to 2 smaller spaces suitable for craft and general toddler play. When Abi's bedroom gets a gate she will be able to leave puzzles and train tracks without fear of them being disturbed.

Introduction

We have suspected for a while that Abigail may be a gifted child.
Here at last we attempt to keep record of the amazing things that she does, says, makes etc every day (or so).