The One Thousand Crane Project - Wish #7

Today's Wish: May you always find the words for what you wish to express.

Today's Paper : Crane - From an old calendar with the quote "When the thoughts we think are the same as the words we speak, others will feel our integrity.  

The speech bubbles (empty, ready for the little one to fill) are from the same calendar.

Cranes to date: 36

We've been thinking a lot about language and speech, or lack there-of in this house for a while now.  The little one hasn't found her words yet.  She can communicate so very well and is certainly vocal and expressive, but can't seem to form words.  

With a background in applied linguistics (and language acquisition) for the last year I've listened to her with concern.  At the same time, I've also listened to well meaning friends and family assure me that she was just a late talker, that at one point it was all going to tumble out.  We've tried different methods to encourage language, but it just isn't happening.    I'm now going with my gut and after I get back from Japan, she will start with a speech therapist.

I know the words will come, but we may just have to take a longer road to get there.  And I must say, I'm really looking forward to hearing what she has to say.

The One Thousand Crane Project - Wish #6

Quite a while ago now, I started my "Wish a Day" project, and not long after, daunted by the daily requirement I had set myself, it was cast aside.

I'm now ready to pick it up again.  No longer in a daily format, but trying to create something regularly until I reach 1000 cranes.

Today's wish: May your imagination always be ripe and may it always bring you joy.

Today's paper: Taken from a drawing that the little one and I did yesterday that inspired today's wish.

The little one and I sat down to do some drawing.  With crayons in hand I decided to draw a story, one of the house we'd like to have one day.  We (I) drew a house with a red door.  I drew our little family.  She gestured that daddy had to be wearing a hat, and she and I hairclips in our hair and then hats on top.  We drew the pet dog we'd like to have and then she suggested a pet purple elephant as well, because every family needs a pet purple elephant of course.  We drew trees and grass, a strawberry patch and flowers.  And from the tree hung a swing.

The little one loved the swing and gestured that she was going to do something.  I didn't quite understand until she promptly sat on the drawing where the swing was and pretended she was flying back and forth on it.  With a little suggestion she picked the strawberries and they were declared delicious.  She smelt the flowers and patted the dog and elephant.

We played with the drawing for quite a while and mummy was also given a number of goes on the swing while she pushed.  The whole time I loved watching her interact with our little, simple illustration and the wonder and joy that it created in her active mind.

Cranes to date: 35

It's been quite a while, you can see the first cranes and five wishes here;

Wish One

Wish Two

Wish Three

Wish Four

Wish Five