Documentation about Milestones and Translation of Frida

My son is highly (profoundly?) gifted and has hit most of the developmental milestones well in advance. But, as I've been dating his drawings and paintings, I realized I also need to document his advanced motor skills, such as his standing/walking on tip-toe, and his ability to balance and stand on one foot. I don't have a camcorder, so I'm trying to get still photos. I tried yesterday, and at first he went right up on tip-toe, but then I was trying to get a better angle, and he wouldn't do it again for me. He does it all the time! But when I kept pressuring him to do it, he refused. So I'll have to wait and then snap it. I may get a statement from a librarian as to how early it was when he was climbing up stairs, because he did it there first. A few doctors have seen some of his activity, but not everything, so I figure it's best to keep records.

One thing that has me puzzled, is that my son had an extensive vocabulary, quite amazing really, and then just stopped. Now, he only says a few words. He had been up to 30+ words and repeated new words with ease. About that time I went through a stressful situation, and I don't know if that affected him, or if it was because this was when I introduced Barney (movies) for the first time. Someone I talked to said it was probably because he was focusing on motor skills now, and they can only do one thing at a time, but the change is dramatic. It is true that lately it has been his motor skills that have been more impressive, but it's as if his language has been lost. I do know he understands everything I say, and follows directions. He just doesn't use words or articulate things and makes other "sounds" instead and motions to indicate what he wants. He also had a traumatic birth with a severe head injury, so I don't know if he could have been fine and then at some point, something is affected, but we'll see. Only time will tell. He loves books and being read to and he hears me talking all the time, so I know he is immersed in language. Maybe he just decided to observe and sort things out in his mind, first, before trying it out with speech.

The other day, I thought I would give my son an idea of my level of Spanish in translation. So I'm going to attempt to translate what I can of the book "Frida" that I mentioned earlier, to give him an idea. This is without going to dictionaries and just with making guesses. By the way, the illustrations in this book are great, and I loved the movie (with Salma Hayek)!

"Para la pequena firda, el mundo es Mexico."
For little Friday, Mexico is the world."
"Su casa es azul. Esta en le pueblo de Covoacan."
Her house is blue. It is in the town of Covoacan.
"El papa de Frida es pintor y fotografo."
Frida's father is a painter and photographer.
"El le ensena a usar el pincel."
(he uses something to paint or lets her use an easle?)
"La mama de Frida tiene que cuidar a sus seis hijas; con freuencia se siente cansada."
Frida's mother cares for her six sisters and is frequently tired.
"Aunque tiene hermanas, muchas veces Frida se siente sola."
Although she has sisters, much of the time Frida feels alone.
"Frida tiene una amiga imaginaria que tambien se llama Frida."
Frida has an imaginary friend that is also named Frida.
"Juegan juntas."
They play together.
"Un dia, Frida se enferma. Tiene que guardar cama durante meses. Algo le pasa a una de sus piernas. Ni siquiera su amiga imaginaria la puede alegrar."
One day, Frida was sick. She had to stay in bed for many months. This affected her legs. Not even her imaginary friend was able to lift her spirits (make her happy).
"Durante este tiempo, Frida aprende a dibujar por si misma. Cuando dibuja no se siente triste."
During this time, Frida learned to draw for her misery. When she was drawing, she was no longer sad.
"Cuando se recupera, quiere ser artista."
When she recovered, she wanted to be an artist.
"Pinta pequenos cuadros que son copias de otros cuadros."
She painted little pictures that were copies of other pictures.
"El papa de Frida se dedica a colorear fotografias y le ensena a Frida como hacerlo."
Frida's father let her color the photographs she made.
"Frida tambien pinta lo que ve a traves del microscopio. Le encanta verlo todo muy de cerca."
Frida also painted what she saw from a microscope. ? next part I don't know.
"Frida estudia ciencias en el colegio, pero se aburre...Las clases le resultan muy faciles."
Frida studied sciences at college, but she was "bored?" The classes were very easy.
"Un dia, al regresar a casa en el autobus..."
One dia, on the way home by bus...
"ocurre un horrible accidente."
A horrible accident occured.
"Un tranvia choca contra el autobus y Frida casi se muere."
A car collided with the bus and Frida almost died.
"En el hospital, dibujar es lo que la salva una vez, mas. Dibujar es como tener una amiga imaginaria. Esta presente cada vez que ella quiere. Le hace compania y le da fuerzas para no perder la esperanza."
In the hospital, was her savior once again. Drawing is like having an imaginary friend. something about this was what she wanted. To have company and the strength when she couldn't dance. ?
"Despues del accidente, la vida no es igual para Frida. Camina con un baston, cuando puede hacerlo. Siempre siente dolores en todo el cuerpo."
After the accident, life was not the same for Frida. She had to walk with a cane, when she was able to walk. There was much suffering in all her body. ?
"Pero Frida no se queja ni llora. En lugar de llorar, se dibuja llorando."
But Frida, (don't understand most of this sentence".
"Cuando no se puede levantar, pinta en la cama."
When she could not stand, she painted in bed.
"Cuando le envesan el torso, pinta en el veso."
When her back hurt she had to paint with a brace.
"Nada puede hacer que Frida deje de pintar. Como esta tanto tiempo sola en casa, tiene que usar su imaginacion."
Nothing was able to make Frida quit painting. With this little time alone in the house, she had to use her imagination.
"Pinta lo que ven sus ojos y lo que siente su corazon. Es casi como colorear fotografias."
She painted with her eyes and with her heart. (I don't understand the rest.) something about with coloring photographs.
"pinta pequenas escenas magicas con una explicacion escrita. En Mexico es comun ver estat clase de dibujos. A veces, representan escenas de acidentes con angeles que vienen al rescate. Son como oraciones por las personas enfermas y con problems. Se llaman exvotos. Frida pinta exvotos con su propia imagen cundo esta endferma o cuando siente dolor."
Paint a little magical scene with a written description. In Mexico there is a commune for painting classes (?!). There, they represent the accident scene with angels that rescue. There are speakers by people who are sick and have problems. They are called advocates?! Frida painted them with her imagination when she was sick and with much suffering/pain.
"Frida no imita el estilo de nadie. Sus pinturas son unicas. En los museos, cuando las personas ven sus cuadros, se echan a llorar, suspiran o sonrien. Y es que Frida convierte su dolor en algo maravilloso. Es como un milagro."
Frida did not imitate the style of anyone. Her paintings are unique. In museums, with persons...don't understand this part...And Frida converted her suffering to something marvellous. Don't understand last sentence.
"Viva Frida! Viva Frida, siempre!"
Live Frida! Live Frida, forever!