We were supposed to go to a new music and storytime class this morning to replace the one that ended last week, but my son didn't get up until around 9:30, and the class started at 10. Oh well.
I had to go to school today to take care of some paperwork, but what I had hoped would be about a 45 second drop-in turned into a roughly 45 minute stay. I'm not complaining; it gave several of a my coworkers a chance to meet (and fawn over) the 17-month old version of my son (who evidently is adorable). Ever since I worked retailed, I've always disliked when people who aren't working show up at work. Jeez, we'll see you tomorrow, guy! I've tried to stay away from doing it because I don't want it to seem like I'm there to show off my son; that's just what it happened to turn in to.
I called my dad after we left school to see if we could meet for lunch. Even though he had already eaten, he still invited us over so we could eat our lunch. We had a nice quiet visit before light started peaking through the naptime window. It was important that we didn't stay too long because I really didn't want him to fall asleep on the way home (and he didn't).
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One of us didn't wake up until 10 today. I won't say who. I will say that sleeping so late is putting a real damper on a very important project on which I'm supposed to be working.
My son loves hats. Not wearing them, mind you, but rather taking them off of my head and putting them back on just slightly and crooked. Today he took my hat and put it on top of Ellie's head and applauded himself. Apparently not completely pleased with his work, he adjusted it and clapped again. She just let it all happen. Good dog.
I thought of one more thing to get my wife for Christmas, plus we needed some pet supplies, so we went out for a little bit of shopping. As a result of the late wakeup call, I didn't get a chance to shower beforehand. I just threw on my clothes from the day before and went out anyway. I think that officially indoctrinates me into the world of stay-at-home-(whatever).
I needed to get Christmas presents for the dogs, so we returned to Petco (where my son had expertly rearranged the dog treats just a few days before) and I grabbed the first two bags that he had chosen on our previous trip. I think he was a little hurt that I didn't let him carry them, but we didn't have a lot of time to waste. In fact, because I was in such a hurry, I completely forgot to pick up food and treats for the chinchillas. So as soon as we checked and walked out, we walked right back in and went through the line again. Slow down, Daddy!
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It was another late morning today, but this one was totally not my fault. Our only plans for the day were maybe going to school again for our annual student/ faculty basketball game, so I was really in no hurry. Like I said before, I don't really like to go to work if I don't need to be there (I had volunteered to help with the game if it was necessary), so it wasn't a top priority.
After a quick lunch on the road, we did manage to get to school in time for the game. He was far more into it than I could have expected. I held him for the first few minutes, but he let me know when it was time to get down. Then we stood in a corner of the gym until he decided to sit on my shoes for a while. When I got tired of standing, he sat on my lap. When he got tired of sitting, he got up and stood relatively still right in front of me- intently watching all the while. He never does these things at music class or storytime- not enough action for him, perhaps. If nothing else, we do live in the right school district for sports...
We left school around 2 so he could get home for a very late nap. He kept himself busy (and awake) with his arm in his snack container and went down very easily when we got home. I even got to take a nap before Gram came over to watch him while I went back to school to announce a high school basketball game and Mommy enjoyed her school's Christmas party. Mommy has one more day of work this week before we get to enjoy our second Christmas with our little man!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Days 73 and 74
We spent most of our morning looking at cars. As we were leaving the Subaru dealership, I noticed a familiar color and model- it was my dad's car! I got his attention and we pulled up next to each other so he could get some face time with his grandson. He started saying "Pop Pop" recently (my son, not my dad), so I tried to get him to do it. As anyone who has ever had children knows, they aren't always prepared to perform. It has to be quite entertaining to observe a parent trying (and failing) to get his or her child to do one of these "tricks". I don't think our voices are ever as high-pitched as they are when we're trying to get a baby to say a word or throw a ball.
We took our son along to a veteranarian appointment for our dogs. This is no small task with the new car seat, old base, and stroller in the back of my car. The vet is now on his list of favorite places, as it has all of his favorite things: dogs, ceiling fans, and lights. He also discovered the play area and took his time pulling down each toy and carefully putting it back in the right place.
Since we were in the neighborhood, we had dinner with my parents. While we were there, we were fortunate to catch Santa riding by on a fire truck. Gram briefly scared the boogers out of him as she raced him outside to see and hear the lights and siren and catch a glimpse of Firetruck Santa. It was a neat moment, and all was forgiven in no time at all.
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Mommy took the day off today to go shopping with her friend, so we still had the day to ourselves. We had to go into the city today to pick up some doggie medication but not much else planned for the day. Since we were already in the city, I thought we would stop by the soon-to-be-closed pretzel bakery. The alley on which it is located was blocked by a maintenance truck, and we were up against a pretty strict lunch deadline, so we had to move along.
After talking to an old friend at the Medicine Shoppe, we tried to find a lunch date. We managed to pull Mommy away from shopping long enough to agree to meet us. We had a little time to kill, so we stopped at Petco to check out some animals. After stopping briefly at the ferrets, my son moved on to removing items from shelves and organizing them in the middle of the aisles. At one point he had roughly 20 bags of treats standing upright in the middle of the store. 20 bags that I had to pick up and find replace before we left.
We met Mommy and a friend, despite my son's attempts to keep us from doing so. Seems he wasn't too thrilled about sitting still. He was much more interested in making piles of food in his high chair and staring at a nearby baby. Eventually I figured out a semi-successful method of feeding him that was a cross between the "airplane and hangar" and force feeding. All the giggling told me he didn't mind.
We took our son along to a veteranarian appointment for our dogs. This is no small task with the new car seat, old base, and stroller in the back of my car. The vet is now on his list of favorite places, as it has all of his favorite things: dogs, ceiling fans, and lights. He also discovered the play area and took his time pulling down each toy and carefully putting it back in the right place.
Since we were in the neighborhood, we had dinner with my parents. While we were there, we were fortunate to catch Santa riding by on a fire truck. Gram briefly scared the boogers out of him as she raced him outside to see and hear the lights and siren and catch a glimpse of Firetruck Santa. It was a neat moment, and all was forgiven in no time at all.
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Mommy took the day off today to go shopping with her friend, so we still had the day to ourselves. We had to go into the city today to pick up some doggie medication but not much else planned for the day. Since we were already in the city, I thought we would stop by the soon-to-be-closed pretzel bakery. The alley on which it is located was blocked by a maintenance truck, and we were up against a pretty strict lunch deadline, so we had to move along.
After talking to an old friend at the Medicine Shoppe, we tried to find a lunch date. We managed to pull Mommy away from shopping long enough to agree to meet us. We had a little time to kill, so we stopped at Petco to check out some animals. After stopping briefly at the ferrets, my son moved on to removing items from shelves and organizing them in the middle of the aisles. At one point he had roughly 20 bags of treats standing upright in the middle of the store. 20 bags that I had to pick up and find replace before we left.
We met Mommy and a friend, despite my son's attempts to keep us from doing so. Seems he wasn't too thrilled about sitting still. He was much more interested in making piles of food in his high chair and staring at a nearby baby. Eventually I figured out a semi-successful method of feeding him that was a cross between the "airplane and hangar" and force feeding. All the giggling told me he didn't mind.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Days 71 and 72
Mommy had to go back to work tonight for her school's Christmas concert, so we went out and checked out some lights. As I'm sure just about every neighborhood does now, we have "that guy" a few blocks from us who takes things way too far with an animated LED display, and even broadcasts accompanying music to a radio frequency (I wonder if the FCC knows about this...). Every other year I've cringed at how many people sit and listen to Manheim Steamroller or Trans Siberian Orchestra or whatever the new "no really, it's Christmas music, but it rocks!!" is these days, but now I have a son who loves looking at lights. We also recently moved him into his "big boy" car seat, so he can see the lights much better. We stuck around for the whole show (complete with welcome message), and it was worth it just watching the lights reflecting in his amazed eyes.
He's 17-months old today. That's kind of a weird one to say: "seventeen months old". I'm really not sure I've ever actually heard someone say that about his or her child before. Sixteen months, sure. 18- of course. Seventeen months old? Just doesn't roll off the tongue. Anyway, he's still freaking awesome.
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My son got back in his Santa suit for music class today, as it was the final class before Christmas. We also made him wear it when we took him to get his picture taken with Mall Santa. It went about as well as you can expect a 17-month old being forced to sit on a hairy stranger's lap to go. Eventually, Mommy had to step in and hold him while Santa made a "shhh" gesture to his mouth. I thought it all looked kind of dirty in a I-saw-Mommy-kissing-Santa-Claus kind of way, but that was the pose we decided to buy. If he acts the same way next year, we'll be sure to buy the screaming one and add it to the wedding slideshow pile.
He's 17-months old today. That's kind of a weird one to say: "seventeen months old". I'm really not sure I've ever actually heard someone say that about his or her child before. Sixteen months, sure. 18- of course. Seventeen months old? Just doesn't roll off the tongue. Anyway, he's still freaking awesome.
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My son got back in his Santa suit for music class today, as it was the final class before Christmas. We also made him wear it when we took him to get his picture taken with Mall Santa. It went about as well as you can expect a 17-month old being forced to sit on a hairy stranger's lap to go. Eventually, Mommy had to step in and hold him while Santa made a "shhh" gesture to his mouth. I thought it all looked kind of dirty in a I-saw-Mommy-kissing-Santa-Claus kind of way, but that was the pose we decided to buy. If he acts the same way next year, we'll be sure to buy the screaming one and add it to the wedding slideshow pile.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Days 69 and 70
Today we got a chance to go for a walk. When I say "we", I mean my son, both dogs, and I went for a walk. I'm not sure that this particular crew has ever done that before. I think all of us walked around the block with my wife one time, but never just the four of us. If this doesn't seem like much of a challenge to you, you've clearly never gone on a walk with my dogs.
It's very difficult for them to decide which side of the sidewalk they want to be on. It's also a constant competition to see who can be the lead dog. Of course there's also the pooping, the stopping for no reason, the squirrel/ rabbit/ dog/ bird chasing, and myriad other difficulties that may occur. Couple that with the added responsibility of keeping tabs on my son, and you've got a recipe for an eventful walk.
After getting everyone in his or her stroller and/ or collar, we were off. The first half-mile of a walk with my dogs is always the worst. With the added obstacle of the stroller, it was more difficult than I had anticipated. Ellie, the skittish shelter dog, cringes at every unfamiliar sound or touch- the stroller isn't so quiet when it hits bumps, and she doesn't quite get the idea that it is travelling at the same speed as she. Davi, the elder wannabe alpha dog, can still hear the sound of the stroller but can't see it. He got "ankled" too many times to count.
Eventually they get a little tired of pulling on their leashes and they act like they know what "heel" means. We did do some obedience training; you just wouldn't know it. They settled down just in time for me to decide whether to make this a long or short walk. I chose long, and they didn't let me down. They even helped me rescue a runaway dog whose walker had dropped its leash. My son was in heaven when its own showed up carrying his other dog. Four "dups"! In one place!!!
When we got home from our nearly 3 mile excursion, Mommy was resting on the couch. She was more than happy to warm up his rosy little cheeks.
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Today was our last storytime before Christmas. When we had our last storytime before Halloween, most of the moms dressed up their kids in their costumes, so I figured it might be a good time to put my son in the Santa suit I bought him for the race last weekend. No one else dressed up. That doesn't make it wrong.
We did some shopping before lunchtime (Daddy always needs more v-necks!), and I decided to keep him in his Santa outfit. For such a ridiculous purchase, it is certainly worth the adorableness of seeing a little Santa waddling around Old Navy.
A girl stopped and asked me about my shoes while we were shopping because her husband loves them. I gave her several shopping options, and we parted ways. It's almost shocking to be approached by strangers these days for anything other than talking about how awesome my son is.
It's very difficult for them to decide which side of the sidewalk they want to be on. It's also a constant competition to see who can be the lead dog. Of course there's also the pooping, the stopping for no reason, the squirrel/ rabbit/ dog/ bird chasing, and myriad other difficulties that may occur. Couple that with the added responsibility of keeping tabs on my son, and you've got a recipe for an eventful walk.
After getting everyone in his or her stroller and/ or collar, we were off. The first half-mile of a walk with my dogs is always the worst. With the added obstacle of the stroller, it was more difficult than I had anticipated. Ellie, the skittish shelter dog, cringes at every unfamiliar sound or touch- the stroller isn't so quiet when it hits bumps, and she doesn't quite get the idea that it is travelling at the same speed as she. Davi, the elder wannabe alpha dog, can still hear the sound of the stroller but can't see it. He got "ankled" too many times to count.
Eventually they get a little tired of pulling on their leashes and they act like they know what "heel" means. We did do some obedience training; you just wouldn't know it. They settled down just in time for me to decide whether to make this a long or short walk. I chose long, and they didn't let me down. They even helped me rescue a runaway dog whose walker had dropped its leash. My son was in heaven when its own showed up carrying his other dog. Four "dups"! In one place!!!
When we got home from our nearly 3 mile excursion, Mommy was resting on the couch. She was more than happy to warm up his rosy little cheeks.
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Today was our last storytime before Christmas. When we had our last storytime before Halloween, most of the moms dressed up their kids in their costumes, so I figured it might be a good time to put my son in the Santa suit I bought him for the race last weekend. No one else dressed up. That doesn't make it wrong.
We did some shopping before lunchtime (Daddy always needs more v-necks!), and I decided to keep him in his Santa outfit. For such a ridiculous purchase, it is certainly worth the adorableness of seeing a little Santa waddling around Old Navy.
A girl stopped and asked me about my shoes while we were shopping because her husband loves them. I gave her several shopping options, and we parted ways. It's almost shocking to be approached by strangers these days for anything other than talking about how awesome my son is.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Days 67 and 68
Apparently my son has learned to spin. Of course not the stationary bike kind- the kind where you just spin in circles until you fall down. Thankfully he's only mastered the first part. He started doing it at music class today when it was time to "spin/ wave/ clap/ dance hello to so-and-so" which is the way we great each other there. He's even done it when I've asked him to but never on camera. I'm convinced he just wants me to look ridiculous on camera since we spend so much time recording him doing such silly things.
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This week has been a whole lot of nothing. Not coincidentally, it's the final week of my last two classes of this semester. I stopped working out during naptimes so I can do my work, but that will all change next week. I can't believe I can't wait to see Tony Horton's face again.
We went to the grocery store tonight and ran into one of Mommy's coworkers... or ex-coworkers... tough to say because her building might be closing at the end of the year. Anyway, she got our Christmas card and told me how cute my son is and that he looks exactly like me. Lady, I'm clearly married. Geez. She and I took a class together what seems like a lifetime ago- my first Master's degree. Now she's taking a year at home just like me. I guess that's why we were both grocery shopping at 9 o'clock on a Thursday. Living the dream.
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This week has been a whole lot of nothing. Not coincidentally, it's the final week of my last two classes of this semester. I stopped working out during naptimes so I can do my work, but that will all change next week. I can't believe I can't wait to see Tony Horton's face again.
We went to the grocery store tonight and ran into one of Mommy's coworkers... or ex-coworkers... tough to say because her building might be closing at the end of the year. Anyway, she got our Christmas card and told me how cute my son is and that he looks exactly like me. Lady, I'm clearly married. Geez. She and I took a class together what seems like a lifetime ago- my first Master's degree. Now she's taking a year at home just like me. I guess that's why we were both grocery shopping at 9 o'clock on a Thursday. Living the dream.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Day 66a and b
We test drove a car on Saturday night. As we were driving home, I noticed that I didn't have my wallet. We tried calling the dealership, but they had just closed. I drove back to the dealership and retraced my steps- nothing! I drove back to the neighborhood where my wife and I switched seats- nothing! My only choice was to return home and assume the worst. I called and canceled all of my credit cards and though about all the terrible things that someone could be doing with my AutoZone rewards card. I EARNED that 2 dollars back on sparkplugs!!!
Fast forward to Monday morning. I got up early with my wife so my son and I could drive over to the dealership. I walked around the lot again, looking for clues. The only ones I found were some of my son's "puffs" snacks that he donated to the asphalt. After peeking through the windows the day before, I was certain that the wallet simply fell out of my pants (life lesson: never wear track pants when test driving a car!), so I wanted to make sure I was there right when they opened. I walked into the lobby and exclaimed, "My wallet is in your (Honda) Pilot!" The salesman got the keys, opened the door, and there it was!
Because we had gotten up so early, we had some time to kill before storytime. It was nice day, so I decided the time killer would be walking to the library. I ran on Saturday for the first time since the marathon (early October), and I realized that I wasn't doing much to help my Earndit status. I figured I might as well be active outside while I still can. It's only about 3/4 of a mile from our house to library, but every little bit counts.
Storytime was much different than the previous week. We were actually able to sit in the circle! After the stories were done, I inadvertently entertained the rest of the room with an impromptu puppet show. It all started with a little peek-a-boo as I was retrieving my son from behind the stage and escalated from there. I suppose it won't be the last time I am tasked with entertaining a room of toddlers. After holding their attention for a record 3 minutes or so, we packed up and headed home.
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Mommy stayed home sick today, so we all spent a nice relaxing day at home. Two new household dangers have made themselves known: end table dancing and garland grabbing. He figured out how to climb on top of the end table so he can dance for everyone and is contemplating how much fun it would be to pull down the garland on top of our CD cabinets (taking several picture frames along with it). It's going to be an eventful few weeks.
Fast forward to Monday morning. I got up early with my wife so my son and I could drive over to the dealership. I walked around the lot again, looking for clues. The only ones I found were some of my son's "puffs" snacks that he donated to the asphalt. After peeking through the windows the day before, I was certain that the wallet simply fell out of my pants (life lesson: never wear track pants when test driving a car!), so I wanted to make sure I was there right when they opened. I walked into the lobby and exclaimed, "My wallet is in your (Honda) Pilot!" The salesman got the keys, opened the door, and there it was!
Because we had gotten up so early, we had some time to kill before storytime. It was nice day, so I decided the time killer would be walking to the library. I ran on Saturday for the first time since the marathon (early October), and I realized that I wasn't doing much to help my Earndit status. I figured I might as well be active outside while I still can. It's only about 3/4 of a mile from our house to library, but every little bit counts.
Storytime was much different than the previous week. We were actually able to sit in the circle! After the stories were done, I inadvertently entertained the rest of the room with an impromptu puppet show. It all started with a little peek-a-boo as I was retrieving my son from behind the stage and escalated from there. I suppose it won't be the last time I am tasked with entertaining a room of toddlers. After holding their attention for a record 3 minutes or so, we packed up and headed home.
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Mommy stayed home sick today, so we all spent a nice relaxing day at home. Two new household dangers have made themselves known: end table dancing and garland grabbing. He figured out how to climb on top of the end table so he can dance for everyone and is contemplating how much fun it would be to pull down the garland on top of our CD cabinets (taking several picture frames along with it). It's going to be an eventful few weeks.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Days 64 and 65
We went for a walk in the afternoon so Mommy could nap when she got home. We hadn't been to Gring's Mill in a while- in fact not since they reopened the entire trail. We went in the direction of the part of the trail that was reopened most recently and ended up walking around 2 miles. My son walked about a quarter of that on his own, all far away from the dangerous creek. He was safe in the stroller the rest of the time. He got to see a very large buck and several squirrels along the way.
When we got back to the "mainland", I took him out of the stroller. He immediately wanted to go back across the bridge. He also stopped to stare at a woman stretching after her run. He stared. And stared...
After eventually making it across the bridge, he, being the little boy that he is, was magnetically attracted to a dried out puddle of leaves and mud. He tripped and fell into it, naturally. This was the dirtiest he had ever seen his own hands, so he stared at them for a while. Then he stuck them in his mouth. We weren't going to tell Mommy that.
Gring's Mill has a nice light display for Christmas each year, and they were putting the finishing touches on it today. It was getting dark as we were getting ready to leave, so we got to see some of the lights in action. He scrambled up a rather steep hill when he saw the lights and stood, watched, and grabbed at them. I took some video for Mommy because he was just so amazed by all the lights. He was even more excited when he realized that he could control single lights by turning them just a little bit. As the sun disappeared and the temperature dropped, I realized we needed to get dinner and home to Mommy.
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I got up early this morning (though not as early as I do when I'm working) so I could get some work done before waking up my son and heading out for today's adventure. I guess I should have let him know that I wanted to get an early start because he ended up sleeping later than he had in weeks! We eventually got on the road and made our way to our destination: Cabela's.
It was the first time for both of us. I had been told recently by more than one person that my son would enjoy the animals and aquarium, and that was reason enough for me. I remember the fuss- good and bad- that was made about Cabela's coming to the area. As it turns out, it worked out pretty well for the area which has become surrounded by stores, auto dealers, and restaurants.
The center of the store is a large mountain landscape that is overrun with animal corpses. Well, it is. My son wasn't too excited by any of them at first, but it looked like he was intrigued by the polar bears around the corner. I let him out of the stroller to see if he would point out any animal in particular. I should have looked around because he immediately ran over to the staircase. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with him and hang on to the stroller, I pulled him down. This did not get us off to a good start. Luckily, he was in a pretty good mood for the rest of the day.
He liked the elephant and tried to jump in after the fish in the pond on the other side of Corpse Hill. We made our way through Deer Country where he was excited to see a skunk and some other small four-legged creatures. We found the aquarium and checked out that selection of fish. We even saw a few turtles swimming around in there. It's a little more exciting when they're alive. Eventually we made our way upstairs and had lunch. We even managed to pick out a Christmas gift for Mommy before he made it clear it was naptime.
I was so surprised by the SUV to giant truck ratio in the parking that I dropped his sippy cup while putting away his stroller. It was one of the two that we have that doesn't leak, too. If you happen to be in Hamburg and want to check the Route 61 side of the parking lot for us, we'd love to have it back. I realize he has absolutely no idea, but it bothers me when we lose things of his: a sock here, a sippy cup there. Then I think about how he uses these things for such a small percentage of his life, and I feel a little better. One thing is for sure: we'd be in big trouble if we lost his pal, Scout!
When we got back to the "mainland", I took him out of the stroller. He immediately wanted to go back across the bridge. He also stopped to stare at a woman stretching after her run. He stared. And stared...
After eventually making it across the bridge, he, being the little boy that he is, was magnetically attracted to a dried out puddle of leaves and mud. He tripped and fell into it, naturally. This was the dirtiest he had ever seen his own hands, so he stared at them for a while. Then he stuck them in his mouth. We weren't going to tell Mommy that.
Gring's Mill has a nice light display for Christmas each year, and they were putting the finishing touches on it today. It was getting dark as we were getting ready to leave, so we got to see some of the lights in action. He scrambled up a rather steep hill when he saw the lights and stood, watched, and grabbed at them. I took some video for Mommy because he was just so amazed by all the lights. He was even more excited when he realized that he could control single lights by turning them just a little bit. As the sun disappeared and the temperature dropped, I realized we needed to get dinner and home to Mommy.
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I got up early this morning (though not as early as I do when I'm working) so I could get some work done before waking up my son and heading out for today's adventure. I guess I should have let him know that I wanted to get an early start because he ended up sleeping later than he had in weeks! We eventually got on the road and made our way to our destination: Cabela's.
It was the first time for both of us. I had been told recently by more than one person that my son would enjoy the animals and aquarium, and that was reason enough for me. I remember the fuss- good and bad- that was made about Cabela's coming to the area. As it turns out, it worked out pretty well for the area which has become surrounded by stores, auto dealers, and restaurants.
The center of the store is a large mountain landscape that is overrun with animal corpses. Well, it is. My son wasn't too excited by any of them at first, but it looked like he was intrigued by the polar bears around the corner. I let him out of the stroller to see if he would point out any animal in particular. I should have looked around because he immediately ran over to the staircase. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with him and hang on to the stroller, I pulled him down. This did not get us off to a good start. Luckily, he was in a pretty good mood for the rest of the day.
He liked the elephant and tried to jump in after the fish in the pond on the other side of Corpse Hill. We made our way through Deer Country where he was excited to see a skunk and some other small four-legged creatures. We found the aquarium and checked out that selection of fish. We even saw a few turtles swimming around in there. It's a little more exciting when they're alive. Eventually we made our way upstairs and had lunch. We even managed to pick out a Christmas gift for Mommy before he made it clear it was naptime.
I was so surprised by the SUV to giant truck ratio in the parking that I dropped his sippy cup while putting away his stroller. It was one of the two that we have that doesn't leak, too. If you happen to be in Hamburg and want to check the Route 61 side of the parking lot for us, we'd love to have it back. I realize he has absolutely no idea, but it bothers me when we lose things of his: a sock here, a sippy cup there. Then I think about how he uses these things for such a small percentage of his life, and I feel a little better. One thing is for sure: we'd be in big trouble if we lost his pal, Scout!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Days 62 and 63
We went grocery shopping together at night while Mommy went to a meeting. The first thing on my list was baby food, so that was our first stop. Not having any idea how well he would react to having to sit in the cart for so long, I made sure to give him a distraction right away. The best I could do was a box of oatmeal in one hand and a box of cereal bars in the other. He didn't make a sound or fidget.
That is, until it came time to check out. I left his two boxes for last, fearing the separation anxiety. Good choice. For the 15 seconds he and the boxes were apart, he screamed, cried, and otherwise showed complete disdain for the situation. I gave them back as soon as I could, and he went from 60 to 0 just as quickly. He was a little suspicious of the attendant as she put the "sold" stickers on the boxes, but there were no further incidents. Lesson learned.
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I got a free Schick Hydro razor last night with a coupon I got in the mail. I shaved with it for the first time today. It felt like cheating. I've been using the Gillette Mach 3 for as long as I can remember, but it may be time to move on. We had some good times, Mach 3.
Music class was very encouraging today. He did some spins when he was supposed to, marched when he was supposed to, and even stayed in the circle with the rest of the kids. It was great! I think the week off helped. Or maybe it's the fact that he's actually approaching the age he's supposed to start the class. One of the moms commented on how much my son has progressed in the past couple months. He ran away before she finished her sentence.
We went to visit PopPop after naptime today. The official reason was to return some of Gram's containers, but I think everybody was happy to see each other. Someone brought out my old Matchbox cars, and my son enjoyed taking them out of their carrier and back in. He did push around an AMC Eagle for a few seconds, but other than that he just wanted to organize them in a big mess of a pile. We've got plenty of time to figure out how they're supposed to work.
That is, until it came time to check out. I left his two boxes for last, fearing the separation anxiety. Good choice. For the 15 seconds he and the boxes were apart, he screamed, cried, and otherwise showed complete disdain for the situation. I gave them back as soon as I could, and he went from 60 to 0 just as quickly. He was a little suspicious of the attendant as she put the "sold" stickers on the boxes, but there were no further incidents. Lesson learned.
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I got a free Schick Hydro razor last night with a coupon I got in the mail. I shaved with it for the first time today. It felt like cheating. I've been using the Gillette Mach 3 for as long as I can remember, but it may be time to move on. We had some good times, Mach 3.
Music class was very encouraging today. He did some spins when he was supposed to, marched when he was supposed to, and even stayed in the circle with the rest of the kids. It was great! I think the week off helped. Or maybe it's the fact that he's actually approaching the age he's supposed to start the class. One of the moms commented on how much my son has progressed in the past couple months. He ran away before she finished her sentence.
We went to visit PopPop after naptime today. The official reason was to return some of Gram's containers, but I think everybody was happy to see each other. Someone brought out my old Matchbox cars, and my son enjoyed taking them out of their carrier and back in. He did push around an AMC Eagle for a few seconds, but other than that he just wanted to organize them in a big mess of a pile. We've got plenty of time to figure out how they're supposed to work.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Day 61 and Thanksgiving Vacation
I realized about halfway through my wife's Thanksgiving Vacation (ahem, Fall Break) that I hadn't blogged the previous day. Forgive me and my aging brain.
We finally got to go to Sam Ash today. It wasn't as magical as I had hoped, but I know he still had fun. There are far more demo keyboards at Sam Ash than there are at Guitar Center, and each of them seemed to be set to a different sound. It was very difficult to keep up with my son as he ran from super-expensive keyboard to super-expensive keyboard, watching him slam the keys while I quickly turned down the volume. Eventually he figured out how to turn it back up. He even turned on a few demo songs and "play along".
The highlight of the trip, for me, was when we went into the cymbal room and he checked out the cymbals and hi-hats. The highlight of the the trip, for him, was when he discovered the industrial stepladders in each section of the store. He climbed up each one, and not a single person said anything to either of us. I spotted him as I let him climb up a few steps, and he cried when I pulled him down. I'm sure he would have made it up and back with no trouble, but I'm also not a complete idiot. Add it to the list of things I hope he'll forgive me for someday.
After leaving Sam Ash and purchasing nothing (!), we headed to the Plaza at King of Prussia for some exercise. The only things I really wanted to do were use a coupon at what is probably my favorite place to buy clothing for him, 77kids, and eat lunch. We managed to do both before he told me it was time for a nap. He was his usual charming self as he wandered the mall. He stopped at one of those children's ride-on vehicle areas to talk with a little girl, and eventually pulled himself up on to one of the rides. Normally I wouldn't have thought it a good idea to put him in one of those vehicles, but his determination to get in the driver's seat changed my mind. Also, I happened to have 3 quarters (3!?!) in my pocket. He held on tightly and maintained a serious and determined face throughout the entire ride. I captured it on video for my wife. How fortunate we are to have the means to record moments like these using a device we keep in our pockets.
As naptime drew nearer, the mall grew full...er. This being the day before Thanksgiving Vacation, I deduced that the area students must have had early dismissals at school. Luckily we had already visited all of our favorite stores. We headed out in the rain and into the car where I drove and he slept.
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Thanksgiving consisted of three different get-togethers spread out over the entire weekend. The best part about it, of course, was spending time with family (especially Mommy!) in a much more positive arena than recent events have allowed. It feels so good to see the effect our son's smiles and giggles have on those who haven't had the easiest time this year.
I'm roughly a third of the way through this experience, and though I don't look forward to it being over, I do hope the next few weeks go by quickly (for my wife's sake). It's nice to have our whole family together- whether we are test driving a car, picking out a new car seat, or just relaxing at home. I will certainly miss this when it is gone.
I also know how lucky I am to have had it at all.
We finally got to go to Sam Ash today. It wasn't as magical as I had hoped, but I know he still had fun. There are far more demo keyboards at Sam Ash than there are at Guitar Center, and each of them seemed to be set to a different sound. It was very difficult to keep up with my son as he ran from super-expensive keyboard to super-expensive keyboard, watching him slam the keys while I quickly turned down the volume. Eventually he figured out how to turn it back up. He even turned on a few demo songs and "play along".
The highlight of the trip, for me, was when we went into the cymbal room and he checked out the cymbals and hi-hats. The highlight of the the trip, for him, was when he discovered the industrial stepladders in each section of the store. He climbed up each one, and not a single person said anything to either of us. I spotted him as I let him climb up a few steps, and he cried when I pulled him down. I'm sure he would have made it up and back with no trouble, but I'm also not a complete idiot. Add it to the list of things I hope he'll forgive me for someday.
After leaving Sam Ash and purchasing nothing (!), we headed to the Plaza at King of Prussia for some exercise. The only things I really wanted to do were use a coupon at what is probably my favorite place to buy clothing for him, 77kids, and eat lunch. We managed to do both before he told me it was time for a nap. He was his usual charming self as he wandered the mall. He stopped at one of those children's ride-on vehicle areas to talk with a little girl, and eventually pulled himself up on to one of the rides. Normally I wouldn't have thought it a good idea to put him in one of those vehicles, but his determination to get in the driver's seat changed my mind. Also, I happened to have 3 quarters (3!?!) in my pocket. He held on tightly and maintained a serious and determined face throughout the entire ride. I captured it on video for my wife. How fortunate we are to have the means to record moments like these using a device we keep in our pockets.
As naptime drew nearer, the mall grew full...er. This being the day before Thanksgiving Vacation, I deduced that the area students must have had early dismissals at school. Luckily we had already visited all of our favorite stores. We headed out in the rain and into the car where I drove and he slept.
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Thanksgiving consisted of three different get-togethers spread out over the entire weekend. The best part about it, of course, was spending time with family (especially Mommy!) in a much more positive arena than recent events have allowed. It feels so good to see the effect our son's smiles and giggles have on those who haven't had the easiest time this year.
I'm roughly a third of the way through this experience, and though I don't look forward to it being over, I do hope the next few weeks go by quickly (for my wife's sake). It's nice to have our whole family together- whether we are test driving a car, picking out a new car seat, or just relaxing at home. I will certainly miss this when it is gone.
I also know how lucky I am to have had it at all.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Days 58, 59, and 60
This morning our students performed this year's musical, Into The Woods, for local senior citizens. Why am I mentioning this? Because I am in charge of the sound reinforcement for the show, and I couldn't find anyone to watch my son in the morning. This was one of our biggest adventures yet.
For the first time in a while, I woke up before my son. I had to be at school by 8 to help the cast with their microphones and perform a soundcheck. I decided to hold off on giving my son breakfast until we got to school, figuring it would buy me some silent time during the show. I brought along his milk, cereal bar, and lots of snacks.
We go to school a minute or two late, and I had to get to work right away. Unfortunately, I need two hands to do my job. My son wandered around my work area but never strayed farther than a few steps from me. When the kids are getting their mics, they form kind of a human wall; this was very helpful in keeping him nearby. I knew it wouldn't be so easy when the show started. A parent volunteered her daughter to watch him for me, but I told her I would try my luck on my own. I did ask the girl to sit near us- just in case.
Since the majority of my plan consisted of spreading his breakfast out over the course of the show, I brought along his Booster Seat. He was trying to climb into it while I was checking the mics, so I figured he wouldn't mind sitting in it for a time. He finished his bottle before the show started. This left me with his cereal bar and snacks to hold him over for the rest of the show (a little under 2 hours). He patiently ate his cereal bar during the first scene and allowed me to feed him small portions of his other snacks for the rest of the first act. The only time he made any noise happened to be during some applause! Things were going great. I held him for the entire intermission and he returned to his seat with no protest afterward.
As the second act got underway, I started to wonder how much longer his snacks would hold him over. Surely he had to be getting full (and tired). He didn't begin to show any signs of frustration until deep into the second act. He even applauded at a couple appropriate moments. I was thrilled that he was able to hold it together for this long. Even if he didn't, I knew my two student assistants would be able to step in for me in a pinch. However, I was determined to get through the show without any help. One of my goals for this experience has been to maintain as much of my "normal" life as possible. I've been relatively successful so far.
There's a moment right before the end of the show where the two main characters have a baby. That's where the crying sound effect that I recorded last week comes in. I'm not sure if it was hearing himself crying over the P.A. or his patience running out, but at that point my son began to lose it a little. Thankfully, there are only a few simple mic cues to hit before the entire cast sings until the end of the show. I pulled him out of his chair and sang the remaining songs to him as we bounced to the music. He was happy once again, and we survived the entire show without disturbing the cast or audience! I was so proud of him. I felt bad for putting him through that, but considering the circumstances, it needed to be done. Not that we would (because I've been on the other side of it far too many times), but I know now that we could probably take him to the movies. He's already been to a concert and live theater!
When we were collecting and putting away the mics after the show, the same parent from earlier volunteered to hold him and make my job easier. This time I obliged. We hurried out of there as soon as I was done. I gave him lunch at Gram and PopPop's house and put him down for his nap soon after. It was very important that he get a chance to nap because he had to get his hair cut later in the day. PopPop came home to supervise his grandson, and I had to rush back to school for the afternoon performance for the student body. Knowing that my son was resting, I could finally relax.
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Besides taking our our dogs to their hair dresser in the morning, I had no specific place to be today. Unfortunately, when I dropped off our older dog, I was told that he had fleas. Day ruined!
Our younger dog only gets her hair cut once a year, but we take her along when we pick up the other dog so she can get her nails clipped. As soon as I found out about the fleas, I drove back home and grabbed her so the hair dresser could give her a flea bath. While a dogless house would ensure an uninterrupted nap for my son, the circumstances also meant that I had to wash the sheets, towels, and vacuum all the floors!
Once again, I refused to let anything stand in the way of keeping amy day relatively normal. After we dropped off the dogs, I drove over to the local Kia dealer so I could test out the Sorento. As lunchtime loomed large, I explained to the salesman that we didn't have a lot of time. We've heard positive reviews from several people, and I simply wanted to get a look at the car to see if it was worth pursuing further. We headed back home after the testdrive, and my son fell asleep almost instantly. Ruined day: continued!
With my son sleeping in the car, I couldn't get inside to do any of the aforementioned and necessary housework. I still had to give him lunch, too. Couple all of this with the fact that I had to pick up the dogs before 3. And forget about P90X! I let him sleep for as long as I could, and then we went inside for lunch.
I tried unsuccessfully to get him to take a more complete nap after lunch, but he had little interest in complying. I needed him to stay in his crib so I could finish the cleaning. Thankfully the sound of the vacuum drowned out his disdainful cries until I could go up and retrieve him. I gave him his post-nap bottle and snack, and we returned to the hairdresser with just a little time to spare. Ruined day: survived!
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My wife accidentally took the car seat with her to work today, so once again our Sam Ash trip was delayed (along with any other plans to leave the house). The weather was pretty nice right before lunch, so I thought we should spend some time outside.
After his impressive showing on the trail several weeks ago, I had this crazy idea to let my son "run" in a local half-mile Fun Run. I'm no Biranchi Das, but he looks and sounds so happy when he is running around. We're going to see how it goes. Anyway, he was already dressed in sweatpants, so I put a sweatshirt on him and we stepped outside. He immediately got the idea- I initially walked a few feet in front of him and he would catch up. Eventually, I slowly jogged next to him and he did his best impression of a runner. You kind of have to see it to understand, but he flails his arms about wildly and sticks out his tongue and blows raspberries all the while. It's really something.
We made it almost all the way around our block before he had to stop and check out some leaves. I picked him up to cross the street, but he was distracted by a new neighbor's barking dogs. Fearing nothing and respecting few boundaries, he pointed at the window against which they jumped and approached it rapidly. One of the residents is apparently a boy roughly my son's age, and he peaked over the couch while his mom waved his arm for him and the miniature dogs continued to jump and bark. The entire scene was almost too cute for its own good. When it appeared that my son had his fill of the dogs, I picked him up and put him back on the sidewalk. He ran right back to the dog/ baby house.
Eventually we got back on track and on to the next block- that is until he randomly walked up another neighbor's steep (for a 16-month old) driveway. Then another's steps and front porch. And yet another's bow window (inhabited by two larger, barking dogs). This, coupled with his insanely fast climbing skills, makes me think it may soon be time to teach this kid about danger...
Finally after about 25 minutes (I wish I had been using RunKeeper), we had made it all the way around two blocks (roughly a half-mile) and back home. Not a single stumble, fall, or skinned knee! We hydrated, ate lunch, and he recovered with a nice long nap. I did some dishes, played Nintendo 64, and thought about how neat that was. Just like that guy told me (and I misheard) a couple of months ago on the trail- all I needed to do was put some sneakers on him and he would do the rest.
For the first time in a while, I woke up before my son. I had to be at school by 8 to help the cast with their microphones and perform a soundcheck. I decided to hold off on giving my son breakfast until we got to school, figuring it would buy me some silent time during the show. I brought along his milk, cereal bar, and lots of snacks.
We go to school a minute or two late, and I had to get to work right away. Unfortunately, I need two hands to do my job. My son wandered around my work area but never strayed farther than a few steps from me. When the kids are getting their mics, they form kind of a human wall; this was very helpful in keeping him nearby. I knew it wouldn't be so easy when the show started. A parent volunteered her daughter to watch him for me, but I told her I would try my luck on my own. I did ask the girl to sit near us- just in case.
Since the majority of my plan consisted of spreading his breakfast out over the course of the show, I brought along his Booster Seat. He was trying to climb into it while I was checking the mics, so I figured he wouldn't mind sitting in it for a time. He finished his bottle before the show started. This left me with his cereal bar and snacks to hold him over for the rest of the show (a little under 2 hours). He patiently ate his cereal bar during the first scene and allowed me to feed him small portions of his other snacks for the rest of the first act. The only time he made any noise happened to be during some applause! Things were going great. I held him for the entire intermission and he returned to his seat with no protest afterward.
As the second act got underway, I started to wonder how much longer his snacks would hold him over. Surely he had to be getting full (and tired). He didn't begin to show any signs of frustration until deep into the second act. He even applauded at a couple appropriate moments. I was thrilled that he was able to hold it together for this long. Even if he didn't, I knew my two student assistants would be able to step in for me in a pinch. However, I was determined to get through the show without any help. One of my goals for this experience has been to maintain as much of my "normal" life as possible. I've been relatively successful so far.
There's a moment right before the end of the show where the two main characters have a baby. That's where the crying sound effect that I recorded last week comes in. I'm not sure if it was hearing himself crying over the P.A. or his patience running out, but at that point my son began to lose it a little. Thankfully, there are only a few simple mic cues to hit before the entire cast sings until the end of the show. I pulled him out of his chair and sang the remaining songs to him as we bounced to the music. He was happy once again, and we survived the entire show without disturbing the cast or audience! I was so proud of him. I felt bad for putting him through that, but considering the circumstances, it needed to be done. Not that we would (because I've been on the other side of it far too many times), but I know now that we could probably take him to the movies. He's already been to a concert and live theater!
When we were collecting and putting away the mics after the show, the same parent from earlier volunteered to hold him and make my job easier. This time I obliged. We hurried out of there as soon as I was done. I gave him lunch at Gram and PopPop's house and put him down for his nap soon after. It was very important that he get a chance to nap because he had to get his hair cut later in the day. PopPop came home to supervise his grandson, and I had to rush back to school for the afternoon performance for the student body. Knowing that my son was resting, I could finally relax.
-----
Besides taking our our dogs to their hair dresser in the morning, I had no specific place to be today. Unfortunately, when I dropped off our older dog, I was told that he had fleas. Day ruined!
Our younger dog only gets her hair cut once a year, but we take her along when we pick up the other dog so she can get her nails clipped. As soon as I found out about the fleas, I drove back home and grabbed her so the hair dresser could give her a flea bath. While a dogless house would ensure an uninterrupted nap for my son, the circumstances also meant that I had to wash the sheets, towels, and vacuum all the floors!
Once again, I refused to let anything stand in the way of keeping amy day relatively normal. After we dropped off the dogs, I drove over to the local Kia dealer so I could test out the Sorento. As lunchtime loomed large, I explained to the salesman that we didn't have a lot of time. We've heard positive reviews from several people, and I simply wanted to get a look at the car to see if it was worth pursuing further. We headed back home after the testdrive, and my son fell asleep almost instantly. Ruined day: continued!
With my son sleeping in the car, I couldn't get inside to do any of the aforementioned and necessary housework. I still had to give him lunch, too. Couple all of this with the fact that I had to pick up the dogs before 3. And forget about P90X! I let him sleep for as long as I could, and then we went inside for lunch.
I tried unsuccessfully to get him to take a more complete nap after lunch, but he had little interest in complying. I needed him to stay in his crib so I could finish the cleaning. Thankfully the sound of the vacuum drowned out his disdainful cries until I could go up and retrieve him. I gave him his post-nap bottle and snack, and we returned to the hairdresser with just a little time to spare. Ruined day: survived!
-----
My wife accidentally took the car seat with her to work today, so once again our Sam Ash trip was delayed (along with any other plans to leave the house). The weather was pretty nice right before lunch, so I thought we should spend some time outside.
After his impressive showing on the trail several weeks ago, I had this crazy idea to let my son "run" in a local half-mile Fun Run. I'm no Biranchi Das, but he looks and sounds so happy when he is running around. We're going to see how it goes. Anyway, he was already dressed in sweatpants, so I put a sweatshirt on him and we stepped outside. He immediately got the idea- I initially walked a few feet in front of him and he would catch up. Eventually, I slowly jogged next to him and he did his best impression of a runner. You kind of have to see it to understand, but he flails his arms about wildly and sticks out his tongue and blows raspberries all the while. It's really something.
We made it almost all the way around our block before he had to stop and check out some leaves. I picked him up to cross the street, but he was distracted by a new neighbor's barking dogs. Fearing nothing and respecting few boundaries, he pointed at the window against which they jumped and approached it rapidly. One of the residents is apparently a boy roughly my son's age, and he peaked over the couch while his mom waved his arm for him and the miniature dogs continued to jump and bark. The entire scene was almost too cute for its own good. When it appeared that my son had his fill of the dogs, I picked him up and put him back on the sidewalk. He ran right back to the dog/ baby house.
Eventually we got back on track and on to the next block- that is until he randomly walked up another neighbor's steep (for a 16-month old) driveway. Then another's steps and front porch. And yet another's bow window (inhabited by two larger, barking dogs). This, coupled with his insanely fast climbing skills, makes me think it may soon be time to teach this kid about danger...
Finally after about 25 minutes (I wish I had been using RunKeeper), we had made it all the way around two blocks (roughly a half-mile) and back home. Not a single stumble, fall, or skinned knee! We hydrated, ate lunch, and he recovered with a nice long nap. I did some dishes, played Nintendo 64, and thought about how neat that was. Just like that guy told me (and I misheard) a couple of months ago on the trail- all I needed to do was put some sneakers on him and he would do the rest.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Days 55, 56, and 57
I realized today at storytime that it's kind of difficult to pick and check out items for myself and hold my son at the same time. I needed some CDs for pre and post show music for my school's musical this weekend, and the library had some appropriate options. Just as I would find what was I was looking for, he would pull 3 or 4 other CDs off the shelf. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that he may have been trying to turn me on to some new music. I'll pay closer attention next week.
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Mommy dropped a not-so-subtle hint last week that she would be free for lunch today due to a break in her parent conferences. We picked up some food and headed over around 11. My son loves her classroom because it's big and loud. Also, Mommy is there. He stomps around and stares at the ceiling fans high above him. He picks up plastic cups and markers and eventually puts them back right back where he found them (most of the time). He sticks just about everything near his mouth and smiles when Mommy tells him it's "yucky".
We ate at a student table that my wife assures me she heavily sanitized, and then we played for a while. We couldn't stay for long, so after about an hour I took him home for his nap. My original plan was to take him to the Sam Ash near King of Prussia and let him nap on the way, but the rainy weather and an appointment later in the day made me change my mind. Much like he loved his trip to Guitar Center earlier in the year, I'm sure Sam Ash will be right up his alley.
While my son was resisting falling asleep today, I recorded his cries for a sound effect for our show. His unofficial on-stage debut! I asked, but he refuses to sign the program for me.
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When we get to music class, I have to close all the doors and seal the ice salt container so that my son isn't tempted to get in too much trouble. He's also a big fan of walking in the secret passage behind the filing cabinets, so today I created a wall made up of a few boxes and put it near his usual entrance. The first time he walked over there, he saw the cardboard barrier and came right back to me. He was more focused today than any of our previous classes. However, he returned to the boxes and defiantly picked one of them up. He brought it over to me, smiling all the way, and waved it in my face. I guess maybe I'll try boxes of rocks next time.
It was rainy again today, so the Sam Ash trip was once again off the table. We had lunch, played for a bit, and he began to look sleepy. I took him up for his nap- no recordings were involved this time- and decided to do a little (and I stress "little") cleaning. I carried 7 drinking glasses in one hand and my iPad in the other as I walked down the steps from putting him down for his nap. I wonder if it's possible to get a dish chute installed.
We went to my parents' house for dinner because my wife had a late meeting and I had musical rehearsal. We picked up dinner for us along the way. As always, he was happy to see them and they feigned interest for as long as they could- my mom even went to the trouble of buying fruit for him just in case he would be eating with them! I know I've expressed it a few times here before, but he is so lucky to have such a supportive and loving family.
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Mommy dropped a not-so-subtle hint last week that she would be free for lunch today due to a break in her parent conferences. We picked up some food and headed over around 11. My son loves her classroom because it's big and loud. Also, Mommy is there. He stomps around and stares at the ceiling fans high above him. He picks up plastic cups and markers and eventually puts them back right back where he found them (most of the time). He sticks just about everything near his mouth and smiles when Mommy tells him it's "yucky".
We ate at a student table that my wife assures me she heavily sanitized, and then we played for a while. We couldn't stay for long, so after about an hour I took him home for his nap. My original plan was to take him to the Sam Ash near King of Prussia and let him nap on the way, but the rainy weather and an appointment later in the day made me change my mind. Much like he loved his trip to Guitar Center earlier in the year, I'm sure Sam Ash will be right up his alley.
While my son was resisting falling asleep today, I recorded his cries for a sound effect for our show. His unofficial on-stage debut! I asked, but he refuses to sign the program for me.
-----
When we get to music class, I have to close all the doors and seal the ice salt container so that my son isn't tempted to get in too much trouble. He's also a big fan of walking in the secret passage behind the filing cabinets, so today I created a wall made up of a few boxes and put it near his usual entrance. The first time he walked over there, he saw the cardboard barrier and came right back to me. He was more focused today than any of our previous classes. However, he returned to the boxes and defiantly picked one of them up. He brought it over to me, smiling all the way, and waved it in my face. I guess maybe I'll try boxes of rocks next time.
It was rainy again today, so the Sam Ash trip was once again off the table. We had lunch, played for a bit, and he began to look sleepy. I took him up for his nap- no recordings were involved this time- and decided to do a little (and I stress "little") cleaning. I carried 7 drinking glasses in one hand and my iPad in the other as I walked down the steps from putting him down for his nap. I wonder if it's possible to get a dish chute installed.
We went to my parents' house for dinner because my wife had a late meeting and I had musical rehearsal. We picked up dinner for us along the way. As always, he was happy to see them and they feigned interest for as long as they could- my mom even went to the trouble of buying fruit for him just in case he would be eating with them! I know I've expressed it a few times here before, but he is so lucky to have such a supportive and loving family.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Day 54
This morning began with awful news: my grandmother passed away at the age of 88. I knew something was wrong when my wife brought my phone up to me in bed and said I had a message from my dad. Generally he calls about dinner plans or family emergencies, and it was 8 in the morning. I called him back and immediately knew what the news was from sound of his voice. "My mom went home," he said.
Her husband, my grandfather, died earlier this year, and she was unable to take care of herself at home. She was moved to a nearby "senior living community" and almost instantly responded to medication and therapy. Recent years hadn't been kind to my grandmother, and I knew she wasn't thrilled about having to leave her house. I was unsure of what to expect the first time I went to go visit her at her new home. I was shocked by her transformation! She was more "with it" than she had been in a long time, and I was able to carry on lengthy conversations with her for the first time in years. Not only that, but my son was with me every time I would visit her, and she was certainly a big fan of his.
Each time we would visit was exactly the same. She would repeat over and over, "You don't know what you did for me today!" She would cry tears of joy and marvel at how big/ agile/ tough/ inquisitive/ fearless he was. She would laugh as he would tease her by putting Cheerios near her mouth, only to pull them away as she would attempt to bite down. She moved around like someone thirty years her junior as she would attempt to keep up with him running circles around her bedroom.
They got to celebrate their shared birthday together only once, and it was so important to more than just the two of them. For me, it helped ease the pain of not seeing my grandfather on our final shared birthday. For my dad, it brought together his all three remaining generations of his family for a few moments of pure joy. Balloons were held, smiles were shared, and cupcakes were devoured.
I wrote about the last time I saw my grandmother just last week. She was asleep and was completely peaceful. Though she lay in a hospital bed, she was still in her room and surrounded by her belongings and pictures and momentos of her family. I tried to wake her up a few times so she could see her great-grandson in his Halloween costume, but she needed her rest. I think my son knew that, too, as he just stood there completely silent. It was difficult to leave, but I knew I'd see her again soon. Today was going to be that day, too. Isn't that how it always goes?
The first thing we were going to do after breakfast was visit my grandmother. Before I got off the phone with my dad, I told him we would come over. My son seems to have tremendous healing power. I think his visit was just what my dad needed. He and I deal with loss in somewhat similar ways, and distraction is one of them. We played, we laughed, and one of us didn't eat scrambled eggs. For a couple of hours, my son filled the house with adorableness and helped ease the pain. Timing is everything, and I have to think that the past several months could have been a lot tougher on some of us if not for my son.
I'm glad we all had one last summer of good memories with my grandmother. It reminded me of how much fun we used to have before nature began to take its toll. Most of my other memories of her stick with me from when I was much younger. I remember playing gin rummy with her. I remember sitting on the back porch and watching the cows. I remember the drawer where the coloring books and crayons were kept. I remember her spot on the couch. I remember the many transistor radios that she wore out from listening to her son every morning and her Phillies every night. I remember goulash. I remember her penpal in Australia. I remember Lincoln Logs. I remember "Chucky" and the Taco Bell dog. I remember wanting to find out how much it would hurt to touch the cactuses she used to keep. I remember the sound of her lighter. I remember her sitting on my wife's grandfather's lap at our wedding reception. I remember her wearing pajamas any and all times of day. I remember having to keep quiet when she took her daily phone call from Evelyn. I remember how proud she would be of her haircuts. I remember getting to talk to her- and only her- for a short while before Grandpop would get home from OTW. I remember playing my very first drum set in her living room.
I remember you, Grandmom.
Her husband, my grandfather, died earlier this year, and she was unable to take care of herself at home. She was moved to a nearby "senior living community" and almost instantly responded to medication and therapy. Recent years hadn't been kind to my grandmother, and I knew she wasn't thrilled about having to leave her house. I was unsure of what to expect the first time I went to go visit her at her new home. I was shocked by her transformation! She was more "with it" than she had been in a long time, and I was able to carry on lengthy conversations with her for the first time in years. Not only that, but my son was with me every time I would visit her, and she was certainly a big fan of his.
Each time we would visit was exactly the same. She would repeat over and over, "You don't know what you did for me today!" She would cry tears of joy and marvel at how big/ agile/ tough/ inquisitive/ fearless he was. She would laugh as he would tease her by putting Cheerios near her mouth, only to pull them away as she would attempt to bite down. She moved around like someone thirty years her junior as she would attempt to keep up with him running circles around her bedroom.
They got to celebrate their shared birthday together only once, and it was so important to more than just the two of them. For me, it helped ease the pain of not seeing my grandfather on our final shared birthday. For my dad, it brought together his all three remaining generations of his family for a few moments of pure joy. Balloons were held, smiles were shared, and cupcakes were devoured.
I wrote about the last time I saw my grandmother just last week. She was asleep and was completely peaceful. Though she lay in a hospital bed, she was still in her room and surrounded by her belongings and pictures and momentos of her family. I tried to wake her up a few times so she could see her great-grandson in his Halloween costume, but she needed her rest. I think my son knew that, too, as he just stood there completely silent. It was difficult to leave, but I knew I'd see her again soon. Today was going to be that day, too. Isn't that how it always goes?
The first thing we were going to do after breakfast was visit my grandmother. Before I got off the phone with my dad, I told him we would come over. My son seems to have tremendous healing power. I think his visit was just what my dad needed. He and I deal with loss in somewhat similar ways, and distraction is one of them. We played, we laughed, and one of us didn't eat scrambled eggs. For a couple of hours, my son filled the house with adorableness and helped ease the pain. Timing is everything, and I have to think that the past several months could have been a lot tougher on some of us if not for my son.
I'm glad we all had one last summer of good memories with my grandmother. It reminded me of how much fun we used to have before nature began to take its toll. Most of my other memories of her stick with me from when I was much younger. I remember playing gin rummy with her. I remember sitting on the back porch and watching the cows. I remember the drawer where the coloring books and crayons were kept. I remember her spot on the couch. I remember the many transistor radios that she wore out from listening to her son every morning and her Phillies every night. I remember goulash. I remember her penpal in Australia. I remember Lincoln Logs. I remember "Chucky" and the Taco Bell dog. I remember wanting to find out how much it would hurt to touch the cactuses she used to keep. I remember the sound of her lighter. I remember her sitting on my wife's grandfather's lap at our wedding reception. I remember her wearing pajamas any and all times of day. I remember having to keep quiet when she took her daily phone call from Evelyn. I remember how proud she would be of her haircuts. I remember getting to talk to her- and only her- for a short while before Grandpop would get home from OTW. I remember playing my very first drum set in her living room.
I remember you, Grandmom.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Days 52 and 53
One thing I forgot to mention yesterday- my son has found a way to beat the gate meant to keep him off of the stairs. He discovered that he can pull himself up on the railing and posts on the outside edge of the steps and walk up that way. I'm not sure if it's normal for him to be this strong/ this good of a climber, but it's certainly made things interesting so far. Pretty much anything he can climb on, he's all over it, and I'm spotting him.
His climbing isn't limited to our home. At music class he has gone up the back of an upright piano and attempted to ascend the wall of filing cabinets. I've started researching colleges that give scholarships for rock climbing. We've got a decent climbing tree in our back yard. Maybe we'll start there and see what he's really made of.
I returned our rental car after music class today. I had to leave my son in his car seat and hook it up to the jogging stroller much like when he was too small to hold his head up. He looked ridiculous, but he managed to fall asleep anyway. He was probably trying to escape the embarrassment of seeing anyone he knew. I also had to carry the base along with pushing the stroller, and this was not an easy task. The straps and hooks that attach to the seat kept smacking against the hard plastic of the base, but it wasn't enough noise to wake up my son. After the mile-and-a-half walk back to our house, he was quickly shocked awake by our guard dogs. He needed to wake up for lunch anyway, but this short nap kept him from taking his usual nap longer in the day and made for an uncharacteristically cranky baby at dinner. Poor kid. Like I've mentioned before, at his worst he's still better behaved than most kids we've seen and heard at restaurants. Toot toot. Oh what's that? That's my horn.
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We didn't leave the house on this rainy day. We had plenty of outdoor time during the fantastic weather of the rest of the week. I filmed my very giggly son while pushing him in his swing on the aforementioned climbing tree in the backyard. He loves that thing.
He took a long nap today after a couple of failed attempts. His pal Scout wasn't quite doing the job for him today, so I had to step in and rub his back until he fell asleep. It's nice to know that he still needs me every now and then, but that toy has worked wonders for him- both for naps and bedtime. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to ask for nothing but batteries for Christmas this year.
His long nap allowed me to do some combination of yoga, dishes, and very little else for almost 3 hours. Thanks, son!
His climbing isn't limited to our home. At music class he has gone up the back of an upright piano and attempted to ascend the wall of filing cabinets. I've started researching colleges that give scholarships for rock climbing. We've got a decent climbing tree in our back yard. Maybe we'll start there and see what he's really made of.
I returned our rental car after music class today. I had to leave my son in his car seat and hook it up to the jogging stroller much like when he was too small to hold his head up. He looked ridiculous, but he managed to fall asleep anyway. He was probably trying to escape the embarrassment of seeing anyone he knew. I also had to carry the base along with pushing the stroller, and this was not an easy task. The straps and hooks that attach to the seat kept smacking against the hard plastic of the base, but it wasn't enough noise to wake up my son. After the mile-and-a-half walk back to our house, he was quickly shocked awake by our guard dogs. He needed to wake up for lunch anyway, but this short nap kept him from taking his usual nap longer in the day and made for an uncharacteristically cranky baby at dinner. Poor kid. Like I've mentioned before, at his worst he's still better behaved than most kids we've seen and heard at restaurants. Toot toot. Oh what's that? That's my horn.
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We didn't leave the house on this rainy day. We had plenty of outdoor time during the fantastic weather of the rest of the week. I filmed my very giggly son while pushing him in his swing on the aforementioned climbing tree in the backyard. He loves that thing.
He took a long nap today after a couple of failed attempts. His pal Scout wasn't quite doing the job for him today, so I had to step in and rub his back until he fell asleep. It's nice to know that he still needs me every now and then, but that toy has worked wonders for him- both for naps and bedtime. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to ask for nothing but batteries for Christmas this year.
His long nap allowed me to do some combination of yoga, dishes, and very little else for almost 3 hours. Thanks, son!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Days 50 and 51
We were up nice and early today (thanks, end of Daylight Savings Time!), so we not only made it to Baby Storytime for the second week in a row, we were actually early. It's not often that we are early for anything these days, but I haven't been too concerned with it.
After storytime we took advantage of a gorgeous fall day and walked around a little bit at a local shopping center. I needed some fabric for a chroma key screen, and my son needed a helmet for his bike trailer, and we managed to procure both without incident. In between stops we checked out some "dups" at the pet store, and once again the ferrets were a big hit. Hmm...
I had to do some school work during naptime, as occasionally taking two classes at once requires. I was able to both do the dishes and complete an entire assignment (really just report the results of a survey I deployed last week) during his nap, but I had to sacrifice my workout to do so. Eventually I'll catch up with two of them in one day, but my current sickness makes it difficult. Poor, poor me.
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When I got my car inspected in March, I was told that I needed new brakes. Today I finally had time to make an appointment with my local Toyota dealer to take care of the issue. While it was there, I thought it would be a good idea to have them take a look at the suspect tail light (what is it with my cars and tail lights?) that caused me to get pulled over on the way home from Massachusetts this past summer. (I avoided a ticket by convincing the state trooper that I could get it to work by jiggling the wires, and the wires cooperated.) After paying nearly 90 dollars to find out that the last person to ”fix" it used the wrong wattage bulb, I regretted my decision slightly. Shoulda checked the hunk yard!
In order to make the appointment, I had to keep my still-adjusting-to-standard-time-son up for a hour after his recently normal naptime. We went for a bike ride around the adjecent neighborhoods after lunch, which was only possible because of the previous day's helmet purchase. It was another beautiful day, and it was great to get to spend some of it outside. He fell sleep briefly on the way, and I think it was just enough to hold him off until we got home from my appointment.
Because I would already be at the dealership and my wife and I have been considering getting a new car, I figured it couldn't hurt to test drive a car. I pulled my son's carseat and base out of my car and put it in a new Highlander. After the test drive was over, I explained that I wouldn't be making any decisions today because I had to walk my son home for his nap. The salesman talked me into taking it home for the night so I wouldn't have to walk home. I knew we wouldn't be buying this particular car, so I let it happen. If nothing else, this would give my wife a chance to see if she could handle the jump from a small sedan to a medium-sizes SUV. She says it's like driving a minivan. Next!
After storytime we took advantage of a gorgeous fall day and walked around a little bit at a local shopping center. I needed some fabric for a chroma key screen, and my son needed a helmet for his bike trailer, and we managed to procure both without incident. In between stops we checked out some "dups" at the pet store, and once again the ferrets were a big hit. Hmm...
I had to do some school work during naptime, as occasionally taking two classes at once requires. I was able to both do the dishes and complete an entire assignment (really just report the results of a survey I deployed last week) during his nap, but I had to sacrifice my workout to do so. Eventually I'll catch up with two of them in one day, but my current sickness makes it difficult. Poor, poor me.
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When I got my car inspected in March, I was told that I needed new brakes. Today I finally had time to make an appointment with my local Toyota dealer to take care of the issue. While it was there, I thought it would be a good idea to have them take a look at the suspect tail light (what is it with my cars and tail lights?) that caused me to get pulled over on the way home from Massachusetts this past summer. (I avoided a ticket by convincing the state trooper that I could get it to work by jiggling the wires, and the wires cooperated.) After paying nearly 90 dollars to find out that the last person to ”fix" it used the wrong wattage bulb, I regretted my decision slightly. Shoulda checked the hunk yard!
In order to make the appointment, I had to keep my still-adjusting-to-standard-time-son up for a hour after his recently normal naptime. We went for a bike ride around the adjecent neighborhoods after lunch, which was only possible because of the previous day's helmet purchase. It was another beautiful day, and it was great to get to spend some of it outside. He fell sleep briefly on the way, and I think it was just enough to hold him off until we got home from my appointment.
Because I would already be at the dealership and my wife and I have been considering getting a new car, I figured it couldn't hurt to test drive a car. I pulled my son's carseat and base out of my car and put it in a new Highlander. After the test drive was over, I explained that I wouldn't be making any decisions today because I had to walk my son home for his nap. The salesman talked me into taking it home for the night so I wouldn't have to walk home. I knew we wouldn't be buying this particular car, so I let it happen. If nothing else, this would give my wife a chance to see if she could handle the jump from a small sedan to a medium-sizes SUV. She says it's like driving a minivan. Next!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Days 48 and 49
The biggest adventure today was trying to get my son his afternoon bottle, dropping him off at my wife's school, and still making it to my dentist appointment on time. 2 out of 3 might ain't bad, and thankfully the other 1 didn't result in any extra charges.
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Earlier in the week, I made plans with my father-in-law, PopPop G(erry), to give my truck a tuneup today. In order to pull that off, I needed someone to watch my son. Not shockingly, Gram jumped at the opportunity. She emailed me the night before to confirm and told me she would be over at 8. I'm not sure (read: I'm pretty sure) if it was her eagerness to hang out with him or a miscommunication between us, but he is rarely up that early. I let her know that she didn't need to be over until 9, and she was there right on time.
After giving her the lowdown on lunch and other important daily routine details, I departed for PopPop G's place. The tuneup, my first, was going great until Gerry realized that the first part that needed to be replaced wasn't going to fit. When I bought it, the employee who grabbed most of the supplies for me didn't explain that one of the options he gave me wasn't for my truck's model. This was kind of a big deal. Long story short- we had to drive back to the store (which is three blocks from my house) to get the correct part. Before anything actually got done. Oh well.
The rest of the tuneup went well, despite the efforts of 20-year old rust and corrosion. We closed the hood and started it up, and everything seemed great. Not content with just a little positivity, we rolled the dice and decided to take another trip to the junkyard in an attempt to find a replacement tail light for the neglected side of the truck. I crossed my fingers, gritted my teeth, and called Gram to see if she would mind sticking around a little longer. Much to my surprise (read: not at all to my surprise), she was happy to stay as long as was needed.
Thankfully and thoughtfully, PopPop G took a shot at a different junkyard: one much closer than either of the two we visited before. It was my first time actually going inside, and I think it's one of my new favorite places. I don't know how much I would ever actually need to go there, but I am just fascinated by the idea of it. Are there any othe products that have locations where one can walk right in, pull/ pry/ break off whatever piece he needs, and pay one low price for it, no matter what condition it's in? So cool. I wish I had a reason to go more often. Amazingly, we found exactly what we needed, so we headed back to the garage and Gerry installed it in no time. I thanked him and then returned home to a napping son and smiling Gram.
At some point between the ages of 18 and 30, every person realizes he or she doesn't know everything, and his or her parents might actually be good for something other than car keys and meals. I saw every one of my parents/ in-laws this week, and it's comforting to know that we have such great support from all of them. They've all given so much to help my wife and I get to where we are today, and I'm sure that we can count on them to do the same in their relatively new roles as grandparents. Today was a perfect example of that. Thanks to all of you for all you do! My son might not yet know how lucky he is, but we'll make sure he won't forget.
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Earlier in the week, I made plans with my father-in-law, PopPop G(erry), to give my truck a tuneup today. In order to pull that off, I needed someone to watch my son. Not shockingly, Gram jumped at the opportunity. She emailed me the night before to confirm and told me she would be over at 8. I'm not sure (read: I'm pretty sure) if it was her eagerness to hang out with him or a miscommunication between us, but he is rarely up that early. I let her know that she didn't need to be over until 9, and she was there right on time.
After giving her the lowdown on lunch and other important daily routine details, I departed for PopPop G's place. The tuneup, my first, was going great until Gerry realized that the first part that needed to be replaced wasn't going to fit. When I bought it, the employee who grabbed most of the supplies for me didn't explain that one of the options he gave me wasn't for my truck's model. This was kind of a big deal. Long story short- we had to drive back to the store (which is three blocks from my house) to get the correct part. Before anything actually got done. Oh well.
The rest of the tuneup went well, despite the efforts of 20-year old rust and corrosion. We closed the hood and started it up, and everything seemed great. Not content with just a little positivity, we rolled the dice and decided to take another trip to the junkyard in an attempt to find a replacement tail light for the neglected side of the truck. I crossed my fingers, gritted my teeth, and called Gram to see if she would mind sticking around a little longer. Much to my surprise (read: not at all to my surprise), she was happy to stay as long as was needed.
Thankfully and thoughtfully, PopPop G took a shot at a different junkyard: one much closer than either of the two we visited before. It was my first time actually going inside, and I think it's one of my new favorite places. I don't know how much I would ever actually need to go there, but I am just fascinated by the idea of it. Are there any othe products that have locations where one can walk right in, pull/ pry/ break off whatever piece he needs, and pay one low price for it, no matter what condition it's in? So cool. I wish I had a reason to go more often. Amazingly, we found exactly what we needed, so we headed back to the garage and Gerry installed it in no time. I thanked him and then returned home to a napping son and smiling Gram.
At some point between the ages of 18 and 30, every person realizes he or she doesn't know everything, and his or her parents might actually be good for something other than car keys and meals. I saw every one of my parents/ in-laws this week, and it's comforting to know that we have such great support from all of them. They've all given so much to help my wife and I get to where we are today, and I'm sure that we can count on them to do the same in their relatively new roles as grandparents. Today was a perfect example of that. Thanks to all of you for all you do! My son might not yet know how lucky he is, but we'll make sure he won't forget.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Days 46 and 47
Both of us aren't feeling too great, so we stayed in today. Rumors that this has something to do with Daddy starting P90X again yesterday are unconfirmed. We did have a good time laying on the floor, stacking blocks, and listening to music. Sometimes that's OK, too.
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Today we had probably our most productive music class to date. Maybe it's the extra practice he got at baby storytime on Monday. Maybe it's because his girlfriend wasn't there. Or maybe it's because he's 15-months old and is supposed to be completely unpredictable. Either way, he participated with the group and me more than ever. He still did his share of exploring and took a special interest in opening and closing the container marked "Ice Melt" that was haphazardly left on the floor. That's probably safe for consumption...
(No he didn't eat any.)
After music class, I dressed him up one more time in his Halloween costume, (this was actually the 5th time overall) and we went to visit my grandmother. Unfortunately, she was sleeping and didn't feel like waking up when I tried to get her attention. I can't say I blame her, as it must have been quite shocking for her to all of a sudden see us in her room. I wonder how seeing a fuzzy frog prince with a baby face standing in front of her ended up affecting her dreams. He waited so quietly and patiently, but we left when it became evident she wasn't getting up. I think his cute little costume and personality brightened the spirits of the rest of the residents even more than usual, so that made me feel better. He made his way into the dining room and paraded around, eagerly accepting the attention he was receiving.
I still had to clean out my Phillies locker for the offseason (because of the personel turnover, we're told that they will cut our locks if we don't remove them ourselves), so we drove down to Citizens Bank Park to take care of business. We parked "behind" the stadium (which works out to be beyond right field) because that's where the employee entrance is located and walked up the steps to our locker room. My son had fun maneuvering the inside of the locker room- no small feat due to all the uniform racks positioned throughout the interior. I wasn't sure what, if anything, I actually still had in my locker, and I wasn't at all surprised to find nothing but a 2010 schedule magnet in there. Regardless, I needed to take my lock, and it gave my son a chance to walk around inside the ballpark one last time this year, so it wasn't a total waste of time!
Our next stop was (of course) the team store, which was considerably less busy than the last time we were there. We didn't really need to buy anything, but honestly, when does anyone really need to buy something from such a store? Naturally, my son went right for the stairs, and made it all the way up to the Phanatic Attic without incident. I bought him a Phillie Phanatic Bop Bag and plan on giving it to him for Christmas. I don't want to encourage punching and shoving *just yet*.
We had a very late lunch at regionally famous Chickie's and Pete's, located nearby. My son and I split an apple and some french fries, but we had a separate beverage tab. He charmed the hostess, waitresses, and all booth-neighbors. Based on years of experience seeing it done the wrong way, I was always kind of worried that it might be difficult to keep my own child under control at restaurants. Fortunately, he manages to be inquisitive and adorable without being annoying to those around him. Or at least that's what I think. I could just be another delusional parent, I suppose. However, he rarely screams, and when he does, it's never the shrill shriek that no one wants to hear, ever. Hopefully we can keep it that way. As I type this, he just walked over and smacked one of our dogs on the head after waking her up via laughing at the dream sounds she was making. Maybe he'll use up all the annoying stuff on the dogs. Poor things.
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Today we had probably our most productive music class to date. Maybe it's the extra practice he got at baby storytime on Monday. Maybe it's because his girlfriend wasn't there. Or maybe it's because he's 15-months old and is supposed to be completely unpredictable. Either way, he participated with the group and me more than ever. He still did his share of exploring and took a special interest in opening and closing the container marked "Ice Melt" that was haphazardly left on the floor. That's probably safe for consumption...
(No he didn't eat any.)
After music class, I dressed him up one more time in his Halloween costume, (this was actually the 5th time overall) and we went to visit my grandmother. Unfortunately, she was sleeping and didn't feel like waking up when I tried to get her attention. I can't say I blame her, as it must have been quite shocking for her to all of a sudden see us in her room. I wonder how seeing a fuzzy frog prince with a baby face standing in front of her ended up affecting her dreams. He waited so quietly and patiently, but we left when it became evident she wasn't getting up. I think his cute little costume and personality brightened the spirits of the rest of the residents even more than usual, so that made me feel better. He made his way into the dining room and paraded around, eagerly accepting the attention he was receiving.
I still had to clean out my Phillies locker for the offseason (because of the personel turnover, we're told that they will cut our locks if we don't remove them ourselves), so we drove down to Citizens Bank Park to take care of business. We parked "behind" the stadium (which works out to be beyond right field) because that's where the employee entrance is located and walked up the steps to our locker room. My son had fun maneuvering the inside of the locker room- no small feat due to all the uniform racks positioned throughout the interior. I wasn't sure what, if anything, I actually still had in my locker, and I wasn't at all surprised to find nothing but a 2010 schedule magnet in there. Regardless, I needed to take my lock, and it gave my son a chance to walk around inside the ballpark one last time this year, so it wasn't a total waste of time!
Our next stop was (of course) the team store, which was considerably less busy than the last time we were there. We didn't really need to buy anything, but honestly, when does anyone really need to buy something from such a store? Naturally, my son went right for the stairs, and made it all the way up to the Phanatic Attic without incident. I bought him a Phillie Phanatic Bop Bag and plan on giving it to him for Christmas. I don't want to encourage punching and shoving *just yet*.
We had a very late lunch at regionally famous Chickie's and Pete's, located nearby. My son and I split an apple and some french fries, but we had a separate beverage tab. He charmed the hostess, waitresses, and all booth-neighbors. Based on years of experience seeing it done the wrong way, I was always kind of worried that it might be difficult to keep my own child under control at restaurants. Fortunately, he manages to be inquisitive and adorable without being annoying to those around him. Or at least that's what I think. I could just be another delusional parent, I suppose. However, he rarely screams, and when he does, it's never the shrill shriek that no one wants to hear, ever. Hopefully we can keep it that way. As I type this, he just walked over and smacked one of our dogs on the head after waking her up via laughing at the dream sounds she was making. Maybe he'll use up all the annoying stuff on the dogs. Poor things.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Days 44 and 45
Today was a lazy day at home. My son hasn't been feeling all that great, so it was best to just relax. The consensus opinion at home was that this was the correct decision.
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Today was our first day of "baby" storytime. We missed the first few classes for a few different reasons. The first was because I didn't sign up ahead of time and didn't want to just show up. Another was because I never put it on my calendar and therefore forgot. The final missed date was the day after the marathon, and I wasn't exactly in any shape to chase my son around the library all morning. Regular storytime ended last week, so it was a good time to finally show up.
Baby storytime is similar to regular storytime in exactly two ways: it has shares the word "storytime" in its name and it takes place at the library. Other than that, there isn't much actual story involved; it's mostly music. I'm not complaining. I wasn't really sure how babies were supposed to stay focused on a story anyway. We started off with a new "hello" song to go along with the hello song we already know for music class. Then we sang about some farm animals and different parts of our body (metatarsals are fantastic, etc.). After that, the leader of storytime, Miss Pat, read a couple board books aloud while the babies drooled and the toddlers walked around. The grand finale had two crowd-pleasing highlights: bubbles and shakers! Who doesn't like that?!?
I can't believe we missed three weeks of this! Next week was scheduled to be the final week of this session, but Miss Pat announced that we would be meeting again for additional weeks. Yay!!! Even after all of that excitement, it got better. There was no snack, but Miss Pat gave us a reusable bag with a couple of books in it. I could get used to baby storytime.
When we got home, I remembered that I had recorded "Poison - Live, Raw & Uncut" early in the morning. I love so many Poison songs, even though they were wildly age-inappropriate (and equally over my head) when they were actually popular. They're such stupid fun that I couldn't resist seeing what they look and sound like these days. My son danced to some of the songs, and I picked him up and sang while we bounced around to classics like "Fallen Angel" and "Unskinny Bop". After he appeared to tire of dancing, I put him down and sat down. What happened next is another one of those moments that sounds completely meaningless, but it meant the world to me. He walked over to my (new) diaper bag, pulled out his drumsticks, and started clicking them together and hitting them on the floor. You can say it was unrelated, but I'm certain he knew what he was doing. Soon after that, it got a little difficult to see in the room. I think some dust got in my eye or something...
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Today was our first day of "baby" storytime. We missed the first few classes for a few different reasons. The first was because I didn't sign up ahead of time and didn't want to just show up. Another was because I never put it on my calendar and therefore forgot. The final missed date was the day after the marathon, and I wasn't exactly in any shape to chase my son around the library all morning. Regular storytime ended last week, so it was a good time to finally show up.
Baby storytime is similar to regular storytime in exactly two ways: it has shares the word "storytime" in its name and it takes place at the library. Other than that, there isn't much actual story involved; it's mostly music. I'm not complaining. I wasn't really sure how babies were supposed to stay focused on a story anyway. We started off with a new "hello" song to go along with the hello song we already know for music class. Then we sang about some farm animals and different parts of our body (metatarsals are fantastic, etc.). After that, the leader of storytime, Miss Pat, read a couple board books aloud while the babies drooled and the toddlers walked around. The grand finale had two crowd-pleasing highlights: bubbles and shakers! Who doesn't like that?!?
I can't believe we missed three weeks of this! Next week was scheduled to be the final week of this session, but Miss Pat announced that we would be meeting again for additional weeks. Yay!!! Even after all of that excitement, it got better. There was no snack, but Miss Pat gave us a reusable bag with a couple of books in it. I could get used to baby storytime.
When we got home, I remembered that I had recorded "Poison - Live, Raw & Uncut" early in the morning. I love so many Poison songs, even though they were wildly age-inappropriate (and equally over my head) when they were actually popular. They're such stupid fun that I couldn't resist seeing what they look and sound like these days. My son danced to some of the songs, and I picked him up and sang while we bounced around to classics like "Fallen Angel" and "Unskinny Bop". After he appeared to tire of dancing, I put him down and sat down. What happened next is another one of those moments that sounds completely meaningless, but it meant the world to me. He walked over to my (new) diaper bag, pulled out his drumsticks, and started clicking them together and hitting them on the floor. You can say it was unrelated, but I'm certain he knew what he was doing. Soon after that, it got a little difficult to see in the room. I think some dust got in my eye or something...
Friday, October 28, 2011
Days 41 , 42, and 43
Remember that chair I told you about? Well, today my son climbed back up on it and rather than bouncing and dancing, he decided to sit and relax. He looked like such a big boy, sitting there and smiling proudly.
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The highlights of music class today were playing with a cardboard recycling box, climbing the back of a piano, and disappearing behind a wall of filing cabinets. The first time he found his way behind the filing cabinets, I chased him to make sure he didn't fall or get stuck. It turns out there's nothing dangerous there, it's just very dirty. He is so cautious when he walks, noticing every little bump and inconsistency in front of him. There's a doorstop right at the "entrance" behind the filing cabinets, and he saw it before I did. He stepped around it and happily continued on his way.
After class we headed into the city. As hard as it may be to believe, I needed a new cable remote likely because of the way my son treated it. So we drove across the Penn Street Bridge and held our breath as we approached the most dangerous city in the history of ever: Reading. Upon entering the cable company building, there was a smal jumble of 5 or 6 people vaguely resembling a line. The inside of the building is set up in a reverse L shape, and the inside of the L is where the employees are situated. At the bottom of the L there is a cordon meant to act as a lead for the line. How these people couldn't see this, I don't know. Then again, whenever I have to visit the cable company, I am always surprised by someone's stupidity. I think I've written before about how it's up to the citizens of the line to police it, and this was a perfect opportunity to do so. I quickly explained how the line was supposed to work, and surprisingly everybody, ahem, fell in line. This allowed people to actually stand inside the building and not in the airlock or on the steps outside. Shockingly, I was given no reward for changing the line for the better. When it was our turn in line, I handed over the broken remote, it was thrown in a box of other broken things, and I received a replacement. No paperwork, no wait. It was great.
I didn't want to waste a trip to the city without stopping at the nearby Reading Soft Pretzel Bakery, so that was the next stop. My son waited in the car while I picked up the pretzels. Somehow that building smells more like cigarette smoke than pretzels, and if there's one thing a baby doesn't need to smell like, it's cigarettes. Or soft pretzels.
I (well, my chinchillas, not really "I") needed some chinchilla food, so we drove to a local pet store. My son really enjoyed watching the feeder fish in one of their tanks. He's not getting a fish, but it's great to see how much he seemingly loves animals. His uncle has quite an elaborate home aquarium, so we'll be sure to check that out next time we're there.
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It was our job to bring the snack for storytime today. My wife was kind enough to bake some Halloween-themed sugar cookies for us while I attended a Butch Walker concert in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, because it was late on a school night, she couldn't go. What a trooper!
We were a little late getting to the library, mainly because Daddy wanted to sleep in after getting home so late, but also because of the extra stuff we had to take with us. They didn't start without us, but I worried that I might be "in trouble" with the moms for not showing up when it was my turn to bring the snack. I always feel like I'm being judged by all the moms at our activities. I'm not sure why, but sometimes I just don't feel like I belong. It's not like I'm crashing a lactation club or something, but it's just a little weird being the only male over the age of 3 sometimes. Regardless, my son and I have fun, and that's all that matters.
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The highlights of music class today were playing with a cardboard recycling box, climbing the back of a piano, and disappearing behind a wall of filing cabinets. The first time he found his way behind the filing cabinets, I chased him to make sure he didn't fall or get stuck. It turns out there's nothing dangerous there, it's just very dirty. He is so cautious when he walks, noticing every little bump and inconsistency in front of him. There's a doorstop right at the "entrance" behind the filing cabinets, and he saw it before I did. He stepped around it and happily continued on his way.
After class we headed into the city. As hard as it may be to believe, I needed a new cable remote likely because of the way my son treated it. So we drove across the Penn Street Bridge and held our breath as we approached the most dangerous city in the history of ever: Reading. Upon entering the cable company building, there was a smal jumble of 5 or 6 people vaguely resembling a line. The inside of the building is set up in a reverse L shape, and the inside of the L is where the employees are situated. At the bottom of the L there is a cordon meant to act as a lead for the line. How these people couldn't see this, I don't know. Then again, whenever I have to visit the cable company, I am always surprised by someone's stupidity. I think I've written before about how it's up to the citizens of the line to police it, and this was a perfect opportunity to do so. I quickly explained how the line was supposed to work, and surprisingly everybody, ahem, fell in line. This allowed people to actually stand inside the building and not in the airlock or on the steps outside. Shockingly, I was given no reward for changing the line for the better. When it was our turn in line, I handed over the broken remote, it was thrown in a box of other broken things, and I received a replacement. No paperwork, no wait. It was great.
I didn't want to waste a trip to the city without stopping at the nearby Reading Soft Pretzel Bakery, so that was the next stop. My son waited in the car while I picked up the pretzels. Somehow that building smells more like cigarette smoke than pretzels, and if there's one thing a baby doesn't need to smell like, it's cigarettes. Or soft pretzels.
I (well, my chinchillas, not really "I") needed some chinchilla food, so we drove to a local pet store. My son really enjoyed watching the feeder fish in one of their tanks. He's not getting a fish, but it's great to see how much he seemingly loves animals. His uncle has quite an elaborate home aquarium, so we'll be sure to check that out next time we're there.
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It was our job to bring the snack for storytime today. My wife was kind enough to bake some Halloween-themed sugar cookies for us while I attended a Butch Walker concert in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, because it was late on a school night, she couldn't go. What a trooper!
We were a little late getting to the library, mainly because Daddy wanted to sleep in after getting home so late, but also because of the extra stuff we had to take with us. They didn't start without us, but I worried that I might be "in trouble" with the moms for not showing up when it was my turn to bring the snack. I always feel like I'm being judged by all the moms at our activities. I'm not sure why, but sometimes I just don't feel like I belong. It's not like I'm crashing a lactation club or something, but it's just a little weird being the only male over the age of 3 sometimes. Regardless, my son and I have fun, and that's all that matters.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Days 39 and 40
I've been working a lot on stacking blocks and rings with my son lately. He's able to create some pretty tall stacks by himself, and he's able to make them a little higher than his own height when I get it started. He also takes great interest in knocking them down.
By far his favorite activity right now is climbing. He's been climbing up the steps on his own for several months now, and does so when we ask him "Do you want to take a nap/ bath?" or "Do you want to go to bed?". For a while he would reach out for my hand or grab the railing when he wanted to go down the steps, but last week he figured out that it's much easier to sit down first and work his way down.
Either way, we watch him very closely as he goes up and down the steps. Except when we had no idea he was doing it! It was very surprising the first few times he did it, because he wasn't even walking yet, and we didn't have a sturdy gate blocking the steps to our second floor. He eventually figured out how to push the gate out of the way and (thankfully) always gave himself away by smacking the steps or letting out a joyous squeal. That gave us plenty of time to walk the four paces across the room and grab or spot him. Even though he's gotten so confident now, it will be a while before we let him tackle the steps completely by himself.
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Today climbing went to a new level, as he made it up on one of our living chairs by himself. My first thought was "Great... One more thing to worry about!" Then I thought about how far he has come in 15 months. I remember when we were concerned that he wasn't rolling over, or that he didn't show much interest in toys, or when he wouldn't sleep through the night... How quickly all of those concerns went away just as soon as we realized we had them! As everyone told us he would, he's growing up so quickly, and I'm so lucky that I get to see so much of it unfolding this year. I still forget some days that this is my life now and how fortunate I am.
My first of six classes ended yesterday. For my final project, I wrote what I consider the worst paper I've ever written. Maybe it was a lack of interest in (or understanding of) the subject matter, maybe it was because it was the adjustment to taking a class while I was busy caring much more about something else, or maybe it was a completely unrelated factor, but I handed it in anyway. If nothing else, I had an introduction, I had a point (more or less), I had a conclusion, and I cited sources. Regardless, I was legitimately worried that I would get a really, really bad grade. The last time I handed in something of which I wasn't very proud, the grade was posted within a couple of hours, and it was very good. This, coupled with the general comments that came along with it, made me think the professor didn't even read it. I checked my grades once an hour or so until I went to bed on Sunday night and continued once I woke up. Finally, while watching TV after my son went to bed, the grade was posted.
I got a 91%.
I agreed with most of the professor's specific comments. I got an "A" in the class. *sigh of relief*
Two more classes start today. This should be interesting...
By far his favorite activity right now is climbing. He's been climbing up the steps on his own for several months now, and does so when we ask him "Do you want to take a nap/ bath?" or "Do you want to go to bed?". For a while he would reach out for my hand or grab the railing when he wanted to go down the steps, but last week he figured out that it's much easier to sit down first and work his way down.
Either way, we watch him very closely as he goes up and down the steps. Except when we had no idea he was doing it! It was very surprising the first few times he did it, because he wasn't even walking yet, and we didn't have a sturdy gate blocking the steps to our second floor. He eventually figured out how to push the gate out of the way and (thankfully) always gave himself away by smacking the steps or letting out a joyous squeal. That gave us plenty of time to walk the four paces across the room and grab or spot him. Even though he's gotten so confident now, it will be a while before we let him tackle the steps completely by himself.
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Today climbing went to a new level, as he made it up on one of our living chairs by himself. My first thought was "Great... One more thing to worry about!" Then I thought about how far he has come in 15 months. I remember when we were concerned that he wasn't rolling over, or that he didn't show much interest in toys, or when he wouldn't sleep through the night... How quickly all of those concerns went away just as soon as we realized we had them! As everyone told us he would, he's growing up so quickly, and I'm so lucky that I get to see so much of it unfolding this year. I still forget some days that this is my life now and how fortunate I am.
My first of six classes ended yesterday. For my final project, I wrote what I consider the worst paper I've ever written. Maybe it was a lack of interest in (or understanding of) the subject matter, maybe it was because it was the adjustment to taking a class while I was busy caring much more about something else, or maybe it was a completely unrelated factor, but I handed it in anyway. If nothing else, I had an introduction, I had a point (more or less), I had a conclusion, and I cited sources. Regardless, I was legitimately worried that I would get a really, really bad grade. The last time I handed in something of which I wasn't very proud, the grade was posted within a couple of hours, and it was very good. This, coupled with the general comments that came along with it, made me think the professor didn't even read it. I checked my grades once an hour or so until I went to bed on Sunday night and continued once I woke up. Finally, while watching TV after my son went to bed, the grade was posted.
I got a 91%.
I agreed with most of the professor's specific comments. I got an "A" in the class. *sigh of relief*
Two more classes start today. This should be interesting...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Day 38
We went to the Berkshire Mall to kill some time between storytime and lunch. We didn't need to buy anything; I just wanted to give him a chance to run around a little bit since it was kind of cold outside.
Our first stop was the pet store, where we checked out some puppies, bunnies, ferrets, and kittens. My son was quite interested in each, but he spent the most time checking out the ferrets. I wouldn't let him touch them for fear of him getting bitten, but he got as close as he could. Hmm. Daddy's never had any ferrets...
My son walked into a few different stores than usual. He took a little tour of the hair salon, but I told the woman at the front that I knew Mommy wouldn't be too happy if he got a haircut without her. He also stopped in Gymboree, and I was surprised that one of the girls working there recognized him. My wife told me about this girl and her affinity for our son, and sure enough she started gushing to her coworker about him as soon as we walked in. He didn't mind.
We walked the length of the mall and turned around. Soon after, I saw a little boy wandering around by himself calling out for his daddy. It was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. I immediately approached him and asked if he needed help, but he didn't seem to be interested in my assistance. I suppose talking to strangers trumps being lost in terms of a small child's concerns. Thankfully, a female worker from a nearby clothing store came over as I was trying to talk to him. It could have been the fact that she was a girl, or it could have been that she flashed her name badge, but he allowed her to help. I walked with them as they tried to find his daddy (who, it turns out, wasn't even at the mall). Just a few storefronts away, but millions of miles in the child's mind, his mommy scolded him to "never do that again" as they reunited. Way to share the blame, mom.
I was in need of some positive vibes after that experience, and my son provided them soon after we crossed center court. There's a kiosk that sells radio controlled helicopters, and it turns out my son is mesmerized by radio controlled helicopters. As soon as he saw one, he stood, watched, and pointed at the flying machine for several minutes. The guy controlling it let it land right at my son's feet, and naturally my son picked it up and swung it all over the place. The salesman assured me that it was practically indestructible, so I let him go. Just when I thought he lost interest, he turned back and stared at it again. We have one at home, but he's never seen it. I suppose that will have to change.
Our first stop was the pet store, where we checked out some puppies, bunnies, ferrets, and kittens. My son was quite interested in each, but he spent the most time checking out the ferrets. I wouldn't let him touch them for fear of him getting bitten, but he got as close as he could. Hmm. Daddy's never had any ferrets...
My son walked into a few different stores than usual. He took a little tour of the hair salon, but I told the woman at the front that I knew Mommy wouldn't be too happy if he got a haircut without her. He also stopped in Gymboree, and I was surprised that one of the girls working there recognized him. My wife told me about this girl and her affinity for our son, and sure enough she started gushing to her coworker about him as soon as we walked in. He didn't mind.
We walked the length of the mall and turned around. Soon after, I saw a little boy wandering around by himself calling out for his daddy. It was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. I immediately approached him and asked if he needed help, but he didn't seem to be interested in my assistance. I suppose talking to strangers trumps being lost in terms of a small child's concerns. Thankfully, a female worker from a nearby clothing store came over as I was trying to talk to him. It could have been the fact that she was a girl, or it could have been that she flashed her name badge, but he allowed her to help. I walked with them as they tried to find his daddy (who, it turns out, wasn't even at the mall). Just a few storefronts away, but millions of miles in the child's mind, his mommy scolded him to "never do that again" as they reunited. Way to share the blame, mom.
I was in need of some positive vibes after that experience, and my son provided them soon after we crossed center court. There's a kiosk that sells radio controlled helicopters, and it turns out my son is mesmerized by radio controlled helicopters. As soon as he saw one, he stood, watched, and pointed at the flying machine for several minutes. The guy controlling it let it land right at my son's feet, and naturally my son picked it up and swung it all over the place. The salesman assured me that it was practically indestructible, so I let him go. Just when I thought he lost interest, he turned back and stared at it again. We have one at home, but he's never seen it. I suppose that will have to change.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Days 36 and 37
Today was such a gorgeous day; I didn't want to waste it inside. After breakfast we headed back to Gring's Mill for the first time since the marathon. They still haven't opened the whole trail, so we headed towards the area called Red Bridge (so named, one can assume, because of the red covered bridge nearby). I kept my son in his stroller for the first half mile of the trip, but I gave him a shot to walk on his own since the trail was so empty. It was a little bit of a risk because there's a pretty steep hill leading down to the creek below. However, I trust both my son's fear of straying too far from me and my ability to chase a 15-month old, so I let him go.
As I expected, he stayed pretty close to me, save for getting a little overexcited by some interesting leaves and dirt he found along the way. There was only one slip, and it was on the non-creek side. He walked (and almost "ran") for almost a half mile in a relatively straight line along the trail. My guess is that he picked up on all those times he saw Daddy do it. He was so happy having (what he must have thought was) complete freedom as he continued on his way. He stopped, observed, and pointed at each person who approached us in the opposite direction as if he was making sure they saw how independent he was.
When we reached Red Bridge, we stopped for a water and picture break. He "climbed" a tree for a couple of the pictures and seemed very excited about sitting so high above the ground (I kept a hand on him the entire time). Eventually we had to head back to Gring's Mill, and he was quite content sitting in the stroller and letting me do all the work.
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We were a little late for music class today even though he was up early again. To make matters worse, the shoes that I thought were in my diaper bag were actually in my "eBay bag". He wasn't the only child in socks- it's just that the other is three months old. How embarrassing. It didn't stop him from having a great time as usual.
He had an early lunch and nap in preparation for meeting Mommy at school and seeing 5th Grade's chicks. He had a great time wandering the hallways and checking out each classroom in the building. Seriously- he walked into every classroom on the first and second floor, some more than once. He appeared genuinely interested in the chicks and was very gentle when Mommy's colleague held one for him to pet. Since you asked, yes, chicks are also "dup"s!
It wasn't all chicks and giggles today. Ahem. He had to go to the doctor for a standard checkup and some shots before dinner, and that is rarely fun. Afterwards was much better because he helped raise some money for Daddy's school at Chick-Fil-A. Many of my coworkers, former students, and friends got a chance to see my son for the first time, and Gram also joined us for dinner (and a show from the cast of the Jr. High musical). As expected, my son applauded appropriately at the end of each song. It was a great way to end an uneven day.
As I expected, he stayed pretty close to me, save for getting a little overexcited by some interesting leaves and dirt he found along the way. There was only one slip, and it was on the non-creek side. He walked (and almost "ran") for almost a half mile in a relatively straight line along the trail. My guess is that he picked up on all those times he saw Daddy do it. He was so happy having (what he must have thought was) complete freedom as he continued on his way. He stopped, observed, and pointed at each person who approached us in the opposite direction as if he was making sure they saw how independent he was.
When we reached Red Bridge, we stopped for a water and picture break. He "climbed" a tree for a couple of the pictures and seemed very excited about sitting so high above the ground (I kept a hand on him the entire time). Eventually we had to head back to Gring's Mill, and he was quite content sitting in the stroller and letting me do all the work.
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We were a little late for music class today even though he was up early again. To make matters worse, the shoes that I thought were in my diaper bag were actually in my "eBay bag". He wasn't the only child in socks- it's just that the other is three months old. How embarrassing. It didn't stop him from having a great time as usual.
He had an early lunch and nap in preparation for meeting Mommy at school and seeing 5th Grade's chicks. He had a great time wandering the hallways and checking out each classroom in the building. Seriously- he walked into every classroom on the first and second floor, some more than once. He appeared genuinely interested in the chicks and was very gentle when Mommy's colleague held one for him to pet. Since you asked, yes, chicks are also "dup"s!
It wasn't all chicks and giggles today. Ahem. He had to go to the doctor for a standard checkup and some shots before dinner, and that is rarely fun. Afterwards was much better because he helped raise some money for Daddy's school at Chick-Fil-A. Many of my coworkers, former students, and friends got a chance to see my son for the first time, and Gram also joined us for dinner (and a show from the cast of the Jr. High musical). As expected, my son applauded appropriately at the end of each song. It was a great way to end an uneven day.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Day 35
Several months ago, my wife and I (sort of) inherited an old truck from her great uncle. I'd never owned a truck before, so it's been an interesting experience. It's a small truck, but it has done a lot for us since we got it. I've hauled my drums, furniture, yard waste, rocks, and many other things that I could have never transported in my Prius. I got pulled over on one recent trip home from a gig because one of the taillights is busted, so I've been trying to find a replacement for a while. It's easy finding the parts but not so easy finding them "cheap". Yesterday my father-in-law, the family's resident auto expert, was over at our house, so I asked if he could help. His solution: go to the junkyard. So we did.
EZ Pull is a sprawling complex of junk about 45 minutes from my house. On advisement from my father-in-law, I came prepared with a over-the-shoulder carrier for my son and my steel-tipped boots. As we approached the entrance ($2.00 admission!), we were informed that no babies were allowed (18 and older only, ID required). Of course they weren't. Why would they be? There are probably 2 or 3 places in the world more dangerous to a small child than a junkyard. I felt silly for not even considering there would be such a limitation. Thankfully, my father-in-law didn't hesitate to continue inside. My son and I turned around and walked around the slightly less impressive outer grounds. We passed several trailers, industrial dumpsters, and busses before returning to my car for a snack. It was a little difficult removing the harness by myself, but we both survived. My son was quite content sitting in the back seat for close to an hour while we waited to hear news, good or bad. Eventually we got the call- PopPop found a possible match but needed me to do some online research to see if it was a match. While I couldn't say for sure, it seemed like a decent gamble, so he went for it. We walked over the the entrance to wait for him and watch some of the junkyard cats beg for food at the concession truck. PopPop soon emerged with the taillight in tow, paying roughly a quarter of what was asked on eBay.
We stopped for lunch before returning home and installing the new (old) light. While the old one came out pretty easily, some of the hardware didn't match with the body. With a quick drilling, PopPop fixed that problem. Before too long, the broken light was replaced, and all was well. Until I noticed the other light was busted, too. Be seeing you soon, EZ Pull!
EZ Pull is a sprawling complex of junk about 45 minutes from my house. On advisement from my father-in-law, I came prepared with a over-the-shoulder carrier for my son and my steel-tipped boots. As we approached the entrance ($2.00 admission!), we were informed that no babies were allowed (18 and older only, ID required). Of course they weren't. Why would they be? There are probably 2 or 3 places in the world more dangerous to a small child than a junkyard. I felt silly for not even considering there would be such a limitation. Thankfully, my father-in-law didn't hesitate to continue inside. My son and I turned around and walked around the slightly less impressive outer grounds. We passed several trailers, industrial dumpsters, and busses before returning to my car for a snack. It was a little difficult removing the harness by myself, but we both survived. My son was quite content sitting in the back seat for close to an hour while we waited to hear news, good or bad. Eventually we got the call- PopPop found a possible match but needed me to do some online research to see if it was a match. While I couldn't say for sure, it seemed like a decent gamble, so he went for it. We walked over the the entrance to wait for him and watch some of the junkyard cats beg for food at the concession truck. PopPop soon emerged with the taillight in tow, paying roughly a quarter of what was asked on eBay.
We stopped for lunch before returning home and installing the new (old) light. While the old one came out pretty easily, some of the hardware didn't match with the body. With a quick drilling, PopPop fixed that problem. Before too long, the broken light was replaced, and all was well. Until I noticed the other light was busted, too. Be seeing you soon, EZ Pull!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Days 33 and 34
Storytime was all about apples and worms today. We did pretty well with sitting still and "listening" to the stories, but again I used snacks as a distraction. It worked so well that other children came over wanting to share my son's Cheerios. I'm a little bit confused about how this is supposed to work. Should I be offering the snack to the other kids? Does that promote sharing, or am I being rude by talking during the story? I guess if the other parents want their kids to be eating, they would be bringing their own food. I have a similar concern about teaching sharing overall. Who am I to say who gets to play with a certain toy at any given moment? If my son wants to take another kid's toy and the other kid starts crying (or vice versa), isn't it teaching the kid that it's OK to cry to throw a fit if it's going to get you what you want?
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I woke up before my son on Friday- without the benefit of an alarm clock. It was a little like Christmas morning; my new iPhone would arrive today! Who can sleep on such an exciting morning? I had no exact idea when it would show up- the tracking website gave me nothing more specific than "at the end of the day" and "out for delivery". Even though we had no actual plans for the day, I thought it would be a good idea to take a shower before he woke up. Just as I was getting ready to dry off, the dogs began barking quite obnoxiously. This could only mean one thing: it was here!
I had to act fast. Surely the dogs barking would wake up my son if it continued. In addition, if I missed the delivery guy, I would also miss the delivery because it required my signature. I reached for a towel, tied it around my waist, and rushed down the stairs- my still soaked feet narrowly avoiding slipping on more than one occasion. Surprised, half-naked and elated, I opened the door to find the UPS man standing on my front porch and holding a nondescript brown box. I was a little concerned because Apple products always seem to ship via FedEx, but I knew by its weight it was exactly what I was expecting. I signed and accepted the delivery, apologized for my lack of clothing, and returned inside. By this time, of course, my son had awoken, so I briefly put down the box and carefully headed back up the puddled steps.
After changing and dressing him, I gave him his bottle. This gave me a chance to open the package and begin the activation process. As anyone who was done this before knows, this is not always a brief exercise. To make matters more difficult, I had to first set this up as my wife's phone and then reset it with all of my information. By doing this, I would be rendering my wife's current phone useless, so I would eventually have to swap out my old phone for her old phone. In order to do that, I also had set up my current phone as her new phone. Confused? I was, too. Luckily I got everything right on the first try. One false move and I could have wiped out a year and a half's worth of pictures and video. And apps- don't forget the apps!
After everything was all set, we surprised Mommy at school to deliver her new (old) phone. Her lunch period had just ended, and we were told she was still upstairs in the faculty room. I asked if we could wait for her by her room, and the security guard (read: senior citizen) obliged. As we walked up the steps to her room, I saw her coming up the hallway. I quickly grabbed my son and placed him in the hallway directly in her line of sight. Within an instant I heard her two-stage gasp- the first because there was a cute baby in the hallway and the second because that cute baby was her cute baby! She hurried over to him and carried him into the office to show him off to the secretary. Then she remembered she still had to work for a few hours and took him into her classroom to roam free. Her students were much more interested in him that I would have expected, and I could tell it would be hard for her to regain focus. Regardless, she had to get back to work, and we had to eat lunch. They separated without tears, soon to be reunited for a relaxing weekend.
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I woke up before my son on Friday- without the benefit of an alarm clock. It was a little like Christmas morning; my new iPhone would arrive today! Who can sleep on such an exciting morning? I had no exact idea when it would show up- the tracking website gave me nothing more specific than "at the end of the day" and "out for delivery". Even though we had no actual plans for the day, I thought it would be a good idea to take a shower before he woke up. Just as I was getting ready to dry off, the dogs began barking quite obnoxiously. This could only mean one thing: it was here!
I had to act fast. Surely the dogs barking would wake up my son if it continued. In addition, if I missed the delivery guy, I would also miss the delivery because it required my signature. I reached for a towel, tied it around my waist, and rushed down the stairs- my still soaked feet narrowly avoiding slipping on more than one occasion. Surprised, half-naked and elated, I opened the door to find the UPS man standing on my front porch and holding a nondescript brown box. I was a little concerned because Apple products always seem to ship via FedEx, but I knew by its weight it was exactly what I was expecting. I signed and accepted the delivery, apologized for my lack of clothing, and returned inside. By this time, of course, my son had awoken, so I briefly put down the box and carefully headed back up the puddled steps.
After changing and dressing him, I gave him his bottle. This gave me a chance to open the package and begin the activation process. As anyone who was done this before knows, this is not always a brief exercise. To make matters more difficult, I had to first set this up as my wife's phone and then reset it with all of my information. By doing this, I would be rendering my wife's current phone useless, so I would eventually have to swap out my old phone for her old phone. In order to do that, I also had set up my current phone as her new phone. Confused? I was, too. Luckily I got everything right on the first try. One false move and I could have wiped out a year and a half's worth of pictures and video. And apps- don't forget the apps!
After everything was all set, we surprised Mommy at school to deliver her new (old) phone. Her lunch period had just ended, and we were told she was still upstairs in the faculty room. I asked if we could wait for her by her room, and the security guard (read: senior citizen) obliged. As we walked up the steps to her room, I saw her coming up the hallway. I quickly grabbed my son and placed him in the hallway directly in her line of sight. Within an instant I heard her two-stage gasp- the first because there was a cute baby in the hallway and the second because that cute baby was her cute baby! She hurried over to him and carried him into the office to show him off to the secretary. Then she remembered she still had to work for a few hours and took him into her classroom to roam free. Her students were much more interested in him that I would have expected, and I could tell it would be hard for her to regain focus. Regardless, she had to get back to work, and we had to eat lunch. They separated without tears, soon to be reunited for a relaxing weekend.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Day 32
My son got sneezed on by his "girlfriend" at music class today. I'm pretty sure that means they're official.
We had a busy day of errands after music class: another trip to the post office, a visit to one bank to deposit the yard sale money and close an account, a drive-thru at another bank to deposit drum lesson money and a Phillies check, an oil change, and lunch at Arby's. None of these activities were out of the ordinary- the person we dealt with commented on how adorable my son is, asked how old he is, and offered to help me if the situation arose. I responded. It's getting to the point where I'm almost shocked when things don't follow this pattern.
Tomorrow he is 15 months old. It's hard to believe we're already over a month into this experience.
Also, I can walk again- just in time for music class and storytime!
We had a busy day of errands after music class: another trip to the post office, a visit to one bank to deposit the yard sale money and close an account, a drive-thru at another bank to deposit drum lesson money and a Phillies check, an oil change, and lunch at Arby's. None of these activities were out of the ordinary- the person we dealt with commented on how adorable my son is, asked how old he is, and offered to help me if the situation arose. I responded. It's getting to the point where I'm almost shocked when things don't follow this pattern.
Tomorrow he is 15 months old. It's hard to believe we're already over a month into this experience.
Also, I can walk again- just in time for music class and storytime!
Day 31
After realizing that I could neither go to the post office nor the bank yesterday, I wanted to make sure I got to at least one of them today. We did the customary breakfast thing, and I got him ready to go. I originally planned on driving but changed my mind when I remembered my wife told me the weather was going to get ugly later in the week. I figured we should enjoy the nice weather while we had it, so I pulled the stroller out of my car and we walked the half-mile to the post office.
About a block in to our trip, I stopped and stretched my calves on a curb. A woman slowly pulled up next to us and asked, "Do you need help?" I suppose the sight of a man slightly huddled over a stroller on a sidewalk with one leg on the street and the other on the curb was cause for concern for her, but I laughed and assured her I was just stretching. I'm not sure what she thought the problem was, but I continue to be amazed by how many people want to help the guy with the stroller.
Despite a few lengthy traffic lights and two sore legs, we made it to the post office. Even if we had driven there, I still would have needed to put him in the stroller so I could have two free hands to pack up my items for shipment. I guess the post office is usually busy the day after a holiday because the line was out the door of the small Sinking Spring building. When I was finished packaging the goods (or at least the 2 of 3 that I remembered to take with me), the next man in line waved me in front of him... at the post office! (Refer to the last sentence of paragraph two.)
There's a relatively new flower shop across the street from the post office. I noticed the advertisement of their current special, so my son and I went in to buy Mommy some flowers. She's been sick recently, so we thought it might be nice to get her something pretty to make her feel a little better.
Continuing along Penn Avenue (yes, the same road along which we ate crepes and bought shakers, but miles away), we passed by our dogs' hairdresser. At that precise moment, Allison, the owner, was walking out of the store. She hadn't seen my son in several months and remarked at how big he is getting. I suppose she's right, but sometimes it's hard to notice because I see him every day. We haven't been weighing him lately, but perhaps when he turns FIFTEEN MONTHS OLD (!) tomorrow, we should.
Lunch was a cheeseburger and apple slices at McDonald's. I had a little trouble navigating the doors to get into the building, but just when I was about to figure it out, a woman came out from behind the counter and helped me. It's nearly impossible to get in from the south outside door, so I had to partially leave through the north outside door before backing in through the inside door. I'd draw you a diagram, but I doubt you care that much.
While we enjoyed our lunch, I noticed my son was missing his left sock. This is nothing new, as he removes his left sock probably 6 times a day, every day. Usually it's in or around his crib, next to his carseat, or in the bottom of the stroller. This time it was nowhere to be found. I called the post office and flower shop, but they didn't see it. It's just a sock, but it has cute little puppy faces on it! Against my calves better judgement, we set off to retrace our (my) steps and find the sock.
We did not find the sock.
About a block in to our trip, I stopped and stretched my calves on a curb. A woman slowly pulled up next to us and asked, "Do you need help?" I suppose the sight of a man slightly huddled over a stroller on a sidewalk with one leg on the street and the other on the curb was cause for concern for her, but I laughed and assured her I was just stretching. I'm not sure what she thought the problem was, but I continue to be amazed by how many people want to help the guy with the stroller.
Despite a few lengthy traffic lights and two sore legs, we made it to the post office. Even if we had driven there, I still would have needed to put him in the stroller so I could have two free hands to pack up my items for shipment. I guess the post office is usually busy the day after a holiday because the line was out the door of the small Sinking Spring building. When I was finished packaging the goods (or at least the 2 of 3 that I remembered to take with me), the next man in line waved me in front of him... at the post office! (Refer to the last sentence of paragraph two.)
There's a relatively new flower shop across the street from the post office. I noticed the advertisement of their current special, so my son and I went in to buy Mommy some flowers. She's been sick recently, so we thought it might be nice to get her something pretty to make her feel a little better.
Continuing along Penn Avenue (yes, the same road along which we ate crepes and bought shakers, but miles away), we passed by our dogs' hairdresser. At that precise moment, Allison, the owner, was walking out of the store. She hadn't seen my son in several months and remarked at how big he is getting. I suppose she's right, but sometimes it's hard to notice because I see him every day. We haven't been weighing him lately, but perhaps when he turns FIFTEEN MONTHS OLD (!) tomorrow, we should.
Lunch was a cheeseburger and apple slices at McDonald's. I had a little trouble navigating the doors to get into the building, but just when I was about to figure it out, a woman came out from behind the counter and helped me. It's nearly impossible to get in from the south outside door, so I had to partially leave through the north outside door before backing in through the inside door. I'd draw you a diagram, but I doubt you care that much.
While we enjoyed our lunch, I noticed my son was missing his left sock. This is nothing new, as he removes his left sock probably 6 times a day, every day. Usually it's in or around his crib, next to his carseat, or in the bottom of the stroller. This time it was nowhere to be found. I called the post office and flower shop, but they didn't see it. It's just a sock, but it has cute little puppy faces on it! Against my calves better judgement, we set off to retrace our (my) steps and find the sock.
We did not find the sock.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Days 29a, 29b, and 30
We had a couple of weeks of from storytime at the library, so it was nice for my son to get back and see some old friends. Today's stories were about monsters. As luck would have it, the monsters were silly. Who would have expected that? This was the first time I didn't have to chase my son around the room during the stories. I think it had something to do with bringing his breakfast bar along and feeding him while we sat together. It's something to consider for the future.
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My wife took a personal day on Friday so we could all go see the Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! show. We were in the front row, and it was awesome watching our son see all his friends live and up close. He had "met" Muno and Brobee at a Lancaster Barnstormers game this past summer, but all they did is stand around for pictures. To see them dancing around and "singing" was much more exciting. I have to think it can't really be all that special for children to meet characters wearing costumes because generally they aren't allowed to speak. That's the main reason we didn't pay extra for the meet and great with the characters. He was especially thrilled to see DJ Lance Rock and Biz Markie in person (we were, too!).
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For those of you who have never experienced the day after a marathon- consider yourselves lucky! 18 weeks of training and sacrifice culminates with one of the most difficult physical activities a person can endure. Just when you think it's all over, you wake up the next morning.
I drove up to Scranton on Saturday to pick up my bib, bag, and other race materials and then stayed overnight a few miles out of town. The race was early on Sunday, and then I drove back home for my Dad's birthday dinner. It was quite a weekend: 4 hours of running sandwiched between 4 hours of driving! Monday morning was rough, but not the way I expected. Everybody says that the worst part of recovery from this race is the quad pain (because of miles upon miles of downhills). My quads feel fine; it's my calves that are so very, very sore. Thankfully my son didn't make me chase him too much today. He did, however, choose to throw one of his hard plastic toys at my legs several times this morning!
Mommy had inservice today, so she was able to come home in the middle of the day. I picked up some of our favorite pizza after the race yesterday, and we reheated some of it for lunch. It was the first time we got to have it in a while and certainly the first time my son ever had it. Based on how he chose it again and again over his favorite cheese puffs, it's safe to say that he's a fan.
After lunch I decided to go go to the bank and later the post office to ship a few more items that I sold on eBay. Then I realized it was Columbus Day. Whoops.
Since we were already out, we went to Boscov's to buy the new TV we had been shopping for recently. It was really difficult managing my son and the stroller with my weak legs, but I survived. It will be nice to be able to walk up and down steps again more than one foot at a time. Someday.
After buying the TV, it was naptime. I set up the TV while he fell asleep, and Mommy came home soon after that. The two of us got to enjoy a well-deserved nap before dinner. One of the most exciting things about marathon training is thinking about all the food I will get to eat again after it's all over. I'd been looking forward to this week since the beginning of the summer!
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My wife took a personal day on Friday so we could all go see the Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! show. We were in the front row, and it was awesome watching our son see all his friends live and up close. He had "met" Muno and Brobee at a Lancaster Barnstormers game this past summer, but all they did is stand around for pictures. To see them dancing around and "singing" was much more exciting. I have to think it can't really be all that special for children to meet characters wearing costumes because generally they aren't allowed to speak. That's the main reason we didn't pay extra for the meet and great with the characters. He was especially thrilled to see DJ Lance Rock and Biz Markie in person (we were, too!).
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For those of you who have never experienced the day after a marathon- consider yourselves lucky! 18 weeks of training and sacrifice culminates with one of the most difficult physical activities a person can endure. Just when you think it's all over, you wake up the next morning.
I drove up to Scranton on Saturday to pick up my bib, bag, and other race materials and then stayed overnight a few miles out of town. The race was early on Sunday, and then I drove back home for my Dad's birthday dinner. It was quite a weekend: 4 hours of running sandwiched between 4 hours of driving! Monday morning was rough, but not the way I expected. Everybody says that the worst part of recovery from this race is the quad pain (because of miles upon miles of downhills). My quads feel fine; it's my calves that are so very, very sore. Thankfully my son didn't make me chase him too much today. He did, however, choose to throw one of his hard plastic toys at my legs several times this morning!
Mommy had inservice today, so she was able to come home in the middle of the day. I picked up some of our favorite pizza after the race yesterday, and we reheated some of it for lunch. It was the first time we got to have it in a while and certainly the first time my son ever had it. Based on how he chose it again and again over his favorite cheese puffs, it's safe to say that he's a fan.
After lunch I decided to go go to the bank and later the post office to ship a few more items that I sold on eBay. Then I realized it was Columbus Day. Whoops.
Since we were already out, we went to Boscov's to buy the new TV we had been shopping for recently. It was really difficult managing my son and the stroller with my weak legs, but I survived. It will be nice to be able to walk up and down steps again more than one foot at a time. Someday.
After buying the TV, it was naptime. I set up the TV while he fell asleep, and Mommy came home soon after that. The two of us got to enjoy a well-deserved nap before dinner. One of the most exciting things about marathon training is thinking about all the food I will get to eat again after it's all over. I'd been looking forward to this week since the beginning of the summer!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Days 27 and 28
My son continued honing a skill he began demonstrating for Gram, Mommy, and I last night: standing his animal toys upright and clapping for himself. He grabs a zebra or giraffe, stands it up on a piece of furniture, turns to one of us and claps for himself. He's so proud of himself and wants everyone to know it.
We didn't do much today because Daddy needed to stay home and follow the iPhone 4S announcement online after our run and lunch. This gave him plenty of playtime.
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After music class we went to the post office. I've been pawning, eBaying, and/ or freecycling a lot of stuff recently, and surprisingly people have wanted it. I'm always amazed when people want my garbage, let alone when they want to pay for it. Anyway, within a few hours of listing some old electronics on eBay, they were sold- hence the trip to the post office. It's just a couple of blocks from where we have music class, and it's also on the same road where we had crepes a few weeks ago. Because the weather was so nice today, I decided we needed to have lunch outside again. After a failed attempt to do so at my first choice, we settled for Chef Alan's. I knew Mommy wouldn't be happy because she likes it so much, but I figured we'd be OK as long as we didn't have the crab dip.
We also made another stop at Earth Rhythms, and much like last time, I couldn't help but buy my son a few things. The pattern is this: he plays with it or shows any interest in it whatsoever, and it's his. I should probably learn to show a little restraint at some point. I mean, it's not like I have a whole basement full of musical instruments already.
We returned to Cash Converters to eliminate some old VHS cassettes. I was happy to get any money at all for them. I was surprised to receive more money than what I was quoted on our previous visit. The college fund grows by leaps and bounds. Or dollars. Mostly dollars.
The Animal Rescue League is very close to Cash Converters, so that was our next stop. Unfortunately, Wednesday is the one day of the week they aren't open during the day. It wasn't a total loss because we discovered a pig in their outdoor pen. She was very friendly and came right up to the fence when we stood there. As expected, my son referred to her as "Dup". He laughed and laughed as she rubbed her back on and pressed her snout against the fence. We'll be back.
We had a few more boring shopping stops before he fell asleep in the car a few miles from our house. I parked the car in our driveway, rolled down the windows, and took the opportunity to get some work done in the garage and on the front porch. He woke up after an hour, and we cooled off inside while we waited for Mommy.
We didn't do much today because Daddy needed to stay home and follow the iPhone 4S announcement online after our run and lunch. This gave him plenty of playtime.
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After music class we went to the post office. I've been pawning, eBaying, and/ or freecycling a lot of stuff recently, and surprisingly people have wanted it. I'm always amazed when people want my garbage, let alone when they want to pay for it. Anyway, within a few hours of listing some old electronics on eBay, they were sold- hence the trip to the post office. It's just a couple of blocks from where we have music class, and it's also on the same road where we had crepes a few weeks ago. Because the weather was so nice today, I decided we needed to have lunch outside again. After a failed attempt to do so at my first choice, we settled for Chef Alan's. I knew Mommy wouldn't be happy because she likes it so much, but I figured we'd be OK as long as we didn't have the crab dip.
We also made another stop at Earth Rhythms, and much like last time, I couldn't help but buy my son a few things. The pattern is this: he plays with it or shows any interest in it whatsoever, and it's his. I should probably learn to show a little restraint at some point. I mean, it's not like I have a whole basement full of musical instruments already.
We returned to Cash Converters to eliminate some old VHS cassettes. I was happy to get any money at all for them. I was surprised to receive more money than what I was quoted on our previous visit. The college fund grows by leaps and bounds. Or dollars. Mostly dollars.
The Animal Rescue League is very close to Cash Converters, so that was our next stop. Unfortunately, Wednesday is the one day of the week they aren't open during the day. It wasn't a total loss because we discovered a pig in their outdoor pen. She was very friendly and came right up to the fence when we stood there. As expected, my son referred to her as "Dup". He laughed and laughed as she rubbed her back on and pressed her snout against the fence. We'll be back.
We had a few more boring shopping stops before he fell asleep in the car a few miles from our house. I parked the car in our driveway, rolled down the windows, and took the opportunity to get some work done in the garage and on the front porch. He woke up after an hour, and we cooled off inside while we waited for Mommy.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Day 26
I had to spend a few hours in my sons room this morning, as he woke up right before my wife's alarm went off. Sometimes when he is so upset and won't fall asleep, one of us sleeping on the floor next to him is the only thing that will calm him down. After he calmed himself down, he slept for another couple of hours. I knew it was time to wake up when some of his toys and clothing started hitting me about the face and torso. That's what I get for trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep while he was trying to tell me to get up.
I forgot to call ahead and register him for "Baby Storytime" at the local library. Even though I'm sure we would have been fine just showing up, I didn't want to be that guy. We would have also been in quite a rush, so I figured we could just start next week. We have our regular storytime on Thursday, so I hope to straighten it all out then.
While he had his breakfast, I watched last night's episode of Breaking Bad. If you watch it, you know it's a fantastic show. While the content isn't exactly for children, one particular scene caused my son to stand up and point at the TV. Sure enough, there were drug-sniffing dogs on the screen! After they disappeared, he went back to his normal business of picking up toys and organizing them by color or type.
I was supposed to do my final long training run of 8 miles on Saturday. However, my Saturday consisted of waking up early for our yard sale, taking one dog to get his haircut; taking my son to swimming lessons; taking the other dog to get her nails clipped; cleaning up the yard sale; packing, transporting, and setting up my drums and P.A. to a gig on the other side of town; announcing a high school soccer game; and playing the aforementioned gig. I don't mean to whine, but there really wasn't much time for an 8-mile run. Sunday I just didn't feel like it, and I had to work super late at the Phillies NLDS game that night. Anyway, I tried to take care of that today, but it started raining about 3 miles in. I planned ahead and decided to just do laps around the neighborhood, so we weren't stuck in the rain for very long. Oh well. There's no sense trying to cram it in now. If I wasn't ready before this week, I won't magically be in better shape because of a few more miles.
I showered, and then we ate lunch. We still have many leftover items even after a relatively successful yard sale, so I thought I'd give Cash Converters a try. My wife and I have A LOT of unnecessary CDs and other media that we have been trying to get rid of with varying success, so I grabbed them along with several obsolete (to me) electronic devices. Since I couldn't carry the boxes and my son at the same time, I didn't even bother taking them (the boxes, not my son) out of my trunk. The clerk was kind enough to not only go out and assess the items but also carry them in for me. What was once worth hundreds of dollars was valued at $10, but I didn't care; I just wanted it out of my house. Maybe I'll use it to buy myself a nice fat cheeseburger after the race on Sunday.
My son fell asleep soon after we left Cash Converters and made a quick stop at Goodwill to donate the items that were assigned no value. I drove to the parking lot of a nearby sports complex and let him sleep for about an hour before my car decided to just shut off (from accessory mode) on its own. While it started up again right away, it still may be something to watch. I've put over 150,000 miles on it in just a little over 6 years with very few problems. I knock on wood, but you never know...
We drove to Mommy's school and waited for her in the parking lot. My plan was for him to be awake when we got there so she would see him on the playground, but he decided he needed more sleep. It worked out for the best anyway, since hers was the first face he saw when he finally did wake up.
I forgot to call ahead and register him for "Baby Storytime" at the local library. Even though I'm sure we would have been fine just showing up, I didn't want to be that guy. We would have also been in quite a rush, so I figured we could just start next week. We have our regular storytime on Thursday, so I hope to straighten it all out then.
While he had his breakfast, I watched last night's episode of Breaking Bad. If you watch it, you know it's a fantastic show. While the content isn't exactly for children, one particular scene caused my son to stand up and point at the TV. Sure enough, there were drug-sniffing dogs on the screen! After they disappeared, he went back to his normal business of picking up toys and organizing them by color or type.
I was supposed to do my final long training run of 8 miles on Saturday. However, my Saturday consisted of waking up early for our yard sale, taking one dog to get his haircut; taking my son to swimming lessons; taking the other dog to get her nails clipped; cleaning up the yard sale; packing, transporting, and setting up my drums and P.A. to a gig on the other side of town; announcing a high school soccer game; and playing the aforementioned gig. I don't mean to whine, but there really wasn't much time for an 8-mile run. Sunday I just didn't feel like it, and I had to work super late at the Phillies NLDS game that night. Anyway, I tried to take care of that today, but it started raining about 3 miles in. I planned ahead and decided to just do laps around the neighborhood, so we weren't stuck in the rain for very long. Oh well. There's no sense trying to cram it in now. If I wasn't ready before this week, I won't magically be in better shape because of a few more miles.
I showered, and then we ate lunch. We still have many leftover items even after a relatively successful yard sale, so I thought I'd give Cash Converters a try. My wife and I have A LOT of unnecessary CDs and other media that we have been trying to get rid of with varying success, so I grabbed them along with several obsolete (to me) electronic devices. Since I couldn't carry the boxes and my son at the same time, I didn't even bother taking them (the boxes, not my son) out of my trunk. The clerk was kind enough to not only go out and assess the items but also carry them in for me. What was once worth hundreds of dollars was valued at $10, but I didn't care; I just wanted it out of my house. Maybe I'll use it to buy myself a nice fat cheeseburger after the race on Sunday.
My son fell asleep soon after we left Cash Converters and made a quick stop at Goodwill to donate the items that were assigned no value. I drove to the parking lot of a nearby sports complex and let him sleep for about an hour before my car decided to just shut off (from accessory mode) on its own. While it started up again right away, it still may be something to watch. I've put over 150,000 miles on it in just a little over 6 years with very few problems. I knock on wood, but you never know...
We drove to Mommy's school and waited for her in the parking lot. My plan was for him to be awake when we got there so she would see him on the playground, but he decided he needed more sleep. It worked out for the best anyway, since hers was the first face he saw when he finally did wake up.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Day 25
We were awoken by a combination of doorbell and dog bark around 9:45 this morning. Apparently it's important to ring the doorbell before aerating a customer's lawn; at least that's what I surmised while simultaneously decrusting my eyes and dressing my son.
By the time I completely gained consciousness, I realized that it was a pretty nice day outside. I decided there was no more fitting way to celebrate this than by heading to Philadelphia and sharing a real Philly Cheesesteak with my son. As you may recall, we had a cheesesteak at a Phillies game last week. However, this was just the generic ballpark variety version. That doesn't really count. Today he would make the most important decision in his young life: Pat's or Geno's.
He slept a little on the way, including passing by Pat's. As we approached Geno's (just a few hundred feet across an intersection), he began to make some noise. Clearly the choice had been made.
I ordered "one Whiz with" (I'll succumb to their ordering criteria, but I refuse to drop the "h" from "with") and nearly forgot to get my change when I got my drink. I have always been more of a Jim's guy, but their service is awful. I doubt they would have called out to me to remind me to take my change, let alone call me "sir" like Geno's cashier did. My son enthusiastically accepted each small bite of the sandwich, alternating between it and his Cheerios. He wasn't nearly as fond of the lemonade that I was drinking, as he spit it up as quickly as he took a sip.
After finishing our lunch, we drove down 10th Street toward Citizens Bank Park. I had never taken this route before, and I imagine it would be a nightmare on gamedays. However, it is easily the most gorgeous way to approach CBP. 10th Street would allow one to drive straight across the field to home plate if there weren't walls in the way. The ballpark grows as the surrounding row homes dwindle, finally revealing a sea of brick, steal, and blue seats. I've been to that stadium literally hundreds of times in the past 8 years, and I never saw it so majestically as I did today.
We parked near the team store, and I carried my son across the street before allowing him to walk around on his own outside the stadium. Citizens Bank Way, the small street that separates the parking lot from the ballpark, was closed off for the upcoming playoff festivities, so I didn't have to worry about him running off the sidewalk. He walked around near the entrance for about 15 minutes, stopping to admire the statue of Mike Schmidt and perform for the workers setting up the nearby temporary merchandise tent.
I can only use my employee discount on days where there is no game. This policy changed this season, and it really, really sucks- especially for employees like me who are not required to work every game. We were never formally informed about it. I had to find out about it when I was at a game earlier this year with my son... celebrating his first birthday! We stood in line for several minutes, and when it was my turn, the cashier informed me of the "new" policy (that was being selectively enforced all season, according to coworkers). Apparently we can only buy things hours before the game begins or on days when there is no game at all. Since it is nearly impossible for me to get to games that early, my only choice is to drive down to the stadium on days when there is no game. However, this blog is about my son, so back to that.
As he walked around in the store, he kept trying to go to the outside portion where the registers are located. I couldn't figure out why until I relented and walked in with him. Ceiling fans. Of course! I gave him a few minutes to enjoy them, and then we did some shopping. I carried him upstairs to the Phanatic Attic children's area and was amazed as he figured out how to walk down the steps all by himself. Normally he reaches out for my hand as he attempts to descend steps, but today he used the metal mesh walls to balance himself as he walked. It was a major breakthrough, but it also means I have to be extra careful with him and steps now.
The Phillies had a "Rally Trolley" promotion today, which essentially was a bunch of team personel travelling around town in a trolley spreading good cheer and rally towels. The trolley's final stop was the stadium, and they happened to arrive just as we were checking out of the store. Radio announcer and former Phillies relief pitcher Larry Andersen was on the trolley and was kind enough to stop and take a picture with my son. It was surreal to hear "L.A." babytalk to my son and take such a genuine interest in him. He even suggested I take another photo when my son put his head down in the first. (Facebook friends can see that the picture was pretty terrible anyway. Oh well.)
We walked over and watched as my son's new friend was interviewed on the local sports talk radio station that was broadcasting nearby. One of the hosts, Glen Macnow, motioned for my son to come over and gave him a Phillies rally towel- the same rally towel that I had previously failed to procure at the final home game of the season! We thanked him and I tried to get him to wave it, but he was showing signs of sleepiness so we went on our way. There was just enough traffic to allow him to get in a decent nap before returning home to his eagerly waiting Mommy.
By the time I completely gained consciousness, I realized that it was a pretty nice day outside. I decided there was no more fitting way to celebrate this than by heading to Philadelphia and sharing a real Philly Cheesesteak with my son. As you may recall, we had a cheesesteak at a Phillies game last week. However, this was just the generic ballpark variety version. That doesn't really count. Today he would make the most important decision in his young life: Pat's or Geno's.
He slept a little on the way, including passing by Pat's. As we approached Geno's (just a few hundred feet across an intersection), he began to make some noise. Clearly the choice had been made.
I ordered "one Whiz with" (I'll succumb to their ordering criteria, but I refuse to drop the "h" from "with") and nearly forgot to get my change when I got my drink. I have always been more of a Jim's guy, but their service is awful. I doubt they would have called out to me to remind me to take my change, let alone call me "sir" like Geno's cashier did. My son enthusiastically accepted each small bite of the sandwich, alternating between it and his Cheerios. He wasn't nearly as fond of the lemonade that I was drinking, as he spit it up as quickly as he took a sip.
After finishing our lunch, we drove down 10th Street toward Citizens Bank Park. I had never taken this route before, and I imagine it would be a nightmare on gamedays. However, it is easily the most gorgeous way to approach CBP. 10th Street would allow one to drive straight across the field to home plate if there weren't walls in the way. The ballpark grows as the surrounding row homes dwindle, finally revealing a sea of brick, steal, and blue seats. I've been to that stadium literally hundreds of times in the past 8 years, and I never saw it so majestically as I did today.
We parked near the team store, and I carried my son across the street before allowing him to walk around on his own outside the stadium. Citizens Bank Way, the small street that separates the parking lot from the ballpark, was closed off for the upcoming playoff festivities, so I didn't have to worry about him running off the sidewalk. He walked around near the entrance for about 15 minutes, stopping to admire the statue of Mike Schmidt and perform for the workers setting up the nearby temporary merchandise tent.
I can only use my employee discount on days where there is no game. This policy changed this season, and it really, really sucks- especially for employees like me who are not required to work every game. We were never formally informed about it. I had to find out about it when I was at a game earlier this year with my son... celebrating his first birthday! We stood in line for several minutes, and when it was my turn, the cashier informed me of the "new" policy (that was being selectively enforced all season, according to coworkers). Apparently we can only buy things hours before the game begins or on days when there is no game at all. Since it is nearly impossible for me to get to games that early, my only choice is to drive down to the stadium on days when there is no game. However, this blog is about my son, so back to that.
As he walked around in the store, he kept trying to go to the outside portion where the registers are located. I couldn't figure out why until I relented and walked in with him. Ceiling fans. Of course! I gave him a few minutes to enjoy them, and then we did some shopping. I carried him upstairs to the Phanatic Attic children's area and was amazed as he figured out how to walk down the steps all by himself. Normally he reaches out for my hand as he attempts to descend steps, but today he used the metal mesh walls to balance himself as he walked. It was a major breakthrough, but it also means I have to be extra careful with him and steps now.
The Phillies had a "Rally Trolley" promotion today, which essentially was a bunch of team personel travelling around town in a trolley spreading good cheer and rally towels. The trolley's final stop was the stadium, and they happened to arrive just as we were checking out of the store. Radio announcer and former Phillies relief pitcher Larry Andersen was on the trolley and was kind enough to stop and take a picture with my son. It was surreal to hear "L.A." babytalk to my son and take such a genuine interest in him. He even suggested I take another photo when my son put his head down in the first. (Facebook friends can see that the picture was pretty terrible anyway. Oh well.)
We walked over and watched as my son's new friend was interviewed on the local sports talk radio station that was broadcasting nearby. One of the hosts, Glen Macnow, motioned for my son to come over and gave him a Phillies rally towel- the same rally towel that I had previously failed to procure at the final home game of the season! We thanked him and I tried to get him to wave it, but he was showing signs of sleepiness so we went on our way. There was just enough traffic to allow him to get in a decent nap before returning home to his eagerly waiting Mommy.
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