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...

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.

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...

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.