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.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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.
-----
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.
-----
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.
-----
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.
-----
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.
-----
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.
-----
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.
-----
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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