Few things have upset my son more than our attempt at naptime today. When we got upstairs, I turned on his white noise/ sleep machine only to be rudely greeted by a flashing power light. Uh oh. I did some of the standard pseudo-technological fixes (i.e.- turning it off and turning it back on again), but had no luck. My son came over and took a look (seriously), but he couldn't figure it out either. Luckily, there's an app for that. I believe I've written about it before, and it was just about as successful as the last time we tried it. Part of the problem is that it just isn't loud enough. The other part of the problem is that my dogs can't keep their hairy butts on (or under) the bed.
About twenty minutes after he finally fell asleep, Ellie, also known as "The Worst" around our house at various times throughout her life, started scratching her way out from under the bed for no reason at all. Sure enough, this was louder than the sound machine and woke him up. He was NOT happy. Even more unhappy than before he actually fell asleep. It wasn't pretty. The only thing I was able to accomplish during the short break was find out what was wrong with the sound machine. Thanks to some helpful comments on Amazon, I found out that the issue was a faulty memory card. I called the manufacturer and they sent out a replacement right away. My wife picked up a cheap and temporary alternative on her way home, and we crossed our fingers that it would do the trick at night. Thank goodness it did.
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Today was the official first day of Spring, and that means one thing: free Rita's water ice! It was a very nice day, so we gassed up the stroller and traveled the half-mile to receive our prize. I got vanilla for me and lemonade for him (less mess), and we found a shady spot to finish it off. A few scoops in, I heard the unmistakeable sound of multiple gunshots- not the controlled and unrealistic kind you hear on TV, but very real and dangerous gunshots. Just a few seconds later, I heard and saw several police cars race around the corner. Other than one experience on in Philadelphia where a man ran by our car firing a gun, I think this was as close as I have been to a violent crime. Luckily for both my son and I, it was still several blocks away. Unfortunately for my wife, it was right down the street from her school. As far as I know no one other than the criminal himself was injured, but it was still a scary series of events. The worst thing that I actually had to deal with ended up being some sticky hands and cheeks from an increasingly independent eater.
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Someone was up sneezing and coughing throughout the night, and that same someone seemed find when he woke up in the morning. Someone else decided that someone was well enough to go to music class. That didn't work out so well for either of the someones. Ah well. There will be other weeks.
(KEY: Someone = my son; Someone else = me)
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I dropped off my car last night for inspection and had to pick it up today in order to make it to my wife's doctor's appointment later in the day. Completely disregarding the timeline, we walked to a nearby playground before lunch. Strangely, my son had little interest in anything but carrying around his diaper bag- both on and off of the equipment.
In between chasing him off of the adjacent private property and trying to calm him down by conjuring Swing Bunny, I received a call telling me my car was done. We packed up and walked the mile or so to pick it up, and I decided to take a quick look at the new cars on the lot while we were there. We're still in the process of looking for a new car. One particular salesman has dealt with us more than any others, and he was on me within 45 seconds. Luckily, I had the out of saying it was naptime. And it was.
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Today was one of the earliest mornings we've ever had (on purpose). Today was my school's "JJ Day", a day of activities named for a former student who passed away when he was in 8th grade. The morning activity is a talent show, and I always help out in some way. I was asked to do so this year, and based on my son's fantastic behavior at all other school events, I said I would.
I woke him up roughly two hours before he normally gets up on his own and gave him breakfast on the way. I also packed heavy (as far as snacks go) in an attempt to keep him both busy and happy. The show had already started when we arrived, as two 7th grade girls that assisted me with the sound for the Fall musical had also been asked to help out. Despite a few small miscues, the show would have gone on without me. I wasn't at all upset by this since it showed that I did a good job teaching these girls in the first place. It also gave me a chance to see what Taylor Swift has been up to (there were no fewer than three acts that chose her songs). As expected, my son made lots of friends- especially a certain row of 8th grade girls. The show was over before we knew it (and before the snacks ran out), and we packed up and left. We made a brief stop by my parents' house, but no one was around. Oh well.
We returned home with plenty of time before lunch. We took advantage of yet another beautiful day and headed to the playground. I made sure to hide the diaper bag this time. He went straight for the 5-12 equipment, and we were soon joined by several other childern aged 4 years or so. He tried very hard to have a conversation with them, flailing his arms all about while struggling to put words together. The targets of his tale just stared at him for a bit before continuing their playtime. It didn't upset him too much; maybe he was just telling them he wanted to be alone.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Days 122, 123, 124, and 125
This past weekend was my annual sojourn to Clearwater, Florida for Phillies Spring Training. My initial plan this year was to take my son down with me and stay for as long as I liked, but my wife wasn't too thrilled about not having me around for an extended period of time (it may have had a little to do with missing our son, as well, but who can really say?), so I settled on just a couple of days away. It was a great trip with great weather, but ultimately I missed my son more than I could have imagined. I saw a lot of families complete with toddlers and infants when I was there, but they didn't look like they were having all that much fun. I can't wait until my boys (!) are old enough to enjoy it (and we are able to afford it!) so we can all head down together. Some day...
We started the day with a nice little run, but it was all wind in our faces on the way back. That slowed me down considerably and didn't make my son too comfortable, so we ended up walking the last half-mile or so. My GPS tracing app didn't get the memo that we had stopped, and somehow kept timing us which killed my splits. Oh well.
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The time change has really done a number on my son, as I had to go upstairs and wake him up in order to make it to music class on time today. As I expected, he was back on his game today after an off week last time. He's getting good at walking with (but not necessarily in) the class circles and stopping when we stop, but he still doesn't have any interest in holding hands.
We made a short stop at home to make lunch before heading to Red Bridge, a nearby park, to eat and enjoy the weather. Because the trail is so close to the water in many spots, he stayed in the stroller until it was time to go. He started protesting as I tried to put him in the car, so I let him run around a little bit. That little bit turned into a roughly 30 minute tour of the recreational area.
His favorite spot seemed to be the stone foundation of an old log house. I am pretty sure I was also partial to playing in there anytime I got to go there as a kid, so I wasn't surprised. A woman sitting nearby told me there used to be play equipment inside, but I don't remember that. I remember wanting to playing the dirt.
We stopped at Gram and Pop Pop's house before band practice. Pop Pop was very excited to see his grandson, as he hadn't been able to hang out with him recently. We hung around for a few minutes- long enough for my son to make a nice pile of picture frames and wooden boxes.
This was our final band practice before our big gig on the weekend, so it was very important that we made it. We were working without a nap, so it was a big risk. He was his normal self for all of the songs in the first set, but started getting a little sleepy in the second. I knew it was time to go when he walked over to me and stood on my right foot so I couldn't play the bass drum. Smart, smart kid.
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Today's adventure was a trip to the grocery store. I had my coupons, my list, and the reusable shopping bags. We got to the store, and I grabbed a cart. I immediately realized that I had left the cart cover in the car, so I dragged the cart back to the car and strapped it on. An older gentleman pulled up next to me and struck up a conversation about our cars (he also drives a Prius) as well as the cars of just about every member of his family. Throughout all of this, my son didn't make a single noise or attempt to get out of the cart.
I was able to find a suitable moment to cut off our conversation and head inside. We made our way up each and every aisle, picking up the necessities and a little extra. Everything was going great. I was singing songs about all the different things we were picking up. My son was laughing and pointing at the babies and dogs on the packages. If heaven was a grocery store, well, I don't know how to end that sentence. Anyway, it was good. Then, about halfway through the store- I realized I forgot my Bonus Card.
I decided to finish shopping and worry about it later. Surely I wasn't the first person to forget his card, but I didn't want to miss out on the immediate savings OR the gas points I would accumulate. When I was done, I parked the cart near the entrance, picked up my son, and jogged out to my car. In the process, I had to take away the many items he was holding for me- including, but not limited to: peanut butter, puffed grain snacks, goldfish, and yogurt. I knew this was risky and gave me a short window before a complete breakdown. I gritted my teeth, supported his head, and made a break for it. Just as we approached fullon meltdown mode, I placed a container of goldfish (the snack, not the aquatic animal) in his hands and all was once again back to normal. Save for a half-dozen issues at checkout, the rest of the trip was uneventful. Can't wait to do it again next week!
My plan upon returning home was to put away the groceries. My son's plan was to take a walk around the block. As usual, his choice won. The great weather we've been having has really given him a chance to show off his wheels (read: feet). Unfortunately for him, he hasn't yet figured out how to fall gracefully. Just as his previous bump on the head had all but been forgotten, he tripped and was able to catch himself with his hands but was unable to control the velocity of his relatively gigantic head. Once again, in seemingly slow motion, he scraped his head on the sidewalk. This time there was no blood, but there was plenty of crying. I'm fairly certain the crying was more as a result of me picking him up and carrying him the rest of the way than any actual pain. Regardless, Daddy doesn't like to be the cause of his upsetedness.
Despite the morning's tribulations, he got a good nap before we had to get up and go to a meeting at my school. I am part of the technology committee in my district, and because of the subject that I teach, I like to be aware of what it is both in the pipeline and coming down the pike. Since I've been out all year, I feel so out of touch with not only my job but also the the new technology with which I'm expected to work. The meeting ended up going much longer than I anticipated, but my son, ever the good little soldier, made exactly one peep. The rest of the time he sat on my lap and flirted with other committee members or stood under the table and organized the diaper bag. I felt awful putting him through that, but I think the seemingly endless supply of snacks helped him forgive me.
Believe it or not, that was not the end of our day, oh no! I still had a drum lesson to give. Luckily my son still had some snacks left to keep him busy. When we got to my student's house, his mom gave my son a few toys to keep him busy during the lesson. He sat on the couch and played with them for approximately three minutes before grabbing his drumsticks and playing along. While this didn't help my student, it made me feel fantastic. I remember being so excited when he could simply hold the sticks. Now he's actually attempting to do something with them. It's not just random banging, ether. Something is definitely going on in his head. Watch this space...
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Pop Pop came over today to continue work on renovating our sun room. It's an interesting dynamic when we're working. My son more or less has free range of the lower level of the house and backyard. He's become quite fond of our side porch and adjacent step. At least four different times today, he moseyed over to that side of the house and waited for me to spot him. When I got near him, he let out an excited shriek and induced a toddler-speed chase around our patio furniture. It's a fun game, but I fear eventually it's going to end with another bump on the head.
We also had some swing time while we were in the backyard. I don't quite fit in his swing, so it was all him. When he's in a swing, he transforms into a character I like to call "Swing Bunny". He bends his hands downward (like any good anthropomorphic rabbit does) and sticks his upper teeth over his bottom lip. Swing Bunny. Anyway, it's cute. Really cute. He especially loves when I hold him for an extended moment in front of me at the apex of his swing and quickly let go. That causes Swing Bunny to let out a Swing Bunny Squeal. OK, I'm sickening myself with all this adorableness. Post over.
We started the day with a nice little run, but it was all wind in our faces on the way back. That slowed me down considerably and didn't make my son too comfortable, so we ended up walking the last half-mile or so. My GPS tracing app didn't get the memo that we had stopped, and somehow kept timing us which killed my splits. Oh well.
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The time change has really done a number on my son, as I had to go upstairs and wake him up in order to make it to music class on time today. As I expected, he was back on his game today after an off week last time. He's getting good at walking with (but not necessarily in) the class circles and stopping when we stop, but he still doesn't have any interest in holding hands.
We made a short stop at home to make lunch before heading to Red Bridge, a nearby park, to eat and enjoy the weather. Because the trail is so close to the water in many spots, he stayed in the stroller until it was time to go. He started protesting as I tried to put him in the car, so I let him run around a little bit. That little bit turned into a roughly 30 minute tour of the recreational area.
His favorite spot seemed to be the stone foundation of an old log house. I am pretty sure I was also partial to playing in there anytime I got to go there as a kid, so I wasn't surprised. A woman sitting nearby told me there used to be play equipment inside, but I don't remember that. I remember wanting to playing the dirt.
We stopped at Gram and Pop Pop's house before band practice. Pop Pop was very excited to see his grandson, as he hadn't been able to hang out with him recently. We hung around for a few minutes- long enough for my son to make a nice pile of picture frames and wooden boxes.
This was our final band practice before our big gig on the weekend, so it was very important that we made it. We were working without a nap, so it was a big risk. He was his normal self for all of the songs in the first set, but started getting a little sleepy in the second. I knew it was time to go when he walked over to me and stood on my right foot so I couldn't play the bass drum. Smart, smart kid.
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Today's adventure was a trip to the grocery store. I had my coupons, my list, and the reusable shopping bags. We got to the store, and I grabbed a cart. I immediately realized that I had left the cart cover in the car, so I dragged the cart back to the car and strapped it on. An older gentleman pulled up next to me and struck up a conversation about our cars (he also drives a Prius) as well as the cars of just about every member of his family. Throughout all of this, my son didn't make a single noise or attempt to get out of the cart.
I was able to find a suitable moment to cut off our conversation and head inside. We made our way up each and every aisle, picking up the necessities and a little extra. Everything was going great. I was singing songs about all the different things we were picking up. My son was laughing and pointing at the babies and dogs on the packages. If heaven was a grocery store, well, I don't know how to end that sentence. Anyway, it was good. Then, about halfway through the store- I realized I forgot my Bonus Card.
I decided to finish shopping and worry about it later. Surely I wasn't the first person to forget his card, but I didn't want to miss out on the immediate savings OR the gas points I would accumulate. When I was done, I parked the cart near the entrance, picked up my son, and jogged out to my car. In the process, I had to take away the many items he was holding for me- including, but not limited to: peanut butter, puffed grain snacks, goldfish, and yogurt. I knew this was risky and gave me a short window before a complete breakdown. I gritted my teeth, supported his head, and made a break for it. Just as we approached fullon meltdown mode, I placed a container of goldfish (the snack, not the aquatic animal) in his hands and all was once again back to normal. Save for a half-dozen issues at checkout, the rest of the trip was uneventful. Can't wait to do it again next week!
My plan upon returning home was to put away the groceries. My son's plan was to take a walk around the block. As usual, his choice won. The great weather we've been having has really given him a chance to show off his wheels (read: feet). Unfortunately for him, he hasn't yet figured out how to fall gracefully. Just as his previous bump on the head had all but been forgotten, he tripped and was able to catch himself with his hands but was unable to control the velocity of his relatively gigantic head. Once again, in seemingly slow motion, he scraped his head on the sidewalk. This time there was no blood, but there was plenty of crying. I'm fairly certain the crying was more as a result of me picking him up and carrying him the rest of the way than any actual pain. Regardless, Daddy doesn't like to be the cause of his upsetedness.
Despite the morning's tribulations, he got a good nap before we had to get up and go to a meeting at my school. I am part of the technology committee in my district, and because of the subject that I teach, I like to be aware of what it is both in the pipeline and coming down the pike. Since I've been out all year, I feel so out of touch with not only my job but also the the new technology with which I'm expected to work. The meeting ended up going much longer than I anticipated, but my son, ever the good little soldier, made exactly one peep. The rest of the time he sat on my lap and flirted with other committee members or stood under the table and organized the diaper bag. I felt awful putting him through that, but I think the seemingly endless supply of snacks helped him forgive me.
Believe it or not, that was not the end of our day, oh no! I still had a drum lesson to give. Luckily my son still had some snacks left to keep him busy. When we got to my student's house, his mom gave my son a few toys to keep him busy during the lesson. He sat on the couch and played with them for approximately three minutes before grabbing his drumsticks and playing along. While this didn't help my student, it made me feel fantastic. I remember being so excited when he could simply hold the sticks. Now he's actually attempting to do something with them. It's not just random banging, ether. Something is definitely going on in his head. Watch this space...
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Pop Pop came over today to continue work on renovating our sun room. It's an interesting dynamic when we're working. My son more or less has free range of the lower level of the house and backyard. He's become quite fond of our side porch and adjacent step. At least four different times today, he moseyed over to that side of the house and waited for me to spot him. When I got near him, he let out an excited shriek and induced a toddler-speed chase around our patio furniture. It's a fun game, but I fear eventually it's going to end with another bump on the head.
We also had some swing time while we were in the backyard. I don't quite fit in his swing, so it was all him. When he's in a swing, he transforms into a character I like to call "Swing Bunny". He bends his hands downward (like any good anthropomorphic rabbit does) and sticks his upper teeth over his bottom lip. Swing Bunny. Anyway, it's cute. Really cute. He especially loves when I hold him for an extended moment in front of me at the apex of his swing and quickly let go. That causes Swing Bunny to let out a Swing Bunny Squeal. OK, I'm sickening myself with all this adorableness. Post over.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Days 117, 118, 119, 120, and 121
I knew today was going to be a busy one, so I jumped in with two feet. We went to the mall right after breakfast and walked around to get some exercise. In doing so, my son managed to break a display item at the American Greetings store. I tried to prevent it, but he's kind of quick. He stood and admired this plastic cup on a table for a while and actually listened to me the first two times I told him not to touch it. Thankfully, the woman working in the store told me not to worry about it (I offered to pay), as she would simply put it in their damaged inventory. What a relief!
We still had some time to waste before heading over to school for band practice, so we visited my old (now closed) elementary school, M.L. Lausch. They have a nice playground there that he really enjoyed. As has become the norm, he spent much more time on the "big boy" equipment than then stuff designed for him. We had a minor scare when he climbed to the very top of the play area and propelled himself down the 6 ft high twisty slide! He started tumbling about halfway down, but I was able to catch him (he hasn't figured out to lift up his shoes) and turn him back over.
I got him to take a nap in the car between band practice and my drum lesson. This was the first time I took him along to the lesson, and he was very well-behaved. In fact, he made himself right at home at my student's house- climbing up and sitting quite comfortably on their living room chair while eating his snack. What a goofball!
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We spent a good deal of today dancing to the CDs from his music class. As it turns out, he really likes the music. He pulled out a few of the moves from class and showed off for Mommy. Pretty cute!
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Last night was a bad night- he woke up several times, and I even had to take him out of the room to calm him down. I was working on finishing my final sabbatical class (which I did!), so I was already up anyway. He finally went to bed around 1:30, and I followed around 2:30.
The initial idea behind this blog was to talk about my experience with my son and balancing all my other activities, but I pretty much completely glossed over my work for grad school. Here's all you need to know: it's over. I never have to go back if I don't want to. I'm sure I will, but I don't have to. So that's cool.
Gram contacted me to invite us to lunch today, but I already had plans to start renovating our sun room with Pop Pop G. I told her she could come to music class with us instead, and she was happy to join us. Unfortunately for her, he didn't exactly perform at class. He was very clingy toward me and didn't participate as much as I've grown accustomed. It's not that he was bad; he just didn't play to his potential. :-)
When we got home from class, I had my first actual conversation with our across-the-street neighbor (he's lived there for maybe 5 years!). I told him how embarrassed I was that I didn't even know his name. We always say hi to each other when we're outside, but we're long past the point where we should be introducing ourselves. Anyway, it was awkward, so I did something about it.
Midway through our conversation (the EXACT midpoint- I timed it), my son wandered over to our next-door neighbor's front porch. She was happy to invite him in and let him play with his favorite dish in her living room for a while. Eventually he got tired of hanging out and started looking for me, so I went back and got him. Amazingly, our conversation had a third act that concluded when Pop Pop arrived.
My son was very good while Pop Pop and I worked. He took a good nap despite the sporadic noise and kept himself entertained when it was needed. This was encouraging because I'm going to need a lot of cooperation from him if we are going to get this job done!
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We spent a couple hours at the Park City Mall today because I had to go there for a Genius Bar appointment (for a problem that actually ended up completely unrelated to Apple, it seems). It was such a nice day (70+ degrees in March), so I called my dad and asked if there was anywhere nearby where we could walk around outside and make the trip worthwhile. He suggested Long's Park, which happens to be just a few hundred feet from the mall. There's a nice pond there where we got to see some ducks and geese. Predictably, there were lots of other people there, and they brought their dogs. My son was not at all disturbed by that. Just when he would focus on making his way down the path around the pond, another dog would appear on his radar and cause us to backtrack. Between that and chasing him all around the shore trying to keep him from jumping in the pong, it was a workout, and I love it. Days like this are bittersweet because I know eventually I have to go back to work. Right now I'm in the business of enjoying this while it lasts!
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I leave tomorrow for my annual trip to Clearwater, Florida for Phillies Spring Training, so I used the morning to take care of some errands. I had to run (well, drive, really) something over near school anyway, so I managed to get to band practice, too. We came home for lunch and the subsequent nap, and he was extremely playful and adorable in between.
I'm going to miss him so much this weekend. I look forward to when I can take him along (when Mommy lets me!) and hope that he'll enjoy it even half as much as I do. Oh yeah- and his brother, too! I got to go a couple of years ago with my dad, and it's an experience I will never forget.
When I get back from Florida, my son is going to be 20 months old. His brother will be here in a little over two months. These are truly exciting times.
We still had some time to waste before heading over to school for band practice, so we visited my old (now closed) elementary school, M.L. Lausch. They have a nice playground there that he really enjoyed. As has become the norm, he spent much more time on the "big boy" equipment than then stuff designed for him. We had a minor scare when he climbed to the very top of the play area and propelled himself down the 6 ft high twisty slide! He started tumbling about halfway down, but I was able to catch him (he hasn't figured out to lift up his shoes) and turn him back over.
I got him to take a nap in the car between band practice and my drum lesson. This was the first time I took him along to the lesson, and he was very well-behaved. In fact, he made himself right at home at my student's house- climbing up and sitting quite comfortably on their living room chair while eating his snack. What a goofball!
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We spent a good deal of today dancing to the CDs from his music class. As it turns out, he really likes the music. He pulled out a few of the moves from class and showed off for Mommy. Pretty cute!
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Last night was a bad night- he woke up several times, and I even had to take him out of the room to calm him down. I was working on finishing my final sabbatical class (which I did!), so I was already up anyway. He finally went to bed around 1:30, and I followed around 2:30.
The initial idea behind this blog was to talk about my experience with my son and balancing all my other activities, but I pretty much completely glossed over my work for grad school. Here's all you need to know: it's over. I never have to go back if I don't want to. I'm sure I will, but I don't have to. So that's cool.
Gram contacted me to invite us to lunch today, but I already had plans to start renovating our sun room with Pop Pop G. I told her she could come to music class with us instead, and she was happy to join us. Unfortunately for her, he didn't exactly perform at class. He was very clingy toward me and didn't participate as much as I've grown accustomed. It's not that he was bad; he just didn't play to his potential. :-)
When we got home from class, I had my first actual conversation with our across-the-street neighbor (he's lived there for maybe 5 years!). I told him how embarrassed I was that I didn't even know his name. We always say hi to each other when we're outside, but we're long past the point where we should be introducing ourselves. Anyway, it was awkward, so I did something about it.
Midway through our conversation (the EXACT midpoint- I timed it), my son wandered over to our next-door neighbor's front porch. She was happy to invite him in and let him play with his favorite dish in her living room for a while. Eventually he got tired of hanging out and started looking for me, so I went back and got him. Amazingly, our conversation had a third act that concluded when Pop Pop arrived.
My son was very good while Pop Pop and I worked. He took a good nap despite the sporadic noise and kept himself entertained when it was needed. This was encouraging because I'm going to need a lot of cooperation from him if we are going to get this job done!
-----
We spent a couple hours at the Park City Mall today because I had to go there for a Genius Bar appointment (for a problem that actually ended up completely unrelated to Apple, it seems). It was such a nice day (70+ degrees in March), so I called my dad and asked if there was anywhere nearby where we could walk around outside and make the trip worthwhile. He suggested Long's Park, which happens to be just a few hundred feet from the mall. There's a nice pond there where we got to see some ducks and geese. Predictably, there were lots of other people there, and they brought their dogs. My son was not at all disturbed by that. Just when he would focus on making his way down the path around the pond, another dog would appear on his radar and cause us to backtrack. Between that and chasing him all around the shore trying to keep him from jumping in the pong, it was a workout, and I love it. Days like this are bittersweet because I know eventually I have to go back to work. Right now I'm in the business of enjoying this while it lasts!
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I leave tomorrow for my annual trip to Clearwater, Florida for Phillies Spring Training, so I used the morning to take care of some errands. I had to run (well, drive, really) something over near school anyway, so I managed to get to band practice, too. We came home for lunch and the subsequent nap, and he was extremely playful and adorable in between.
I'm going to miss him so much this weekend. I look forward to when I can take him along (when Mommy lets me!) and hope that he'll enjoy it even half as much as I do. Oh yeah- and his brother, too! I got to go a couple of years ago with my dad, and it's an experience I will never forget.
When I get back from Florida, my son is going to be 20 months old. His brother will be here in a little over two months. These are truly exciting times.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Days 113, 114, 115, and 116
The great weather continues! We took an extra long walk into one of the swankier neighborhoods in the area and took advantage of their equally swanky (?) playground. My son figured it all out pretty quickly, even though the setup is considerably different than the equipment we were playing on yesterday. I didn't even have to encourage him to go down the slide this time; he just plopped right down onto his butt and did it all by himself! Before I knew it he was back up and ready to go again. We played on the swings for a little before he let me know that it was time to go.
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Whenever we have a breakthrough at music class, I always look forward to the following week to see if it becomes a habit. When he sat down last week and started the class, I was hoping that he'd be able to do it again this week. One, because it was so darn cute, and two, because it keeps me from having to chase him around the room. Sure enough, as soon as the teacher got there he went and sat down next to her and started tapping his legs! He's also responding very well to a few songs in particular- especially the one that ends in him getting tickled. He likes that one so much that he's even started mimicking the motions that go along with the song. He also likes when he bounces on my legs and puts his hands up and down. We've been practicing directions when we go on our walks, so this gives him a chance to show off in front of his friends.
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We had a really bad night last night. I finally had to get up with him around 12:30 (in addition to a few times before that). As it turns out, all he wanted to do was play with his puzzles in his room. After about ten minutes of playtime, I managed to rock him to sleep for good. Thankfully, he slept in a little bit and allowed me to do so as well.
I managed to get him to take a decent nap before band practice, but we were a little late as a result. Having recently learned of the passing of one of my childhood heroes, Davy Jones, it was quite appropriate when my son carried two oversized (to him) maracas and a tambourine over to me during one of the songs. I'm a bereaver, indeed.
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When I was trying to figure out what we were going to have for lunch, I remembered that my wife said she was having a pizza party for her students today. How fortuitous! After some serious playtime in the morning, we made the short trip to her school and snuck into her classroom undetected. (Of course we checked in with the imposing security guard first!) She was very happy to see (him) us, and the kids had a great time hovering over and nearly smothering him. He was happy to entertain some of his biggest fans that also happen to work at the school.
Everything was great until it came time to leave. Because I had only packed one container of snacks and it needed to get him through band practice as well, I had to take the treats from the toddler. Around the same time, he had to say goodbye to Mommy. That is not a good combination. There was much screaming. Tears were shed. About 15 minutes after we got home, he finally stopped and fell asleep for his pre-rehearsal nap. Phew.
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Whenever we have a breakthrough at music class, I always look forward to the following week to see if it becomes a habit. When he sat down last week and started the class, I was hoping that he'd be able to do it again this week. One, because it was so darn cute, and two, because it keeps me from having to chase him around the room. Sure enough, as soon as the teacher got there he went and sat down next to her and started tapping his legs! He's also responding very well to a few songs in particular- especially the one that ends in him getting tickled. He likes that one so much that he's even started mimicking the motions that go along with the song. He also likes when he bounces on my legs and puts his hands up and down. We've been practicing directions when we go on our walks, so this gives him a chance to show off in front of his friends.
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We had a really bad night last night. I finally had to get up with him around 12:30 (in addition to a few times before that). As it turns out, all he wanted to do was play with his puzzles in his room. After about ten minutes of playtime, I managed to rock him to sleep for good. Thankfully, he slept in a little bit and allowed me to do so as well.
I managed to get him to take a decent nap before band practice, but we were a little late as a result. Having recently learned of the passing of one of my childhood heroes, Davy Jones, it was quite appropriate when my son carried two oversized (to him) maracas and a tambourine over to me during one of the songs. I'm a bereaver, indeed.
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When I was trying to figure out what we were going to have for lunch, I remembered that my wife said she was having a pizza party for her students today. How fortuitous! After some serious playtime in the morning, we made the short trip to her school and snuck into her classroom undetected. (Of course we checked in with the imposing security guard first!) She was very happy to see (him) us, and the kids had a great time hovering over and nearly smothering him. He was happy to entertain some of his biggest fans that also happen to work at the school.
Everything was great until it came time to leave. Because I had only packed one container of snacks and it needed to get him through band practice as well, I had to take the treats from the toddler. Around the same time, he had to say goodbye to Mommy. That is not a good combination. There was much screaming. Tears were shed. About 15 minutes after we got home, he finally stopped and fell asleep for his pre-rehearsal nap. Phew.
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