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.
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