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.
Showing posts with label Walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walking. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Days 99, 100, 101, and 102
The weather continues to be unseasonably and freakishly warm, so we were able to get out and take a nice walk around the block. Along the way, my son saw his first woodpecker. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure how many times I've ever stopped and noticed a woodpecker before. It's funny how pointing things out to my son has made me notice and appreciate little things like that.
We went to the mall after that to get lunch and pick up the jewelry we dropped off a couple weeks ago. Of course we had to stop at the pet store as well, and much to my dismay, my two favorite puppies from before Christmas were still there. One of them was in the play area, and she has gotten so big that they had to take out the divider. I need to stop going there. *sniff*
He spent most of the trip in his stroller, but the mall was pretty empty (and for once we weren't there on the same day as a local school early dismissal day!) so I let him out to walk (run) around. Usually he stops in front of every storefront and stares for a moment before moving on to the next. Today he chose to actually go in one: Hot Topic. I'm gonna go ahead and postulate that it had something to do with the loud music that was playing inside. I'm also going to hope that it has nothing to do with Twilight or spiked leather booty shorts.
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We were able to go for another walk today. This time we walked around the block on the other side of the street. I was actually able to get him to hold my hand for most of the trip across the street until he realized what was happening and pulled away just as we reached the curb.
There's a house along the way that has two steps and a railing (together, not randomly thrown throughout)in its front yard. Every time we walk by it, he is drawn to those steps and pulls himself up. Today he did it before I could even notice. He still doesn't consistently choose using the handrail or crawling to get up and down steps, but he's starting to lean towards the former. He's also really quiet about it.
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When I was a kid, there was a Seafood Shanty restaurant right near our house. It closed about 20 years ago, but I can still recall the taste of my favorite part: oyster crackers. Though I never really sought them out, I was always disappointed whenever I would eat other variations of oyster crackers and they just tasted like regular crackers. These were different: round, sourdough pretzel-like hard, and dry. After (nonconsecutive) years of dissatisfaction, I more or less gave up hope. Then something changed.
Rumors sometimes become reality. I've read articles about it, but I'm still not sure exactly how or why it happened. Regardless, I was thrilled when I found out that the long-dead franchise was being revived just a few miles from where I live now. Much to my wife's displeasure, I couldn't wait, and my son and I were there for lunch less than an hour after its grand opening. I immediately spotted the oyster crackers on someone's table when we got inside. We got a table for one and a one-and-a-half-year-old, and I could hardly contain my excitement.
I ordered my drink and a bowl of New England clam chowder as I anxiously awaited being reunited with the tiny crackers that had been such a big part of my childhood. I waited as my Diet Pepsi and chowder arrived. I waited as my bread was delivered. I wondered if it was all just some illusion- if I had just projected the oyster crackers onto that table in a moment of desperation as we entered the restaurant. Was it all a lie? Was I destined to go through life without ever again being able to taste the dryness I so deeply desired? Would my son never know how in the world an oyster could be a cracker? Just as I had given up all hope, my waitress returned. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did you want any oyster crackers?"
Other than being my main reason for being there, no, I didn't really want any. Anyway, we had a really nice lunch, and my son got lots of attention as usual. A man who I later found out was the owner came over and told me how great it was to see me enjoying lunch with my son. I told him the same story that I'm sure 75% of the people there told him: I came here as a kid and couldn't wait to share it with my kid(s). Oh, in case you're wondering- my son had the macaroni and cheese.
After a fantastic, nostalgic lunch, I thought we should try and work off some calories. We drove to a nearby park and he immediately started running towards the adjacent school. I tried to divert him a few times, but he just kept going. Eventually I picked him up and we went over to what appeared to be the toddler area of the playground. I put him in the swing and he laughed and laughed. I put him at the top of the slide, and he braced himself before scooting his butt to the edge and taking the plunge. I could tell right away that he wanted to go again. And again. And again. So he did.
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Another little boy came over to me and sat in my lap at music class today. My son just kind of stared at him in half-disbelief/ half-contempt as I pondered what it will be like in a few short months when the other little boy in my lap will be his brother. Yikes.
We went to Wal Mart so I could pick up some packing tape to box up what will soon be his brother's room. I didn't put him in a cart because, well, it's Wal Mart. After carrying him around for the first portion of the visit, I put him down right before we headed to check out. In the pots, pans, and containers aisle. Not the best decision I've ever made.
As if anyone would notice.
We went to the mall after that to get lunch and pick up the jewelry we dropped off a couple weeks ago. Of course we had to stop at the pet store as well, and much to my dismay, my two favorite puppies from before Christmas were still there. One of them was in the play area, and she has gotten so big that they had to take out the divider. I need to stop going there. *sniff*
He spent most of the trip in his stroller, but the mall was pretty empty (and for once we weren't there on the same day as a local school early dismissal day!) so I let him out to walk (run) around. Usually he stops in front of every storefront and stares for a moment before moving on to the next. Today he chose to actually go in one: Hot Topic. I'm gonna go ahead and postulate that it had something to do with the loud music that was playing inside. I'm also going to hope that it has nothing to do with Twilight or spiked leather booty shorts.
-----
We were able to go for another walk today. This time we walked around the block on the other side of the street. I was actually able to get him to hold my hand for most of the trip across the street until he realized what was happening and pulled away just as we reached the curb.
There's a house along the way that has two steps and a railing (together, not randomly thrown throughout)in its front yard. Every time we walk by it, he is drawn to those steps and pulls himself up. Today he did it before I could even notice. He still doesn't consistently choose using the handrail or crawling to get up and down steps, but he's starting to lean towards the former. He's also really quiet about it.
-----
When I was a kid, there was a Seafood Shanty restaurant right near our house. It closed about 20 years ago, but I can still recall the taste of my favorite part: oyster crackers. Though I never really sought them out, I was always disappointed whenever I would eat other variations of oyster crackers and they just tasted like regular crackers. These were different: round, sourdough pretzel-like hard, and dry. After (nonconsecutive) years of dissatisfaction, I more or less gave up hope. Then something changed.
Rumors sometimes become reality. I've read articles about it, but I'm still not sure exactly how or why it happened. Regardless, I was thrilled when I found out that the long-dead franchise was being revived just a few miles from where I live now. Much to my wife's displeasure, I couldn't wait, and my son and I were there for lunch less than an hour after its grand opening. I immediately spotted the oyster crackers on someone's table when we got inside. We got a table for one and a one-and-a-half-year-old, and I could hardly contain my excitement.
I ordered my drink and a bowl of New England clam chowder as I anxiously awaited being reunited with the tiny crackers that had been such a big part of my childhood. I waited as my Diet Pepsi and chowder arrived. I waited as my bread was delivered. I wondered if it was all just some illusion- if I had just projected the oyster crackers onto that table in a moment of desperation as we entered the restaurant. Was it all a lie? Was I destined to go through life without ever again being able to taste the dryness I so deeply desired? Would my son never know how in the world an oyster could be a cracker? Just as I had given up all hope, my waitress returned. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did you want any oyster crackers?"
Other than being my main reason for being there, no, I didn't really want any. Anyway, we had a really nice lunch, and my son got lots of attention as usual. A man who I later found out was the owner came over and told me how great it was to see me enjoying lunch with my son. I told him the same story that I'm sure 75% of the people there told him: I came here as a kid and couldn't wait to share it with my kid(s). Oh, in case you're wondering- my son had the macaroni and cheese.
After a fantastic, nostalgic lunch, I thought we should try and work off some calories. We drove to a nearby park and he immediately started running towards the adjacent school. I tried to divert him a few times, but he just kept going. Eventually I picked him up and we went over to what appeared to be the toddler area of the playground. I put him in the swing and he laughed and laughed. I put him at the top of the slide, and he braced himself before scooting his butt to the edge and taking the plunge. I could tell right away that he wanted to go again. And again. And again. So he did.
-----
Another little boy came over to me and sat in my lap at music class today. My son just kind of stared at him in half-disbelief/ half-contempt as I pondered what it will be like in a few short months when the other little boy in my lap will be his brother. Yikes.
We went to Wal Mart so I could pick up some packing tape to box up what will soon be his brother's room. I didn't put him in a cart because, well, it's Wal Mart. After carrying him around for the first portion of the visit, I put him down right before we headed to check out. In the pots, pans, and containers aisle. Not the best decision I've ever made.
As if anyone would notice.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Days 69 and 70
Today we got a chance to go for a walk. When I say "we", I mean my son, both dogs, and I went for a walk. I'm not sure that this particular crew has ever done that before. I think all of us walked around the block with my wife one time, but never just the four of us. If this doesn't seem like much of a challenge to you, you've clearly never gone on a walk with my dogs.
It's very difficult for them to decide which side of the sidewalk they want to be on. It's also a constant competition to see who can be the lead dog. Of course there's also the pooping, the stopping for no reason, the squirrel/ rabbit/ dog/ bird chasing, and myriad other difficulties that may occur. Couple that with the added responsibility of keeping tabs on my son, and you've got a recipe for an eventful walk.
After getting everyone in his or her stroller and/ or collar, we were off. The first half-mile of a walk with my dogs is always the worst. With the added obstacle of the stroller, it was more difficult than I had anticipated. Ellie, the skittish shelter dog, cringes at every unfamiliar sound or touch- the stroller isn't so quiet when it hits bumps, and she doesn't quite get the idea that it is travelling at the same speed as she. Davi, the elder wannabe alpha dog, can still hear the sound of the stroller but can't see it. He got "ankled" too many times to count.
Eventually they get a little tired of pulling on their leashes and they act like they know what "heel" means. We did do some obedience training; you just wouldn't know it. They settled down just in time for me to decide whether to make this a long or short walk. I chose long, and they didn't let me down. They even helped me rescue a runaway dog whose walker had dropped its leash. My son was in heaven when its own showed up carrying his other dog. Four "dups"! In one place!!!
When we got home from our nearly 3 mile excursion, Mommy was resting on the couch. She was more than happy to warm up his rosy little cheeks.
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Today was our last storytime before Christmas. When we had our last storytime before Halloween, most of the moms dressed up their kids in their costumes, so I figured it might be a good time to put my son in the Santa suit I bought him for the race last weekend. No one else dressed up. That doesn't make it wrong.
We did some shopping before lunchtime (Daddy always needs more v-necks!), and I decided to keep him in his Santa outfit. For such a ridiculous purchase, it is certainly worth the adorableness of seeing a little Santa waddling around Old Navy.
A girl stopped and asked me about my shoes while we were shopping because her husband loves them. I gave her several shopping options, and we parted ways. It's almost shocking to be approached by strangers these days for anything other than talking about how awesome my son is.
It's very difficult for them to decide which side of the sidewalk they want to be on. It's also a constant competition to see who can be the lead dog. Of course there's also the pooping, the stopping for no reason, the squirrel/ rabbit/ dog/ bird chasing, and myriad other difficulties that may occur. Couple that with the added responsibility of keeping tabs on my son, and you've got a recipe for an eventful walk.
After getting everyone in his or her stroller and/ or collar, we were off. The first half-mile of a walk with my dogs is always the worst. With the added obstacle of the stroller, it was more difficult than I had anticipated. Ellie, the skittish shelter dog, cringes at every unfamiliar sound or touch- the stroller isn't so quiet when it hits bumps, and she doesn't quite get the idea that it is travelling at the same speed as she. Davi, the elder wannabe alpha dog, can still hear the sound of the stroller but can't see it. He got "ankled" too many times to count.
Eventually they get a little tired of pulling on their leashes and they act like they know what "heel" means. We did do some obedience training; you just wouldn't know it. They settled down just in time for me to decide whether to make this a long or short walk. I chose long, and they didn't let me down. They even helped me rescue a runaway dog whose walker had dropped its leash. My son was in heaven when its own showed up carrying his other dog. Four "dups"! In one place!!!
When we got home from our nearly 3 mile excursion, Mommy was resting on the couch. She was more than happy to warm up his rosy little cheeks.
-----
Today was our last storytime before Christmas. When we had our last storytime before Halloween, most of the moms dressed up their kids in their costumes, so I figured it might be a good time to put my son in the Santa suit I bought him for the race last weekend. No one else dressed up. That doesn't make it wrong.
We did some shopping before lunchtime (Daddy always needs more v-necks!), and I decided to keep him in his Santa outfit. For such a ridiculous purchase, it is certainly worth the adorableness of seeing a little Santa waddling around Old Navy.
A girl stopped and asked me about my shoes while we were shopping because her husband loves them. I gave her several shopping options, and we parted ways. It's almost shocking to be approached by strangers these days for anything other than talking about how awesome my son is.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Day 66a and b
We test drove a car on Saturday night. As we were driving home, I noticed that I didn't have my wallet. We tried calling the dealership, but they had just closed. I drove back to the dealership and retraced my steps- nothing! I drove back to the neighborhood where my wife and I switched seats- nothing! My only choice was to return home and assume the worst. I called and canceled all of my credit cards and though about all the terrible things that someone could be doing with my AutoZone rewards card. I EARNED that 2 dollars back on sparkplugs!!!
Fast forward to Monday morning. I got up early with my wife so my son and I could drive over to the dealership. I walked around the lot again, looking for clues. The only ones I found were some of my son's "puffs" snacks that he donated to the asphalt. After peeking through the windows the day before, I was certain that the wallet simply fell out of my pants (life lesson: never wear track pants when test driving a car!), so I wanted to make sure I was there right when they opened. I walked into the lobby and exclaimed, "My wallet is in your (Honda) Pilot!" The salesman got the keys, opened the door, and there it was!
Because we had gotten up so early, we had some time to kill before storytime. It was nice day, so I decided the time killer would be walking to the library. I ran on Saturday for the first time since the marathon (early October), and I realized that I wasn't doing much to help my Earndit status. I figured I might as well be active outside while I still can. It's only about 3/4 of a mile from our house to library, but every little bit counts.
Storytime was much different than the previous week. We were actually able to sit in the circle! After the stories were done, I inadvertently entertained the rest of the room with an impromptu puppet show. It all started with a little peek-a-boo as I was retrieving my son from behind the stage and escalated from there. I suppose it won't be the last time I am tasked with entertaining a room of toddlers. After holding their attention for a record 3 minutes or so, we packed up and headed home.
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Mommy stayed home sick today, so we all spent a nice relaxing day at home. Two new household dangers have made themselves known: end table dancing and garland grabbing. He figured out how to climb on top of the end table so he can dance for everyone and is contemplating how much fun it would be to pull down the garland on top of our CD cabinets (taking several picture frames along with it). It's going to be an eventful few weeks.
Fast forward to Monday morning. I got up early with my wife so my son and I could drive over to the dealership. I walked around the lot again, looking for clues. The only ones I found were some of my son's "puffs" snacks that he donated to the asphalt. After peeking through the windows the day before, I was certain that the wallet simply fell out of my pants (life lesson: never wear track pants when test driving a car!), so I wanted to make sure I was there right when they opened. I walked into the lobby and exclaimed, "My wallet is in your (Honda) Pilot!" The salesman got the keys, opened the door, and there it was!
Because we had gotten up so early, we had some time to kill before storytime. It was nice day, so I decided the time killer would be walking to the library. I ran on Saturday for the first time since the marathon (early October), and I realized that I wasn't doing much to help my Earndit status. I figured I might as well be active outside while I still can. It's only about 3/4 of a mile from our house to library, but every little bit counts.
Storytime was much different than the previous week. We were actually able to sit in the circle! After the stories were done, I inadvertently entertained the rest of the room with an impromptu puppet show. It all started with a little peek-a-boo as I was retrieving my son from behind the stage and escalated from there. I suppose it won't be the last time I am tasked with entertaining a room of toddlers. After holding their attention for a record 3 minutes or so, we packed up and headed home.
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Mommy stayed home sick today, so we all spent a nice relaxing day at home. Two new household dangers have made themselves known: end table dancing and garland grabbing. He figured out how to climb on top of the end table so he can dance for everyone and is contemplating how much fun it would be to pull down the garland on top of our CD cabinets (taking several picture frames along with it). It's going to be an eventful few weeks.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Days 64 and 65
We went for a walk in the afternoon so Mommy could nap when she got home. We hadn't been to Gring's Mill in a while- in fact not since they reopened the entire trail. We went in the direction of the part of the trail that was reopened most recently and ended up walking around 2 miles. My son walked about a quarter of that on his own, all far away from the dangerous creek. He was safe in the stroller the rest of the time. He got to see a very large buck and several squirrels along the way.
When we got back to the "mainland", I took him out of the stroller. He immediately wanted to go back across the bridge. He also stopped to stare at a woman stretching after her run. He stared. And stared...
After eventually making it across the bridge, he, being the little boy that he is, was magnetically attracted to a dried out puddle of leaves and mud. He tripped and fell into it, naturally. This was the dirtiest he had ever seen his own hands, so he stared at them for a while. Then he stuck them in his mouth. We weren't going to tell Mommy that.
Gring's Mill has a nice light display for Christmas each year, and they were putting the finishing touches on it today. It was getting dark as we were getting ready to leave, so we got to see some of the lights in action. He scrambled up a rather steep hill when he saw the lights and stood, watched, and grabbed at them. I took some video for Mommy because he was just so amazed by all the lights. He was even more excited when he realized that he could control single lights by turning them just a little bit. As the sun disappeared and the temperature dropped, I realized we needed to get dinner and home to Mommy.
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I got up early this morning (though not as early as I do when I'm working) so I could get some work done before waking up my son and heading out for today's adventure. I guess I should have let him know that I wanted to get an early start because he ended up sleeping later than he had in weeks! We eventually got on the road and made our way to our destination: Cabela's.
It was the first time for both of us. I had been told recently by more than one person that my son would enjoy the animals and aquarium, and that was reason enough for me. I remember the fuss- good and bad- that was made about Cabela's coming to the area. As it turns out, it worked out pretty well for the area which has become surrounded by stores, auto dealers, and restaurants.
The center of the store is a large mountain landscape that is overrun with animal corpses. Well, it is. My son wasn't too excited by any of them at first, but it looked like he was intrigued by the polar bears around the corner. I let him out of the stroller to see if he would point out any animal in particular. I should have looked around because he immediately ran over to the staircase. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with him and hang on to the stroller, I pulled him down. This did not get us off to a good start. Luckily, he was in a pretty good mood for the rest of the day.
He liked the elephant and tried to jump in after the fish in the pond on the other side of Corpse Hill. We made our way through Deer Country where he was excited to see a skunk and some other small four-legged creatures. We found the aquarium and checked out that selection of fish. We even saw a few turtles swimming around in there. It's a little more exciting when they're alive. Eventually we made our way upstairs and had lunch. We even managed to pick out a Christmas gift for Mommy before he made it clear it was naptime.
I was so surprised by the SUV to giant truck ratio in the parking that I dropped his sippy cup while putting away his stroller. It was one of the two that we have that doesn't leak, too. If you happen to be in Hamburg and want to check the Route 61 side of the parking lot for us, we'd love to have it back. I realize he has absolutely no idea, but it bothers me when we lose things of his: a sock here, a sippy cup there. Then I think about how he uses these things for such a small percentage of his life, and I feel a little better. One thing is for sure: we'd be in big trouble if we lost his pal, Scout!
When we got back to the "mainland", I took him out of the stroller. He immediately wanted to go back across the bridge. He also stopped to stare at a woman stretching after her run. He stared. And stared...
After eventually making it across the bridge, he, being the little boy that he is, was magnetically attracted to a dried out puddle of leaves and mud. He tripped and fell into it, naturally. This was the dirtiest he had ever seen his own hands, so he stared at them for a while. Then he stuck them in his mouth. We weren't going to tell Mommy that.
Gring's Mill has a nice light display for Christmas each year, and they were putting the finishing touches on it today. It was getting dark as we were getting ready to leave, so we got to see some of the lights in action. He scrambled up a rather steep hill when he saw the lights and stood, watched, and grabbed at them. I took some video for Mommy because he was just so amazed by all the lights. He was even more excited when he realized that he could control single lights by turning them just a little bit. As the sun disappeared and the temperature dropped, I realized we needed to get dinner and home to Mommy.
-----
I got up early this morning (though not as early as I do when I'm working) so I could get some work done before waking up my son and heading out for today's adventure. I guess I should have let him know that I wanted to get an early start because he ended up sleeping later than he had in weeks! We eventually got on the road and made our way to our destination: Cabela's.
It was the first time for both of us. I had been told recently by more than one person that my son would enjoy the animals and aquarium, and that was reason enough for me. I remember the fuss- good and bad- that was made about Cabela's coming to the area. As it turns out, it worked out pretty well for the area which has become surrounded by stores, auto dealers, and restaurants.
The center of the store is a large mountain landscape that is overrun with animal corpses. Well, it is. My son wasn't too excited by any of them at first, but it looked like he was intrigued by the polar bears around the corner. I let him out of the stroller to see if he would point out any animal in particular. I should have looked around because he immediately ran over to the staircase. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with him and hang on to the stroller, I pulled him down. This did not get us off to a good start. Luckily, he was in a pretty good mood for the rest of the day.
He liked the elephant and tried to jump in after the fish in the pond on the other side of Corpse Hill. We made our way through Deer Country where he was excited to see a skunk and some other small four-legged creatures. We found the aquarium and checked out that selection of fish. We even saw a few turtles swimming around in there. It's a little more exciting when they're alive. Eventually we made our way upstairs and had lunch. We even managed to pick out a Christmas gift for Mommy before he made it clear it was naptime.
I was so surprised by the SUV to giant truck ratio in the parking that I dropped his sippy cup while putting away his stroller. It was one of the two that we have that doesn't leak, too. If you happen to be in Hamburg and want to check the Route 61 side of the parking lot for us, we'd love to have it back. I realize he has absolutely no idea, but it bothers me when we lose things of his: a sock here, a sippy cup there. Then I think about how he uses these things for such a small percentage of his life, and I feel a little better. One thing is for sure: we'd be in big trouble if we lost his pal, Scout!
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