We were supposed to go to a new music and storytime class this morning to replace the one that ended last week, but my son didn't get up until around 9:30, and the class started at 10. Oh well.
I had to go to school today to take care of some paperwork, but what I had hoped would be about a 45 second drop-in turned into a roughly 45 minute stay. I'm not complaining; it gave several of a my coworkers a chance to meet (and fawn over) the 17-month old version of my son (who evidently is adorable). Ever since I worked retailed, I've always disliked when people who aren't working show up at work. Jeez, we'll see you tomorrow, guy! I've tried to stay away from doing it because I don't want it to seem like I'm there to show off my son; that's just what it happened to turn in to.
I called my dad after we left school to see if we could meet for lunch. Even though he had already eaten, he still invited us over so we could eat our lunch. We had a nice quiet visit before light started peaking through the naptime window. It was important that we didn't stay too long because I really didn't want him to fall asleep on the way home (and he didn't).
-----
One of us didn't wake up until 10 today. I won't say who. I will say that sleeping so late is putting a real damper on a very important project on which I'm supposed to be working.
My son loves hats. Not wearing them, mind you, but rather taking them off of my head and putting them back on just slightly and crooked. Today he took my hat and put it on top of Ellie's head and applauded himself. Apparently not completely pleased with his work, he adjusted it and clapped again. She just let it all happen. Good dog.
I thought of one more thing to get my wife for Christmas, plus we needed some pet supplies, so we went out for a little bit of shopping. As a result of the late wakeup call, I didn't get a chance to shower beforehand. I just threw on my clothes from the day before and went out anyway. I think that officially indoctrinates me into the world of stay-at-home-(whatever).
I needed to get Christmas presents for the dogs, so we returned to Petco (where my son had expertly rearranged the dog treats just a few days before) and I grabbed the first two bags that he had chosen on our previous trip. I think he was a little hurt that I didn't let him carry them, but we didn't have a lot of time to waste. In fact, because I was in such a hurry, I completely forgot to pick up food and treats for the chinchillas. So as soon as we checked and walked out, we walked right back in and went through the line again. Slow down, Daddy!
-----
It was another late morning today, but this one was totally not my fault. Our only plans for the day were maybe going to school again for our annual student/ faculty basketball game, so I was really in no hurry. Like I said before, I don't really like to go to work if I don't need to be there (I had volunteered to help with the game if it was necessary), so it wasn't a top priority.
After a quick lunch on the road, we did manage to get to school in time for the game. He was far more into it than I could have expected. I held him for the first few minutes, but he let me know when it was time to get down. Then we stood in a corner of the gym until he decided to sit on my shoes for a while. When I got tired of standing, he sat on my lap. When he got tired of sitting, he got up and stood relatively still right in front of me- intently watching all the while. He never does these things at music class or storytime- not enough action for him, perhaps. If nothing else, we do live in the right school district for sports...
We left school around 2 so he could get home for a very late nap. He kept himself busy (and awake) with his arm in his snack container and went down very easily when we got home. I even got to take a nap before Gram came over to watch him while I went back to school to announce a high school basketball game and Mommy enjoyed her school's Christmas party. Mommy has one more day of work this week before we get to enjoy our second Christmas with our little man!
Showing posts with label poppop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poppop. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Days 62 and 63
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.
-----
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.
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.
-----
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, August 31, 2011
Day 5
I skipped today's run in favor of an outing to the Berkshire Mall. If you aren't from the area, you may still recognize the name, as it received a bit of notoriety last year when some moron with a criminal record tried to sue the mall administration after a video circulated showing her walking into a fountain. Yup.
I worked at this mall for several years during high school and college. In fact, it's where I met my wife. This was the first trip my son and I took to the mall together, so naturally I had to take him to the place where his Mommy and I got to know each other. Before that, it was essential that we stop at the pet store, pet a few puppies, and stare at a lizard or two. Having accomplished all that, we continued on to what is now F.Y.E. Immediately upon entering the store, I recognized its smell as if I never left. Hours of my life were spent on the cheap faux-wood floor and rarely cleaned carpet of what was then known as Record Town Saturday Matinee. The only things that have changed about that store are the name, employees, and inventory. Tapes and laser discs have been replaced by Jeff Dunham plush toys, some sort of headgear called a "laplander", and action figures from movies I've never seen. It didn't make me miss working in retail one bit. The four minutes or so that we wandered around in FYE were plenty, so we moved on to the next store.
I have recently been surprised by how many people want to talk to me- well, me and the baby. This was never more true than when I walked into The Shoe Dept. A college-aged clerk greeted us as we entered the store, which was not unusual. However, he engaged me about my son's Phillies attire, and we continued to talk as I inched away from him. We shared little but a common interest in baseball, but his similarly-aged coworker came over and asked a few questions about my son. They were watched and smiled as he walked/ ran around their store. I couldn't believe that two guys their age would have any interest in a baby, but we spent at least 10 minutes talking and playing in their store. We didn't buy anything, but we did learn something about how awesome my son is.
The next stop was lunch at Taco Casa, an on-again-off-again local franchise. While I knew that we were going to have lunch at the mall and remembered to bring water and snacks, I neglected to bring other essentials such as a bib or washcloth. I gambled (and won) by not using a bib at all. I was especially pleased with the result because I used a standard-issue plastic spoon to feed him, and he has never eaten from of anything other than a soft plastic baby spoon. I was also able to use his unused water and some napkins to clean the soft taco remnants off his face and hands. This was easily the quickest and easiest meal he's ever had.
We visited a few stores after lunch, but I had band practice in the afternoon, and he needed a nap. He slept for about 35 minutes on the way over to the school, and was in a really good mood as I got set up. He danced for most of our short practice, occasionally stopping to pull off a sock or throw a toy out of his play area. He seemed genuinely excited that I remembered to bring along his little drumsticks.
Unpleasant situations become much more bearable for him when he can hold something. When he let it be known that he didn't enjoy "swimming" lessons, we brought along a bath toy for him to hold. The only time this trick hasn't worked is when he had to have a routine blood test a few weeks ago. Nothing could have saved that day.
After band practice we stopped at PopPop's house for a quick session of taking magnets off the refrigerator, shaking music boxes, and staring at the ceiling fan. My son also carried on an adorable conversation with my dad, actually responding at the proper times and pausing for replies. Words are coming soon, I'm sure. Mommy was already home and waiting for us when we pulled up to the house. And with that, we were already more than halfway through our first week alone.
I worked at this mall for several years during high school and college. In fact, it's where I met my wife. This was the first trip my son and I took to the mall together, so naturally I had to take him to the place where his Mommy and I got to know each other. Before that, it was essential that we stop at the pet store, pet a few puppies, and stare at a lizard or two. Having accomplished all that, we continued on to what is now F.Y.E. Immediately upon entering the store, I recognized its smell as if I never left. Hours of my life were spent on the cheap faux-wood floor and rarely cleaned carpet of what was then known as Record Town Saturday Matinee. The only things that have changed about that store are the name, employees, and inventory. Tapes and laser discs have been replaced by Jeff Dunham plush toys, some sort of headgear called a "laplander", and action figures from movies I've never seen. It didn't make me miss working in retail one bit. The four minutes or so that we wandered around in FYE were plenty, so we moved on to the next store.
I have recently been surprised by how many people want to talk to me- well, me and the baby. This was never more true than when I walked into The Shoe Dept. A college-aged clerk greeted us as we entered the store, which was not unusual. However, he engaged me about my son's Phillies attire, and we continued to talk as I inched away from him. We shared little but a common interest in baseball, but his similarly-aged coworker came over and asked a few questions about my son. They were watched and smiled as he walked/ ran around their store. I couldn't believe that two guys their age would have any interest in a baby, but we spent at least 10 minutes talking and playing in their store. We didn't buy anything, but we did learn something about how awesome my son is.
The next stop was lunch at Taco Casa, an on-again-off-again local franchise. While I knew that we were going to have lunch at the mall and remembered to bring water and snacks, I neglected to bring other essentials such as a bib or washcloth. I gambled (and won) by not using a bib at all. I was especially pleased with the result because I used a standard-issue plastic spoon to feed him, and he has never eaten from of anything other than a soft plastic baby spoon. I was also able to use his unused water and some napkins to clean the soft taco remnants off his face and hands. This was easily the quickest and easiest meal he's ever had.
We visited a few stores after lunch, but I had band practice in the afternoon, and he needed a nap. He slept for about 35 minutes on the way over to the school, and was in a really good mood as I got set up. He danced for most of our short practice, occasionally stopping to pull off a sock or throw a toy out of his play area. He seemed genuinely excited that I remembered to bring along his little drumsticks.
Unpleasant situations become much more bearable for him when he can hold something. When he let it be known that he didn't enjoy "swimming" lessons, we brought along a bath toy for him to hold. The only time this trick hasn't worked is when he had to have a routine blood test a few weeks ago. Nothing could have saved that day.
After band practice we stopped at PopPop's house for a quick session of taking magnets off the refrigerator, shaking music boxes, and staring at the ceiling fan. My son also carried on an adorable conversation with my dad, actually responding at the proper times and pausing for replies. Words are coming soon, I'm sure. Mommy was already home and waiting for us when we pulled up to the house. And with that, we were already more than halfway through our first week alone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)