Is there anything worse than seeing your child scared of something? It's gotta be up there pretty high.
Jack's been having accidents at night, after a few months of sleeping fine in underwear. He comes into our room, says he's wet, we go in the bathroom and I clean him up. I guess one night the water wasn't quite warm enough when I did that, because the next night I was soaking the towel -- after waiting for the water to warm up, it takes forever -- and he shrunk away from me, across the bathroom, fearful. It was terrible. "Jack!" I said. "What's wrong?" "I don't want that cold water....no...." I just felt horrible. "I'll warm it up, Jack. I promise. It will be OK." He came back over to me, slowly. I made sure the water was warm.
Today was Halloween at his school, and I brought him and Kate in. First we dropped her off, then brought him up to his room. He was all happy and excited, going down the hallway in his Flash costume. Walked in the room, and it was packed. All the kids in costumes, a bunch of parents. He clung to my leg, nervous, fearful. Kids were saying, "Great costume, Jack!" Miss Ruthie was saying, come, sit down over here, we're decorating cupcakes. Jack just clung to me. He's like this on occasion, at parties and stuff, but these were actually his friends (albeit in costume). What's wrong, Jack, I said. "I want to go home," he said. We didn't, and things got better, but it was pretty bad for a few minutes. I left after a bit to check on Kate. When I came out I saw him, and he was OK, but apparently he'd been crying. Kind of rough.
Later, he was OK. At his cousins. Trick or treating that night. You hope that he's not going to be scared like that again. Or at least, not more than anyone else, I guess.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Quickly...
Because it's late and I'm tired, but today the kids are great because....
- I got to sit and watch "Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" with Jack, and he laughed and smiled at all the right places, like Charlie Brown getting rocks in his bag and Snoopy dancing to Schroeder's piano
- Kate brings us a book when we're sitting on the floor, hands it to us, then turns, sticks her butt out, and sits on us like we're a chair. It just doesn't get old.
- I carved a pumpkin with Jack last week and will do another one, I suspect, tomorrow. He calls it "Pum."
- Jack asked what things are out in the night. Huh? I said. "You know, what things are there that are out in the night." And I thought a minute and said, Uh, bats. And he said, "I can't see them." And I said, well no, they're black, that's the point. And he asked what else. And I said, well, spiders....cats....wolves.... And he said, "I'm going to be a wolf now." And he was a wolf for the next half hour or so, then said, "I'm very sleepy. Wolf needs to go to bed now." And so we did.
- I got to sit and watch "Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" with Jack, and he laughed and smiled at all the right places, like Charlie Brown getting rocks in his bag and Snoopy dancing to Schroeder's piano
- Kate brings us a book when we're sitting on the floor, hands it to us, then turns, sticks her butt out, and sits on us like we're a chair. It just doesn't get old.
- I carved a pumpkin with Jack last week and will do another one, I suspect, tomorrow. He calls it "Pum."
- Jack asked what things are out in the night. Huh? I said. "You know, what things are there that are out in the night." And I thought a minute and said, Uh, bats. And he said, "I can't see them." And I said, well no, they're black, that's the point. And he asked what else. And I said, well, spiders....cats....wolves.... And he said, "I'm going to be a wolf now." And he was a wolf for the next half hour or so, then said, "I'm very sleepy. Wolf needs to go to bed now." And so we did.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Bookish
Somewhere in the last couple of months Kate started getting into her books. We'd been reading them to her for a while, every night before bed, but with me she usually thrashed about and was just anxious to get me out of there and get Mommy in there. (She still nurses to bed.)
Eventually, it reached a point where she started to show some interest. I still don't think she was terribly into it, but she at least sat quietly on my lap and looked. Mostly Boynton books. "Moo Baa La La La," and "Dinosaur's Binkit," and "The Going to Bed Book."
At some point she began pointing to things. And then, recently, she exhibited clear preferences.
Emily told me first. She had been reading Moo Baa La La La. She put it aside and pulled out "Guess How Much I Love You." Kate took the book out of her hand, dropped it on the floor, and leaned over to grab "Moo Baa La La La."
Later she did the same thing with me. Climbed out of my lap, crawled across the floor, got the book she wanted (I think this time it was the Going to Bed Book), and brought it to me. Said, "Da!" (This one, Daddy. THIS is the book I want you to read me.)
Now she sits patiently and beams at each page. Smiles at the "Moo" sounds. Sometimes she turns the pages -- I kind of get a kick out of her little hands bringing the little board book up close to her, focusing on the pages, opening them. Sometimes she gets tired of one book halfway through, grabs it, drops it, and goes to get another one. Then goes back to the first one.
Yesterday morning I was sitting in the rocking chair in her room. She brought me book after book after book. "Da. DA! Da." Smiled and waved the book to me before bringing it over. Climbed up into my lap once I had four of them. So, I read them.
Emily came and stood in the doorway. "You miss her, don't you?" (She started daycare a month ago, four days a week.) Yeah, I kind of do.
Eventually, it reached a point where she started to show some interest. I still don't think she was terribly into it, but she at least sat quietly on my lap and looked. Mostly Boynton books. "Moo Baa La La La," and "Dinosaur's Binkit," and "The Going to Bed Book."
At some point she began pointing to things. And then, recently, she exhibited clear preferences.
Emily told me first. She had been reading Moo Baa La La La. She put it aside and pulled out "Guess How Much I Love You." Kate took the book out of her hand, dropped it on the floor, and leaned over to grab "Moo Baa La La La."
Later she did the same thing with me. Climbed out of my lap, crawled across the floor, got the book she wanted (I think this time it was the Going to Bed Book), and brought it to me. Said, "Da!" (This one, Daddy. THIS is the book I want you to read me.)
Now she sits patiently and beams at each page. Smiles at the "Moo" sounds. Sometimes she turns the pages -- I kind of get a kick out of her little hands bringing the little board book up close to her, focusing on the pages, opening them. Sometimes she gets tired of one book halfway through, grabs it, drops it, and goes to get another one. Then goes back to the first one.
Yesterday morning I was sitting in the rocking chair in her room. She brought me book after book after book. "Da. DA! Da." Smiled and waved the book to me before bringing it over. Climbed up into my lap once I had four of them. So, I read them.
Emily came and stood in the doorway. "You miss her, don't you?" (She started daycare a month ago, four days a week.) Yeah, I kind of do.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Bath time
Jack has a bath every night, and normally I give it to him -- normally Emily is putting Kate to bed around then. To Jack it's a big thrill how now he gets to go downstairs and play after his bath; this is because we give him his bath earlier so Kate's still awake when it's going on, since it can be noisy.
Tonight I sat and watched him play, with several different little squirty animal bath toys: alligator, seahorse, sting ray. He had set the alligator aside and was playing with the seahorse (which he referred to as "the brother") and the sting ray ("sister"). And the seahorse was showing the sister what to do and instructing her on how to do or not do things.
"See," he was saying, "you jump over here like this." And he had the seahorse leap from one side of the tub to the other. "Now you do it, and you get a gold medal." (This is most likely a Backyardigans reference, from an episode called "Race around the world.") The sting ray jumped too. "That's right, sister. Here is your gold medal. Oh, thank you. And here's my gold medal too."
I watched this for about 10 minutes or so. I'm not sure he noticed I was there.
Tonight I sat and watched him play, with several different little squirty animal bath toys: alligator, seahorse, sting ray. He had set the alligator aside and was playing with the seahorse (which he referred to as "the brother") and the sting ray ("sister"). And the seahorse was showing the sister what to do and instructing her on how to do or not do things.
"See," he was saying, "you jump over here like this." And he had the seahorse leap from one side of the tub to the other. "Now you do it, and you get a gold medal." (This is most likely a Backyardigans reference, from an episode called "Race around the world.") The sting ray jumped too. "That's right, sister. Here is your gold medal. Oh, thank you. And here's my gold medal too."
I watched this for about 10 minutes or so. I'm not sure he noticed I was there.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Walking
Kate started walking last week, which was pretty cool.
It started out with her pushing this walker thing around. Actually, it probably started with her standing up on her own, more and more often. And then walking around holding on to one of our fingers for balance. And then standing up a few feet from us, taking one step, and falling into our arms. She did all that stuff more and more, and then all of a sudden she was cruising around at high speeds pushing the walker thing, like a woman in a shopping cart race. I mean, she was really moving. And there was a glee to it all, a "HA! Look at me! Out of my way! Look at me! Ha!" She was crashing about and pivoting and lifting the walker to position it a certain way -- and not falling. It wasn't even supporting her anymore, it was just there.
Then she started walking one day, a few excited steps from Emily to the table, or the table to Emily, or her to me. Huge open-mouthed toothy grin on her face, a kind of madness in her eyes, defiance, accomplishment. "Finally....finally...I'm WALKING! Ah-HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Really, that's kind of what it was like.
Not that she still doesn't like grabbing the walker and ramming it around the house, mind you. Much to Jack's dismay as she comes near a puzzle he's doing or something: "NOOOOO Kate! NOOOO!"
She's gonna be a handful, we can tell.
It started out with her pushing this walker thing around. Actually, it probably started with her standing up on her own, more and more often. And then walking around holding on to one of our fingers for balance. And then standing up a few feet from us, taking one step, and falling into our arms. She did all that stuff more and more, and then all of a sudden she was cruising around at high speeds pushing the walker thing, like a woman in a shopping cart race. I mean, she was really moving. And there was a glee to it all, a "HA! Look at me! Out of my way! Look at me! Ha!" She was crashing about and pivoting and lifting the walker to position it a certain way -- and not falling. It wasn't even supporting her anymore, it was just there.
Then she started walking one day, a few excited steps from Emily to the table, or the table to Emily, or her to me. Huge open-mouthed toothy grin on her face, a kind of madness in her eyes, defiance, accomplishment. "Finally....finally...I'm WALKING! Ah-HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Really, that's kind of what it was like.
Not that she still doesn't like grabbing the walker and ramming it around the house, mind you. Much to Jack's dismay as she comes near a puzzle he's doing or something: "NOOOOO Kate! NOOOO!"
She's gonna be a handful, we can tell.
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