We're very lucky.
Jack is the sort of child
we all assume we'll have
when we decide to have children,
and the sort of child
less experienced parents
congratulate themselves for.January and February 2004
March and April 2004
May and June 2004
July and August 2004
September and October 2004
November and December 2004
Blogs we read:
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004 - (Mamma)
We're Back!
Jack's current favorite!
When Mamma Comes Home Tonight by Eileen Spinelli
We've been away a while.
Oh, you noticed? Oops. Sorry.
We didn't actually go anywhere. it's just been a hard week or so. Not because anything is wrong, but because we've been on the run with a boy who has decided to visit the 'terrible twos' a bit early.
Last weekend, we drove about three hours to Akron, Ohio to meet up with some friends who were driving through from New York.
Jack has a one-hour limit on car time, so the trip took a while -- but given several breaks to get out and stretch, he did pretty well.
Edith and John have a little girl, Joanne, who is a couple of weeks younger than Jack. She's a lovely little girl, and Jack was smitten.
But Jo has been walking for quite a while, and try as he might, Jack just couldn't keep up with her. That was frustrating enough when they were playing on the grass, but when a thunderstorm drove us into a shelter with a cement floor, Jack was not only frustrated, but in pain! That cement hurts on unprotected knees!
***
On the way home from Akron we stopped at a rest area near Cleveland (Ohio has really terrific rest areas! Never mind coffee machines -- they have Starbucks!) so that Jack could practice walking and we could change his diapers. We were there just long enough to stretch our legs and buy a coffee when the place was evacuated. It seems that there was some sort of chemical spill. Oh my. So much for Jack's walking practice session. Fortunately the little guy was exhausted and he fell asleep soon after we got back in the car.
***
Jack came home "a boy with a mission" -- he has been insisting on "walking practice" (walking holding our hands or trouser legs) many times a day ever since, and sometimes for almost an hour at a time. Once last week, he pulled himself up on his crib, and then sent us out of the room! Dad peeked back in and saw Jacky practicing standing unsupported! (No, really. He did send us out of the room. He stood up, and then looked sternly at us and pointed at the door, and waved "bye bye". It may be setting a bad precedent, but I was laughing too hard to do anything but comply.)
***
Jack is about to graduate from his high chair to a toddler chair at the table, courtesy of the same friend who loaned us the high chair! We have a wan hope that once he joins Mamma and Dad at the table, he won't feel the need to announce that he's finished eating by throwing leftover food on the floor.
But at any rate, he had gotten to point of being big enough to rock the high chair, so it was time for the move.
Not only is rocking a tall chair that wasn't meant to be rocked a bad idea for Jack's safety -- but this was no ordinary high chair. Our friend, Becca, loaned us the chair -- a gorgeous piece of handcrafted furniture that her father made for her oldest son! Needless to say, it's best if that chair goes home to await Becca's first grandchild well before Jack has a chance to do it any damage.
Maybe we'll be able to have place mats and linens at the table again someday, too! Oh bliss!
***
Did I mention that Jack has been making forrays into "terrible two" territory lately?
Never in public, bless him, but our boy has taken to voicing *very* strong disapproval when he doesn't get his way. That has been relatively rare up until now -- but lately, it's the usual reaction. Ick. I think we have clocked more hours of howling and angry crying in the last week and a half than we had in his previous life to date. But strating early means it'll end early, right?
... no, I didn't think so. Oh well.
***
We are constantly amazed at how much Jack understands! Because he can't talk about things in sophisticated ways yet, I think we underestimate the sophistication of his understanding. We have found that if Jack needs something and we can't get to him right away, we are able to calm him by simply explaining when we will be able to get to him! Of course, we're in serious trouble if we don't act immediately when we said we would!
As an example, last week while Jack and Dad went to play at Jungle Java. While they were there, they had something very salty top eat, and on the way home, Jack started to ask for a drink. Because it's a long drive home, Rod told Jack that they'd stop at the next rest area, and Jack quieted down immediately. As the approached the rest area, Rod noticed that they needed to fuel the car and decided to go on to the next fuel station. When they whizzed past the rest area, Jack started to carry on, and he carried on until they got to the fuel station. How did he know that? How did he know what a rest stop is??? That was the first time, but it wsa far from the last. So, we've taken to trying to explain what's going to happen as we go through the day. It has cut down on the tantrums a lot -- when we remember to do it!
Playing at play group has become a lot more fun for Jack, in spite of the fact that these days, he's generally the only little one there who doesn't walk. Nonetheless, he has become far more interactive with other kids. Until now, he has tended to be more of an observer than a participant, or to go off on his own to play near the other kids. This week, though, he seems more interested in interacting with the other kids. That's nice to see. I worry about raising him as an only child, and I spend a lot of effort making sure he gets regular chances to play with other kids.
***
I'll try to fill you in on the rest of the last week or so later, but now it's after midnight, and Jack is going to wake up at dawn, whether I've slept 5 hours or 1.
