Friday, November 23, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Twitter over Blogger?
With the amount of time I have to blog these days, I should probably just start a twitter account for Grafton, because this is about all I have time to jot down:
Grafton is now:
Grafton is now:
- Willing to pee standing up, toilet height permitting (thanks to his buddy Kayden)
- Checking himself in at daycare on the computer using the mouse
- Able to tie a simple overhand knot
- Learning how to ice skate (2 lessons under his belt); he can shuffle around and get up by himself after falling down.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Bare Mountain
Dad was on daycare pickup duty today, as Mom was away on a work trip. So as usual, when Mom's away the boys will play. This time, Grafton and Dad decided to spend their evening together hiking up Bare Mountain. When I told him the mountain's name, he said "it has that name because there are a lot of bears on this mountain!" I explained that fortunately this wasn't the case, and that its name was due to its (mostly) bald summit.
It's a fairly rocky trail with lots of big rocks to climb up and over, but Grafton did really well. He got a little tired near the end, and started resisting the idea of making it to the top. But he responded well to my encouragement that the summit was getting close. And he made it to the top on his own. We held hands over the tricky spots.
He really enjoyed the view at the top! I remember him telling me (in one form or another), "Dad, you said it would be good!" Meaning that he agreed. We saw the quarry down below, as well as the parking lot where our car was waiting for us. I think he was impressed by the vertical distance between us and the parking lot. He asked what the buildings in the distance were (UMass), and I pointed out where Ivorie, Grahm, and Sawyer's house was, on a distant hillside. And we looked across to Mt. Norwottuck, whose peak was nearly level with our own.
Unfortunately, the bugs were pretty bad at the summit, so we stayed for only a few minutes, and started heading down.
As we began our descent, I asked if he wanted to climb Mt. Norwottuck on our next hike. He said he would and then commented, "and then when we get to the top, we can look over to this mountain and see it from over there." I thought that was a very insightful comment from my little hiker-in-training.
On the descent, we talked a bit about rocks and lava and what the earth is made of, and he seemed genuinely interested. I wish I had recorded him saying the word "geology." It was very cute.
Grafton was getting tired though, and on the way down he started getting a little silly and less careful with his footing. After a few missteps and slips, I took his hand and explained how important it is to be careful when you're out hiking, trying to make him understand that it's hard to get help out here if you get hurt! It seemed to work, and he focused the whole way down. And I held his hand the whole way. Well right up until the bottom, where I thought he would be fine. And then he fell again. A little more dirt on the knees, but no damage done, and we walked hand-in-hand back to the car.
We stopped at the Village Commons on the way home for a bathroom break and, more importantly, to catch the last evening concert of the summer. And there we ran into his friend Landon and his family! After some craziness with his friend, and a carrot & Clif Bar snack, we headed home for dinner and bed time.
It's a fairly rocky trail with lots of big rocks to climb up and over, but Grafton did really well. He got a little tired near the end, and started resisting the idea of making it to the top. But he responded well to my encouragement that the summit was getting close. And he made it to the top on his own. We held hands over the tricky spots.
He really enjoyed the view at the top! I remember him telling me (in one form or another), "Dad, you said it would be good!" Meaning that he agreed. We saw the quarry down below, as well as the parking lot where our car was waiting for us. I think he was impressed by the vertical distance between us and the parking lot. He asked what the buildings in the distance were (UMass), and I pointed out where Ivorie, Grahm, and Sawyer's house was, on a distant hillside. And we looked across to Mt. Norwottuck, whose peak was nearly level with our own.
As we began our descent, I asked if he wanted to climb Mt. Norwottuck on our next hike. He said he would and then commented, "and then when we get to the top, we can look over to this mountain and see it from over there." I thought that was a very insightful comment from my little hiker-in-training.
On the descent, we talked a bit about rocks and lava and what the earth is made of, and he seemed genuinely interested. I wish I had recorded him saying the word "geology." It was very cute.
Grafton was getting tired though, and on the way down he started getting a little silly and less careful with his footing. After a few missteps and slips, I took his hand and explained how important it is to be careful when you're out hiking, trying to make him understand that it's hard to get help out here if you get hurt! It seemed to work, and he focused the whole way down. And I held his hand the whole way. Well right up until the bottom, where I thought he would be fine. And then he fell again. A little more dirt on the knees, but no damage done, and we walked hand-in-hand back to the car.
We stopped at the Village Commons on the way home for a bathroom break and, more importantly, to catch the last evening concert of the summer. And there we ran into his friend Landon and his family! After some craziness with his friend, and a carrot & Clif Bar snack, we headed home for dinner and bed time.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Two Wheelin' Time
When these come off...
and two helpful hands take their place...
and then let go...
here's what happens...
(And, here's what's next.)
Oh, and here are some photos.
Way to Grafton! Keep on ridin' and keep the rubber side down!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Capsized!
As it seems to happen every year in the Pioneer Valley, the heat and humidity rolls in right around July 4th. Today was the 6th, and so, as expected, the weather was hot and more than a little muggy. A perfect day for an evening swim! Mom was away on a work trip so it was just "the boys".
Now it's been only a week since Grafton got the hang of being in the water on his own. That is to say, he's finally happy to float around without having to hang on to one of his parents. Last weekend, he simply lost his fear of the water when he realized he could move himself around the pool (Dad missed it, but Mom was there). He now uses a kicking motion that can't quite be called "swimming", and it looks an awful lot like walking, since he still refuses to make use of his arms. But he's getting there!
This evening Grafton willingly slipped into his life vest without complaint. He had outright refused to wear this contraption up until just two days ago. He was clearly eager to get back in the water, which I was very happy to see. We had fun with our normal routine of aquatic games: Tummy "water skiing", "8 foot vertical catapult & catch", Marco-Polo (and Grafton's version, Lolly-Lolo), and Max Liquidator water warfare. Next, we took out the triangular raft so we could do some white water rafting. With Grafton on top, holding on to the two handholds, I pushed him around as fast I could and emulated white water rapids by bouncing him up and down. He loved it. But this sport is not for the faint of heart! Those class 5 rapids can be a doozy. And before either of us could see it coming, the raft flipped over, tossed Grafton head over heels, submerging him fully underneath the water. For the first time. Uh oh. He surfaced after a few seconds with the help of his life vest and his Dad's rescuing arms. I was sure the water streaming down his face was masking the tears that must already be flowing. His eyes were wide open and staring back at me in shock, and I immediately worried he was choking on water. His mouth was closed, but I was hoping he would cough up some water and everything would then be fine. Instead, he wiped his face, opened his mouth and yelled out, "That was COOL! Let's do it again!"
Phew. I thought I had just killed his enthusiasm for the water once and for all. But clearly, he loves it. I'm confident we'll have Grafton swimming for real, sans flotation devices, by the end of the summer.
Now it's been only a week since Grafton got the hang of being in the water on his own. That is to say, he's finally happy to float around without having to hang on to one of his parents. Last weekend, he simply lost his fear of the water when he realized he could move himself around the pool (Dad missed it, but Mom was there). He now uses a kicking motion that can't quite be called "swimming", and it looks an awful lot like walking, since he still refuses to make use of his arms. But he's getting there!
This evening Grafton willingly slipped into his life vest without complaint. He had outright refused to wear this contraption up until just two days ago. He was clearly eager to get back in the water, which I was very happy to see. We had fun with our normal routine of aquatic games: Tummy "water skiing", "8 foot vertical catapult & catch", Marco-Polo (and Grafton's version, Lolly-Lolo), and Max Liquidator water warfare. Next, we took out the triangular raft so we could do some white water rafting. With Grafton on top, holding on to the two handholds, I pushed him around as fast I could and emulated white water rapids by bouncing him up and down. He loved it. But this sport is not for the faint of heart! Those class 5 rapids can be a doozy. And before either of us could see it coming, the raft flipped over, tossed Grafton head over heels, submerging him fully underneath the water. For the first time. Uh oh. He surfaced after a few seconds with the help of his life vest and his Dad's rescuing arms. I was sure the water streaming down his face was masking the tears that must already be flowing. His eyes were wide open and staring back at me in shock, and I immediately worried he was choking on water. His mouth was closed, but I was hoping he would cough up some water and everything would then be fine. Instead, he wiped his face, opened his mouth and yelled out, "That was COOL! Let's do it again!"
Phew. I thought I had just killed his enthusiasm for the water once and for all. But clearly, he loves it. I'm confident we'll have Grafton swimming for real, sans flotation devices, by the end of the summer.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Cycling Buddies
Grafton put on his cycling gloves all by himself today, which is no mean feat, since even his parents have always had trouble getting each of his fingers through the holes when helping him.
You should see this little guy on his bike now--he pedals faster than Dad now. He really flies and gets up all the little hills without stopping. (When he's tired, he struggles, but rarely stops). He's still on training wheels though. We're not pushing him too hard to take them off, but we keep mentioning it. He recently agreed to taking off the training wheels from one of his two bikes; we'll see how this goes when I actually do it.
Myself, I've been getting in some early morning rides before work recently. A couple of times I've slipped out before Grafton was up, but today, Grafton was up. He helped me get ready but teared up with the saddest pout I've ever seen when I was heading out. He really didn't want me to go. But then he didn't try to make me stay either, which he could have easily done. I think he really understands that I love to ride my bike and didn't want to sabotage my opportunity. I thought that was quite mature of him. But it sure was hard to leave such a sad little boy behind. I made it up to him tonight by joining him on ride around the neighborhood. We do the loop outside of our house rather often now. And now that he can get his cycling gear on all by himself, it should be easier than ever to get a quick ride in together.
You should see this little guy on his bike now--he pedals faster than Dad now. He really flies and gets up all the little hills without stopping. (When he's tired, he struggles, but rarely stops). He's still on training wheels though. We're not pushing him too hard to take them off, but we keep mentioning it. He recently agreed to taking off the training wheels from one of his two bikes; we'll see how this goes when I actually do it.
Myself, I've been getting in some early morning rides before work recently. A couple of times I've slipped out before Grafton was up, but today, Grafton was up. He helped me get ready but teared up with the saddest pout I've ever seen when I was heading out. He really didn't want me to go. But then he didn't try to make me stay either, which he could have easily done. I think he really understands that I love to ride my bike and didn't want to sabotage my opportunity. I thought that was quite mature of him. But it sure was hard to leave such a sad little boy behind. I made it up to him tonight by joining him on ride around the neighborhood. We do the loop outside of our house rather often now. And now that he can get his cycling gear on all by himself, it should be easier than ever to get a quick ride in together.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Ulterior Motives
Grafton has figured out that there are real advantages to concealing one's true intentions. Particularly when these intentions belie a plan that has, in the past, been the frequent target of parental veto.
While we were making dinner, Grafton slyly mentions to his parents that he is heading upstairs to "check the carpets." His parents exchange a quick grin and raised eyebrow to one another. "Okay, Grafton! Let us know how that goes." As he heads upstairs, Mom deciphers this odd declaration to mean that he is in fact going upstairs to put on his favorite pajamas. She shares this realization with Dad, who nods with understanding. As Grafton reaches his room, Dad calls out, "How are things going up there?" "Fine, Dad!" Toilet flushes. Dad asks again, "Are you coming back down soon? Do you need any help up there?" Grafton quickly responds, "No, Daddy! I don't need any help. Don't come up here." The door to Grafton's bedroom is now closed, and sounds are muffled. Another exchange between Dad and Grafton, who answers that is everything is fine. After a while we hear his footsteps as he slowly descends the stairs. Upon entering the kitchen, he shows up with a probing smile, and tilted head, trying to look cute enough to diffuse the certain reprimand of having put on his pajamas before dinner time. It works. Mom gives in and asks with excitement, "Did you put those on all by yourself!?" Confidently, Grafton responds that he did. Mom and Dad smile at each other, the whole act being too adorable to ruin with another "lesson" in what constitutes appropriate dinner attire. Of course, in our acceptance of his actions, we have now set ourselves up to deal with continued acts of willful deceit for many years to come.
You've got to hand it to the little guy--he's really beginning to figure out how to get what he wants.
Update: I now realize that back on Mar 2, I started writing a blog entry, which I never finished. I'll simply share it here, unfinished, as it highlights how Grafton dealt with being told "no" only two months ago:
While we were making dinner, Grafton slyly mentions to his parents that he is heading upstairs to "check the carpets." His parents exchange a quick grin and raised eyebrow to one another. "Okay, Grafton! Let us know how that goes." As he heads upstairs, Mom deciphers this odd declaration to mean that he is in fact going upstairs to put on his favorite pajamas. She shares this realization with Dad, who nods with understanding. As Grafton reaches his room, Dad calls out, "How are things going up there?" "Fine, Dad!" Toilet flushes. Dad asks again, "Are you coming back down soon? Do you need any help up there?" Grafton quickly responds, "No, Daddy! I don't need any help. Don't come up here." The door to Grafton's bedroom is now closed, and sounds are muffled. Another exchange between Dad and Grafton, who answers that is everything is fine. After a while we hear his footsteps as he slowly descends the stairs. Upon entering the kitchen, he shows up with a probing smile, and tilted head, trying to look cute enough to diffuse the certain reprimand of having put on his pajamas before dinner time. It works. Mom gives in and asks with excitement, "Did you put those on all by yourself!?" Confidently, Grafton responds that he did. Mom and Dad smile at each other, the whole act being too adorable to ruin with another "lesson" in what constitutes appropriate dinner attire. Of course, in our acceptance of his actions, we have now set ourselves up to deal with continued acts of willful deceit for many years to come.
You've got to hand it to the little guy--he's really beginning to figure out how to get what he wants.
Update: I now realize that back on Mar 2, I started writing a blog entry, which I never finished. I'll simply share it here, unfinished, as it highlights how Grafton dealt with being told "no" only two months ago:
When I tell Grafton that there's something he not allowed or is unable to do because he's a child, he usually responds, "Daddy, when you were a lilly [little] boy, your Mommy and Daddy said that you can't do [X] because you...[repeating whatever reason I had given him]?" He seems to want to make sure that everything he's going through as a small person is similar to what his Daddy and Mommy had to go through too. And if that's the case, then it's alright with him.
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