Monday, June 18, 2007

Things to Make Your Heart Go "Pitta-pat"

Yesterday my elder son, in the midst of running in and out of the space formed by a sidewalk sandwich board-style advertisement, stopped, looked at me and said quite clearly:

"Happy Father's Day, Daddy!"

He had been coached by Marli as well as his aunt and uncle on Saturday and Sunday, but he said it to me quite independently of coaching or prompting. I'm sure he still doesn't know what it means, but it was nice to hear him say it, even if his only motivation was to make me happy.

Back around the 7th of this month (+/- five days), Daigoro figured out how to climb out of his crib. He's a nimble little guy. It's quite a strange feeling, once you're used to lifting your child out of a crib, to hear him come plodding down the hallway when you know that no one has lifted him out. Sort of creepy at first.

He's becoming a little more contrary - he's quite frequently saying "no" or ignoring our various requests ("come here", "please eat", "no shouting", etc.). We're still holding to the firm but fair model of punishment and discipline - currently we're using about 30 seconds of enforced sitting still as a mild punishment. He obeys maybe 40% of the time when he's otherwise occupied or interested in what he's doing. That number goes up sometimes when he's tired (generally more compliant) and goes down when he's exhausted (generally more cranky). It's a balancing act for sure.

In the afternoon of Father's Day, I took Daigoro to a local outdoor swimming pool. He hasn't quite gotten used to full body immersion yet. Unlike his father, he appears to be a little uncomfortable in water. We'll have to get him used to it slowly.

Kenshin seems to enjoy standing up with assistance. He's quite capable of pushing up with his legs while Marli helps him to stand.

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