Daigoro loves to shovel snow. He'll actually get upset when he sees that the plows have been really efficient at clearing the highways - he was on the brink of tears when he was describing to me in the car how "the trucks with the shovels were clearing all the roads."
So tonight he got to stay with his ba-chan and gi-chan and shovel snow to his heart's content. He shovelled the walkway, the driveway and, in a little bit of overzealousness, started to shovel my parents' lawn as well.
Kenshin is experiencing something which is disrupting his sleep and making him wake up in the night again. Judging by the redness in his cheeks and his running nose, we're thinking its something to do with his teeth again (apple-red cheeks and runny noses seem to herald teething quite clearly for Kenshin). He's also developed a scaly, reddish rash on his calves and thighs which appear to be eczema, though we're not entirely sure.
Yesterday Daigoro was thrown into fits of laughter when he started putting on my battered brown fedora and Marli and my mom would say, "hey, it's daddy," and then when he took it off again they'd say, "oh, it's Daigoro again." Later, he found my father's slippers and they'd say, "oh, now it's gi-chan!" He thought this was hilarious, but when he put on both the slippers and the fedora, the women would say, "oh no, now we don't know who it is - is it daddy or gi-chan?"
Daigoro thought this was the height of modern comedy and repeated it for about ten minutes.
Kenshin is learning certain verbal cues for things - "a doi doi doi doi" is "I want that."
"Amaaaa." is "here, take this thing which I am giving to you.
"Uh-huh, uh huh!" (accompanied by head-nodding) is "yes, I am doing what I want to be doing," or "yes, I like what I now have in my hands."
"Uh-ohhh," is "something has fallen/broken" or "I think I have done something wrong".
"Nah!" (accompanied by twisting his head and body violently away from a proferred food item) is, of course, "no, I don't want this; how can you possibly think to offer this to me?"
He also seems to be increasingly happy to interact with Daigoro - the two of them thumping around the house chasing each other while laughing delightedly is a great joy for me.
Daigoro has been a bit of trouble lately at suppertime. He's become more and more squirmy and fidgety at meals, which obviously reduces the amount of food we manage to get into him. Today we reached the limit of our tolerance and buckled him into his booster with the warning that we will now buckle him in every time he squirms and does not sit properly in his seat. We'll see how effectively this solves this problem, if at all.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Ghosts n' Gobbling
(no, not "goblin" - "gobbling")
Daigoro wanted to be a ghost this Hallowe'en. Since putting a sheet over your kid and cutting eyeholes is apparently a bad thing for safety/visibility reasons, I took a makeup kit in hand and painted my best scary skull face on him.
Apparently it was scary enough to prompt a lot of comments from adults. Daigoro loved it. Our Kenshin had to content himself with an explorer's helmet and some play binoculars.
We managed to get him to ration his Hallowe'en candy over the course of a month, which felt rewarding.
The usual start-of-winter cold viruses ran rampant through our family, making mid-November quite unpleasant. Fortunately, though all of us were sick concurrently, none of us were bed-ridden at the same time (though Ian and I both had days in bed on different days).
For whatever reason, Daigoro has been more and more difficult to feed at supper and occasionally lunchtime. Kenshin, though usually a bottomless pit of appetite, has suddenly developed a screaming-fit-throwing aversion to bibs, which makes clean up and dinner time somewhat trying.
We attended the Santa Claus parade in Markham this past weekend. A good time was had by Daigoro, who seemed most amused by Mr. Peanut, but Kenshin was pretty unimpressed by the whole affair and spent much of the parade being either wheeled or carried about by alternating father and grandfather comforters. He perked up and paid rapt attention at the passing of marching bands and other sources of music (carollers, speakers playing music, etc.). That boy loves music.
Speaking of which, Kenshin has developed the often amusing but sometimes pathetic habit of crying to himself to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Goodnight Ladies". I believe he finds it comforting when he's feeling upset. He's actually good at carrying a tune, which is harder than it probably sounds, I think.
Daigoro is excited about the Advent calendar given to him by his Mamie. The countdown to Christmas is at the forefront of his mind - this past Sunday after waking up, he blearily looked around and asked "Did I miss Christmas?"
Daigoro wanted to be a ghost this Hallowe'en. Since putting a sheet over your kid and cutting eyeholes is apparently a bad thing for safety/visibility reasons, I took a makeup kit in hand and painted my best scary skull face on him.
Apparently it was scary enough to prompt a lot of comments from adults. Daigoro loved it. Our Kenshin had to content himself with an explorer's helmet and some play binoculars.
We managed to get him to ration his Hallowe'en candy over the course of a month, which felt rewarding.
The usual start-of-winter cold viruses ran rampant through our family, making mid-November quite unpleasant. Fortunately, though all of us were sick concurrently, none of us were bed-ridden at the same time (though Ian and I both had days in bed on different days).
For whatever reason, Daigoro has been more and more difficult to feed at supper and occasionally lunchtime. Kenshin, though usually a bottomless pit of appetite, has suddenly developed a screaming-fit-throwing aversion to bibs, which makes clean up and dinner time somewhat trying.
We attended the Santa Claus parade in Markham this past weekend. A good time was had by Daigoro, who seemed most amused by Mr. Peanut, but Kenshin was pretty unimpressed by the whole affair and spent much of the parade being either wheeled or carried about by alternating father and grandfather comforters. He perked up and paid rapt attention at the passing of marching bands and other sources of music (carollers, speakers playing music, etc.). That boy loves music.
Speaking of which, Kenshin has developed the often amusing but sometimes pathetic habit of crying to himself to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Goodnight Ladies". I believe he finds it comforting when he's feeling upset. He's actually good at carrying a tune, which is harder than it probably sounds, I think.
Daigoro is excited about the Advent calendar given to him by his Mamie. The countdown to Christmas is at the forefront of his mind - this past Sunday after waking up, he blearily looked around and asked "Did I miss Christmas?"
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Lesson Learned
No posts for a while. No excuse really, so I won't try to give one.
The kids have been growing steadily. Kenshin babbles away to himself quite happily, but still is not forming distinct words, except for "ma" for mom or dad and "ba" for ball. He also knows to say "uh-oh" when something seems wrong or is dropped and "wheeee" when he's having fun.
On (Canadian) Thanksgiving Monday, we took the kids to Orchalaw farms near Missisauga in a town called Norval. It was almost magical. I know that's a pretty corny thing to say, and I'm not generally the corny type, but it was really, really nice. Beautiful day, beautiful weather, lovely smells and sights - the wonderful bounty of nature and time with my young family.
I will carry the mental image of Kenshin sitting happily under an apple tree, munching on windfall apples, as one of the mental snapshots of happiest moments of my life.
If you have young children, take them apple picking. It is a lovely experience.
Today, Marli gave me a break from childcare while I played with my monthly wargaming group. She took them to the Ontario Science Centre. At one point, Daigoro wandered away from Marli, just for a moment, but long enough for him to become frightened. Today at supper, I asked him about what he learned at the Science Centre.
He said, "I learned not to run away from mummy."
The kids have been growing steadily. Kenshin babbles away to himself quite happily, but still is not forming distinct words, except for "ma" for mom or dad and "ba" for ball. He also knows to say "uh-oh" when something seems wrong or is dropped and "wheeee" when he's having fun.
On (Canadian) Thanksgiving Monday, we took the kids to Orchalaw farms near Missisauga in a town called Norval. It was almost magical. I know that's a pretty corny thing to say, and I'm not generally the corny type, but it was really, really nice. Beautiful day, beautiful weather, lovely smells and sights - the wonderful bounty of nature and time with my young family.
I will carry the mental image of Kenshin sitting happily under an apple tree, munching on windfall apples, as one of the mental snapshots of happiest moments of my life.
If you have young children, take them apple picking. It is a lovely experience.
Today, Marli gave me a break from childcare while I played with my monthly wargaming group. She took them to the Ontario Science Centre. At one point, Daigoro wandered away from Marli, just for a moment, but long enough for him to become frightened. Today at supper, I asked him about what he learned at the Science Centre.
He said, "I learned not to run away from mummy."
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Memento Mori
Last night Daigoro broke down in tears at the thought of his own death.
Marli was explaining how all things die - we're both big believers in showing our children that death is a part of life. Suddenly Daigoro started sobbing and announced,
"But I don't want to die. If I am dead I cannot play with my toys. I don't want to die."
Apparently this went on for several minutes, despite Marli's excellent and patient efforts to console him.
He seemed to be recovered by the time the three of them came back from the park.
I have to say that I was a bit taken aback by the daunting nature of explaining mortality on a personal level to a pre-schooler. I mean, it's all well and good when you're talking about ants and dead birds and squirrels, but when a three and a half-year-old is trying to face up to the core truth of humanity, it's a little different.
I often find myself considering the apparent finality of death, trying to reconcile it with my own religious beliefs. I try to tell myself I would face death with a brave heart and a peaceful soul. I think, now that I have children, the hardest thing for me to face would be the thought of them having to go on without me. Now, I also sometimes think of how I would deal with the death of one of my children.
Once, before Kenshin was born and Daigoro was younger I had a dream in which Daigoro somehow managed to open the door of an airliner we were flying in and fall out (realistically impossible, of course) and I was framed in the doorway, watching him fall away. I was so incredibly torn up emotionally by this feeling of helplessness and loss - when I woke it was all I could do to stop myself from weeping.
It's said that no parent should live to bury their children - yet it happens all the time. To be reminded of this by the fear of your own children was a new and sobering experience.
Marli was explaining how all things die - we're both big believers in showing our children that death is a part of life. Suddenly Daigoro started sobbing and announced,
"But I don't want to die. If I am dead I cannot play with my toys. I don't want to die."
Apparently this went on for several minutes, despite Marli's excellent and patient efforts to console him.
He seemed to be recovered by the time the three of them came back from the park.
I have to say that I was a bit taken aback by the daunting nature of explaining mortality on a personal level to a pre-schooler. I mean, it's all well and good when you're talking about ants and dead birds and squirrels, but when a three and a half-year-old is trying to face up to the core truth of humanity, it's a little different.
I often find myself considering the apparent finality of death, trying to reconcile it with my own religious beliefs. I try to tell myself I would face death with a brave heart and a peaceful soul. I think, now that I have children, the hardest thing for me to face would be the thought of them having to go on without me. Now, I also sometimes think of how I would deal with the death of one of my children.
Once, before Kenshin was born and Daigoro was younger I had a dream in which Daigoro somehow managed to open the door of an airliner we were flying in and fall out (realistically impossible, of course) and I was framed in the doorway, watching him fall away. I was so incredibly torn up emotionally by this feeling of helplessness and loss - when I woke it was all I could do to stop myself from weeping.
It's said that no parent should live to bury their children - yet it happens all the time. To be reminded of this by the fear of your own children was a new and sobering experience.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Room to Blog!
I have a home office space again! After weeks of renovations and some very frustrating delays, I have a space where I can set up my office and work in peace.
Maybe I'll be able to blog less intermittently. Maybe.
Lots of stuff to catch up on... Daigoro's time in preschool, his first movie theatre experience, Manitoulin Island fun, Canada Day fireworks - all sorts of stuff; but not at 12:15 AM on a weeknight.
Maybe tomorrow.
Maybe I'll be able to blog less intermittently. Maybe.
Lots of stuff to catch up on... Daigoro's time in preschool, his first movie theatre experience, Manitoulin Island fun, Canada Day fireworks - all sorts of stuff; but not at 12:15 AM on a weeknight.
Maybe tomorrow.
Friday, April 04, 2008
School Daze
Daigoro started preschool at the beginning of this week (Monday, March 31st). I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at how quickly he seems to have adjusted - previous attempts at getting him to join in group activities like group songs have usually resulted in wandering attention after about two minutes.
He's attending a local preschool which is well integrated into the physical environment of the public school - erm - I should say "community school" - that the preschool shares facilities with. They also have good crossover with the higher level kindergarten-age caregivers, so there will be a good transition, I think, once Daigoro gets to be that age.
More to follow.
He's attending a local preschool which is well integrated into the physical environment of the public school - erm - I should say "community school" - that the preschool shares facilities with. They also have good crossover with the higher level kindergarten-age caregivers, so there will be a good transition, I think, once Daigoro gets to be that age.
More to follow.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
I Walk the Line...
Kenshin walked a few faltering steps on this past Tuesday (April 1st), coincidentally the day after I had a dream about him walking (well, in the dream he was more bouncing up and down while standing, but one has to reach when trying to correlate dreams and reality sometimes).
I'm quite excited, as is he. Wednesday he tried to run from the couch to the coffee table which had been pushed about two metres away - he fell on his face, but it was a valiant effort. He's now making regular one or two step walks from one object to another.
Just in time for his first birthday, too!
I'm quite excited, as is he. Wednesday he tried to run from the couch to the coffee table which had been pushed about two metres away - he fell on his face, but it was a valiant effort. He's now making regular one or two step walks from one object to another.
Just in time for his first birthday, too!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Vignette: Impatience
Scene: Saturday morning before Easter Sunday. I've just explained some of the things which will be happening on Sunday morning - Church, easter egg hunt, etc. I briefly outline some of the theological underpinnings of the day - hope when hope seems lost, new beginnings, etc. Daigoro is excited.
Kozure: So, Daigoro - one more sleep until Easter!
Daigoro looks very excited, then lays down and closes his eyes.
Kozure: Daigoro, what are you doing?
Daigoro cracks one eye.
Daigoro: I'm sleeping! Now I'm awake. It's Easter?
Kozure: So, Daigoro - one more sleep until Easter!
Daigoro looks very excited, then lays down and closes his eyes.
Kozure: Daigoro, what are you doing?
Daigoro cracks one eye.
Daigoro: I'm sleeping! Now I'm awake. It's Easter?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
March "Break" - Day 4, Abridged
Standard Time > Daylight Savings Time has made kids crazy. Schedules all screwed up. Nearly lost it on the boys this morning while juggling late start, incoming phone calls and need to rendezvous with parents at Bruce's Mill Conservation Area for Sugarbush Maple Syrup 40th Anniversary Festival.
Lugged kids around for three hours (with my parents' kind help). Ate pancakes with maple syrup, sampled old-fashioned kettle process maple syrup, ate maple sugar candies, bought maple sugar, mapled the maple maple, then mapled to the maple for maple.
Uhh... where was I? Oh yes. Maple.
Tried out snow shoes, drank cedar tea (surprisingly not terrible), cut out maple leafs in upstairs craft room. Pony ride, then horse-drawn carriage ride. Lots of fun. Really. Just tiring.
Kenshin isn't sleeping well these days - may be teething related. This morning he took a single unsupported step, then immediately sat down. Marli is amused at his "head-shaking game" - his Ray Charles imitation has grown from occasional tic to actual "no" response, but also a game. If you shake your head at him, he will respond in kind, then shake his head to prompt you to imitate him. Very cute. He's climbing up and down stairs like a fiend now.
Some random Daigoro vignettes:
While eating corn and perogies at dinner:
Daigoro: "Mommy, what did we kill?"
Marli: "What? What do you mean?"
Daigoro: "What did we kill to get the corn?"
Another, separate occasion - ordering a shamrock shake (yay!) at McDonald's:
Kozure: "One medium shamrock shake, please."
Take out cashier: "That will be three fourteen, please. Second window."
Kozure: "Thanks!"
Daigoro: (pause) "Daddy, that lady sounds like a robot."
One very heart warming bedtime last week:
Daigoro: "Daddy?"
Kozure: "Yes, Daigoro?"
Daigoro: "You're the best daddy in the whole world."
[I didn't make that one up, I swear!]
My parents kindly purchased a season's pass for our family this past Christmas, so we headed to the Toronto Zoo this past Tuesday as well. FROG-ZIBITZ special March break event in honour of the Chinese Calendar Year of the Frog. Frogatorium. 'Nuff said.
Very, very tired now. Stopping with the blogging.
Lugged kids around for three hours (with my parents' kind help). Ate pancakes with maple syrup, sampled old-fashioned kettle process maple syrup, ate maple sugar candies, bought maple sugar, mapled the maple maple, then mapled to the maple for maple.
Uhh... where was I? Oh yes. Maple.
Tried out snow shoes, drank cedar tea (surprisingly not terrible), cut out maple leafs in upstairs craft room. Pony ride, then horse-drawn carriage ride. Lots of fun. Really. Just tiring.
Kenshin isn't sleeping well these days - may be teething related. This morning he took a single unsupported step, then immediately sat down. Marli is amused at his "head-shaking game" - his Ray Charles imitation has grown from occasional tic to actual "no" response, but also a game. If you shake your head at him, he will respond in kind, then shake his head to prompt you to imitate him. Very cute. He's climbing up and down stairs like a fiend now.
Some random Daigoro vignettes:
While eating corn and perogies at dinner:
Daigoro: "Mommy, what did we kill?"
Marli: "What? What do you mean?"
Daigoro: "What did we kill to get the corn?"
Another, separate occasion - ordering a shamrock shake (yay!) at McDonald's:
Kozure: "One medium shamrock shake, please."
Take out cashier: "That will be three fourteen, please. Second window."
Kozure: "Thanks!"
Daigoro: (pause) "Daddy, that lady sounds like a robot."
One very heart warming bedtime last week:
Daigoro: "Daddy?"
Kozure: "Yes, Daigoro?"
Daigoro: "You're the best daddy in the whole world."
[I didn't make that one up, I swear!]
My parents kindly purchased a season's pass for our family this past Christmas, so we headed to the Toronto Zoo this past Tuesday as well. FROG-ZIBITZ special March break event in honour of the Chinese Calendar Year of the Frog. Frogatorium. 'Nuff said.
Very, very tired now. Stopping with the blogging.
Monday, February 25, 2008
A Smorgasbord of Events
Well, the last month and a half have been a whirlwind of activity and development. We found a new house here in Toronto after a fairly in-depth search. Daigoro and Kenshin were very patient as we trucked them around from house to house. Daigoro would often ask if there were "guys" (kids) or toys in each house as we went in, as one of the earlier houses we toured had toys on display in one room.
We're happy with our find, which should give us a lot more elbow room in the long term. It's close to schools, parks and shops, as well as being not too far from where we are currently, so many of the social contacts we've already made in the area won't have to be dropped. I'm also pleased that it's actually closer to our current United Church, so we'll be able to stay on with the congregation there without a long commute each Sunday. The commute will be shorter for Marli and only a few minutes longer by bike (and shorter by transit) for me, so it's a great find.
Based on the way we're bursting at the seams in our little two-bedroom apartment currently, moving day couldn't come a day sooner.
Kenshin is more mobile in his cruising and occasionally stands without support, though still nowhere near as rapidly as Daigoro seemed to progress. In the past two weeks, he's been increasingly hyperactive (in the non-clinical sense) which has been a little bit of a strain for Marli and me. Some of his increased awake time and night-time feeding may be due to yet another pair of teeth coming in, the first of which poked through his gum this morning. Kenshin's current favourite toy is a Curious George jack-in-the-box which he received as a gift from his aunt this past Christmas; it absolutely entrances him when it plays. He generally shows a markedly higher interest in music and rhythm than Daigoro ever did; Daigoro is not uninterested in music, but it's not his first love.
Daigoro swings between being a really resilient and well-behaved kid to a whiny little so-and-so, with the decent majority of it being good rather than bad. I suppose that's entirely normal for a kid his age, but I can see how some parents start to lose their cool about now. I have a comparatively short fuse when it comes to whiny-ness, whether it be children or adults. I tend to think I'm a fairly patient guy otherwise, so it's difficult for me to find myself blowing my top at times. His hand-eye coordination development continues to impress me, just last week he drew a pretty credible version of a whale which had a striking (but coincidental, in my opinion) resemblance to West Coast aboriginal art depictions of whales. I'm pleased that he's showing an interest in art.
Starting last Tuesday (February 19th), he's been running a streak where he hasn't pooped in his diapers while he was awake. He's been quite motivated by the reward of being able to wear special "Cars"-themed pull-up diapers if he tells us that he has to go potty in time (and subsequently goes). Seems the reward/carrot motivator has trumped basic training methods this time.
We're continuing our now three month tradition of going to my parents' house on Thursday and swimming at a local community centre for about forty-five minutes to an hour. Both kids seem to enjoy it a lot (so long as the wading pool is warm) and Daigoro in particular has advanced a long way towards being more confident in the water.
More to follow... I've just run out of steam on this entry for now.
We're happy with our find, which should give us a lot more elbow room in the long term. It's close to schools, parks and shops, as well as being not too far from where we are currently, so many of the social contacts we've already made in the area won't have to be dropped. I'm also pleased that it's actually closer to our current United Church, so we'll be able to stay on with the congregation there without a long commute each Sunday. The commute will be shorter for Marli and only a few minutes longer by bike (and shorter by transit) for me, so it's a great find.
Based on the way we're bursting at the seams in our little two-bedroom apartment currently, moving day couldn't come a day sooner.
Kenshin is more mobile in his cruising and occasionally stands without support, though still nowhere near as rapidly as Daigoro seemed to progress. In the past two weeks, he's been increasingly hyperactive (in the non-clinical sense) which has been a little bit of a strain for Marli and me. Some of his increased awake time and night-time feeding may be due to yet another pair of teeth coming in, the first of which poked through his gum this morning. Kenshin's current favourite toy is a Curious George jack-in-the-box which he received as a gift from his aunt this past Christmas; it absolutely entrances him when it plays. He generally shows a markedly higher interest in music and rhythm than Daigoro ever did; Daigoro is not uninterested in music, but it's not his first love.
Daigoro swings between being a really resilient and well-behaved kid to a whiny little so-and-so, with the decent majority of it being good rather than bad. I suppose that's entirely normal for a kid his age, but I can see how some parents start to lose their cool about now. I have a comparatively short fuse when it comes to whiny-ness, whether it be children or adults. I tend to think I'm a fairly patient guy otherwise, so it's difficult for me to find myself blowing my top at times. His hand-eye coordination development continues to impress me, just last week he drew a pretty credible version of a whale which had a striking (but coincidental, in my opinion) resemblance to West Coast aboriginal art depictions of whales. I'm pleased that he's showing an interest in art.
Starting last Tuesday (February 19th), he's been running a streak where he hasn't pooped in his diapers while he was awake. He's been quite motivated by the reward of being able to wear special "Cars"-themed pull-up diapers if he tells us that he has to go potty in time (and subsequently goes). Seems the reward/carrot motivator has trumped basic training methods this time.
We're continuing our now three month tradition of going to my parents' house on Thursday and swimming at a local community centre for about forty-five minutes to an hour. Both kids seem to enjoy it a lot (so long as the wading pool is warm) and Daigoro in particular has advanced a long way towards being more confident in the water.
More to follow... I've just run out of steam on this entry for now.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Quote Gold
Daigoro has been the source of some pretty funny quotation material lately. A few samples:
"We're running in a race but we don't know where we're going."
(interesting summation of the plight of modern man)
"If you like something then you like it."
(circular reasoning or Zen philosophy?)
"I'm kicking you because I love you."
(school-yard romances prefigured)
[After being given bacon for the first time] "Oh my goodness... I love bacon!"
(cardiovascular problems ahead)
More to come... I've suddenly drawn a blank. Watch this space.
"We're running in a race but we don't know where we're going."
(interesting summation of the plight of modern man)
"If you like something then you like it."
(circular reasoning or Zen philosophy?)
"I'm kicking you because I love you."
(school-yard romances prefigured)
[After being given bacon for the first time] "Oh my goodness... I love bacon!"
(cardiovascular problems ahead)
More to come... I've suddenly drawn a blank. Watch this space.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
First Steps into a Larger World
You've taken your first step into a larger world.On Sunday last (January 27th), Daigoro identified and read the letters correctly in the word "stop". A small step, certainly, but considering how many billions of illiterate or semi-literate people there are in this world, reading is an advantage and a privilege we should all be thankful for.-Obi-wan Kenobi
S - T - O - P
Stop. Simple enough, one would think, but consider it for a moment: identifying four groups of lines and curves that stand for a sound and from thence an idea. Revolutionary (and evolutionary) for ancient man. Taken for granted by the modern.
Makes one consider what humans will consider so basic a concept in another 4-6,000 years (should we be lucky enough to survive that long).
We're deep in the middle of house-hunting right now, so reports will be even fewer and further between than previously.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Vignette: Moving Day
Scene: Marli and Kozure washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen and dining room after supper. As we have just begun the process of looking for a house to buy, we try to explain the concept to Daigoro.
Marli: We are looking to buy a house. We will move out of this house and move into another house.
Daigoro: We will buy a house? Go to a new house?
Kozure: Yes, Daigoro.
Daigoro: (considers, then looks challenged but determined) OK, I will take this truck. I can carry this toy (indicates toy in other hand) and you can carry this toy (he hands Kozure another toy, then begins bustling about as if to leave).
Both parents are a little taken aback until they figure out what Daigoro is talking about.
Marli: (smiling) We're not going right now, Daigoro. We will move later. We don't have to take everything right now. We will take everything when we go.
Daigoro: Oh. OK.
Marli: Do you think you will want to take your brother? Will he live with us?
Daigoro: (hesitates) Yes.
Marli: (teasingly) Will ba-chan live with us?
Daigoro: Yes. Ba-chan can live with us too. Maybe Uncle M- too!
Marli: We are looking to buy a house. We will move out of this house and move into another house.
Daigoro: We will buy a house? Go to a new house?
Kozure: Yes, Daigoro.
Daigoro: (considers, then looks challenged but determined) OK, I will take this truck. I can carry this toy (indicates toy in other hand) and you can carry this toy (he hands Kozure another toy, then begins bustling about as if to leave).
Both parents are a little taken aback until they figure out what Daigoro is talking about.
Marli: (smiling) We're not going right now, Daigoro. We will move later. We don't have to take everything right now. We will take everything when we go.
Daigoro: Oh. OK.
Marli: Do you think you will want to take your brother? Will he live with us?
Daigoro: (hesitates) Yes.
Marli: (teasingly) Will ba-chan live with us?
Daigoro: Yes. Ba-chan can live with us too. Maybe Uncle M- too!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
It Begins...
Well, Kenshin decided to try to stand unsupported the day before yesterday (Thursday, January 10th). I imagine he'll be trying to walk in the next month to two months.
Fortunately by this point, he's already been cruising and pulling himself up for a while now, so most dangerous things at the 45cm - 90cm range have already been found and made safe. (lower lying threats already been found and removed) There's an interesting period as the baby grows where the bubble (Venn diagram) of dangerous interaction expands and contracts.
For example, when a baby is newborn, it can't really move or roll over, so aside from compensating for gravity or accidental turnovers, you can basically leave them on any (non-spiky, non-flamey, etc) flat surface. Not that we did, but in a pinch you could, if you needed to. When the baby learns to roll-over, the danger bubble expands to include rolling off said flat surface. When baby learns to sit up, there is initially a mild danger to placing baby on a hardwood floor or similar surface for fear of baby toppling and bonking its head on an unyielding substance, but eventually the chances of topplage are very low and that danger contracts. Around the same time, however, the babe figures out how to drag things down from higher levels, and you have to worry about tablecloths, extension cords, pots of boiling water and the like.
When crawling begins, you of course have things like edges and stairways to worry about, but also the objects you might have previously left on the floor thinking they were not likely to be interacted with. Similarly, even stationary objects (like hot water radiators) that you don't place them anywhere near suddenly enter into play.
When cruising starts, objects on low surfaces (sofa tops, coffee tables, etc) become fair game for baby. Now, with unsupported standing and walking on the horizon... well, the sky's the limit.
One who has been reading this blog up to this point will probably have figured out that although we take reasonable precautions against childhood trauma, I'm not a parent who is paranoid about safety and injury. I know of and have heard of parents who take what I feel are such restrictive precautions so as not to place their child in any chance of danger at all - they don't let the child climb in the playground, all toys are super-safe, foods are finely minced... etc. etc... I suppose my position is that, like so many other aspects of life, you have to find the right balance.
It's during these periods of transition, however, that you do have to be more vigilant than usual. Things that have since become almost zero-level threats for Daigoro (like choking hazards or electrical outlets) became dangerous again as Kenshin reached an age where he could interact with them again.
In other news, I had a great time with Daigoro on Thursday swimming at a indoor public pool near my parents' house; he seemed to have terrific fun. A stand-out happier memory for me in what has generally been a happy childhood thus far.
Fortunately by this point, he's already been cruising and pulling himself up for a while now, so most dangerous things at the 45cm - 90cm range have already been found and made safe. (lower lying threats already been found and removed) There's an interesting period as the baby grows where the bubble (Venn diagram) of dangerous interaction expands and contracts.
For example, when a baby is newborn, it can't really move or roll over, so aside from compensating for gravity or accidental turnovers, you can basically leave them on any (non-spiky, non-flamey, etc) flat surface. Not that we did, but in a pinch you could, if you needed to. When the baby learns to roll-over, the danger bubble expands to include rolling off said flat surface. When baby learns to sit up, there is initially a mild danger to placing baby on a hardwood floor or similar surface for fear of baby toppling and bonking its head on an unyielding substance, but eventually the chances of topplage are very low and that danger contracts. Around the same time, however, the babe figures out how to drag things down from higher levels, and you have to worry about tablecloths, extension cords, pots of boiling water and the like.
When crawling begins, you of course have things like edges and stairways to worry about, but also the objects you might have previously left on the floor thinking they were not likely to be interacted with. Similarly, even stationary objects (like hot water radiators) that you don't place them anywhere near suddenly enter into play.
When cruising starts, objects on low surfaces (sofa tops, coffee tables, etc) become fair game for baby. Now, with unsupported standing and walking on the horizon... well, the sky's the limit.
One who has been reading this blog up to this point will probably have figured out that although we take reasonable precautions against childhood trauma, I'm not a parent who is paranoid about safety and injury. I know of and have heard of parents who take what I feel are such restrictive precautions so as not to place their child in any chance of danger at all - they don't let the child climb in the playground, all toys are super-safe, foods are finely minced... etc. etc... I suppose my position is that, like so many other aspects of life, you have to find the right balance.
It's during these periods of transition, however, that you do have to be more vigilant than usual. Things that have since become almost zero-level threats for Daigoro (like choking hazards or electrical outlets) became dangerous again as Kenshin reached an age where he could interact with them again.
In other news, I had a great time with Daigoro on Thursday swimming at a indoor public pool near my parents' house; he seemed to have terrific fun. A stand-out happier memory for me in what has generally been a happy childhood thus far.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Vignette: "With Two and a Half you get Egg Roll"
Scene: Marli and Daigoro finishing up dinner. Daddy has retired to the computer room to wrestle with an annoying software installation problem.
Daigoro puts down his egg roll and walks over to mummy.
Marli: Daigoro, are your hands all greasy? Should we wash them?
Daigoro: (matter of factly) No, it's OK - I'm wiping them on mummy.
Daigoro puts down his egg roll and walks over to mummy.
Marli: Daigoro, are your hands all greasy? Should we wash them?
Daigoro: (matter of factly) No, it's OK - I'm wiping them on mummy.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Where's Baby Jesus?
Christmas + everyone sick in what seems like a continuous round of various strains of colds = no updates for quite some time.
Daigoro asked me a poser the other day.
"Daddy," he asked in a querulous tone, "where's baby Jesus?"
Somewhat taken aback, I responded, "he lived a long time ago."
Daigoro was unsatisfied. "Where is he now?"
"He lived a long time ago, Daigoro. But he grew up into a man who taught us many important things."
"But," he persisted, "where's baby Jesus?"
Ah, theology.
Of course, Marli came up with the sensible but somewhat nebulous and theoretical answer "he lives in our hearts," which leads to Daigoro casting doubtful glances at our chests and his own.
About a month ago, Kenshin began a fairly strange vocal habit of "trilling" - sort of making a "dl-RrrRrrRrrRrr" noise, as if one was practicing rolling 'R's for German or Scottish accents. It doesn't seem to be associated with anything in particular, but does seem to be a happy noise in general. Marli notes that it's usually when he's 'between activities'.
Daigoro in the past week has picked up two interesting and fun phrases.
The first is in response to us describing something, e.g. "Daigoro, this is a cookie."
Daigoro: "What kind of cookie?"
Me: "A empire cookie."
Daigoro: "What kind of empire cookie?"
...fortunately he seems to only drill down about two levels with this line of inquiry, so it's not as complex as the dreaded "why" interrogations one hears so much about.
Just in the past few days, he's started responding "not yet" to questions or statements about when something should happen.
For example:
Me: "Daigoro, would you like your peanut butter and jelly sandwich now?" (after having being begged for one for about five minutes.)
Daigoro: "Not yet, please."
(Grrrr.)
A little tic which I had forgotten to record is Kenshin's patented "Ray Charles" head motion - it's actually not really Ray Charles-esque, but that's what we're calling it. It looks like a rapid and continuous disagreement or "no" head-shaking body language - like he was vehemently disagreeing with what we're doing or saying. Strangely, it seems to be another 'placeholder' action when he's generally or mildly amused. He's been doing it for about two months.
An amusing episode at this year's Christmas Sunday service. Daigoro played a sheep again in the annual Christmas pageant, but broke free from his handlers. My wife indicated with vigourous pointing that he had escaped into the side parlour of the church but he cleverly doubled back and snuck up onto the altar dais, where he proceeded, in full view of the congregation, to re-arrange the Nativity creche. He diligently stuck all the animals inside the stable, stacked very neatly. I was still in the parlour looking for him when the minister's wife poked her head in and said, rather amusedly, "He's up on the altar dais. I thought you might want to know."
I came ducking in, but the minister had just started a prayer, so I didn't want to be causing a commotion at the front of the church in the middle of it. I grabbed Daigoro as quietly as I could and ducked out through the "secret" choir entrance to pull him around to the back.
People thought it was "cute". I think... I hope. They said as much. Really.
The time around New Year's is usually a period of deep introspection and review but I'm generally too worn out and sick to be bothered. I will say that it has been a mixture of joy and petty annoyances to help bring up two boys, which I think falls into the general theme of this blog - between Heaven and Hell.
Lowlights
Highlights
Daigoro asked me a poser the other day.
"Daddy," he asked in a querulous tone, "where's baby Jesus?"
Somewhat taken aback, I responded, "he lived a long time ago."
Daigoro was unsatisfied. "Where is he now?"
"He lived a long time ago, Daigoro. But he grew up into a man who taught us many important things."
"But," he persisted, "where's baby Jesus?"
Ah, theology.
Of course, Marli came up with the sensible but somewhat nebulous and theoretical answer "he lives in our hearts," which leads to Daigoro casting doubtful glances at our chests and his own.
About a month ago, Kenshin began a fairly strange vocal habit of "trilling" - sort of making a "dl-RrrRrrRrrRrr" noise, as if one was practicing rolling 'R's for German or Scottish accents. It doesn't seem to be associated with anything in particular, but does seem to be a happy noise in general. Marli notes that it's usually when he's 'between activities'.
Daigoro in the past week has picked up two interesting and fun phrases.
The first is in response to us describing something, e.g. "Daigoro, this is a cookie."
Daigoro: "What kind of cookie?"
Me: "A empire cookie."
Daigoro: "What kind of empire cookie?"
...fortunately he seems to only drill down about two levels with this line of inquiry, so it's not as complex as the dreaded "why" interrogations one hears so much about.
Just in the past few days, he's started responding "not yet" to questions or statements about when something should happen.
For example:
Me: "Daigoro, would you like your peanut butter and jelly sandwich now?" (after having being begged for one for about five minutes.)
Daigoro: "Not yet, please."
(Grrrr.)
A little tic which I had forgotten to record is Kenshin's patented "Ray Charles" head motion - it's actually not really Ray Charles-esque, but that's what we're calling it. It looks like a rapid and continuous disagreement or "no" head-shaking body language - like he was vehemently disagreeing with what we're doing or saying. Strangely, it seems to be another 'placeholder' action when he's generally or mildly amused. He's been doing it for about two months.
An amusing episode at this year's Christmas Sunday service. Daigoro played a sheep again in the annual Christmas pageant, but broke free from his handlers. My wife indicated with vigourous pointing that he had escaped into the side parlour of the church but he cleverly doubled back and snuck up onto the altar dais, where he proceeded, in full view of the congregation, to re-arrange the Nativity creche. He diligently stuck all the animals inside the stable, stacked very neatly. I was still in the parlour looking for him when the minister's wife poked her head in and said, rather amusedly, "He's up on the altar dais. I thought you might want to know."
I came ducking in, but the minister had just started a prayer, so I didn't want to be causing a commotion at the front of the church in the middle of it. I grabbed Daigoro as quietly as I could and ducked out through the "secret" choir entrance to pull him around to the back.
People thought it was "cute". I think... I hope. They said as much. Really.
The time around New Year's is usually a period of deep introspection and review but I'm generally too worn out and sick to be bothered. I will say that it has been a mixture of joy and petty annoyances to help bring up two boys, which I think falls into the general theme of this blog - between Heaven and Hell.
Lowlights
- Sleep-deprived nights after Kenshin's birth.
- Long periods of both parents and children all being sick at the same time.
- Lots of parental tension over the stresses of two young children.
- Increasingly cramped two-bedroom apartment being wholly inadequate for two adults and two children. (Especially when one adult doesn't like throwing things away as often as he should).
- Daigoro gashing his head open after a fall from a chair at a drop-in centre.
Highlights
- Daigoro's face at Christmas, 2007.
- Making handmade wooden planes for the kids.
- Daigoro on a merry go-round at a local fair.
- Seeing the boys start to play together, giggling.
- Kenshin's birth.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Pterodactyl Boy and Horse Lad
It's out of "chronological order" but here's a note on an odd little aspect of the kids that I'll likely forget about if not recorded.
When Daigoro was younger, between being newly born and about six or seven months, he'd often make a throat clearing sound that sounded for all the world like a horse whinnying. It's so distinctive a noise, we even recorded it for posterity. Funny thing was that he wouldn't necessarily do it to convey any particular state of mind. It was just a vocal tic, or so it seemed.
Kenshin, on the other hand, developed between three months and six months a piercing sharp cry we dubbed the "pterodactyl" shriek. It wasn't angry or sad, particularly, though there were times when it was used to express those emotions. It was mostly a catch-all noise, much like Daigoro's whinny. Little outbursts of baby shriek that, as one might guess from our name for them, sounded an awful lot like the sound effects typically used for pterosaur-type dinosaurs in B-movies and TV shows.
Not particularly insightful but fun to note, nonetheless.
When Daigoro was younger, between being newly born and about six or seven months, he'd often make a throat clearing sound that sounded for all the world like a horse whinnying. It's so distinctive a noise, we even recorded it for posterity. Funny thing was that he wouldn't necessarily do it to convey any particular state of mind. It was just a vocal tic, or so it seemed.
Kenshin, on the other hand, developed between three months and six months a piercing sharp cry we dubbed the "pterodactyl" shriek. It wasn't angry or sad, particularly, though there were times when it was used to express those emotions. It was mostly a catch-all noise, much like Daigoro's whinny. Little outbursts of baby shriek that, as one might guess from our name for them, sounded an awful lot like the sound effects typically used for pterosaur-type dinosaurs in B-movies and TV shows.
Not particularly insightful but fun to note, nonetheless.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Out of the Mouth of Parents, Part the Second
So, short little post, but I thought this one was funny enough to share.
I occasionally buy Daigoro and I a 10-pack of Tim Horton's Timbits. He seems to enjoy them and as long as we limit him to two or three (and share the rest with Marli), it's a relatively harmless and cheap snack.
The other day he was digging through the pack and he picked out a chocolate frosted one. I guess it was only lightly coated, because I think he thought it was a plain chocolate Timbit (no coating). So, he starts to get sugar coating on his hands, to which he reacts by saying,
"Oh! My hands are dirty,"
and scrubbing harder at them, using his Timbit like a sponge. This of course leads to more icing coming off on his hands and further consternation at the defilement of his fingers. To which I reply, without considering the absurdity of the statement,
"Please stop cleaning your hands with a Timbit, Daigoro."
Ah, parenthood. Dadaism got nothin' on you.
I occasionally buy Daigoro and I a 10-pack of Tim Horton's Timbits. He seems to enjoy them and as long as we limit him to two or three (and share the rest with Marli), it's a relatively harmless and cheap snack.
The other day he was digging through the pack and he picked out a chocolate frosted one. I guess it was only lightly coated, because I think he thought it was a plain chocolate Timbit (no coating). So, he starts to get sugar coating on his hands, to which he reacts by saying,
"Oh! My hands are dirty,"
and scrubbing harder at them, using his Timbit like a sponge. This of course leads to more icing coming off on his hands and further consternation at the defilement of his fingers. To which I reply, without considering the absurdity of the statement,
"Please stop cleaning your hands with a Timbit, Daigoro."
Ah, parenthood. Dadaism got nothin' on you.
Looking Up
This past month has been running hot and cold... some very busy weeks and some very ordinary. We took the kids on a fairly long road trip to Montreal this past weekend to visit family there. They travelled well but we had made an effort to travel mostly at night. (For future reference, 550km / 5.5 hours direct by 401, 620km / 6 hours by a detour to visit other relatives in Carleton Place). It was fun to see their faces as we pointed out the rising sun - I don't believe they've seen one other than on TV before.
Kenshin figured out how to crawl this weekend and has been scooting along with more and more confidence in the past three days. It's amazing really - before this past Sunday (November 18th) I'd say he was about 10-20% of the way to crawling as well as any toddler his age. Now he's about 70-80% a scarce four days later. Incredible learning rate, these humans.
Kenshin has also cut his primary left maxillary central incisor (the one beside the first one) and the tips of the matching top two teeth can been seen just under the surface of the upper gums. It seems that Kenshin, much as Daigoro did at his age, will be cutting all of his teeth in a hurry.
On a relatively unrelated note, I was thinking today about the question oft-asked of me, "what do you think are the differences between the boys?" It came to me rather randomly today that Kenshin has a very noticeable tendency to look up and around. Now, this seems like a relatively minor difference, I know, but as much as Daigoro was/is a very observant child, he didn't seem to look up as often as Kenshin does. This gives Kenshin a sort of dreamy, star-gazing quality at times, especially in the evening and early morning when he looks up at the lights and the small starfield ceiling pattern I've mounted over his bed. It's quite nice, really. Some people have observed that Kenshin seems to be more of a "watcher" (compared to the "doer" that Daigoro is at times); I'll agree that Kenshin is more patient and observant.
Daigoro continues to surprise me with his memory and comprehension. He'll often remember the location of objects or something that we did together several months later, without having seen the object or done the activity since.
For example, I bought a picture frame from Goodwill almost eight months ago which contained a picture of a Lamborghini Countach mounted on a cardboard backing. I only needed the picture frame, not the picture - but the picture itself was mounted on some heavy cardstock which I figured I could use some other time, so I kept it. I had shown the picture to Daigoro once or twice; we used it for a few evenings as a door to play with in a "fort" we made under the kitchen table. Eventually he tired of the game, so I tucked it behind a piece of furniture in our dining room and haven't touched it since. Last week, out of the blue, he tapped the piece of furniture I had stored it behind and asked to see the "picture of a car". I had actually forgotten it was there but, once I figured it out, I pulled it out for him and he was very pleased, behaving as if he knew that's where I had been hiding it all along.
He's also developing some unsavoury whiny traits that seem fairly common to toddlers (especially two-year olds) that we had hoping to avoid - demanding treats when none are forthcoming, throwing tantrums when asked to go to bed, etc.
He's still, by and large, a fairly easy going kid, but it's... disappointing? Frustrating? - I don't know the best word to use in this case - to see that he can be just as annoying as anyone else's kid. I suppose most parents think this way; they hope/think that their child isn't the one who pushes or shoves or throw tantrums or won't eat his supper. Someone has to be "that kid". I guess you just don't expect it to be you, especially when you put so much effort into discipline and loving and setting boundaries and yadda, yadda, yadda.
In any case, he's two and a half. I don't expect him to be perfect. Just blowing off some steam.
Kenshin figured out how to crawl this weekend and has been scooting along with more and more confidence in the past three days. It's amazing really - before this past Sunday (November 18th) I'd say he was about 10-20% of the way to crawling as well as any toddler his age. Now he's about 70-80% a scarce four days later. Incredible learning rate, these humans.
Kenshin has also cut his primary left maxillary central incisor (the one beside the first one) and the tips of the matching top two teeth can been seen just under the surface of the upper gums. It seems that Kenshin, much as Daigoro did at his age, will be cutting all of his teeth in a hurry.
On a relatively unrelated note, I was thinking today about the question oft-asked of me, "what do you think are the differences between the boys?" It came to me rather randomly today that Kenshin has a very noticeable tendency to look up and around. Now, this seems like a relatively minor difference, I know, but as much as Daigoro was/is a very observant child, he didn't seem to look up as often as Kenshin does. This gives Kenshin a sort of dreamy, star-gazing quality at times, especially in the evening and early morning when he looks up at the lights and the small starfield ceiling pattern I've mounted over his bed. It's quite nice, really. Some people have observed that Kenshin seems to be more of a "watcher" (compared to the "doer" that Daigoro is at times); I'll agree that Kenshin is more patient and observant.
Daigoro continues to surprise me with his memory and comprehension. He'll often remember the location of objects or something that we did together several months later, without having seen the object or done the activity since.
For example, I bought a picture frame from Goodwill almost eight months ago which contained a picture of a Lamborghini Countach mounted on a cardboard backing. I only needed the picture frame, not the picture - but the picture itself was mounted on some heavy cardstock which I figured I could use some other time, so I kept it. I had shown the picture to Daigoro once or twice; we used it for a few evenings as a door to play with in a "fort" we made under the kitchen table. Eventually he tired of the game, so I tucked it behind a piece of furniture in our dining room and haven't touched it since. Last week, out of the blue, he tapped the piece of furniture I had stored it behind and asked to see the "picture of a car". I had actually forgotten it was there but, once I figured it out, I pulled it out for him and he was very pleased, behaving as if he knew that's where I had been hiding it all along.
He's also developing some unsavoury whiny traits that seem fairly common to toddlers (especially two-year olds) that we had hoping to avoid - demanding treats when none are forthcoming, throwing tantrums when asked to go to bed, etc.
He's still, by and large, a fairly easy going kid, but it's... disappointing? Frustrating? - I don't know the best word to use in this case - to see that he can be just as annoying as anyone else's kid. I suppose most parents think this way; they hope/think that their child isn't the one who pushes or shoves or throw tantrums or won't eat his supper. Someone has to be "that kid". I guess you just don't expect it to be you, especially when you put so much effort into discipline and loving and setting boundaries and yadda, yadda, yadda.
In any case, he's two and a half. I don't expect him to be perfect. Just blowing off some steam.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thank You, Ferber, Wherever You Are
On the November 3-4th long weekend, Marli and I employed the Ferber Method to train Kenshin to sleep through the night without requiring a feeding every three to four hours. For those too rushed to follow the link, you basically let the baby cry for increasingly longer periods of time, until the kid figures out that although he will eventually be comforted, the screaming and the fussing has little to do with it. You go in every 5, then 10, then 20 then 40 minutes (and so on, doubling each time) to comfort the child, but do not pick him up. Eventually the child settles down and sleeps through the night.
It has been astoundingly successful with both our children. We employed the method on Daigoro at eight months and decided that we should have done it months earlier. So, this time, we tried it on Daigoro at just under seven months (for a variety of reasons, including a number of successive mild illnesses, it was ill-timed on his sixth month mark) and it worked even better, in two nights instead of three, as was the case with Daigoro. Kenshin woke up twice in the first night, (once for a prolonged fifty-minute stretch) and only three times (the longest stretch was thirty, the other two times were brief) and has slept through the night since.
It's a little hard on the parents and seems cruel to the child, but the dividends are many, not only for us, but for the grandparents who occasionally have to provide child care. After enjoying uninterrupted sleep several nights in a row for the first time in months, Marli must be feeling much better.
Thank you, Dr. Richard Ferber. I can't recommend this technique enough to other parents who have children who aren't sleeping through the night.
It has been astoundingly successful with both our children. We employed the method on Daigoro at eight months and decided that we should have done it months earlier. So, this time, we tried it on Daigoro at just under seven months (for a variety of reasons, including a number of successive mild illnesses, it was ill-timed on his sixth month mark) and it worked even better, in two nights instead of three, as was the case with Daigoro. Kenshin woke up twice in the first night, (once for a prolonged fifty-minute stretch) and only three times (the longest stretch was thirty, the other two times were brief) and has slept through the night since.
It's a little hard on the parents and seems cruel to the child, but the dividends are many, not only for us, but for the grandparents who occasionally have to provide child care. After enjoying uninterrupted sleep several nights in a row for the first time in months, Marli must be feeling much better.
Thank you, Dr. Richard Ferber. I can't recommend this technique enough to other parents who have children who aren't sleeping through the night.
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