Falling into the category of "What will he think of next" is this morning's episode. After getting ready for school, Riley crawled onto our bed to get in some snuggle time with Wrigley. At some point, Casey started tossing Riley into the pillows (which is a game he loves). Not sure exactly what transpired, but the end result was that Riley bumped his head on the headboard. He did not hit his head hard, but I was still expecting waterworks and dramatics. Instead... silence. He said nothing, climbed off the bed and left the room. More silence...
Silence with a 2-year-old boy is never a good thing. It usually means mischief. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for about 30 seconds before I decided to see what he was up to. As I stepped into the hallway, I caught a glimpse of Riley and it took all of my super powers as a mom to not burst out laughing.
He had walked out of our room, down the hallway and into his room, had opened his dresser door, had located and taken out the items that he was looking for, and was bringing them back to us. What were the items, you ask? The 2011 non-sting version of Bactine, 3 cotton balls, Neosporin and a band-aid. You know, to fix his boo-boo.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Watermelon
The other week we were at a birthday part for Riley's one-year-old friend, Hannah Brown. It was a hot day and we were more concerned about keeping Riley hydrated than much else. I remember that some of the child-friendly delicacies served were hot dogs, watermelon, goldfish and cake. There were bubbles, balloon and lots of other kids. Lots of fun was had by all.
About a week or two went by and we were in the grocery store. All of a sudden Riley said, "Happy Birthday, Hannah" (which, I will admit, we practiced quite a bit before Hannah's party so that we could show off to all of the one-year-olds how smart our two-year-old was in comparison). I looked around to see if Hannah was in the store. Nope. So we moved on. Riley kept talking about "Happy Birthday, Hannah" and kept pointing. I was certain Hannah's parents must at least be in the store. Nope. As he kept talking and pointing, I finally realized what it was -- he had spotted some watermelon in the grocery store. Of course.
Almost a month later, every time we see watermelon he says, "Happy Birthday, Hannah".
About a week or two went by and we were in the grocery store. All of a sudden Riley said, "Happy Birthday, Hannah" (which, I will admit, we practiced quite a bit before Hannah's party so that we could show off to all of the one-year-olds how smart our two-year-old was in comparison). I looked around to see if Hannah was in the store. Nope. So we moved on. Riley kept talking about "Happy Birthday, Hannah" and kept pointing. I was certain Hannah's parents must at least be in the store. Nope. As he kept talking and pointing, I finally realized what it was -- he had spotted some watermelon in the grocery store. Of course.
Almost a month later, every time we see watermelon he says, "Happy Birthday, Hannah".
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Measuring the Years in Walks
Pretty much ever since the first day we brought Winston home almost 8 years ago, we have gone on frequent walks around the neighborhood (Ardmore). The quality and pattern of those walks have changed, but the walks themselves have remained pretty constant. I remember the first walk with Winston when he was no more than 8 weeks old -- I had him on his cute little leash and he was so eager to explore. That lasted about 2 walks. At that point, he was so tired that he couldn't walk another step and I had to carry him home.
We quickly learned after we got Wrigley a year later that walks were just simpler if the dogs were not on leashes. So we trained the dogs to stay on the sidewalks and not go in the street. With the exception of what happens when we encounter a particularly stupid squirrel or if they see their favorite neighbor (Jamie) and just can't wait the extra 5 seconds it takes for him to cross the road to see them (which they have trained him to do), they really do stick to the sidewalks. You can even throw Wrigley's most prized possession (her ball) into the street and she will not chase it. She will stay on the sidewalk and walk down the sidewalk in unison with the ball as it rolls down the street and will then sit directly across the street from where it ends up and "spots" it until you go retrieve it for her.
All very impressive. When we added Riley to the mix, we had to change a few things about our route (for example, at Miller Park, we used to park the dogs at the top of the hill overlooking the bocce courts and make them sit and wait until we released them; after Riley was born and we had his stroller, we had to stick to the sidewalks and the hill no longer came into play). When he was an infant, no matter how cranky he was or how recently he had woken up, if we put him in his stroller and started out on a walk, he'd be asleep before we reached the end of our driveway (which is not particularly long). As the months passed, he would stay awake on the walks for longer and longer periods of time - at three months, he'd still be awake when we got to Starbucks; at six months, he'd stay awake until we made it to the park; at 9 months he'd fall asleep right about when we got to within a block of our house (which usually meant the walk would get extended); at a year, he no longer fell asleep. Shortly after that, when he learned how to walk on his own, he decided he was too old to sit in the stroller at the beginning of the walks. It would take an eternity (since he had to stop every 2 seconds to look at something -- much like Winston did on that first walk when he was a puppy -- I guess youngsters have a lot to teach us -- even the simplest things that surround us every day are worth a more extensive look now and again), but it was fun nonetheless.
Now that he's two, he's more serious about his walking. But, much like the dogs, he's also very serious about the rules when it comes to streets. If Casey has to go into the street to retrieve Wrigley's ball, Riley will say, "Daddy, street" and point to the sidewalk where Daddy should be standing instead of in the street.
And then he will throw the occasional curve ball at us, like he did one time when we got to a four-way stop. He said what sounded like, "Hey buddies!". Casey and I looked at each other a bit baffled and then said, "Hey buddy" back to him like we thought we were supposed to and then told him he had to hold onto one of our hands before crossing the street. It took what was probably a few weeks of "Hey buddy" before we figured out what he was really saying. "Hand buddy!" Turns out that when they are going somewhere at school, they have to hold hands with someone else so that the teachers can keep tabs on all of the children, and this someone else is called their "hand buddy". Makes perfect sense. Sometimes I wonder if he's just rolling his eyes at us like, "Duh, what is wrong with you two?"
Hand buddies has become an obsession of his. Even when he's in his stroller or being carried, he will say, "Hand buddy!" when we get to the street and will insist on holding your hand. It is really sweet, and I especially love it when he has to have both Mommy and Daddy as his hand buddy at the same time. My only complaint really, if you can even call it that, is that it is very difficult to push a stroller, walk, hold the hand of the child sitting in the stroller, and maneuver around two dogs that think it's fun to stop directly in front of the stroller in the middle of the road.
I would not give up these walks for anything. Whether Riley is with us at night, or we are just taking the dogs for a walk during our lunch break, they are always good for the soul. It's easier to talk about things - serious or normal - while walking. We have contemplated adding another dog to our family, having children, moving to a new house, spending money on things, friendships, how to raise a child, death and many other topics on these walks. First I loved them just with my husband (who wasn't even my husband at the time), then with Winston, then as a family of four, and now as a very mobile family of five. Amazing how you can measure the passage of time just by thinking about the progression of our walks. Can't wait to see what future walks will hold.
We quickly learned after we got Wrigley a year later that walks were just simpler if the dogs were not on leashes. So we trained the dogs to stay on the sidewalks and not go in the street. With the exception of what happens when we encounter a particularly stupid squirrel or if they see their favorite neighbor (Jamie) and just can't wait the extra 5 seconds it takes for him to cross the road to see them (which they have trained him to do), they really do stick to the sidewalks. You can even throw Wrigley's most prized possession (her ball) into the street and she will not chase it. She will stay on the sidewalk and walk down the sidewalk in unison with the ball as it rolls down the street and will then sit directly across the street from where it ends up and "spots" it until you go retrieve it for her.
All very impressive. When we added Riley to the mix, we had to change a few things about our route (for example, at Miller Park, we used to park the dogs at the top of the hill overlooking the bocce courts and make them sit and wait until we released them; after Riley was born and we had his stroller, we had to stick to the sidewalks and the hill no longer came into play). When he was an infant, no matter how cranky he was or how recently he had woken up, if we put him in his stroller and started out on a walk, he'd be asleep before we reached the end of our driveway (which is not particularly long). As the months passed, he would stay awake on the walks for longer and longer periods of time - at three months, he'd still be awake when we got to Starbucks; at six months, he'd stay awake until we made it to the park; at 9 months he'd fall asleep right about when we got to within a block of our house (which usually meant the walk would get extended); at a year, he no longer fell asleep. Shortly after that, when he learned how to walk on his own, he decided he was too old to sit in the stroller at the beginning of the walks. It would take an eternity (since he had to stop every 2 seconds to look at something -- much like Winston did on that first walk when he was a puppy -- I guess youngsters have a lot to teach us -- even the simplest things that surround us every day are worth a more extensive look now and again), but it was fun nonetheless.
Now that he's two, he's more serious about his walking. But, much like the dogs, he's also very serious about the rules when it comes to streets. If Casey has to go into the street to retrieve Wrigley's ball, Riley will say, "Daddy, street" and point to the sidewalk where Daddy should be standing instead of in the street.
And then he will throw the occasional curve ball at us, like he did one time when we got to a four-way stop. He said what sounded like, "Hey buddies!". Casey and I looked at each other a bit baffled and then said, "Hey buddy" back to him like we thought we were supposed to and then told him he had to hold onto one of our hands before crossing the street. It took what was probably a few weeks of "Hey buddy" before we figured out what he was really saying. "Hand buddy!" Turns out that when they are going somewhere at school, they have to hold hands with someone else so that the teachers can keep tabs on all of the children, and this someone else is called their "hand buddy". Makes perfect sense. Sometimes I wonder if he's just rolling his eyes at us like, "Duh, what is wrong with you two?"
Hand buddies has become an obsession of his. Even when he's in his stroller or being carried, he will say, "Hand buddy!" when we get to the street and will insist on holding your hand. It is really sweet, and I especially love it when he has to have both Mommy and Daddy as his hand buddy at the same time. My only complaint really, if you can even call it that, is that it is very difficult to push a stroller, walk, hold the hand of the child sitting in the stroller, and maneuver around two dogs that think it's fun to stop directly in front of the stroller in the middle of the road.
I would not give up these walks for anything. Whether Riley is with us at night, or we are just taking the dogs for a walk during our lunch break, they are always good for the soul. It's easier to talk about things - serious or normal - while walking. We have contemplated adding another dog to our family, having children, moving to a new house, spending money on things, friendships, how to raise a child, death and many other topics on these walks. First I loved them just with my husband (who wasn't even my husband at the time), then with Winston, then as a family of four, and now as a very mobile family of five. Amazing how you can measure the passage of time just by thinking about the progression of our walks. Can't wait to see what future walks will hold.
Friday, June 24, 2011
"Coppy"
Riley and I often share breakfast together sitting on the "big boy chairs" (stools) in our kitchen at the Elizabeth Avenue house. Many days I am drinking coffee, in a pathetic, last-ditch effort to recharge my batteries. I am usually a bit groggy during these breakfast dates, which is fine, except that I have a set of eagle eyes watching my every move without my knowledge.
Case in point: this morning, Riley started talking about "coppy" (coffee). He then proceeded to pick up his glass of milk, declare it "Riley's coppy" and start sipping it ever so delicately like it was really hot to drink. As I contemplated the curiousness of this behavior, I took another sip of my coffee, only to realize that it was an exact replica of what Riley had just done. Hmmm, guess our days of shot-gunning beers in front of him are over. Must move on to sipping fancy after-dinner dessert drinks.
Case in point: this morning, Riley started talking about "coppy" (coffee). He then proceeded to pick up his glass of milk, declare it "Riley's coppy" and start sipping it ever so delicately like it was really hot to drink. As I contemplated the curiousness of this behavior, I took another sip of my coffee, only to realize that it was an exact replica of what Riley had just done. Hmmm, guess our days of shot-gunning beers in front of him are over. Must move on to sipping fancy after-dinner dessert drinks.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Bike
Casey and I purchased Riley a bike for his 2nd birthday. We (Casey and I) were so excited about it and thought he would love it. As it turns out, he was afraid of it and wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.
If he saw any other bike, he'd make a beeline for it and want to ride. If we asked him if he wanted to ride Riley's bike, he'd scream "NO BIKE!!!"
This past Sunday, after another "NO BIKE" Casey got resourceful. He found my bike (which has been sitting in our garage unused since I was training for the 2001 Chicago Marathon) and brought it out of retirement. After giving my bike some much-needed air in its tires, it was good as new. Almost immediately upon seeing me get on my bike, Riley walked over to his bike, got on it and off he went. 25 minutes later, after Riley and I "rode" our bikes down the street with Casey, Winston & Wrigley following on foot, it was time to turn around and go home for bedtime. Apparently riding up hills is still not his thing. After about 5 minutes of all of us staring at each other trying to will Riley into riding up the hill, Casey resorted to putting Riley on his shoulders, carrying Riley's bike and trudging up the hill.
Still, it was worth it to see the little guy so proud of himself for riding "Riley's big boy bike". Here are a few pictures that he insisted I take of him on his bike this morning as we were leaving for school. ("Monny, cam-ra pees!")
If he saw any other bike, he'd make a beeline for it and want to ride. If we asked him if he wanted to ride Riley's bike, he'd scream "NO BIKE!!!"
This past Sunday, after another "NO BIKE" Casey got resourceful. He found my bike (which has been sitting in our garage unused since I was training for the 2001 Chicago Marathon) and brought it out of retirement. After giving my bike some much-needed air in its tires, it was good as new. Almost immediately upon seeing me get on my bike, Riley walked over to his bike, got on it and off he went. 25 minutes later, after Riley and I "rode" our bikes down the street with Casey, Winston & Wrigley following on foot, it was time to turn around and go home for bedtime. Apparently riding up hills is still not his thing. After about 5 minutes of all of us staring at each other trying to will Riley into riding up the hill, Casey resorted to putting Riley on his shoulders, carrying Riley's bike and trudging up the hill.
Still, it was worth it to see the little guy so proud of himself for riding "Riley's big boy bike". Here are a few pictures that he insisted I take of him on his bike this morning as we were leaving for school. ("Monny, cam-ra pees!")
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Two Year Check-Up
Riley had his 2-year check-up today. He is in the 45th percentile for weight and the 73rd percentile for height.
Things we learned:
1. Shots are still scary.
2. Plastic crabs hanging above the table where the shots are administered make the shots less scary. So does the promise of a trip to the pool shortly following the shots.
3. We are done with shots until kindergarten (which sounds like a lifetime away but will no doubt be upon us before we know it).
4. His fear of planes is slightly abnormal.
5. Pulling out his hair and eating it remarkably is not. It is also a good sign that he seems to have given up this behavior.
6. We should not attempt potty training until we have moved into the new house.
7. Just because he is his normal happy-go-lucky self and isn't pulling on his ears or giving any other indication that they might be bothering him doesn't mean that he doesn't have a double ear infection.
8. Quite possibly the symptoms of "teething" that he's been experiencing have really been the side effects of a double ear infection.
9. He gets (and seems to require) more sleep than most children (I'm pretty sure his pediatrician, who is the father of 3 young children, was jealous).
10. His pediatrician has the patience of Job.
Things we learned:
1. Shots are still scary.
2. Plastic crabs hanging above the table where the shots are administered make the shots less scary. So does the promise of a trip to the pool shortly following the shots.
3. We are done with shots until kindergarten (which sounds like a lifetime away but will no doubt be upon us before we know it).
4. His fear of planes is slightly abnormal.
5. Pulling out his hair and eating it remarkably is not. It is also a good sign that he seems to have given up this behavior.
6. We should not attempt potty training until we have moved into the new house.
7. Just because he is his normal happy-go-lucky self and isn't pulling on his ears or giving any other indication that they might be bothering him doesn't mean that he doesn't have a double ear infection.
8. Quite possibly the symptoms of "teething" that he's been experiencing have really been the side effects of a double ear infection.
9. He gets (and seems to require) more sleep than most children (I'm pretty sure his pediatrician, who is the father of 3 young children, was jealous).
10. His pediatrician has the patience of Job.
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