A Geek Parent with a Jock Kid

I always said if I had a kid, it wouldn't matter what they wanted to do I would support them. If, for example, they wanted to be a ribbon dancer, I would help them to be the best damn ribbon dancer ever. And this is still true.

I just never thought I, a creative geek, would end up with a super athlete kid. Not really. I mean, I thought it would be funny....but...I didn't think it would ACTUALLY happen.

My husband jokes that he is the least athletic in his family. This is true, however when we say the least athletic, this needs perspective. This is a man who taught himself how to spear fish, who has strung marines up by a single ankle and shook them, who chopped off the heads of baby rattle snakes with a hatchet at the age of 11. He is, in my estimation, a sort of Paul Bunyon type. This is my picture of my husband.

So then, I can tell you about his sisters. His sisters, one of whom had a full ride scholarship to play soccer. Another tried out for the basketball team without never having played, and was placed on varsity as a sophomore, without EVER HAVING PLAYED.

Oh, and did I mention his dad? Kiddo's grandfather? who STILL holds track and field records at his high school? STILL!

Sigh.

So my son, my darling boy, has this in his blood. He watches an inning of baseball and starts trying to pitch. He hits balls off the tee, with a bat that is as big as he is. He dribbles soccer balls without trying. He runs EVERYWHERE. This is the kind of boy I have. An athlete. And I don't even know all the rules to these games. I don't know all the stances. But you can be sure I'm going to learn.

Kiddo will stay still to watch sports. Golf. Baseball. Basketball. Football. Soccer (actually, he doesn't sit still for soccer - he runs around kicking the ball like the players because he thinks it's super fun).

Oh, and then there are motorcycles. He LOVES motorcycles. And bicycles. Pretty much anything with wheels. He likes how they work - another inherited trait from his father's side.

However, he also loves music. And fabric. And animals. And colors. And telling stories. And walking around looking at nature. So at least we have that to bond over.

It is funny that I ended up with an athlete. The irony was too good for it NOT to happen. And that's fine. Even though I don't know much about these sports, I will support Kiddo as he pursues them. He has his uncles and aunts who played all manner of things and will enjoy sharing that with him. And I will go to the games and I will take him to camps or whatever he finds enjoyable. I am committed to that, because that is where his interest lies. That's part of what it means to be a parent.

And he is still extremely young. He could end up being really into writing too. That could happen. Or he could go in a completely different direction. Who knows? Life takes all kinds of twists and turns. However, I'm pretty sure, whatever direction it goes for Kiddo, there will be sports somewhere in the mix. He loves them too much for it not to be the case.

In the mean time, I have to figure out ways to weather all the sports related events. And the other sporty parents - you know, the ones who were into sports themselves and have nothing in common with me except the fact their kid plays on the same team as mine.

Tips would be welcome. I'm going to store them up in preparation. Until then, I'll play ball with my limited skills, hoping I've got at least a few years before Kiddo outstrips me. And then I'll start outsourcing the play time to more competent family members. In a few years. I hope...

Alien Energy: Better Than Caffeine

Kiddo is hyper. I mean, I knew he was active, but I didn't realize how much more active he was compared to other kids.

When nursing, I can get hands and feet in the face. Sometimes Kiddo gets his butt hiked into the air and wiggles so much, he collapses back down again. When he wakes up in the morning, he climbs everywhere, all over - tumbling and jumping, singing, and telling stories.

This is the kind of kid that doesn't just have a second wind, he has a third, and sometimes a fourth. In order to make sure he sleeps a full night, I have to actively run him ragged. I have to force him to walk uphill and climb playground equipment for several hours if I want to ensure a solid night of sleep. Otherwise, it's anyone's guess how much he'll sleep.

And of course, once he wakes, all cylinders will be running.

But I thought this was just how toddlers were. I didn't think he was above average in his energy levels. I mean, when he first encounters people, he is often hesitant, and reserved. I thought that meant he was average.

No. I was wrong. Completely wrong. Kiddo is WILD.

I know this because we went to the park yesterday and he chased after a strange boy and threw his ball at the boy, almost knocking the poor kid down. He ran around screaming his head off (for fun, not throwing a fit). He ran the entire time. He drummed his ball. He threw his ball. He giggled and squealed and sang. And the three other kids stared at him. They functioned at a fraction of his energy. And this was after walking around the block and playing with Grandma's dog.

And at home? He ran around again, throwing all his toys every which way. He did laps for 5 minutes straight around the second floor. He squealed. He told stories. He played with his figurines. He sang songs. We had to persuade him to get a bath with heavy references to specific bath toys. And he only agreed to bath time grudgingly.

Losing my earlier baby weight took a little effort. My continuous inches lost... is no wonder. I chase a toddler. I play with a toddler. If you had a kid as active as mine, you'd be losing weight too.

Now, if I could just bottle this or develop some kind of silver bullet system, I might have something here...

In the mean time, I'll settle for watching Kiddo fixing to be some kind of alien superhero with his magical energy reserves.

And honestly, I'm okay with this.

The Wild World of A 20 Month-old

Kiddo is 20 months old. I cannot believe we are only 4 months away from 2. It is wild to watch him every day.

Now he wakes up singing or telling stories, and about half the time they are understandable. He picks his clothes. He requests certain foods and books by name. He calls "Mom" like Stewie from Family Guy to get my attention. He throws a tantrum if he isn't allowed to help vacuum and takes great delight in helping with laundry. He follows simple instructions and often does things just for a laugh. He can eat from a bowl with a spoon and needs minimal supervision.

His three favorite things are cars (he calls motorcycles cars too), sports with balls (baseball, basketball, and football are his absolute favs), and of course music (specifically drums and stringed instruments). When asked what he wants to play, he always says guitar (though a uke is a guitar to him). Kiddo also regularly says he will play basketball and baseball.

A requested activity!

In addition to this, he LOVES Sesame Street. His favorite characters are of course, Cookie Monster and Elmo. He has a figurine of each. He has them ride animals, take baths, drink pretend soup, and give each other hugs. Sometimes he shares his Cheerios with them.

Kiddo's favorite foods at the moment are Cheerios, crackers (a rare treat), broccoli, strawberries, noodles, cheese, cauliflower, chicken tenders, plain yogurt, and brussel sprouts (although he does eat a lot more).

Can I ride?

He is always smiling, laughing, talking, and running full tilt. That said, he is painfully aware of others' moods and will pout or cry if someone, even a stranger, is upset. He also gives hugs and kisses when someone is upset, or just because.

I can't believe 2 years ago he was just a ball of cells in my womb - not even a person - and now he is an independent, curious, loving little boy. Wild.

Toddler The Destroyer

"He is all boy."

That's what people say about Kiddo when they see him.

"You are such a toddler."

That's what I say to Kiddo when he's getting into things.

A pool of Tylenol

Kiddo has spilled water and Tylenol all over three Roger Hargreaves books. He has ripped up one Ducati book. He has ripped out pages from his Hello Kitty coloring book. He has spilled cat food all over the floor. He has spilled his water all over...well, everything. He has dumped sand everywhere, resulting in diapers and shoes full of sand. He has dumped dirt on his head, leaving a layer of grit on his scalp.

Often when we try to get him clean up, he has a meltdown, or at the very least, fights me.

Kiddo does still like to use brooms, and enjoys helping with the laundry. Unfortunately, his sweeping makes more of a mess. Kiddo's laundry help usually means he crumples Christian's work shirt into a ball, and then puts it in a random drawer.

This is not the most enjoyable part of parenting a toddler. However, I wouldn't get the smiles, giggles, hugs, and kisses if I didn't have these parts too. I remind myself he is learning and exploring the world and that is a marvel.

Even though I sometimes yell, or need a break, I love my little boy. The awesome parts far out number the tough parts...

"I love you Mommy."

That one gets me every time.

Simple Joys

 Because my kid is such an outside kind of guy, I thought I would share with you some of his best moments. Being a toddler, especially in the last few weeks, has been a mixed blessing. I say mixed because on the one hand, it is stressful as hell with the insane temper tantrums. On the other hand, it involves simple joys, like raising arms in the air to feel the wind, chasing a ball across a playground, or running around a tree...over, and over, and over, and over again.

New favorite sport!

As an adult I forgot some of these things. It feels like it wasn't that long ago that I used to do the same things - that I raised my hands in the air to enjoy the wind rushing past my skin - nature's kiss. But when I think about it, it was a long time ago. Maybe seventeen or more years since I did this with the kind of wanton abandon of Kiddo. And that makes me sad that I missed all those simple joys, but it also makes me happy...because I get to experience them again with him. So along those lines, here are some photos of Kiddo amid those simple joys. Hopefully they jog your memory too.

The only puddle in California...and he sat in it.

Raising Creative: Artistry and Appreciation Early On

Admittedly, there is definitely a difference between kids on the creative front. Some people really...aren't. I'm not saying this as a judgement, it's just that some people are not bent that way. They don't like to recombine pieces into something new. They don't innovate. They don't imagine. They don't like doing things...differently. And this isn't a bad thing. The world needs people like this. It does. It wouldn't run without them. These maintainers are necessary.

And then there's us - those creative people who cannot avoid innovation, or imagination, or problem-solving. It is part of what makes us tick. It is as necessary as breathing.

Now, I would argue that our preferences are somewhat established at birth, maybe in our very souls, but that doesn't mean parents can't nurture things. Even in the maintainer types, an appreciation for beauty and artistry can be fostered.

As a parent, I want to do that with Kiddo. I want to nurture an appreciation for art and creation in all its forms. It seems he has this inherently anyway, as he responds strongly to music, dance, and visual art. But, how do I consciously make an effort to foster this?

1. Music - I expose Kiddo to a wide variety of music because he LOVES it. LOVES it. He plays instruments with his granddad (ukulele, drums, guitar, harp etc). I play Bossa Nova, Celtic, rock, bluegrass, folk, indie, dance, and orchestral. We sing together, and frequently Kiddo wakes up singing. And I love every second of this.
2. Art - Kiddo gets to see all kinds of illustrations in his books, but also we draw almost every day. At first this was a project initiated by me, but now he requests to draw. He loves using his markers and crayons. I hope to add clay and finger paint to his repertoire as soon as I can acquire an oil cloth to cover the table or patio. He spends a lot of time and thought on his creations, and often will talk about them in Kiddo gibberish for several minutes after they are finished.
3. Writing/stories - Kiddo is a talker. He tells stories about his toys. He tells stories about his drawings. And of course, he LOVES books. We have story time at least three times a day, and each involves several long picture books. After we finish reading, he likes to go back through the book and point to pictures and discuss them, in Kiddo gibberish. As a writer, I am thrilled with this.
4. Dance - we have dance parties daily. Some of this is coupled with our music exposure (Bossa Nova or singing). Other times it is during his limited screen time with Sesame Street. He dances for almost all the songs, of which there are many. He also enjoys imitating dance moves of those around him, which Christian and I frequently bust out, just for fun.
5. Acting - I think Kiddo has a healthy dose of the performance bug. I say this because he really enjoys children's time at church. He gets in the front of the congregation, and rather than listening to granddad, he looks around the congregation (staring at him) and grins, often interacting with church members. It is a little trying, making sure he doesn't completely derail granddad, but clearly this is something he should be allowed to explore as he continues to mature.

Based on how Kiddo relishes these areas, it seems his continued exposure to the arts is not only beneficial for developing speech, fine and gross motor skills, but also is a source of joy. I think we have a little artist on our hands, and certainly an art lover. I see plenty of museum visits and classes in our future. Seeing as I'm a creative myself, I couldn't be happier with this.

The Tao of the Toddler

Kiddo has really come into toddlerhood in the last couple weeks. It is obvious in many ways.

First, he has progressed from whimpering mildly to full on tantrums.

I call them his Tasmanian Devil tantrums. They involve growling, biting, and shaking his head really fast in frustration. That's often the opening number, which can lead to the red faced silent cry, on to the long wail which can last several minutes.

It is an art form.

But that's not all! He runs. Well actually, he drifts around corners while holding his hands up in the air and squealing. Sometimes he does this in the gait of an orangutan, with slightly bent bowed legs. The accompanying head wobble really makes this.

Or there is the growl...which he does periodically. Sometimes he does this while holding his hands up like a raptor. I have no idea where he got that one.

There's also the random words and phrases that come out. He loves his nativity set - especially Baby Jesus and the animals. He says "Jesus." He also says "wacky" because of his Dr. Seuss book Wacky Wednesday. He tries to say "baby" and "gone" and "thank you." He frequently squeals "I did it!" or "I get (got) it!"

Of course Kiddo blows raspberries on my belly to make me laugh and teases, pretending to offer toys, but pulls them away. Sometimes he dances, moving from side to side like a drunk introverted prom attendee. Along these lines, Kiddo spins around in circles, usually toward bed time (winding down?) but occasionally during the day. I joke that he's apprenticing to be a dervish.

His attention span has shortened during his active times, so much so that often he can't sit through a page of a story because he wants to explore everything...and move.

Communication definitely makes our time more enjoyable and Kiddo is a constant source of entertainment. Toddlers may be high energy and sometimes difficult, but they are also a lot of fun. I am really enjoying this stage. Even when he paints his pants with yogurt. Seriously.

Delightful Moments

It's been a crazy few weeks. With everything going on, it can get a bit difficult to make time for some of the things that need to get done. It can be difficult to be present in the moment when my mind wants to do a million and one other things.

I am getting better though.

Things I am noticing and enjoying these days are:

1. Kiddo's facial expressions. He rolls his eyes. He does a Stevie Wonder impression. He smirks.
2. Playing chase, catch (sort of), and dodge ball.
3. Dancing. Kiddo sways and bops...not at the same time.
4. Echoing melody lines. He'll sing something, I repeat or the opposite.
5. Cuddles. An oldie but a goodie.
6. Short sentences. I get. I go. I do it.
7. Requests. Uh (up), whimpers for another song verse, nursing, naps, walks, and books.
8. New discoveries.
9. Delight in life...all the time.
10. Sleep...of course.

There are others, but these are the things I'm keeping close to my heart. These are my memory treasures and daily delights. I rest in them. Parents all have and need them. They make life so much better.

A Real Boy

When you cut a baby's hair, he becomes a real boy.

He laughs at the sound of his farts, or grins before he passes gas. He laughs when he pulls your shirt up to nurse (peek-a-boob?). He bangs his face against the tile floor and wails when he doesn't get what he wants. He launches himself off anything and everything. He gets marker all over his clothes. He dumps his entire cup of water all over the floor. He pulls half of grandma's cookbooks off the shelf. He blows raspberries on your belly to make you laugh. He growls low in his throat just because. He claps when he's happy. He yells at the top of his lungs just to hear his voice.

He becomes a toddler.

Thinking about the transformation gets my throat tight. I looked at every picture in my phone after it happened. I tried to commit that babyish fly-away sweetness to memory. I kept a lock from his first haircut for his baby book. There's no going back.

Video: Say Hello Kiddo!

In celebration of the fact that I took my GRE (one hurdle down) AND I OFFICIALLY weigh less than the month before I became pregnant, here is a cute video of Kiddo.

Six Months: From Basic to Playing

Kiddo has now moved from wanting the basics into a new era. He doesn't just want his diaper changed. He isn't just hungry. He isn't just tired.

He is all these things AND he wants to play.

Everything and anything can be a toy for him, from daddy's drinking straw to the maple dining table. He gets so distracted by his "toys" that he forgets his other needs until he's aching with hunger or falling down tired.

This means I have to anticipate him a bit more than before, which isn't easy considering his routine is changing. We had something down and now everything is different. Nap times have changed, eating habits have changed, even when he has dirty diapers has changed.

I feel like this is probably a trend that will last throughout parenthood; if you think you have a routine, it's already changed.

Sheesh.

Talk about stressors.

The plus about this discovery period is he can entertain himself for short periods of time. He also sits up, which means I don't have to constantly prop him up (although I still do that frequently). These seemingly small steps are huge leaps towards independence in both mind and mobility. It's exciting, scary, and at the same time sad.

My baby's growing up. He's almost 6 months old and rushing towards toddlerhood. Who knew every milestone could make Mommy cry?