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...

10 Surprisingly Lifesaving Baby Products

There are some things you buy and never expect to use them as much as you do. Other things are gifts and end up being surprising lifesavers. Because I feel this is such an important and surprising list, I have to share it.

Oh for the calm inducing bear pillow!

1. The bear pillow - My grandmother gave one to Kiddo and while cute, I wasn't sure how often it would get used. This thing is one of the ONLY places Kiddo will nap without someone holding him. He also LOVES IT. He likes playing with it. He likes crawling over it. He likes playing with its tags. Seems random and strange, but a really great buy/gift!
2. Prefolds - Okay. If you cloth diaper then you know you'll use these things for your baby's butt, but I didn't know how many other ways I would use them! I use them for burp cloths. I use them to play peek-a-boo. I use them to clean up messes. Kiddo likes to play with them. They truly are a multi-purpose cloth!
3. Spoons - Yes they are fantastic at getting food from point A to Kiddo's mouth, but did you know they're teethers too? And drumsticks? And magic waving wands? Yes. Yes they are.
4. Natursutten pacis - Because these are just rubber, babies can chew on any part of them (and do). They are a teether, and a toy, AND a paci. Amazing!
5. Sophie the Giraffe - I opened this toy and honestly thought I was looking at an expensive French dog toy. But seriously, babies are like dogs. Kiddo loves that thing. From a very young age through now, he's found different ways to manipulate it and has loved it the whole time. So worth the money.
6. Tethers - I didn't realize how easy it is to lose baby stuff. It's got to be tied down. I have 4 of these things and most often people use them for pacis, but they are so much more! I use them on rattles and teethers. The best one? Booginhead. Hands down.
7. Coconut oil - It's a moisturizer! It's butt lotion! It's cloth safe! It smells like COOKIES! We tried all kinds of lotions and creams on Kiddo's eczema and dry skin, but this stuff has worked the best. It's antibacterial and antifungal. If we wanted to, we could cook with it. It can even be used as nipple cream! Because of its many uses, it really can't be beat for the cost.
8. Ball - I know. It's simple. It's a no brainer - but the thing is, your kid NEEDS a ball! I figured Kiddo would play with one, but his squishy rattle ball has been one of his favorite toys since he was 2 months old. He bites it. He shakes it. He chases it around the floor. It won't be long before he'll roll, throw, and catch it. So cheap...but sooo awesome!
9. Rubber duckie - This seriously surprised me. I had no idea Kiddo would love his duckie so much but he does. It is no longer just a bath toy. It is a teether. It is an all the time toy. He will race across the room to get to this thing. Seriously. Rubber duckie is the one.
10. Toothbrush - Every baby needs a toothbrush, but I didn't think Kiddo would love brushing his teeth so much. He really does. And the fun handle doubles as a teether/drumstick (sensing any trends here?). Everyone buys one anyway, but the caterpillar shaped handle makes a difference.

What were your surprisingly lifesaving baby products? Share them below!