Island Boy

Island Boy Takes the Stage!

2009-12-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, Island Boy will take the stage for the first time - officially, that is. (As readers of this story know, Island Boy loves to take the stage informally at nearly every opportunity.)

He's been practicing for weeks - entertaining us with surprisingly harmonious holiday melodies complete with adorable choreography. I am positively bursting with pride. It's wonderful to see him practicing for his performance and enjoying his ability to master the lyrics, the melodies and the choreography. I cannot wait to see it all pulled together!

Music Hath Charms

2009-12-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

Last night we were transported...if only for a few magical moments...

We attended one of the most chaotic and fun Christmas parties ever. There were children. LOTS of children. And they were everywhere. But the party was well-organized with supervised craft projects to keep the little ones focused as well as backyard trees to keep the less-focused little ones occupied.

The highlight of the evening were the Christmas carols sung by professional carolers in traditional costume. The guests were positively captivated. As if that weren't enough, a professional singer among the guests graced us with her rendition of, "White Christmas". While she sang, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Everyone enjoyed the evening. It was lovely.

'Tis the Season!

2009-12-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been almost a month since the burglary and it's time to be MERRY. Island Boy still says, "Someone broke my house". We're all still processing and dealing with the monumental task of filing an insurance claim that represents such a paltry token of compensation for what was lost, but we're getting there.

Island Boy helped us pick out a Christmas tree and it's finally starting to feel like the holidays. It was fun to hear Island Boy's joy when he got home from school and said, "My Christmas tree is still here!" and we got a laugh when he let us know exactly how he felt about the slightly larger television that replaced our stolen one. "I want the smaller one, Daddy! I want my TV, Daddy." Yes, we do, too.

What Happened, Mommy?

2009-11-11T22:34:00.000-08:00

Our home was burglarized last weekend. It was traumatic, to say the least. Island Boy is dealing with it better than I am, as usual.

It was terrifying to come home and realize that someone had been in - and was possibly *still* in our home and it was heart wrenching to walk through and assess the damage. A number of the items can be easily replaced, but much of what was taken can simply not be replaced including our sense of security and so many little items I'd collected over a lifetime from the first pair of earrings I ever bought to so many other memories that are now simply that.

Island Boy sang the "goodbye song" before we left for school on Monday morning and after mentioning the names of several of his classmates he sang, "Goodbye, tv. Goodbye, Daddy's computer. Goodbye, Mommy's jewelry." It broke my heart, but apparently, this is the way children work through things like this. If only it were so easy for me.

Two Years Goes Fast

2009-11-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

We met our son two years ago today and I can say only that it's difficult to remember a time when he wasn't in our lives. He's an amazing person, full of curiosity and kindness with a healthy dose of mischievousness and a fine sense of humor. Best of all, he's happy and so are we.

Goodbye, Gourmet

2009-10-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe I'm just a basket case because I have a newborn at home and a toddler transitioning to preschool, but it's not just me, is it?? Did anyone else cry when they opened their mailbox and saw the November (aka Final) issue of Gourmet Magazine?

Yes, it was a magazine about food and there are certainly plenty of magazines about food, but there was something very special about Gourmet. It was so well done (no pun intended, really).

Beyond that, it is another of those American institutions that you just expect to be there for you year after year or perhaps it's like that little Mom and Pop shop on the corner in your hometown that you thought would always be there. But now it's gone. It's not just about this particular magazine. The world has lost a lot in the past few years.

As Island Boy would say, "I'm sad".

Scientific Method at Work

2009-10-19T15:02:00.001-07:00

A friend picked Island Boy's Daddy up for a meeting yesterday.

"Windshield wipers!", Island Boy observed as he checked out said friend's car.
"Mommy's car has the same! And Daddy's car has the same!"

He didn't stop there...he noticed the rear wiper on Mommy's car and said,
"One more windshield wiper!"

Noticing that Daddy's car had no such rear wiper, he formed the hypothesis that some cars have windshield wipers on the back and some do not. He then walked around to the back of Daddy's friend's car to check his hypothesis.

Check! Hypothesis confirmed. He seemed satisfied with his work.

Don't you love to watch little minds at work?

Uh Oh, Truck!

2009-10-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

Driving down the freeway yesterday Island Boy was worried.

"Uh oh!", said he.

Mommy and Daddy continued chatting in the front seat.

"Uh oh!", from the back. Louder this time.

"What's wrong?", I asked.

"Uh oh, truck!"

"What's wrong with the truck?"

"Uh oh-oh! Somebody took off the back!"

Anyone care to guess what was bothering our son?

You guessed it! He saw a semi cab with no trailer on it. (I hope I am using the correct terminology for those things - I'm not exactly much of a "truck person", although I am better versed in truck lingo these days than I've ever been in my life.)

This little boy makes us laugh every single day. I love the way he looks at the world.

The Apple Juice Store

2009-09-23T21:32:00.001-07:00

One of Island Boy's favorite neighborhood adventures is a jaunt to the "Apple Juice Store". No, not the Apple Store, but rather the Apple Juice Store. Never heard of it? Sure you have and I'll bet you have one close to you, no matter where you are.

The Apple Juice Store that Island Boy is referring to is Starbucks and surely you've heard of them, yes?

In Island Boy's world, Starbucks translates to the Apple Juice Store since apple juice is the treat he gets on the rare occasion that he visits one. It's so much fun to see the world through the eyes (and taste buds) of a toddler!

Chinese Horror Story

2009-09-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this story yet, prepare yourself to be horrified. I can barely imagine how the people that did this can sleep at night. I cannot imagine how the people to whom this was done can sleep at night and I cannot imagine wondering if my family could be one of the families that might have been part of this despicable behavior.

Here's the story. Read it. I typically like to look on the bright side of any dark situation, but the only good I can find in this is that articles like this one will help to ensure that these crimes will stop if they haven't already.

More Tuba, Please!

2009-09-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

We were sitting around yesterday which is an unusual thing around here on its own when Island Boy said, "I want tuba, please!".

Excuse me? Could he be thinking of Tuba Dad? It's been a while since we've seen them and I'm pretty sure he didn't actually see Tuba Dad in action. Hmm...

"Tuba, please!"

We don't have a tuba, son.

"Tuba. On the TV. Please!"

Puzzled look from me.

"Tuba, Bam!"

"Oh!! You want to see the tuba that was on TV last week, right?"

"Yes! Tuba! Bam!" (this was followed by squeals of delight)

Ohio State fans will recall that just last weekend, one very enthusiastic tuba player dotted the "i" in Script Ohio with such pride and conviction that he unwittingly knocked out the cameraman covering his closeup. 'Twas quite the sight, and rather impressively, both men continued to do their jobs with barely a hiccup.

Enjoy (in both focused and full-length versions)!

Stride Right

2009-09-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

Island Boy got his first "real" bicycle a couple of weeks ago. Oddly enough, it has no pedals.

Stranger still...it is a relatively new invention as far as I can tell (to be honest, I have no idea of the history of the balance bike so if you do, please tell!).

Apparently, the "balance bike", as these types of bikes are called, is better-suited for learning the skills needed to ride a "real" bike (e.g. one with pedals) than say a tricycle or a bicycle with training wheels. Since the real skill one needs to master bike riding is not pedaling (that part is easy), but rather balance, the balance bike makes perfect sense.

Although this all sounds good intellectually, it remains to be seen how it will play out for us. We'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, Island Boy has made amazing strides (har har!) with his new bike. He went from taking it out for long walks (and by that I mean wearing his helmet and literally walking next to his bike the entire time) to walking while straddling it for a portion of each walk to now sitting on the seat and striding with it for the entire walk, comfortably rolling up and down hills.

He has yet to move into the advanced balancing that the bike is designed to encourage, but we're getting there and Island Boy is having a ball along the way, so we couldn't be happier.

First Day of School

2009-09-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today was Island Boy's second day at school. The first was on Tuesday, when half of his preschool class had their first day of school (the other half had theirs on Wednesday). He sailed through the day with flying colors as all of the children did. It was the nervous parents that, arguably, didn't do as well.

School philosophies differ. In the case of ours, the separation process is handled with kid gloves, so to speak. It began with several "Transition Days" in June when we showed up for what amounted to something like a play date at the school where we simply got familiar with the environment. Then, last Saturday, just a few days before school started, Island Boy received a letter in the mail. It was a card bearing a picture of his teachers and a little note saying that they were looking forward to seeing him in school. How wonderful is that??!

The next step in the process was a home visit by the teachers the day before school started. Island Boy enjoyed that visit thoroughly. He was the perfect host, offering food and plenty of entertainment.

Finally, the parents are invited to attend class (actually, expected to) for the first week or more, depending on the needs of each of the children. Although this is all set up to ostensibly help the children transition more smoothly, I suspect it is at least as important for some of us parents.

Of course many, if not all, of the parents were both thrilled to see their little ones growing up and going to school, yet a bit sad at the thought of them moving on to another phase in their lives. A new authority figure, the teacher (or teachers, in our case), will now get some of the time, some of the smiles, some of the rewards, some of the affection and respect that had previously been just for us.

To gauge the way the parents were adapting one need only have glanced at the differences in the parents from Tuesday to today. On the first day of school, the parents stood, cameras in hand, lined up like paparazzi, eagerly aiming to capture the moments, to hang on to just that little extra bit of connection with their children as they passed the baton over to the teachers to share in the duty of helping their children grow.

Today, those same parents sat, cameras at rest, while the iPhones came out in full force to pass the time. As one parent observed, we looked like an Apple commercial. And our children played happily nearby, clamoring up on the laps of their teachers, dropping by occasionally to check in with us (or to comfort us??), sensing that we were all beginning to relax into our new roles and knowing that things would never be quite the same.

Air Travel Tips with Tiny Ones

2009-09-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

As someone who has traveled much and often and, more specifically, as someone who has flown with a child on my lap - yes, including internationally, I have some very strong opinions about what works and what doesn't work for us when we travel.

When preparing for traveling with small children, our thoughts usually turn to surviving the trip - that is, surviving the trip without going bonkers. This post isn't about that particular aspect of airplane travel with little ones (however, I do have lots to say about that so will post on that in the near future as well). A post on Delicious Baby got me thinking so this particular post is about surviving serious turbulence.

The FAA suggests holding your infant in front of you as you lean forward over her. Here is what Transport Canada advises on the subject and it sounds ok but potentially difficult to execute.

What's interesting to me is that I've never heard of anyone doing what we do while we're on a plane. I don't know if it's because it hasn't occurred to anyone else (I doubt that) or if it's because I just haven't happened to read about anyone doing it, but it makes sense to us and it feels safer than trying to hold a baby in our hands.

I wear my baby in the Baby Bjorn during plane travel. Yes, usually for the entire trip. It just feels SO much safer than anything else (with the possible exception of purchasing another seat and lugging along the infant car seat, but since I will soon no longer have the option of NOT paying for that extra seat, I'll opt not to for now, thanks!). I doubt that any studies have been done to determine whether or not using the Baby Bjorn (or another similar carrier) is safe during plane travel, but it has to be safer than trying to hold my baby in what sounds like a pretty similar position with no assistance while we're both jostled about in turbulence, right?

Parenting Research

2009-09-10T13:39:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting article on how sons and daughters may or may not learn parenting from their own parents.

What Kind of Parent are You?

2009-09-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

I don't ask the question to make you wonder whether you're a good parent or a bad parent (Although every parent makes mistakes, very few of us are truly bad parents.), but rather to get you thinking about what kind of parent you'd like to be. What kinds of things do you want to do for your children? What kinds of things might be too much?

Read this article to get you thinking about some of the ramifications of what you might or might not want to do and see whether it changes your mind. Or not.

Bagging Our First Summit

2009-08-24T22:03:00.001-07:00

It is difficult to stand perched atop a mountaintop and not appreciate the beauty that surrounds you.

Unless you are two. If you happen to be two or so, you might instead enjoy the challenge of bagging the "summit" upon the summit - i.e. clamoring up the pile of rocks located near the Ranger's feet. Technically, I guess he had found the highest spot on the mountain, although I'm not sure if temporary structures count. Still, you have to give him credit for going for it.

We bagged our first summit as a family of four last weekend. While riding the gondola to the top was a far cry from the way we conquered summits in the past, it was rewarding nonetheless.

More on BPA

2009-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Read a great summary of the issues and findings with regard to BPA from one of my most trusted sources by clicking here.

SIGG Alert

2009-08-21T14:01:00.001-07:00

If you happen to use the practical and fashionable water bottles by SIGG, you will want to read their statement about BPA content by clicking here. If you have a SIGG bottle manufactured prior to August 2008, you can send an email request to the company for a replacement liner. If you're not sure when your bottle was manufactured, look at the photos here to figure it out.

The bottles really are pretty great to use, so I'm glad they've worked it out (they do claim that even the older bottles were completely safe, but I'm one to be ultra conservative with this sort of thing, so I don't plan to test the theory on my own family).

It does make you wonder what kind of gunk is in pretty much everything we use. For our part, we're trying to eradicate as much plastic as possible from our lives - especially any plastic that touches our food. That isn't easy to do, particularly when it comes to food storage. We also try not to let aluminum foil come into contact with our food. These things aren't easy, but we're doing our best.

And the Holidays Keep on Coming!

2009-08-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought it might be difficult to beat National Donut Day, here it is...(drumroll, please!)...

National S'Mores Day!

Yes, indeed, today is National S'Mores Day, folks!

In case you're reading this on the wee late side and missed it, I checked the etiquette books and it's perfectly fine to celebrate this one a day (or a week or a couple of months) late or even a day (or a week or a couple of months) early, so feel free to grab a couple of graham crackers, toast up the perfect marshmallow and slap it between a couple of slabs of Hershey's chocolate.

Mmm!! I do love them so.

Save the Planet!

2009-08-06T09:09:00.001-07:00

According to a growing movement, if you really want to go green you shouldn't reproduce. And there you have it...not only is adopting a child a wonderful thing for so many other reasons - it is also the right thing to do for the environment.

In all seriousness, it's hard to ignore the fact that babies, while they are in their baby state, seem very bad for the environment what with all of the products they require these days - diapers, toys, car seats, strollers, and on and on and on. I guess we all get even worse for the environment as adults with all of our need for transportation and housing and whatnot. Sooooo...

Be environmentally responsible and adopt a child today! You'll be very, very glad you did.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

2009-07-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

We spent the last 2 plus weeks in Ohio, visiting family and reveling in the joys of summer in the Midwest.

The best part of the trip was being surrounded by family every day. Island Boy always had cousins, Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles to play with and even though we had some rain and a bit of cooler than expected weather, we still spent the majority of our time running around outdoors in endless stretches of lush grass and at the beach along the smooth sand at the water's edge.

We visited a UNESCO World Heritage Site candidate, a National Park, the world's largest basket, a small town railroad museum and a big city dinosaur museum, watched a parade and fireworks on the 4th of July, read books, saw bald eagles, wild turkeys, baby bunnies, deer and ground hogs in the wild, ate fresh basil from the garden, fresh mulberries from trees and black raspberries and blueberries from backyard vines, roasted marshmallows, dined on local delicacies, sampled handmade ice creams and frozen custards, shopped local farmer's markets and picnicked on the sweetest sweet corn you can imagine, savored beautiful sunsets, climbed trees, chased lightening bugs and - this part really goes without saying - ran around barefoot and threw rocks in the lake.

Yes, Ohio in the summertime is, in my biased opinion, one of life's great pleasures and one that is made even better when it's shared with your children.

Delay Tactics

2009-07-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

Island Boy is a master of creativity. This evening was no exception.

As we prepared for his bedtime, he pulled a new arrow from his quiver and told us he had an "owie" on his toe.

We took a look and indeed there was a bit of a rough edge on one of his toenails, so Daddy went off to get the nail clippers, came back and clipped the offending nail.

All better?

Not so fast!!

"Now, this one!", said Island Boy.

Daddy took a look at the new area of concern and obediently complied with the request. All set?

Not yet!

"This one!", said Island Boy. Once again, Daddy complied.

"This one!", Island Boy said and this time neither Island Boy nor Daddy could keep a straight face as they both realized how ridiculous the game had become. He may not have gotten to bed quite as early as we'd hoped, but we did all have a good giggle along the way.

Nice Shoes!

2009-06-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

Our son has a pair of the ubiquitous Crocs that everyone loves to hate - they are so ugly they're cute. Podiatrists love them or hate them, depending on their point of view (love that they bring in more patients with foot and ankle injuries caused by wearing them, hate that they cause foot and ankle injuries).

While we discourage them for activities that involve lots of walking and forbid them (or at least try to) for anything involving running, we do love them for anytime that Island Boy needs to get in and out of his shoes quickly. Island Boy, like every child, loves Crocs because he can get in and out of them quickly on his own.

We popped in to a restaurant this evening for dinner and when we came out Island Boy spotted another toddler. Before we even noticed what he was commenting on, with all of the admiration and irony appropriate to the situation, Island Boy placed his foot next to the toddler's Croc adorned foot and said,

"Nice shoes!!"

Island Boy's Daddy and I looked at each other. Those Crocs weren't even the same color as Island Boy's Crocs!

We were amazed that Island Boy grasped the irony of the situation and came up with the subtle humor that applied. We have no idea how he could possibly have learned such a thing but it was pretty darn adorable.

Family Festival

2009-06-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

We attended a Family Festival a few weeks ago and Island Boy was in Heaven. Not only did it have tons of activities perfectly suited for persons of his size and age, it also had enough interesting things for Mommy and Daddy to do that Mommy and Daddy didn't get bored too easily. In that sense, it was brilliantly planned.

Upon arrival Island Boy immediately located the Treasure Hunt. Ok, not quite immediately. We had to work our way past the live music first. Fortunately, the live music took a break and we were able to investigate other activities. It wasn't long before we located the reptile show taking place as we walked by.

Island Boy was fascinated with the lizards and snakes and even with a frog (I don't think he was bothered at all that it technically was not a reptile, nor was the millipede) and was thrilled with the opportunity to touch each of these creatures.

It was sometime not long after that that we actually made our way over to the Treasure Hunt where Island Boy rapidly located treasures too numerous to count (ok, there were seven) beneath the sand. It was adorable to see how excited he got over the plastic slugs and brightly colored ceramic disks that served as "treasure".

Island Boy even enjoyed several crafts where he painted and glued to create some beautiful decorations for our home. The event had so many things going on it's difficult to mention them all, but I will say that the ultimate was drumming right along with the musicians on stage. Yes, the live music was meant to be a collaborative masterpiece and drums and other percussion instruments were placed in front of the stage for attendees to play along with the band. Those were some VERY happy children playing along and Island Boy was in his element.

As usual with events as fun as this one, the only complaint we had was that it was very, very difficult to leave and unlike other things we do together as a family, this is not something that comes along all the time, so we won't be able to do it again next week. With any luck though, we may be able to do it again next year.