I know it seems that way, but not all of my blogs will be related to the bathroom. I do notice that it does end up being a funny place when a toddler is around. I'll make this one brief.
So, I its labor day and we are about to eat lunch soon. I figure it is a good opportunity to go to the bathroom quickly and wash my hands before we eat. I head into the guest bathroom, which is also T's bathroom. I start to do my business when in runs T. He sees me going, and decided he wanted to go to. He looks at me and states,"I can beat your pee! Keep going daddy!" I have never seen him get his shorts and underwear down so quickly. He drops his drawers and starts to go. Then he finished going. Apparently he was right, 'he beat my pee', since I was still going. Only three and already beat me at something.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Ready, Set, GO!
I know it seems that way, but not all of my blogs will be related to the bathroom. I do notice that it does end up being a funny place when a toddler is around. I'll make this one brief.
So, I its labor day and we are about to eat lunch soon. I figure it is a good opportunity to go to the bathroom quickly and wash my hands before we eat. I head into the guest bathroom, which is also T's bathroom. I start to do my business when in runs T. He sees me going, and decided he wanted to go to. He looks at me and states,"I can beat your pee! Keep going daddy!" I have never seen him get his shorts and underwear down so quickly. He drops his drawers and starts to go. Then he finished going. Apparently he was right, 'he beat my pee', since I was still going. Only three and already beat me at something.
So, I its labor day and we are about to eat lunch soon. I figure it is a good opportunity to go to the bathroom quickly and wash my hands before we eat. I head into the guest bathroom, which is also T's bathroom. I start to do my business when in runs T. He sees me going, and decided he wanted to go to. He looks at me and states,"I can beat your pee! Keep going daddy!" I have never seen him get his shorts and underwear down so quickly. He drops his drawers and starts to go. Then he finished going. Apparently he was right, 'he beat my pee', since I was still going. Only three and already beat me at something.
I want to see it!
Last night our little family went to spend the evening with my parents and my sisters. Dinner at my parents always involves great food, over-stuffed bellys, typically a lot of laughter, and some picture taking. This labor day week end dinner was no different.
My sister J had her camera out and began to take some pictures of L and baby Q. Q was sitting in L's lap with a beautiful new dress on. Who could pass up a picture like that? Later, I grabbed Q and held her for a while. J took our picture also. The next picture was with T. He was playing with his toys on the floor and J thought he looked cute playing, so she took his picture. He loves to have his picture taken. He also loves to see the picture on the digital display when the picture is taken. Sometimes he wants to see it before you take it, which can mess up the picture you were going for. Knowing this, it was no surprise that after J's camera flashed T immediately ran over to her yelling," I want to see it! I want to see it!" J laughed. She knew what he wanted to see, but it was funny since she had an older 35mm camera. I laughed as she tried to explain to a three year old why there was nothing to see on her camera, and the whole idea of film, and waiting for it to be developed. T was not laughing. He was still yelling,"Let me see it!" His arms reaching up for the camera, his legs jumping up and down trying to get high enough. It was as if he could just get a look at it there would be a picture of him on the back, and J was just keeping it from him. All he has ever seen has been digital cameras. He has never known a time when cameras had film.
That got me thinking about all the things that I had in my life that he won't have in his. Things like VCRs, or phones with dials instead of buttons, or for that matter phones with a cord to the handset are almost completely gone. I can't forget walking around dragging a 25 foot cord, trying not to get tangled up in it. Remember the early cell phones? It is funny to see an eighties television show and see someone pull out a brick looking cell phone.
Record players are all but forgotten. The only place to see these are on older television shows and movies also, along with the albums and 45's we used to play on them. I mentioned computers in a different post. People didn't have computers in their houses when I was young, It was somewhere in the early 80's I think that they started to become actually usable in a home. I remember computers that had no had drive, but instead loaded the data from a cassette player. Not only that, but the programs I used I had to write myself in Apple BASIC. That I will have to say is the equivalent of walking 10 miles to school in the snow storm, up hill both ways, which seemed to be the line of my parents and grandparents generations. The cassette tape seems to be just about gone also. What other things can you think of that seem to have faded out over the past generation? Feel free to add it to the comments.
My sister J had her camera out and began to take some pictures of L and baby Q. Q was sitting in L's lap with a beautiful new dress on. Who could pass up a picture like that? Later, I grabbed Q and held her for a while. J took our picture also. The next picture was with T. He was playing with his toys on the floor and J thought he looked cute playing, so she took his picture. He loves to have his picture taken. He also loves to see the picture on the digital display when the picture is taken. Sometimes he wants to see it before you take it, which can mess up the picture you were going for. Knowing this, it was no surprise that after J's camera flashed T immediately ran over to her yelling," I want to see it! I want to see it!" J laughed. She knew what he wanted to see, but it was funny since she had an older 35mm camera. I laughed as she tried to explain to a three year old why there was nothing to see on her camera, and the whole idea of film, and waiting for it to be developed. T was not laughing. He was still yelling,"Let me see it!" His arms reaching up for the camera, his legs jumping up and down trying to get high enough. It was as if he could just get a look at it there would be a picture of him on the back, and J was just keeping it from him. All he has ever seen has been digital cameras. He has never known a time when cameras had film.
That got me thinking about all the things that I had in my life that he won't have in his. Things like VCRs, or phones with dials instead of buttons, or for that matter phones with a cord to the handset are almost completely gone. I can't forget walking around dragging a 25 foot cord, trying not to get tangled up in it. Remember the early cell phones? It is funny to see an eighties television show and see someone pull out a brick looking cell phone.
Record players are all but forgotten. The only place to see these are on older television shows and movies also, along with the albums and 45's we used to play on them. I mentioned computers in a different post. People didn't have computers in their houses when I was young, It was somewhere in the early 80's I think that they started to become actually usable in a home. I remember computers that had no had drive, but instead loaded the data from a cassette player. Not only that, but the programs I used I had to write myself in Apple BASIC. That I will have to say is the equivalent of walking 10 miles to school in the snow storm, up hill both ways, which seemed to be the line of my parents and grandparents generations. The cassette tape seems to be just about gone also. What other things can you think of that seem to have faded out over the past generation? Feel free to add it to the comments.
I want to see it!
Last night our little family went to spend the evening with my parents and my sisters. Dinner at my parents always involves great food, over-stuffed bellys, typically a lot of laughter, and some picture taking. This labor day week end dinner was no different.
My sister J had her camera out and began to take some pictures of L and baby Q. Q was sitting in L's lap with a beautiful new dress on. Who could pass up a picture like that? Later, I grabbed Q and held her for a while. J took our picture also. The next picture was with T. He was playing with his toys on the floor and J thought he looked cute playing, so she took his picture. He loves to have his picture taken. He also loves to see the picture on the digital display when the picture is taken. Sometimes he wants to see it before you take it, which can mess up the picture you were going for. Knowing this, it was no surprise that after J's camera flashed T immediately ran over to her yelling," I want to see it! I want to see it!" J laughed. She knew what he wanted to see, but it was funny since she had an older 35mm camera. I laughed as she tried to explain to a three year old why there was nothing to see on her camera, and the whole idea of film, and waiting for it to be developed. T was not laughing. He was still yelling,"Let me see it!" His arms reaching up for the camera, his legs jumping up and down trying to get high enough. It was as if he could just get a look at it there would be a picture of him on the back, and J was just keeping it from him. All he has ever seen has been digital cameras. He has never known a time when cameras had film.
That got me thinking about all the things that I had in my life that he won't have in his. Things like VCRs, or phones with dials instead of buttons, or for that matter phones with a cord to the handset are almost completely gone. I can't forget walking around dragging a 25 foot cord, trying not to get tangled up in it. Remember the early cell phones? It is funny to see an eighties television show and see someone pull out a brick looking cell phone.
Record players are all but forgotten. The only place to see these are on older television shows and movies also, along with the albums and 45's we used to play on them. I mentioned computers in a different post. People didn't have computers in their houses when I was young, It was somewhere in the early 80's I think that they started to become actually usable in a home. I remember computers that had no had drive, but instead loaded the data from a cassette player. Not only that, but the programs I used I had to write myself in Apple BASIC. That I will have to say is the equivalent of walking 10 miles to school in the snow storm, up hill both ways, which seemed to be the line of my parents and grandparents generations. The cassette tape seems to be just about gone also. What other things can you think of that seem to have faded out over the past generation? Feel free to add it to the comments.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Getting Dressed for School
I am not sure where I needed to go, but it was probably just another day where I was late getting T to school. Late is not good when it comes to T. There is no special reasoning with him in that situation. I can't simply say,"T we are late we need to hurry up." That approach had been tried and found to be lacking. It leads to less cooperation, not more. Because of this, when some simple solution presents itself it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
I was trying to change T out of his pajamas and into his clothes for school. He was being particularly difficult. He would not put his clothes on himself. I was having no luck in attempting to convince him verbally, so I went ahead and tried to assist him. That lead to the kicking spell that almost was so bad I would have had to name it like a tropical storm. Legs were flying in all directions and getting a foot though a leg hole in the underwear, not working for me. Grab a foot, put the foot in the hole, grab another foot, too late the first one is out of the hole already. It went this way for a few minutes before I gave up and paused. That is when it happened.
He said, "I want to put my underwear on over there." I looked over to where he was pointing and it was at the end of his bed. Hey, if that is going to move this along, I am all for it. "OK, that's a good idea." I said. We both got up and walked over to the area and he stood there with his foot up waiting for me to slide it into the underwear. I put his foot through, and then he raised the other one. Those went on easily, and after that battle I was not going to start over with the pants. "That's a good place to put on underwear", I commented. "Where would you think a good place would be to put on your pants on?"
"Over there!", he said, pointing to the opposite corner of the room. We moved over to the other corner, and put on his pants.
"What about your shirt?", I asked smiling at him. He was no longer upset, and now laughing at the opportunity to pick places to get his clothes on.
"Over by the bear.", he said,pointing to the big over-sized stuffed bear sitting on the floor under his window.
Soon all his clothes were on, he was happy, and we were ready to go to school.
The next day, we were about to go through the battle again, when I remembered this magic solution. I think if you were looking at me you could actually see the little light bulb light up over my head like in cartoons. "T, Where do we put on under wear? Is it over there?," I said that pointing to the bear. T loves the game of me being wrong, so he can tell me the right answer. Plus, I figure it will pay off for me when he is older and I really don't know the answer. I will be able to pretend I am just playing the game. Anyway, T catches on to this right away and says,"Noooo, it is over there." He points to the end of the bed and runs over there. I follow and we start the process of getting dressed, and with the new system of magic clothes changing places he is dressed in record time.
So, I have been using these places frequently, and for some reason I never mentioned it to my wife L. Tonight however, Q was having some trouble falling asleep and L was looking like she needed a break from trying, so I volunteered to rock her for a while if she would give T a bath and put him in bed. So, we swapped duties for the night. She took care of T and got him all settled into bed, and I was lucky enough to get Q to drink her bottle and she actually fell asleep for me. It may have been that my lullabies were so out of key she decided to fake sleep to make me stop singing, but I'll just say she fell asleep. L and I met in the living room to talk about how it went for both of us. I told her Q was sleeping, and she told me T was in bed and looking like he was about to fall into sleep soon. Then she asked me,"Did you know he has to change his shirt over by the bear?"
I laughed out loud and thought I should tell her the story. Now you all know.
I was trying to change T out of his pajamas and into his clothes for school. He was being particularly difficult. He would not put his clothes on himself. I was having no luck in attempting to convince him verbally, so I went ahead and tried to assist him. That lead to the kicking spell that almost was so bad I would have had to name it like a tropical storm. Legs were flying in all directions and getting a foot though a leg hole in the underwear, not working for me. Grab a foot, put the foot in the hole, grab another foot, too late the first one is out of the hole already. It went this way for a few minutes before I gave up and paused. That is when it happened.
He said, "I want to put my underwear on over there." I looked over to where he was pointing and it was at the end of his bed. Hey, if that is going to move this along, I am all for it. "OK, that's a good idea." I said. We both got up and walked over to the area and he stood there with his foot up waiting for me to slide it into the underwear. I put his foot through, and then he raised the other one. Those went on easily, and after that battle I was not going to start over with the pants. "That's a good place to put on underwear", I commented. "Where would you think a good place would be to put on your pants on?"
"Over there!", he said, pointing to the opposite corner of the room. We moved over to the other corner, and put on his pants.
"What about your shirt?", I asked smiling at him. He was no longer upset, and now laughing at the opportunity to pick places to get his clothes on.
"Over by the bear.", he said,pointing to the big over-sized stuffed bear sitting on the floor under his window.
Soon all his clothes were on, he was happy, and we were ready to go to school.
The next day, we were about to go through the battle again, when I remembered this magic solution. I think if you were looking at me you could actually see the little light bulb light up over my head like in cartoons. "T, Where do we put on under wear? Is it over there?," I said that pointing to the bear. T loves the game of me being wrong, so he can tell me the right answer. Plus, I figure it will pay off for me when he is older and I really don't know the answer. I will be able to pretend I am just playing the game. Anyway, T catches on to this right away and says,"Noooo, it is over there." He points to the end of the bed and runs over there. I follow and we start the process of getting dressed, and with the new system of magic clothes changing places he is dressed in record time.
So, I have been using these places frequently, and for some reason I never mentioned it to my wife L. Tonight however, Q was having some trouble falling asleep and L was looking like she needed a break from trying, so I volunteered to rock her for a while if she would give T a bath and put him in bed. So, we swapped duties for the night. She took care of T and got him all settled into bed, and I was lucky enough to get Q to drink her bottle and she actually fell asleep for me. It may have been that my lullabies were so out of key she decided to fake sleep to make me stop singing, but I'll just say she fell asleep. L and I met in the living room to talk about how it went for both of us. I told her Q was sleeping, and she told me T was in bed and looking like he was about to fall into sleep soon. Then she asked me,"Did you know he has to change his shirt over by the bear?"
I laughed out loud and thought I should tell her the story. Now you all know.
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