New record is coming soon!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
D is for Darkness, The
Holy rock and roll! Mike and I had a "date weekend" at the beginning of the month and went to see a band that has recently reunited. I had no idea what to expect (Mike did because he had been watching footage on the internet) and was worried that they were going to be bloated and old and tired. Isn't that what usually happens when someone has to go to rehab? Anyway...I was completely wrong and the show was totally rockin' and Justin looked pretty fab even with his new Salvador Dali facial hair.
New record is coming soon!
New record is coming soon!
C is for Cousins
Aunt Kelly, Tyler and Hailey came for a visit during their school vacation this week. Keni was very excited to see them and play with them. He has been talking about them pretty much non-stop since they left and likes to look at some very silly photos of them that we took during the holidays. It's really cute. I had to work, but they took a ride into Boston and enjoyed the beautiful weather that we have been having. It's been a wacky winter and the thermometer almost hit 60 degrees on Wed!
Monday, February 20, 2012
B is for Bed
We have been very fortunate in the sleep department thus far. By no means has it been easy (he wakes up in the middle of the night when we are traveling or he is sick), but I really couldn't complain...until recently.
He suddenly decided that he would much prefer to sleep with one of us (either on the couch or in our bed) and, while I cannot blame him for wanting to snuggle, I am trying to keep him where he is and not make any major changes. I am absolutely ok with others letting their children share their bed (no judgment here!), but I am good with our sleep routine and would prefer to stick with it. A couple of weeks ago, he was teething (big molars, ouch) and was waking up at around 3am. He would call out for "Daddy" and "Mama" and we would do our best to console and comfort him without taking him out of the crib. This really pissed him off. He wanted out of that crib and on the couch, under the blanket with Daddy. He threw the most massive fit I have seen to date. Where do they get the energy at 3am to throw such a dramatic tantrum?
I'm afraid to say that we caved more than once. It's so difficult to think clearly when it's 3am and all you want to do is SLEEP. So...I decided to take a different approach and address the issue while the sun was still up. The following day, we had a talk about his super special bed that his friend, Luke, gave to him. We talked about all of his awesome friends who also sleep in the bed.
Let me introduce you to the gang.
"Kenenisa Bear"
"Botto" and "Baby"
"Pillow"
"Eddie" and "Ling Ling"
I have no idea if this talk actually worked or if the teething pain went away, but I won't argue with the results. I guess we're back on track (for now)!
He suddenly decided that he would much prefer to sleep with one of us (either on the couch or in our bed) and, while I cannot blame him for wanting to snuggle, I am trying to keep him where he is and not make any major changes. I am absolutely ok with others letting their children share their bed (no judgment here!), but I am good with our sleep routine and would prefer to stick with it. A couple of weeks ago, he was teething (big molars, ouch) and was waking up at around 3am. He would call out for "Daddy" and "Mama" and we would do our best to console and comfort him without taking him out of the crib. This really pissed him off. He wanted out of that crib and on the couch, under the blanket with Daddy. He threw the most massive fit I have seen to date. Where do they get the energy at 3am to throw such a dramatic tantrum?
I'm afraid to say that we caved more than once. It's so difficult to think clearly when it's 3am and all you want to do is SLEEP. So...I decided to take a different approach and address the issue while the sun was still up. The following day, we had a talk about his super special bed that his friend, Luke, gave to him. We talked about all of his awesome friends who also sleep in the bed.
Let me introduce you to the gang.
I have no idea if this talk actually worked or if the teething pain went away, but I won't argue with the results. I guess we're back on track (for now)!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A is for Adapting
Change happens whether we want it to or not. In my professional life, I moved into a new position in the fall and I have been challenged by the role and responsibilities. In my personal world, I recently discovered that I have a food sensitivity, so I have made some necessary modifications and now I am trying to get used to my restricted diet. This new way of eating has been quite an adjustment and I still have a lot to learn, but I am pretty optimistic about the future and some new culinary experiments.
I am not alone. A lot of people I know are going through major changes right now: some are changing jobs, others are living in new places, some have new family members, others are receiving new medical treatments, and some also decided to change their diets.
My little dude is changing daily. Although it's amazing to hear new words each time I return from work, it also makes me really sad to realize how quickly the time passes. We are in the process of setting up a college savings account. College? Ahh! Can someone please stop the clock?
I am not alone. A lot of people I know are going through major changes right now: some are changing jobs, others are living in new places, some have new family members, others are receiving new medical treatments, and some also decided to change their diets.
My little dude is changing daily. Although it's amazing to hear new words each time I return from work, it also makes me really sad to realize how quickly the time passes. We are in the process of setting up a college savings account. College? Ahh! Can someone please stop the clock?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Humble in Victory; Gracious in Defeat
With a disappointing loss in the rear view mirror, I have been thinking a lot about sports, winning, losing, and how to keep it all in perspective for my son.
Sports have always played a role in my life. Not only was I born into a family of Boston sports fans, but I have participated in competitive sports and activities since I was 6 years old. After my first figure skating competition (where I came in last place), I locked myself in the bathroom, cried for an hour and promised to never take the ice again. It was a tough pill to swallow at a young age. A couple of years later, I was back on the rink's center stage and won a silver medal. I continued to compete for many years and I value many of the lessons I took away from those experiences – the main one being that it’s ok to lose. The sun will still rise the next day and the people who love you will still be by your side!
Now that I have a child of my own, I plan to encourage him to take risks and try out all sorts of things – baseball, piano, cooking, tap dancing, swimming...whatever his little heart desires. The problem is, the more risks you take, the more chances you have to lose or fail.
In my twenties, I taught adults and children to learn to skate. The first thing we did was practice falling. It is inevitable that you will fall when you are skating, and boy does it hurt if you attempt to fight gravity. To get over that psychological hump and to hopefully avoid major injury, it’s really important to accept and embrace the reality of falling down. It was pretty amazing to see the different reactions I got from children and adults. The little ones thought it was a blast and became really good at it. The adults were absolutely petrified to hurl themselves downward even though they were in total control of the fall.
I guess you can never start the dialogue about winning and losing too soon. Since our culture places such a high value on winning and since I like to follow a few teams, I guess we should start now. After all, he has already been to Fort Myers for spring training and has already experienced both hockey and football playoff action.
More than anything, I want my son to think about how his actions affect himself and other people. In success or defeat, I just want him to be kind to others and to positively acknowledge the effort and skill that went into the game or competition. If his favorite team loses in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I hope to hear him congratulate a fan of the team who won the title. If that happens, then I will definitely feel victorious.
Sports have always played a role in my life. Not only was I born into a family of Boston sports fans, but I have participated in competitive sports and activities since I was 6 years old. After my first figure skating competition (where I came in last place), I locked myself in the bathroom, cried for an hour and promised to never take the ice again. It was a tough pill to swallow at a young age. A couple of years later, I was back on the rink's center stage and won a silver medal. I continued to compete for many years and I value many of the lessons I took away from those experiences – the main one being that it’s ok to lose. The sun will still rise the next day and the people who love you will still be by your side!
Now that I have a child of my own, I plan to encourage him to take risks and try out all sorts of things – baseball, piano, cooking, tap dancing, swimming...whatever his little heart desires. The problem is, the more risks you take, the more chances you have to lose or fail.
In my twenties, I taught adults and children to learn to skate. The first thing we did was practice falling. It is inevitable that you will fall when you are skating, and boy does it hurt if you attempt to fight gravity. To get over that psychological hump and to hopefully avoid major injury, it’s really important to accept and embrace the reality of falling down. It was pretty amazing to see the different reactions I got from children and adults. The little ones thought it was a blast and became really good at it. The adults were absolutely petrified to hurl themselves downward even though they were in total control of the fall.
I guess you can never start the dialogue about winning and losing too soon. Since our culture places such a high value on winning and since I like to follow a few teams, I guess we should start now. After all, he has already been to Fort Myers for spring training and has already experienced both hockey and football playoff action.
More than anything, I want my son to think about how his actions affect himself and other people. In success or defeat, I just want him to be kind to others and to positively acknowledge the effort and skill that went into the game or competition. If his favorite team loses in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I hope to hear him congratulate a fan of the team who won the title. If that happens, then I will definitely feel victorious.
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