This morning I heard Merrick actually recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Crazy, I had no idea he even knew this - this school of his never ceases to amaze me. Even if he does get the words a little jumbled at the end; even if he does mix up his right hand with his left hand; even if he does put his hand on his tummy instead if his heart; he probably knows it better than some adults!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Swimming Lessons
A couple weeks ago we enrolled Merrick into swimming lessons. This is the first time he's ever had formal swimming lessons, and Craig and I have to sit on the sidelines while he is with the instructor. The instructor is fabulous - very calm, engaging with the kids and patient.
The class is every Tuesday and Thursday evening, and there are a total of 4 kids in his class. The teacher has a platform that she puts right in the middle of this 3 1/2 foot deep pool area, and they basically stand on the platform and hang onto a bar while the teacher takes turns with each one of them.
Can I just say that during the ENTIRE half hour session I am staring at him like a hawk with my heart pounding at about 200 beats per minute, ready to pounce into the water in 2.5 seconds flat? It drives me absolutely insane to see him standing on a platform in the middle of this pool, waiting for him to fall off the minute he lets go of the bar. If anyone wants to torture me, this is the way to do it. I am at maximum anxiety level the entire time, which I hate so much, because Merrick absolutely loves every minute of the lesson. I know it's not logical. There are instructors, lifeguards, me, Craig...there's no way this kid is going to drown. But my body just does not want to accept this logic.
Now, I will say in my defense that Merrick has in fact let go of the bar lots of times, and has already fallen off the platform twice and the teacher has had to fish him out. But really, he was probably bobbing in the water for no more than 3-5 seconds before she had him. Of course both times I'm yelling the instructor's name (despite the fact that she's all over it) and have one foot in the pool already. Poor instructor, she must think I'm nutso.
Sigh...I really, really hope for my own sake that I can let loose a little during these sessions, and soon. But Merrick is having so much fun with swimming, we wouldn't dream of discontinuing. A few pictures of him and his fellow hooligans below:
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Hallelujah!!
It's happened!! It's happened!! The day I've been anticipating for a year now has finally arrived - my 3 year and 3 month old son is officially potty trained!! (Insert angelic choir, trumpets, harp and parting skies to the heavens here).
I swear (well, not in front of Merrick) that we have tried everything under the sun to get this kid potty trained. We tried bribing him with chocolate and candies. We tried bribing him with toys. We tried all sorts of underwear from Elmo to airplanes to cars. Each would last for a couple days off and on and then it was back to the Pull Ups.
We even tried, as a last resort, saying to him after he turned 3 - "okay honey, you are such a big boy now so we are going to go through the house and get rid of all the Pull Ups!"....this was over a weekend and while there were many accidents (to be expected) and MUCH fussing, we stuck to our guns. But then once he got to school I got a call from the teacher in the late afternoon about how Merrick had a big sobbing meltdown at school about it, so she finally put him back into Pull Ups. "It's just not like Merrick to get so upset, so I didn't feel right making him wear underwear". Hmm....guess she hasn't been privy to our cryfests and meltdowns here at home. But it also made me feel bad - I didn't want Merrick so upset over this.
After Craig and I talked, we didn't feel right forcing him into doing this either if he wasn't ready. Merrick really does like to have control and there are plenty of other battles I have to fight in this area. I just didn't think this was worth making it a battle - I wanted it to be HIS accomplishment.
So we took our final and last approach...we pretended we didn't care. Every morning we would casually say, as he was getting dressed, "do you want to wear underwear or Pull Ups?" And every morning, the answer was "Pull Ups". He would occassionally use the potty at home, but NEVER at school. After over 3 months of this, I was really starting to think we were going to be sending him off to college with a year's supply of Pull Ups. But we stuck to it, we were NOT going to push this issue; we needed him to do it on his own.
All of the sudden, last Friday when I picked him up from school, a teacher that is not his regular casually mentioned that he used the potty. He had NEVER, EVER, EVER done that at his school. I was so surprised!! So I told him how proud I was, etc, and he said "Mommy, I'm done with Pull Ups".
I hesitated celebrating too early because I thought maybe he'd go back to Pull Ups the next day. But he meant it - he hasn't gone back to Pull Ups. So here we are, 1 week later, and he is officially potty trained!!!!
I swear (well, not in front of Merrick) that we have tried everything under the sun to get this kid potty trained. We tried bribing him with chocolate and candies. We tried bribing him with toys. We tried all sorts of underwear from Elmo to airplanes to cars. Each would last for a couple days off and on and then it was back to the Pull Ups.
We even tried, as a last resort, saying to him after he turned 3 - "okay honey, you are such a big boy now so we are going to go through the house and get rid of all the Pull Ups!"....this was over a weekend and while there were many accidents (to be expected) and MUCH fussing, we stuck to our guns. But then once he got to school I got a call from the teacher in the late afternoon about how Merrick had a big sobbing meltdown at school about it, so she finally put him back into Pull Ups. "It's just not like Merrick to get so upset, so I didn't feel right making him wear underwear". Hmm....guess she hasn't been privy to our cryfests and meltdowns here at home. But it also made me feel bad - I didn't want Merrick so upset over this.
After Craig and I talked, we didn't feel right forcing him into doing this either if he wasn't ready. Merrick really does like to have control and there are plenty of other battles I have to fight in this area. I just didn't think this was worth making it a battle - I wanted it to be HIS accomplishment.
So we took our final and last approach...we pretended we didn't care. Every morning we would casually say, as he was getting dressed, "do you want to wear underwear or Pull Ups?" And every morning, the answer was "Pull Ups". He would occassionally use the potty at home, but NEVER at school. After over 3 months of this, I was really starting to think we were going to be sending him off to college with a year's supply of Pull Ups. But we stuck to it, we were NOT going to push this issue; we needed him to do it on his own.
All of the sudden, last Friday when I picked him up from school, a teacher that is not his regular casually mentioned that he used the potty. He had NEVER, EVER, EVER done that at his school. I was so surprised!! So I told him how proud I was, etc, and he said "Mommy, I'm done with Pull Ups".
I hesitated celebrating too early because I thought maybe he'd go back to Pull Ups the next day. But he meant it - he hasn't gone back to Pull Ups. So here we are, 1 week later, and he is officially potty trained!!!!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
What Have We Been Up To?
This weekend we've been laying a little low, just trying to catch up on things around the house, etc. Merrick and I played around the house yesterday and went to a birthday party in the afternoon.
Later yesterday evening, Craig and I went on a date night for the first time in about 8 months to a restaurant called '231 Ellsworth' in San Mateo. We chose to do the 5 course prix-fixe menu with the wine pairing and both of us found it to be really delicious! Being a vegetarian, it's really challenging to find a chef who is able and willing to create vegetarian dishes with bold and creative flavors - he did a fantastic job. the sommelier also did a great wine pairing with our courses. I think our only complaint is that the ambiance was a bit stuffy and out-of-date. But it was really fantastic to get out and spend quality time together. And Ms. Carmen (she used to teach at Merrick's school) really loves Merrick (he loves her as well), so Merrick had a blast. Craig and I decided we'll try to do this about once a month.
Last weekend, we had a lot of fun exploring new places.
On Saturday, I took Merrick to a free museum and playground in Palo Alto. It was perfect for a laid back Saturday. We first explored the playground and had a picnic. Then we went into the museum -- the theme is centered around energy conservation and renewable energy sources. Merrick got a chance to explore how to create energy using the sun and wind. Doesn't get much more California than that now does it? :)
Then on Sunday Craig and I took him to Yerba Buena Gardens right in the heart of San Francisco. It was really a great place -- lots of beautiful garden areas, then a small children's museum with a playground and a carousel. We finished off the evening with dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, and I was so proud of Merrick for trying new things and happily enjoying the lemongrass chicken dish we ordered for him. Pictures below:
Later yesterday evening, Craig and I went on a date night for the first time in about 8 months to a restaurant called '231 Ellsworth' in San Mateo. We chose to do the 5 course prix-fixe menu with the wine pairing and both of us found it to be really delicious! Being a vegetarian, it's really challenging to find a chef who is able and willing to create vegetarian dishes with bold and creative flavors - he did a fantastic job. the sommelier also did a great wine pairing with our courses. I think our only complaint is that the ambiance was a bit stuffy and out-of-date. But it was really fantastic to get out and spend quality time together. And Ms. Carmen (she used to teach at Merrick's school) really loves Merrick (he loves her as well), so Merrick had a blast. Craig and I decided we'll try to do this about once a month.
Last weekend, we had a lot of fun exploring new places.
On Saturday, I took Merrick to a free museum and playground in Palo Alto. It was perfect for a laid back Saturday. We first explored the playground and had a picnic. Then we went into the museum -- the theme is centered around energy conservation and renewable energy sources. Merrick got a chance to explore how to create energy using the sun and wind. Doesn't get much more California than that now does it? :)
Then on Sunday Craig and I took him to Yerba Buena Gardens right in the heart of San Francisco. It was really a great place -- lots of beautiful garden areas, then a small children's museum with a playground and a carousel. We finished off the evening with dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, and I was so proud of Merrick for trying new things and happily enjoying the lemongrass chicken dish we ordered for him. Pictures below:
20 Questions with Merrick
I actually did a 20 questions round with Merrick shortly after his 3rd birthday, but then I lost my notes in a messy pile on my desk and just found them as I was doing a little cleaning! So here you go - Merrick unedited, uncensored, unleashed:
1) What is your favorite color? "Red"
2) What is your favorite dessert? "Sprinkle cookies" (You know those big sugar cookies with about a half inch thick frosting and a few sprinkles on the top that you can get at the grocery store? Probably the worst thing you can eat in the world? Ya, those are the ones...I'd be lying if I said they weren't a vice of mine as well.)
3) Favorite instrument? "The guitar"
4) Favorite dinner? "Chicken nuggeys and ketchup, and Chipotle!"
5) Favorite thing to do with Mommy and Daddy? "Go to Gilroy Gardens with the splash park and the spinny cups."
6) Favorite thing to do at school? "The vacuum (surprise surprise), broom, puppets and costumes. I like to dress up as a biting pirate."
7) Who is your best friend at school? "Robby"
8) Why is Robby your best friend? "Because he said he is."
9) What are your favorite fruits? "Nectarine, pluots, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries."
10) What is your favorite vegetable? "Corn"
11) What's your favorite thing to drink? "Chocolate milk"
12) What's your favorite animal? "Kitty cat"
13) What's your favorite movie? "Monsters, Inc."
14) What's your favorite book? "Marley & the Kittens"
15) What's your favorite song? "Lighthouse and This Side" (Nickel Creek), "Green Eyes" (Coldplay), "Just Dance" (Lady Gaga), "The Rainbow Song" (I had to stop here because he probably would have gone on for another hour. In fact, if I asked him this question every day I think I would get a different answer...he loves songs, and lots of them.)
16) What do you want to do when you grow up? "Go on the banana ride" (this is a ride in Gilroy Gardens he wants to ride, but you have to be 48"...he has about 12" to go)
17) Okay let me clarify - what do you want to do for work when you grow up? "Be a Dr. Mas, or maybe an eye" (Dr. Mas was his pediatrician in St. Augustine and was the BEST. As for being an eye? I have no clue!)
18) What do you like most about Mommy and Daddy? "Loving you"
19) What's your favorite thing to do outside? "Rock climbing"
20) What's your favorite thing to do inside? "Read"
1) What is your favorite color? "Red"
2) What is your favorite dessert? "Sprinkle cookies" (You know those big sugar cookies with about a half inch thick frosting and a few sprinkles on the top that you can get at the grocery store? Probably the worst thing you can eat in the world? Ya, those are the ones...I'd be lying if I said they weren't a vice of mine as well.)
3) Favorite instrument? "The guitar"
4) Favorite dinner? "Chicken nuggeys and ketchup, and Chipotle!"
5) Favorite thing to do with Mommy and Daddy? "Go to Gilroy Gardens with the splash park and the spinny cups."
6) Favorite thing to do at school? "The vacuum (surprise surprise), broom, puppets and costumes. I like to dress up as a biting pirate."
7) Who is your best friend at school? "Robby"
8) Why is Robby your best friend? "Because he said he is."
9) What are your favorite fruits? "Nectarine, pluots, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries."
10) What is your favorite vegetable? "Corn"
11) What's your favorite thing to drink? "Chocolate milk"
12) What's your favorite animal? "Kitty cat"
13) What's your favorite movie? "Monsters, Inc."
14) What's your favorite book? "Marley & the Kittens"
15) What's your favorite song? "Lighthouse and This Side" (Nickel Creek), "Green Eyes" (Coldplay), "Just Dance" (Lady Gaga), "The Rainbow Song" (I had to stop here because he probably would have gone on for another hour. In fact, if I asked him this question every day I think I would get a different answer...he loves songs, and lots of them.)
16) What do you want to do when you grow up? "Go on the banana ride" (this is a ride in Gilroy Gardens he wants to ride, but you have to be 48"...he has about 12" to go)
17) Okay let me clarify - what do you want to do for work when you grow up? "Be a Dr. Mas, or maybe an eye" (Dr. Mas was his pediatrician in St. Augustine and was the BEST. As for being an eye? I have no clue!)
18) What do you like most about Mommy and Daddy? "Loving you"
19) What's your favorite thing to do outside? "Rock climbing"
20) What's your favorite thing to do inside? "Read"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)