Fatherhood

This is the second night in a row that we were able to spend time and Grandma and Papap's ... Patrick enjoys it so much! We even had a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" with all five of us involved ... yes, Patrick is pitching in now. He runs from person to person, giving a bit to each one of us ... there is never a dull moment. Tonight, he repeated a new activity from last night. Last night, it was getting everyone involved in chasing him around the house ... tonight, we had this activity, but what we saw was that he wanted to play different games and wanted certain people involved. This is when he went to each person that needed to be involved and grabbed a finger, pulling them along. He even checked every now and then to make sure they were still following. Such an amazing child ... knows how to ensure that we sleep well.

We headed over to see Grandma and Papap after work. They had taken the time to pick up Patrick from daycare ... so cool, giving us a few quiet minutes. The silence was so amazing ... Patrick and Grandma showed us the new boots he got ... again, so cool! At one point during the night, Patrick was being chased around the house (they have a nice large circle you can run around in their house) ... by Papap. He stopped at one point and grabbed his Mama's hand and got her into the chasing. Not long after that, Grandma was pulled into the chase, as well. So there I was watching my father, mother, and wife chasing my son around the house, like some super-cool train (yes, I did get pulled into chasing hi, as well ... but at that point, I was allowed to sit back and laugh) ... we are all so well trained!

Jen had e-mailed to ask if she should take Patrick in to see the doctor. Knowing he has had a persistent cough (although not bad ... just not going away), I told her to take him ... I expected the visit to occur once she got off work. I learned that she took him much earlier than I expected ... as I got a text message from the pharmacy saying that his prescription was ready. Then, things got exciting. About an hour later, I got a call from his daycare saying he had thrown up and I had to come get him ... since I was only twenty minutes from the end of the day, I left right away. On the way, I called Jen's work and cell phones and left messages, letting her know what was going on. I called the doctor's office to determine what I was dealing with ... thankfully, nothing major. I also got the bright idea to call the pharmacy ... to find out that Jen had not picked up his medication. I stopped in on the way and got it! Then, I finally got to Patrick ... he looked fine, ...

I pulled out the bed from the fold-out couch tonight ... for watching the election results. I managed this while Jen was in getting his bath. I got sheets out, put a blanket on and laid out pillows for our general comfort. I even arranged the snacks and juice (drinks for the non-toddlers in the group). Surprise ... Then, we got playing as Mama went to get a clean diaper for him ... All was well ... until ... He wanted off the bed, sliding forward and looking at me for assistance ... nothing unusual, so far. I moved down next to him, getting ready to help him to the floor. Then, I could only watch as he jumped up and sprinted to the other end of the bed where he buried himself in my pillow ... laughing all the way. ... Let the games begin!

Patrick had fun last night ... he was laughing and playing from the time he got home. Jumping around and playing with a spray bottle, he was a bundle of energy unlike I've ever seen. At one point, he tried one of my popsicles and I got the bright idea of placing it into one of his smaller cups. He loved it ... and we loved the fact that there was little mess. Dancing with the Stars was on and he spent almost the entire two hours dancing with his mother. While this was going on, I was remembering the night before when he fell asleep while getting his bath for the night ... simply sitting and playing, then asleep ... so cute! Last night, however, he was moving with a determined energy ... falling all over the place, obviously exhausted, but not willing to give up the fight. Eventually, he crashed and we placed him in his crib. I got a quick shock as he jumped and scrambled ... until his head hit the edge of the crib, then the snoring started up again. I'm not sur...

Cleaning dishes that had piled into both sinks and were spilling over onto our cutting board, I was reminded of when Jen and I realized that the amount of laundry we do has increased dramatically. For a little-guy, he generates a LOT of dirty clothes ... he also generates a lot of dirty dishes ... pots, pans, silverware, and cups. Our workload has increased, but in a good way. What we did before Patrick was for us ... now, it's for family. I thought back to how he has grown ... he's even playing different. Patrick helped me with dinner ... he carried the egg from the refrigerator to the stove and mixed the egg and bread mix together for me. So cool! He has also been eating candy from Halloween ... well, let me amend that, he chews on the package with the candy in it. If he breaks the package and can taste the candy, he gets a new one. He spent about two hours taking the candy out of it's container and organizing it on our coffee table. Bored with that, he grabbe...

His visit with Grandma and Papap was cool. We played with everyone ... kind of bouncing in between. We ate dinner. This went well until I gave him Grandma's old cell phone (deactivated, should only be able to dial 911 ... waiting for that one). Once he got the phone, there was no interest in food. You have to remember that he has always been fascinated with cell phones, but is usually monitored very closely and rarely gets to hold it for long ... and, he can tell the difference between the real one and the fake one ... this one was real! Eventually, we got the phone away from him and he did eat ... Later, after more playing, he turned to his Grandma and waved goodbye. He then proceeded to give out hugs and kisses. When asked, he indicated that he was ready to go home ... rapid head nod (Yes). He indicated the same when asked if he wanted to come back tomorrow. I guess he was ready to go ...

We had a visit to one of the local malls recently ... they have a very nice play area for the children with a padded floor and a "space" theme, shuttle and all. There are things to climb on and through ... and, as far as Patrick is concerned, the coolest part is that the shuttle has pilot and co-pilot seats with steering wheels. He immediately headed for the "cockpit" and waited patiently as child after child (many of them significantly larger than him) jumped into the seat. I stepped over after a few minutes in the hopes that some child would give him a chance at the pilot's seat. No luck ... they certainly didn't care and their parents were doing nothing , as well. Patrick, getting bored noticed that he could crawl through the body of the shuttle ... all cool until he got boxed in by several children (again, not small) heading toward him from both sides. This is the point where I stepped in ... especially since I could see that the pilot seat was a...

Today was a good day ... other than the computer dying. Patrick had a wonderful day ... playing with Mama in the morning, then church with family in the afternoon ... lunch with Grandma and Papap, then a nap while we waited for Best Buy to change out the power supply on the computer (I know, with my expertise, why pay? ... sometimes, the last thing I want to do is work on a machine in my time off) ... two hours later, they told me they couldn't do anything. I took the computer home and swapped out the video card and we are back up and running. I know ... a power supply is not a video card, but it was pretty obvious to me that there was something wrong when the video card fan and heat sink fell off. Patrick helped a bit ... distracted me while I waited. What a wonderful son. We just got back from Grandma and Papap's, playing the the tree covered back yard ... swing, sand, water fountain ... all the things a young boy would love!

This morning was incredible ... starting the day, with my wife and seventeen month old son in bed with me. Patrick was rolling (more like sitting up and falling) from one pillow to the next. At times, he grabbed my hand and get me to tickle him ... often until he was turning red from laughter. At other times, he wanted bounced; face down on a pillow as I pushed on his back, over and over. The really cool part was when he was grabbing at my back ... almost like getting a massage. Then, he took it a step further and took his Mama's hand and placed it on my back. Having him scratching one part of my back while Jen massaged other parts was really cool ... Such a simple start to the day was glorious ... one that I hope gets repeated to some degree as the years go on.

After I got home yesterday, we decided to take a walk (might explain why I fell asleep so early after a LONG day at work). We headed over to a tiny playground a few blocks away. It has a covered pick nick table and a kids area where they can climb up a metal and plastic structure and select one of two slides to take down. Of course, my son LOVES this ... it was a bit wet (having actually rained recently) and he got thoroughly dirty. Up the ladder, then down the slide ... over and over and over and over; interspersed with moments of laughter! On the walk home, he pushed the stroller most of the way ... running ahead of us when he was not pushing the stroller. I crossed the yard to the front door and tried to get him to come along ... apparently, the yard is still a bit difficult to walk on; he stayed on the sidewalk and driveway. Too much fun!

Last night was a marathon; playing with his cousins ... running around the house, chasing and getting chased. He was also carried on shoulders, riding the big-wheel, and being pushed or pulled in the plastic red wagon ... although, not necessarily all at once. At one point, Patrick came upon Sylas playing with a jet plane toy ... he was pulling it back and letting it run forward across the room. Patrick had the presence of mind to snatch the plane (Sylas missed by inches) and run away. He headed straight for Chris (the oldest cousin) and handed the plane off which then became a good game of keep-away. Toward the end, Chris dropped to the floor and got mobbed by Patrick and Sylas ... with laughter all around. Patrick slept well last night ... as I believe all of them did! Watching them play was so much more fun ... I believe more fun than any other children I have watched in the past ... mostly because my son was so involved.

My understanding of developing self-confidence and self-esteem is that indiscriminate praise with actually undermine a parents attempts at moving the child forward. Having said that, it is near impossible to not praise every activity when everything is new and challenging for a new child. Praise that allows a child to see that they are developing skills appropriately actively works at helping them develop a mindset where they are willing to take on more challenges. What I am hoping to develop in Patrick is a "growth mindset." Where I see a true challenge as a parent is developing "self-control." It is one of the most important skills I can teach my son, more so than intelligence, when it comes to achievement: academic or otherwise. I tend to avoid looking at what researchers are doing ... one points left, while the other points right. Thus, I find myself thinking about things like development of delayed gratification (I know, this is me talking ... I am the wo...

Well, there it is ... Patrick was introduced to the "Italian: Money, Money ..." with the hand gestures and all. It started a few days ago and has become a regular part of our play with him during the day. Not much of a blog, but IT IS HILARIOUS ... There is definitely Italian blood in my son, from both sides of the family ... and it gets us laughing!

I have watched Patrick grow ... in so many ways. He is a loving child who makes friends wherever he goes. Only recently has he shown any inclination to be shy. He is curious ... even more so when he knows he has seen his mother or father do something (cooking on the stove, working with knives, ...). He loves to help ... wiping down a table or sweeping the floor (it's actually not much help, but we all love it). And, best of all (I think), he always makes us laugh ... at him and at ourselves (and our expectations). Children: Make Friends Fast ... no worries about rejection or relationships. Do Not Hold Grudges ... don't stay mad or gossip; when it's over, it is over. Are Eternally Curious ... constantly trying new things and asking questions. Are Confident ... strong self-esteem; willing to do more. Play ... for the sake of playing. Nothing more. Show Their Feelings ... the good, the bad, and the ugly. Like Getting Dirty Are Uninhibited ... in every sense of th...

I don't know if all children do this, but we have noticed that Patrick has distinct and varying favorite activities that he does with each individual he knows.  He remembers which activity goes with which person and we are rarely allowed to change them up (sometimes, we are not allowed to change them up at all). With his grandmother, he want's to eat, drink, and/or play with anything that's hers.  She had to use a cane for a while and to this day, it is one of the most amazing toys for him.  The walker became his "Cadillac" ... to ride in around the house.  He loves the snacks and drinks, especially when it's from the containers she is using. With his grandfather, he loves to sit back and watch financial news reports or sports.  We can generally count on Papap putting him to sleep at least one night a week this way. With his mother, he'll sit patiently as she reads him a book ... not with anyone else.  He also loves to hear her sing "Itsy-Bit...