Last Day of July

I am getting anxious about my return to work and Logan being in home daycare. I know everything is going to turn out ok and that socialization is good for the boy but I somehow feel like I'm failing Logan by not staying at home next year. I hope he gets along well with the other kiddies. I hope I get along well with my students. Yikes. It's the last day in July. Tomorrow is August and I go back to work in August. I'm not ready yet!

Logan's Inheritance

I can already tell that Logan is a lot like me. But there are a few things that I hope he doesn't inherit from his Daddy. For example, I finished drywalling the new bathroom basement. Quite a feat. However, I did an amateurish job on it mostly because I didn't take the time to be precise. I tend to jump into things with feverish energy only to make more work for myself because I don't think through my work before I do it. If Logan can retain my initiative without feeling the need to do things in a hurry, well, that would be nice.

There are all sorts of other qualities that I'd like Logan to inherit and not inherit from me, but for now I am trying to figure out some technical issues with gmail so I need to work on that.

Back From Michigian

We had a nice time on vacation but it's sure good to be back home. For the past two nights Logan has slept through the night as opposed to on vacation where he woke up constantly and ended up sleeping with Carly and I. But sleep is not my topic so I'll move on.

Logan had a bunch of firsts on this vacation. He went kayaking down the East Branch of the AuSauble River which was an interesting experience. The East Branch is not the greatest kayaking river considering we had to dodge low hanging branches and logs in the river, ford our kayaks over beaver dams and impassable debris jams, and power paddle our way over shallow sections and hidden junk in the water. But overall, he seemed to enjoy it until it was time for his nap and he got cranky. For some reason when he was tired he didn't like to avoid getting slapped by branches. Go figure. And despite my best efforts, I did tip the kayak and Logan and I went in the water at one point. It was a tad scary seeing my little guy enter the water, but he was out in a the same split second that he went in. He was wet, but it was a sunny and warm day. At least he wasn't in Carly and my Mom's kayak...they tipped over three times I think.

Logan also went on his first "yacht" on the way to Mackinac island. I suppose he went on his first island too. He managed to nap all the way around the island in his bike carrier as we biked the 8 mile circumference. No cars are allowed on the island, but horses and bikes abound...not to mention fudge and tourists and horse poo. Anyway, in the bike rental shop Logan fell in love with a super cool tricycle and since I had won 230 dollars at the Indian casino just a day earlier, I couldn't resist and made a 100 dollar offer on the trike (sticker price of 119.99). So for the rest of the Mackinac experience, Logan got towed on his bad-boy tricycle. He can't reach the peddals yet, but he can still scoot and make cool sound effects. He loves it. See for yourself.



So our trip was a good time. We relaxed and had adventures. The seven hour car ride back and forth wasn't too bad and Logan seemed to enjoy himself despite getting dunked in a river.

Meme

I was tagged; hence I respond. And I've added a new word to my vocabulary or webcabulary: meme. Anyway, I was asked to reveal seven previously unknown things about myself so here goes:

1. I enjoyed all 12 hours and 30 some minutes of the Ironman I did way back in 2007. The Ironman is supposed to be this ultimate endurance event, but for me, it was really just enjoyable. Now the training for the Ironman sucked along the way, but the actual race was a peak experience that I didn't want to end. Perhaps I knew that my life was going to drastically change when Logan came along and this event was a capstone to the non-fatherhood days.

2. I did watch Oprah and the View a lot when I was a SAHF, but I didn't like it...at least some of the times.

3. I have dreams of whisking Carly and Logan away on a trip around the country and/or world. We could live out of backpacks/broken down vans/campers and experience all that the universe unfolds for us. I did say this was a dream, right?

4. I'm perpetually stuck in high school. Teaching at LHS is the first "real" job that I've had and I still have it. And I still find it fascinating. Classrooms can be some of the dullest and most interesting places in the world. I try hard to make mine vivid.

5. I am going to make a pottery wheel out of an old furnace motor. Finding innovative ways to do things really excites me. I love doing things that perplex others.

6. I like the concept of tea much more than I like tea. But I do like tea. In fact, I think I want some right now.

7. I still haven't cracked the code of building a proper backyard pond. My pond has kept the goldfish alive for two years now, but I'm still not satisfied with the filtration and landscaping. Perhaps it will be better next year.

As far as keeping this chain going, I will work on tagging some others in my next post. I have to go pick up Pizza Villa for dinner now.

Walkin' In Daddy's Shoes

Logan decided to figure out what it felt like to be a man. He tried on my shoes and thought to himself, "well heck, I could be a man someday...sure...no problem." He tried to walk around a bit but to no avail. I guess I have large shoes to fill.

Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo...

I do believe it...I do believe it's true. That was for all you Simon and Garfunkel fans out there. And some context for those of you who wondered if I was totally off my rocker. Yesterday was a gorgeous day around here--in the upper 60s, unheard of in July, but we rolled with it and met Ramona and her two little ones at the Brookfield Zoo. I had never been there, and it was Logan's first zoo adventure. He was more engaged that I had expected. He saw a small group of marmosets scurry across a rope and two young gorillas chase each other in the tree tops. He also saw a baby elephant walking around. Oh, and the animatronic dinosaurs. Now those were spectacular (italics = sarcasm). Every five minutes or so, the oversized toys would work their jaws and swing their tails. I don't know what was sadder, the exhibit or the fact that I paid $5 to see it.
I remember when I was a kid the zoo was a fascinating place. Now it just makes me sad. Watching wild animals pent up in faux habitats being gawked at day in and day out. What's worse is that these places may be the animals' only habitats one day. Will Logan take his kids to see phony-looking animatronic Tigers and Polar Bears? Ok, there should be some kind of rule against posting depressing blog entries, but that's all I got, kids.

Take 'Em to the Zoo

Logan and Mom went to the Zoo yesterday while I went on a golf outing with my dad. He seemed to have fun...I'm bugging Carly to "guest blog" for me about it.

Jack Sprat

You know that nursery rhyme? Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean...so together they licked the platter clean.

Well, in my mind, Carly and I are like that nursery rhyme. One of Carly's main focuses regarding Logan seems to be on feeding him. She is feeding him constantly...a good thing to have lots of snacks I'm told. One of my main concerns revolves around Logan's sleeping (getting him to bed on schedule, making sure he gets naps, etc). Together, Carly and I make a good team in regards to rearing Logan. He is always full and he is well-rested. Sure there are all sorts of other things he needs (and we provide those too) but as far as feeding and sleeping are concerned we got it covered.

"All Done"

Logan mastered a two word phrase today: "all done." We often say this after he's eating and today he repeated it back and wouldn't stop. He was saying it in his falsetto voice and it was so adorable--like jumping into a ball pit filled with teddy bears or something.

We got it on video for posterity and since the blog has been lacking as of late I plan on getting it up for tomorrow. Until then.

21st Century Digital Boy

Logan loves technology, especially cell phones. He is constantly wanting mine or Carly's cellphone to play with. It is adorable when he has a mock conversation and it's even cool to see what buttons he might press or who he might call, but a cell phone is a somewhat expensive little item and I wish he wasn't so fascinated with them. Just a few moments ago he fell and Carly's cell phone went flying across the bamboo floor...still intact, but a little worse for wear. I am thinking that if anyone has an old cell phone they want to donate to the Logan fund he will be more than willing to take it off your hands.

Logan also loves the computer, mouse, t.v., t.v. remote, dyson vacuum cleaner, and anything else with buttons and or circuits. Truly, he's a 21st century digital boy.

The Ruffian Strikes Again...

... and bloodies his father's nose. I am writing this entry with a wad of kleenex shoved up my nose.

I was looking up information on the computer to help me with the electricity in my basement when Logan decided to harass me by trying to play with the computer. I gave him a little nudge and he fell over backward. I guess he wanted to get even because a minute later as I picked him up and began to cuddle with him on the couch, Logan stuck his finger in my nose and somehow scratched the inside cartilage...after I said "ow" the always surprising bloody nose ensued. Blood was everywhere and it was a bit freaky. I haven't had a bloody nose in quite a while. Anyway, he seemed scared but didn't seem to worried about the abuse he doled out. The ruffian can be a heartless boy.

Logan the Ruffian

Hello--it's Carly again. I'm blogging on Eric's behalf because he has been slaving all day building walls in the basement. The new bathroom is coming together, and I think Eric will come out relatively unscathed (only minor cuts and burns so far, knock on wood). Logan and I had our second play date today--this time Dianna, a friend I know through West, hosted with her two darling girls, and Nicole, another friend from West, came with her little boy Austin. Now Logan did really well at the park yesterday. Within five minutes he hugged a little girl, which was pretty adorable, and he had fun playing in the sand and going down the slides with Levi, a little boy about his age. Today, however, was a different story. He and the other kids were playing nicely for a good hour or so while we moms were sitting and chatting. Before long, the kids wandered into the play room, and soon after, we heard crying--it was Austin. He stopped crying when we came into the room, but when Nicole checked him over, she noticed he had bite marks on his cheek. Natalie, Dianna's little girl, was standing there, and I asked her if Logan had bitten Austin. She replied, "Mmm-Hmm." The statement "I felt bad" doesn't begin to describe how I was feeling. What is it in the toddler's psyche that makes biting and hitting ok? Is this behavior just further proof that we really are savages beneath a civilized facade? When I told Eric about the episode, he said, "So, I guess you probably won't be asked back for another play date, huh?" Funny...and probably true.
Here's a picture my dad just sent of our little ruffian. You'll notice the shark motif on his ensemble. I didn't know how fitting that getup would be for our little guy.

Playground Antics

Logan had a busy playing day throwing little pebbles up and down the slide. We took him to the park and he had a blast. More later.

"Book"

Logan is cutting some molars and had a hard time falling asleep today...plus, we didn't have the air turned on so it's fairly hot in the house. Anyway, I took him out to comfort him and he was interested in the book on the floor. I said "book" a few times and sure enough, Logan replied "book" clear as day. The "k" is a new sound for him and so it's exciting to hear him say it. He is learning new words everyday and Carly and I are really getting a kick out of it.

"Bahhhmmm!"

We just got back from the cottage (thanks Ms. Cop for not giving me a ticket) and Logan is now in bed after a bit of a fuss. His schedule is all crazy. Anyway, Logan seems to be ok with fireworks. We went on the pontoon and although squirrely, he seemed to enjoy seeing all the colorful explosions. He would clap and say "bahhhmmm" every once in awhile. However, he is afraid of bottle rockets and cried when my Dad and I were blowing them off in the front yard. Go figure.

Bonus Post

OK, for all of you who know Eric fairly well, you know he's a sleepwalker/talker. And for all of you who know me fairly well, you know I love to share funny stories about Eric's sleepwalking/talking. Well, I just got a new story:

As I was blogging, Eric was sleeping on the couch with Moon (our cat) on his chest. Something woke him, and he groggily shushed the cat (which I thought strange), got up off the couch, and lovingly carried her down the hall (which I also thought strange). Then, I heard a bedroom door open--the only bedroom door we close is Logan's when he is sleeping. That's when I knew it was time to intervene: "Eric, what are you doing?" Grinning sheepishly, he brought Moon back into the living room. "She doesn't belong in there," he said. He thought Moon was Logan, and he was about to put her in his crib! I think this almost tops the time he did a somersault--punctuated by a "whee!"--out of bed while sleeping.

Guest Blogger: Mommy Is Home

Hey, all.

Eric has been attending some writing workshop this week; hence, there is no more stay-at-home daddy for the time being, but stay-at-home mommy like the good lord intended. Ha! Anyway, I'm completely blissed out staying home with Logan this summer and am marveling at all the new things he's doing. Today he mastered the sign for "more." The impetus? Blueberries, of course. Once he figured out that he could put his little fingers together and more blueberries would magically appear on his tray, he was making that sign like gangbusters. He also said "bwue" (blue) and "beebees" (berries), but we haven't put the words together yet. His love of blueberries borders on obsession.

In other news, Leah and Josh came over tonight for some tasty Thai Pavilion take-out. We had a great time catching up with them, but once Logan got out of his high chair, the silly antics began. He decided to try on one of Josh's flip-flops, and with his stockinged feet, he looked not unlike a tiny Japanese man from the knees down. Then he sported Leah's diminutive purse, which worked well as a pint-sized man-bag. He learned today that mom and dad's friends are fun and have fabulous accessories.

Now he's sleeping peacefully in his bed, probably dreaming about the endless supply of blueberries that can be his with a few taps of the fingertips, knowing full well that he can stow the ones that won't fit in his mouth into Leah's tiny, adorable purse.