Thanks Fire Fighters

After I cook dinner, I often like to go for a walk with the kids. If we have a lot of time, we will walk to a nearby park. Lately, we have chosen shorter walks. Our shorter walks are usually a trip around the block where we stop and say hi to any neighbors who happen to be outside or up to the fire station to see if the fire station doors are open. The fire station is about three blocks from our house and a favorite place to walk or drive by.

For the first time tonight, there was actually a fire fighter outside when we walked by. Jacob was wearing his fire fighter costume from last Halloween and both boys were staring at the fire fighter. The fire fighter took one look at us and immediately ducked back into the fire station. I was hoping he was warning the crew that there were kids coming but wasn't sure.

We approached the fire station and the fire fighter came back outside. He asked Jacob, M and our friend P if they would like to see inside the station. M and P quickily said yes. Jacob stood outside the doors and stated he didn't want to go in. I knew he was just scared. After all, this is the child who spends most of his day talking about fire fighters, asking questions about fire fighters or pretending to be fire fighters. I knew that he had been dreaming of the day he could actually see inside a fire station. I knew this was the day and he would be very sorry later if he didn't go in. Of course, M was already through the large garage doors and checking out the fire trucks.

I picked Jacob up and told him he had to go inside. I would hold him and he didn't have to get into any of the trucks but he had to at least go inside. M on the other hand was already racing over to the lockers and checking out the uniforms. The fire fighers were great. After a few minutes, Jacob warmed up and he joined M in exploring all of the fire trucks and the ambulance. The boys were allowed to sit in the engines, see the hoses and other equipment and walk around in the ambulance.

After several minutes of playing in the fire trucks, Jacob asked if he could see where the fire fighters sleep. They gladly took him into the fire station and saw the fire fighters bunk beds, washing machines, kitchen, meeting room and any thing else that could possibly be interesting. Actually, everything the fire fighters showed the boys was exciting including the big map on the wall and the radios. Jacob and M were in heaven!

We stayed at the fire station for about 40 minutes. The fire fighters seemed to be having just as much fun as the boys were. They answered all of the kids' questions eagerly and showed them everything they asked to see. It was a great evening and one neither the boys or I will ever forget. It is great to see my children so happy and having such a great time. I will be forever thankful to the young men at the BG fire station.

Gymnastics Dilemma

Jacob's gymnastics teacher and I have very different definitions of listening. To me, listening is staying on task and doing only what your teacher tells you to do. It is not running off to try other equipment and jumping around while the teacher is trying to talk to you. Jacob has been doing better about staying near his teacher and trying the exercises she assigns. He is still running to other pieces of equipment and not always waiting his turn.

On Thursday, Miss Nicole told me Jacob was doing really well in class. I asked if he was listening any better. I had seen him run off a few times but was busy with M so I didn't see his entire hour. She told me that he always does a really good job at listening. Huh?!? Definitelly different expectations.

So here is my dilemma. Do I just keep my mouth shut and let Miss Nicole handle it? If she doesn't care why should I? On the other hand, I don't want Jacob thinking it is ok to have selective hearing and not stay on task. I also have to remember that he just turned 3 and maybe he really is doing the best he can for his age level. Miss Nicole does work with preschoolers everyday and he certainly isn't the only child who has trouble staying on task. I'm just not sure what I should say next week. Should I remind him about listening and give him warnings when he runs by me off task while I am at class. Or should I just let Miss Nicole handle it and only step in if he is openly defiant and creating a disturbance?

Happy Birthday G

Jacob, M, and I attended G's third birthday party. Her mom did a wonderful job and we had a ton of fun! There was even a pony to ride! Of course, this was Jacob's first pony ride. He thought it was great! I thought M was a little young to ride but he thought petting the pony was fun. G got some great presents that she was very good about sharing with all of the other children.

From Terrified To A Fish In One Year

I received a social report on Jacob the night before I met him for the first time. It stated that he is fearful of water and cries during baths. That turned out to be a huge understatement. He wasn't just fearful, he was terrified. I have never bathed a child so fast in my life. He would shake with fear and just scream. It took about 3 baths before he stopped screaming and several baths before he realized he was safe.

I signed Jacob up for swimming lessons in April last year. He cried and clung to me during the first two lessons. On the third lesson, my dad took him and Jacob did just fine. He continued to learn to trust me and the water after that. I still didn't believe he would ever love water like I do.

Just 15 months later, you would never believe Jacob is the same child. Numerous parents as well as life guards comment about how good he is in the water. He has not been in lessons except that one session just over a year ago. He can now float on his stomach for several seconds, glide about 3 feet on his stomach, float on his back for about 2 seconds and hold his breath for about 45 seconds. He quickly learned how to doggy paddle with a life jacket on today. He loved being able to swim by himself and was able to move fairly quickly through the water.

In order to take actual lessons, Jacob needs to be 3 years old and potty trained. They have lessons for infants but it focused on helping the children become comfortable in the water and doesn't teach them any actual swimming skills. Jacob is definitelly past that level now and would not get much out of it. You can believe that he will be in lessons as soon as the next session starts after his 3rd birthday. That is only in 2 months. Until then, he will just have to continue to amaze the other parents and lifeguards. And I will continue to be amazed that my terrified child is now one of the best swimming 2 year olds in the pool!

Happy Memorial Day!

I had today off work and was very pleased to spend it with Jacob. As the world continues to struggle with violence, poverty and injustice, I am reminded how wonderful it is to be an American. Memorial Day is a great reminder of the price of our freedom and to experience some of the wonderful things our culture and country has to offer.

Jacob and I awoke early this morning. We got dressed and headed out for the Memorial Day parade. We arrived about an hour and a half before the parade began. I found a nice grassy spot on the edge of the street and staked our claim to it. Jacob and I then headed off to McDonald's for some pancakes and other delicious food. We took it back to our grassy spot so that we would not lose it. McDonald's on the grass was a nice picnic breakfast that prepared us for the fun of the picnic.

At 10:00 the picnic began. Jacob stood up tall and clapped as the military members and veterans marched by. He then had a seat on the curb as we watched the marching bands, scouts, high school teams, clowns and other groups march by. He enjoyed dancing to the bands as they passed. When someone threw candy, Jacob ran over and grabbed some before heading back to his spot on the curb. By the end of the parade, he had a very large amount of candy. It made for a great snack while we headed home after the parade ended.

After the parade, Jacob and I headed to lunch with a friend. Our friend recently had surgery on her foot and has been stuck at home waiting for it to heal. We took her to lunch where we enjoyed sandwiches and macaroni and cheese before heading to our next event.

At 4:00, we went to a large picnic and gathering near our home. Two of my co-workers are members of a band and were the headliners for this afternoon. Jacob enjoyed the band and spent a good part of the concert dancing or just sitting in my lap and listening. He also grabbed a stick, held it to his mouth, and began singing as if singing into a microphone.

Today was a day that I hated to see end. Tomorrow Jacob returns to school and I return to work. I really enjoyed the day today and look forward to our next day with no responsiblity that we can just relax and spend time doing the things we enjoy doing.

Amazing Conversations

If you ever want to have a weird and fun conversation, talk to a 2 1/2 year old. It is so fun and amazing watching him discover his world and improve his language and coversational skills. Just a few months I was amazed if we could even have a two or three sentence conversation. We had the following conversation outside yesterday.

Jacob: Mommy, I see the sun!
Me: Yes. I see it too.
Jacob: Fix it Mommy.
Me: Fix the Sun?
Jacob: Yes. Fix it. It's broken.
Me: I don't think I can fix the sun. I can't reach it.
Jacob: Yes. Fix it.
Me: What's wrong with it?
Jacob: It needs a nap.
Me: Oh. It will take one tonight when it gets dark outside.
Jacob: Oh. Okay.

Sometimes all I can do is shake my head and try not to laugh.

Spring Is Here!

Finally, something to scream about. Spring appears to be here. The tulips are growing and will be blooming soon. The hostas are coming up and the rose bush is beginning to show signs of life again. I love this time of year when the earth begins to grow again.

I realize that it is not warm enough for Summer pajamas but as a mother I must choose my battles wisely. Jacob insisted on wearing the above pajamas. I put an extra blanket on his bed and told me to let me know if he got too cold. Apparently, he does not get cold as easily as I do. The above pictures were taken the next morning about an hour after he got up. I guess as long as he stays indoors he will be fine.

Kids Expo

Digging for dinasaur bones.
Riding the choo choo
Checking out the police car
Jacob and I went to a Kids Expo last Saturday. He had a great time! The choo choo train was a lot of fun but his favorite was the police car. It took some time and tears to get him to leave!

Jacob and I also found some great information on activities for next winter. I think I will sign him up for gymnastics and swimming lessons. both are things he will love. He ran through some obstacle courses and used the gymnastics equipment at the expo. He did great on all of it and loved it. Jacob's uncle competed in gymnastics in high school and thinks it is great for all kids. I think it will be good for the winter months when we can't get outside and play.

A Taste of Summer

I know everyone must think I'm crazy. We are still living in the snow covered mid-west and dreaming of Summer. We got a taste of the good things to come in just a few months.

The church went to an area athletic club to go swimming. Jacob loved the sprinklers in the toddler pool. I loved the very warm water in the larger swimming pool where we practiced going under the water and throwing diving sticks for the older children. Jacob did wonderful. He swam both with and without his life jacket.

More snow is expected for tomorrow. The good news is that it is also suppose to be above freezing again later in the week. I guess today's break from the snow and cold can hold us over for awhile. I plan to continue to look for ways to beat the winter blues but have hope that winter will be over soon. Of course, I can always stop and get a pool schedule for future trips if we get too much more snow.

Jacob is now in bed and probably already asleep. He didn't even have the energy to fight me about which bed he was sleeping in (his or mine). I think I heard two whines and then nothing but quiet. It is so nice to have him exhausted after a full day of fun.

Go Badgers!

Yesterday, Jacob and I attended Camera Day at the Kohl Center with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. It was a day of great fun! We took my "littles" J and B with us. Everyone had a great time! The kids had the opportunity to try on real equipment from the University of Wisconsin Football and Basketball teams. The pictures above are of Jacob wearing a real football helmet and size 18 shoes. We were all amazed to see that Jacob was actually able to walk in the shoes for a short distance without falling! The helmet was his favorite though. I cringe at the thought of Jacob getting hurt playing football but I won't keep him from it (when he is much older). I am still hoping he will be a professional baseball player though! The Brewers could use a good short stop :)

After taking pictures and trying on equipment, we enjoyed a good women's hockey game. Jacob had a great time cheering with a man a few seats down from us. We also enjoyed free hotdogs, soda and popcorn. I bought a pretzel and cheese for me and cookie for Jacob also. I couldn't resist the pretzels and Jacob just had to have a cookie. It ruined dinner for us but was great fun. One of my favorite parts of being a parent is though times (not often though) when I can stop worrying about diets, nutrition or adult responsibilities and just have fun. That is what we did yesterday while cheering the ladies on and eating junk food. The women lost but we won by enjoying a fun afternoon together and with J and B.