Papa...

I think that my parenting style probably comes across as nonchalance. A curious indifference delivered with a watchful eye. I try to let her feel out the world for herself. To learn the lessons that life has to teach. To let her bump her head, when a bump is the best tool to teach. I feel compelled to compel her to independence. I think about how my actions today will bear fruit when she is 5, or 14, or 30... when she is a teenager, a student, a mother.

Then there are times like just now... nap time. She knows it's nap time, and had no problem with the story, the song, the crib until I left. Then she stood in her bed sobbing, "Papa, papa, papa." She knew she had to sleep, wanted to sleep, but just needed this one time to fall asleep in my arms. My instinct is to leave her. To let her figure it out. And I did... for a while. And then that voice creeped in the back of my head saying, "how much longer will she want to sleep in your arms?"

So I picked her up, and she drifted off, and I may have ruined her... but that's okay, because she ruined me a long time ago and I will always have those five minutes with her in my arms.

Naked baby...

Every night when Alex finishes her bath (and Max too when he bathes with his cousin) there is a very distinct calendar of events. There is the undressing and taking the clothes to the hamper. Getting out the bubbles. Yadda, yadda, yadda. But one of the last steps, the one between drying off and getting on PJs, is easily the favorite... naked baby time.

Following the toweling off there is a knowing smirk... a twinkle in the little eyes. She looks sideways at her bath technician and, cheeks pulled to their limits by a smile, says "naked baby?". Then the race is on. Running, sans clothes, out of the bathroom and toward the living room screaming, looking for an adult. Our part (that is whoever happens to be at the house) is to yell, "Oh no, it's a naked baby! How did you get so naked?!?". Laughter, the likes of which you have never seen. Running, laughing, climbing on people. Naked baby time, while odd, is the most joyous of the day.

While I will spare the future angst-ridden teenage Alex by not posting a full video of naked baby time (you'll have to be at our house around 7pm for the show), I submit for your perusal this half naked, post potty escape as a prelude to the Full Monty...

All good...

Michele, her boobies and I went to see the oncologist on Tuesday to review the results of her recent mammogram. Everything is clear!! Yay!

Zero concerns. Deep breath. Happy, happy, happy.

Additionally, since our dag nabbed insurance is no longer accepted by any of Michele's doctors, the oncologist saw us for free... how cool is that? Who says we need health care reform?

Enthralling...

Alex watching Alex on Youtube...




...adorable...

Fresh veg/fruit...

We harvested our first fresh veg from the garden today... although a cucumber is technically a fruit. One big, fat cucumber was staring at us from one of our bush cucumber plants...
So in the ultimate farm to fork move, we ran inside and washed it up then sliced it up...
Within an hour of harvest we were enjoying an early lunch of a turkey sandwich with munster, brewers mustard, and fresh cucumber...
Mmmmm...

What's that?...

The zoo was so much fun that when we found ourselves with another day off we just had to go to the petting farm. There is one here in town at Domino Farms so we headed out yesterday. Needless to say, we had no idea where to go or what to do... but we figured it out in the end.

Alex had a blast. There were tons of baby animals so everything was right at her level. She saw/touched/fed cows, horses, rabbits, turtles, pigs, goats, llamas, chickens, peacocks, sheep, ducks, and geese just to name a bunch. She was seldom scared, often giggly and spent most of the visit pointing and saying, "what's that?". We would tell her the name of the animal and she would usually follow with the sound the animal makes (ie moo, neigh, or oink).

For the sake of continuity, this is what Alex looked like soon after leaving the farm... can you tell that she still had "what's that?" on her mind?

Lions and tiger fish and bear sloths... oh my...

Yesterday we got off our lazy rumps and took Alex to the zoo for the first time. We have heard some great reviews of the Toledo Zoo (thanks Jana) and so headed down 23 to check it out. It was a beautiful day and the crowds weren't too bad.

Alex had a blast! She was engaged and curious about almost all of the animals, but especially enjoyed the aquarium and the reptile house. There was more movement and activity with these animals as most of the rest (lions, camels, etc,) were enjoying naps in the warm summer sun. She spent two hours pointing at an animal, asking "what's that?", and then clapping (sign for more in her little world) and saying "mas, mas, mas". She was adorable.

We are not great at trying new things, so we were pretty proud of ourselves for getting her out. In the long run she probably won't remember this trip, but she had fun and we will definitely be going back (and/or to the Detroit Zoo).

Our camera was out of commission (situation solved today), so we don't have any pics of the event... but this is what she looked like before we could even get out of the parking lot on the way home...

Running errands...

Yesterday I was off work and Alex had nothing going on, so we decided to run to the farmer's market... literally. I loaded her up in the jogging stroller and ran to Kerrytown (about 2.5 miles). We perused the veg and bought a ton of berries and cherries. Then we loaded back up and ran back home.

All in all it wasn't too bad (other than doing something to my hamstring along the way). I got in a nice run and Alex had a blast pointing out the dogs, the trucks, and the flowers as well as saying "Allo" and "Ba-bye" to everyone we passed along the way. This may become our regular Wednesday morning routine.

Vacation it ain't...

I have all next week off from work... but I am not on vacation. A couple months ago everyone in the company I work for received a pleasant and well written memo informing us that we would all be required to take a week off sometime before September, sans pay. Unpaid furlough they call it. "Sweet", I says to myself... another week off. Don't get paid, but we can figure it out. But...

Now, not only do I not have to work next week, I (for liability reasons I assume) am technically not allowed to work. No phone calls. No emails. No bar charts. The problem is that not being at least slightly engaged for a week will not only hurt the company, but more importantly will make my life hell upon return. So, in the interest of an equitable solutions for all involved parties, I have come up with a plan. Starting tomorrow and continuing through the entirety of next week I will only work under one of the following three conditions:

1. In my basement, in my boxers: Nobody could accuse me of working if I am sitting in my basement with only my boxers covering my nether region. Hopefully most of this toil will take place between 3am & 5am when I am usually alone and bored.
2. Wirelessly from someplace fun: Coffee shop, playground, bar... whatever. If I am sending an email while dangling upside down from a ladder at Jungle Java it hardly constitutes labor.
3. With a beer/scotch in the hand not holding the mouse: Nuff said.

This is my plan. If you would like to help me be efficient next week, buy me a beer someplace fun and don't look down.

Chomp...

I got a letter from the government, the other day... I opened and read it, it said they were suckers... no wait, that's not it...

I got a phone call while at work Monday afternoon from the daycare. Just an informative call this time (usually they are telling me to pick up my sick/injured baby). Alex had bitten a "friend". My heart sank. "No big deal," the girl said, "she didn't break the skin or anything, just wanted to let you know". Apparently she was playing with a toy and a "friend" was leaning on her and trying to swipe it... she bit him/her on the arm.

My immediate instinct was shame. She's a biter. I'm a terrible parent. I planned to never tell you people, ye of the blogosphere, lest I sully an almost spotless record of my angel being an angel.

I pictured two possible scenarios in my head...

1) It's like freakin' Lord of the Flies in that room with a yellow door and the kids are left to determine the social hierarchy through force. It's bit or be bitten.

2) All those times I worried that the "biters" were biting my baby, that the "mine!" kids were teaching her to scream MINE!, that the little monsters were ruining my daughter... she was the one biting and mining and being a bad influence. Where did I go wrong?

Then I did some reading. It turns out toddlers bite. They bite for many reasons, including but not limited to frustration, teething, anger and a need to sense this new world with all of their senses. Most of the reasons for biting at this age (including trying to get some brat off your back before they steal your toy) are understandable and not evil. Which isn't to say that one can condone it...

So when she got home Michele and I separately sat her down and talked to her about it. Lately I have been getting down on her level and making her look at me so that I can talk to her. She looks at me with those serious little eyes and I know that she understands. I explained why it was bad and she said "yea". I asked if she was sorry and she said "yea". I asked for a smooch and she leaned in, mouth agape, and did the best she could. Finally I asked if she was going to do it again, and she said... "yea".

We'll just keep working on it.