Tuesday, July 19, 2011
aves on water
If you are not going to take me down to the water, then the water will have to come to me...
gobsmacked
A switch went off in Josh's head this past week. It's been amazing!
Last Monday, he started skating "camp". We last put him in parent and tot skating in the Fall of 2009. It was mostly an exercise in frustration and at the end of the class, he said he didn't want to do skating anymore, so we stopped.
This spring, he expressed interest in skating again, so I took him to a loonie skate session while we waited for the next session of lessons to start. I was pleasantly surprised. When we left off in 2009, Josh couldn't shuffle his feet without help and he couldn't get up by himself. This was the first half hour of loonie skate, 1. 5 years later…
Back to last Monday - the next session of skating lessons FINALLY started and Josh was there in shorts, t-shirt and snowsuit! Apparently, he has picked up where he left off in loonie skate! He is tap-tap-tapping across the ice by himself. When he falls down he gets back up by himself. When he talks about it, he's very matter-of-fact about falling down and he likes going back for the lessons. Amazing!
Then, Tuesday came around. Tuesday's are swim lessons. Josh has been consistently in swim lessons since he was 3. I think this comes from having a Mom who can only survival swim and a Dad who was a couple of courses away from becoming a lifeguard. In any case, progress has been slow. Josh has been comfortable in the water for awhile, but front floats and back floats have been a struggle. In order from him to pass his current class, he has to be able to do front floats and back floats unassisted. He has been in this same place for quite awhile.
After much over-analyzing, we had just made the decision to stop swim lessons for awhile after this session. And that same day, THIS happened (Josh is in the white top with blue sleeves)…
All of sudden, Josh is floating and gliding ALL BY HIMSELF! Now he loves swimming! He can't get enough and keeps asking if it's a swim night every night. I guess we won't be stopping swim lessons anytime soon. Crazy awesome!
And if all of this accomplishment wasn't enough, Josh has been asking for us to take the training wheels off his bike since early summer. We've been reluctant, because I was worried that Josh perceived himself to be riding a 2-wheeler like the "big kids" but the reality would be another exercise in frustration followed by despair.
So, after all his success earlier in the week, when Josh asked to take off his training wheels yet again while we were camping on Sunday, Bri obliged. He chased Josh around the campground roads (perfectly level and paved for a beginner!) for about 45 minutes before we thought it prudent to call it quits. We saw frustration setting in. Josh could balance when he was moving, but was having difficulty getting started and stopping. It was a great first ride!
The next night (Monday), we asked him if he wanted to go to the school and practice riding his bike and he said yes. This is what we saw…
I seriously can't believe this kid! He rode around for 45 minutes like that. Loving it. He actually cried when we gave him 5 more minutes!
I'm not sure what it was that clicked in Josh's head. It has been incredible for us to watch. I don't know how else to say it, but I'm gobsmacked (and I don't even talk like that!)! I think the best part for us is that Josh has just earned himself a few years worth of self-confidence all in one week. We are so proud of you, Josh, and you should be so proud of yourself.
Last Monday, he started skating "camp". We last put him in parent and tot skating in the Fall of 2009. It was mostly an exercise in frustration and at the end of the class, he said he didn't want to do skating anymore, so we stopped.
This spring, he expressed interest in skating again, so I took him to a loonie skate session while we waited for the next session of lessons to start. I was pleasantly surprised. When we left off in 2009, Josh couldn't shuffle his feet without help and he couldn't get up by himself. This was the first half hour of loonie skate, 1. 5 years later…
Back to last Monday - the next session of skating lessons FINALLY started and Josh was there in shorts, t-shirt and snowsuit! Apparently, he has picked up where he left off in loonie skate! He is tap-tap-tapping across the ice by himself. When he falls down he gets back up by himself. When he talks about it, he's very matter-of-fact about falling down and he likes going back for the lessons. Amazing!
Then, Tuesday came around. Tuesday's are swim lessons. Josh has been consistently in swim lessons since he was 3. I think this comes from having a Mom who can only survival swim and a Dad who was a couple of courses away from becoming a lifeguard. In any case, progress has been slow. Josh has been comfortable in the water for awhile, but front floats and back floats have been a struggle. In order from him to pass his current class, he has to be able to do front floats and back floats unassisted. He has been in this same place for quite awhile.
After much over-analyzing, we had just made the decision to stop swim lessons for awhile after this session. And that same day, THIS happened (Josh is in the white top with blue sleeves)…
All of sudden, Josh is floating and gliding ALL BY HIMSELF! Now he loves swimming! He can't get enough and keeps asking if it's a swim night every night. I guess we won't be stopping swim lessons anytime soon. Crazy awesome!
And if all of this accomplishment wasn't enough, Josh has been asking for us to take the training wheels off his bike since early summer. We've been reluctant, because I was worried that Josh perceived himself to be riding a 2-wheeler like the "big kids" but the reality would be another exercise in frustration followed by despair.
So, after all his success earlier in the week, when Josh asked to take off his training wheels yet again while we were camping on Sunday, Bri obliged. He chased Josh around the campground roads (perfectly level and paved for a beginner!) for about 45 minutes before we thought it prudent to call it quits. We saw frustration setting in. Josh could balance when he was moving, but was having difficulty getting started and stopping. It was a great first ride!
The next night (Monday), we asked him if he wanted to go to the school and practice riding his bike and he said yes. This is what we saw…
I seriously can't believe this kid! He rode around for 45 minutes like that. Loving it. He actually cried when we gave him 5 more minutes!
I'm not sure what it was that clicked in Josh's head. It has been incredible for us to watch. I don't know how else to say it, but I'm gobsmacked (and I don't even talk like that!)! I think the best part for us is that Josh has just earned himself a few years worth of self-confidence all in one week. We are so proud of you, Josh, and you should be so proud of yourself.
josh on clocks
Josh discusses the clock in his room:
Mommy, the big hand and the little hand don't move when I look at it. They only move when I'm not looking at it. I can be in the room (like when I'm sleeping) but I can't look at it. Then, it will move. The red hand (the second hand) is the only hand that moves when I'm watching it.
Mommy, the big hand and the little hand don't move when I look at it. They only move when I'm not looking at it. I can be in the room (like when I'm sleeping) but I can't look at it. Then, it will move. The red hand (the second hand) is the only hand that moves when I'm watching it.
afw
Now, I'm sure that one day my kids will read this and give me an earful, but for the week (at least the start of the week), I'm continuing the facade of going to work just so they don't get used to me being at home. Of course, I come home a couple of hours later (to take Josh to skating!), but at least the kids think I'm still going to work.
I'm sure many of you parents are wondering if I'm doing this for them or me, and, truthfully, I guess it's a bit of both! Here I am at Starbuck's on my second day off, enjoying my coffee, scone and free wifi for just a short while.
I am finding, however, that between 7:45 (my usual departure time) and 9:30 am, there is not much that can be accomplished. I have phone calls to make and appointments to schedule, but most people are still commuting between these hours. I'm not getting much done in the way of errands at this hour. Instead, I'm skyping with my peeps back east, organizing a plethora of photos since Fall 2010 and catching up on my blog.
Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours each morning...
family time
We went camping at Bear Creek Provincial Park in the Okanagan this past weekend. I don't think its been a typical Okanagan summer, but it was fine by us Lower Mainlanders who have yet to see summer!
We had rain clouds come and go all Saturday afternoon and we even had a brief thunderstorm over dinner. When the clouds rolled in and we took cover in our trailer, we managed to pass the time having a bit of fun...
We had rain clouds come and go all Saturday afternoon and we even had a brief thunderstorm over dinner. When the clouds rolled in and we took cover in our trailer, we managed to pass the time having a bit of fun...
Monday, June 27, 2011
jeans, pants and weighing in
Here are 2 unrelated conversations I had with Josh on 2 separate occasions:
(After we've taken him to bed, Josh comes back downstairs to find me on the phone.)
J: Mommy, who are you talking to?
Y: My friend, Jean.
(Josh looks puzzled.)
Y: You would call her "Miss Jean".
(Still a puzzled, contemplative look.)
Y: Josh, you don't know Miss Jean. She's my friend from work.
J: Mommy, since I don't know her, I'm going to call her Miss Pants!
(In the bathroom, Josh is getting ready to brush his teeth; I step on the scale.)
J: Mommy, can I see how big you are?
(As he pushes me a bit so he can see the numbers on the scale.)
Y: How big am I?
J: You are 60 lbs!
Y: Wow! 60 lbs?!
(Josh pauses for a bit.)
J: Mommy, I know you are 1-x-x (the EXACT numbers on the scale!) but I'm going to say that you are 60 lbs!
(After we've taken him to bed, Josh comes back downstairs to find me on the phone.)
J: Mommy, who are you talking to?
Y: My friend, Jean.
(Josh looks puzzled.)
Y: You would call her "Miss Jean".
(Still a puzzled, contemplative look.)
Y: Josh, you don't know Miss Jean. She's my friend from work.
J: Mommy, since I don't know her, I'm going to call her Miss Pants!
(In the bathroom, Josh is getting ready to brush his teeth; I step on the scale.)
J: Mommy, can I see how big you are?
(As he pushes me a bit so he can see the numbers on the scale.)
Y: How big am I?
J: You are 60 lbs!
Y: Wow! 60 lbs?!
(Josh pauses for a bit.)
J: Mommy, I know you are 1-x-x (the EXACT numbers on the scale!) but I'm going to say that you are 60 lbs!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
something to talk about...finally
It's been awhile. I haven't felt like saying much lately. This year started out quite sad when my grandmother died. It left me feeling melancholy for longer than I expected. I guess that contemplating mortality is not something I do often.
I started seeing glimpses of my former self as Aves birthday approached. It was definitely the highlight of those first few months for me!
But then, sadly, my colleague and friend, Derek Miller, lost his battle with cancer and passed away on May 3rd. Devastating. Derek was only 41 years old.
So, I've sort of retreated this spring and tried to spend alot of quality time with my family. I think I've really needed this time to reflect and appreciate what I have around me. Especially on the eve of my 40th birthday.
Little did I know late in 2010, when I got together with my friends from UW and we decided to celebrate our 40th birthdays together in Vegas in June - that it would be so perfectly timed!
Honestly, I thought I would use this "vacation" to get some RnR. I was pleasantly mistaken! We spent a few days lighting it up in Vegas and, man, did it ever feel like old times. I didn't think I had it in me to go out drinking and dancing anymore and I guess I was wrong!
It was a blast. From our luxurious accommodations at the Venetian (thanks for organizing, Rav!) to shopping sprees with Em (pina coladas and Christian Louboutin...sigh...) to a perfect meal with French food, good friends and great memories (thanks for organizing, Jen!), I really can't think of a bad moment all weekend!
I'm not going to get into details about the weekend because, quite frankly, it's true that what goes on in Vegas needs to stay in Vegas! All I know is that I have come home feeling re-energized. It's weird to think 15 hours of sleep over 4 nights wouldn't make me feel like a zombie (reminiscent of having a newborn!). But there is something that needs to be said about re-connecting with friends of 20 years and finding that you can pick up right where you left off 20 years ago!
So, thanks Em, Jen, Steve and Rav. I love you guys. I will remember our trip for a long time to come (at least longer than I remembered where I spent the night after IRS!). And I can't wait for Fifty in Fiji!
Oh, and I need to mention that when I arrived home, Bri gave me an early birthday present. My husband is the best - first, a Vegas trip all to myself and then an iPad 2! Seriously?!
I started seeing glimpses of my former self as Aves birthday approached. It was definitely the highlight of those first few months for me!
But then, sadly, my colleague and friend, Derek Miller, lost his battle with cancer and passed away on May 3rd. Devastating. Derek was only 41 years old.
So, I've sort of retreated this spring and tried to spend alot of quality time with my family. I think I've really needed this time to reflect and appreciate what I have around me. Especially on the eve of my 40th birthday.
Little did I know late in 2010, when I got together with my friends from UW and we decided to celebrate our 40th birthdays together in Vegas in June - that it would be so perfectly timed!
I'm not going to get into details about the weekend because, quite frankly, it's true that what goes on in Vegas needs to stay in Vegas! All I know is that I have come home feeling re-energized. It's weird to think 15 hours of sleep over 4 nights wouldn't make me feel like a zombie (reminiscent of having a newborn!). But there is something that needs to be said about re-connecting with friends of 20 years and finding that you can pick up right where you left off 20 years ago!
Oh, and I need to mention that when I arrived home, Bri gave me an early birthday present. My husband is the best - first, a Vegas trip all to myself and then an iPad 2! Seriously?!
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