The Fire Truck and the Bamboo

About a week or so ago, I bought Alex a fire engine toy because he didn't really have a good one to go with his train set and car play set on the train table mat. He picked out a ladder engine that he just LOVED. That was until he realized it made a siren sound, something I hadn't known when I bought it because the battery had had a thin cardboard divider to stop it from conducting. I'd removed it without knowing what it was. Once the engine's siren went off, Alex was terrified. His face bore a look of utter horror and betrayal because something he'd adored so strongly had become a source of sheer terror. He'd scream for us to make it 'Go 'way!'. He wouldn't have it in his sight. I told him that we'd fix it so it wouldn't talk any longer. We'd take the battery out. He'd only respond with howls and cries of 'Noooo! Go 'way. Fire truck GO 'WAY!'. Alex insisted that I keep it up on a certain kitchen counter where he could see it and would freak if I moved it. He'd look for it every day, but never ask to play with it.

Dan eventually snuck the toy out of Alex's sight and removed the battery. When Alex woke the next morning and saw that it wasn't we we'd left it, he asked where it was. I looked on another shelf and spotted it, figuring that Dan had removed the battery. So, I took it down and Alex immediately yelled. "Noooo. Go 'way! Fire Engine there! There! That way!" He was frantically pointing to the kitchen counter where he'd wanted me to replace it. I assured him that it didn't talk anymore and it took a while to convince him. So, I went to another part of the dining room and played with the truck myself. After only a few seconds of seeing me roll it around, he squealed with laughter and ran over to get the truck. It was love again. He called it "Fire Truck. Doesn't talk."

During and after the Scary Fire Truck period, I'd ask him if he'd like to see a real fire engine and meet real firefighters at the fire station. He'd say immediately "No! Go 'way!" He wouldn't even let me discuss it. I'd brought him by our closest station and let him look into the closed garage door to see the truck. It seemed to lighten his fear a little.

So, today, September 10, I told him that we could see the real fire truck. I'd talked it up through the art gallery and the gym and the Munchkins, so he built up some courage. We were in the next town over, which has a professional fire department and can afford a lot more trucks in their station. I walked to the station and stepped into the open garage where a ladder engine was parked. He wanted to know ALL about it. We talked about the fire engine until Alex pointed out to the sidewalk and said "That way!", indicating that he wanted to go. I asked him if he'd like to come back with Daddy and then we could meet real firefighters. He finally said an enthusiastic "YEAH! Daddy fireman. Daddy fireman."

Well, no, kiddo. Daddy is a computer programmer. But maybe the firefighters will let him wear a helmet too.

Just a short walk around the block where the station is located brings you to a back driveway that cuts through the whole block. Trees and bushes grow along the sides of this driveway, very poorly kept. Apparently nobody really claims this patch of land enough to keep the greenery maintained. It had been only a few weeks ago that I'd cut through this driveway to take a shortcut to my hair salon. It was only then, after years of having walked that way plenty of times, that I noticed that among the wild plants to the sides were bamboo stalks. Tall, mature bamboo growing wild here in New York.

When we turned the corner, I asked Alex if he'd like to see some bamboo. We turned down the drive and I pulled the stroller up next to the wild greenery. Without my even pointing the particular plants out, he cried "Bamboo!!" and "It's bamboo!". I asked him what he remembered about bamboo and reminded him of how the pandas eat it and how it normally grows in China, where Kai-Lan and her friends are from.

Eventually, we turned home and I told him it was time for milky-milk in his story corner. I got him home and prepared his milk drink while he prepared his story corner relaxation spot. In this spot, I've placed a bean bag chair and two very large, squishy teddy bears as additional snuggly cushions, but Alex likes to move the bears before he lies down. He held onto the smaller panda bear in the corner and I told him that I would get his snuggle-buddy Biscuit, a stuffed yellow lab puppy, for his rest. While I was grabbing Biscuit, I heard Alex talking to the panda bear.

"You eat bamboo. I saw bamboo. Here, Panda Bear, have some bamboo. Is it good? D'ya like it? Hungry? Yeah! It's bamboo!"

I left Alex to his milk, his books and his pretend meal of bamboo (the bars of the play yard sections) for Panda Bear.

September 10, 2009

The Day Out

40 minutes (!) in the art gallery choosing a frame for Alex's new wall art because the owner would quote only ridiculously high prices for the suggested frames. When I'd said that I would have to take the stretched canvases as is, he suddenly found frames within my stated budget range. It's still too high for wall art in a kid's room, but I was 2/3 of the way there, so I just went with it. At least I can reuse the frames for different art in later years. Then it was a quick stop in a kid's Tae Kwon Do dojo and gym for an inquiry about classes for a 2.5 year old. The Mommy and Me Kick-It! classes begin Sept 18 and were only slightly higher than I felt comfortable paying for 13 weeks. I picked up the literature and talked to Alex more about 'school'.

See, Alex's "school" had called me yesterday asking if I was going to be attending Baruch this semester, as Alex would be attending the Early Childhood Learning Center on campus. I had to say that I had delayed taking classes until January and she informed me that there would still be spots available for Alex, which was great news. So, at story time that afternoon, I told Alex that "his school" had called that day. I wanted to know how he felt about attending school. (I've brought this convo up before). He said "Preschool?" [I'd said "school}]. I said that it was "preschool". He said "With the boys and girls?" I said that it would have other boys and girls to play and learn with. He answered with an emphatic "YEAH!"


So, we stopped in the gym today about classes. I told him that it would be a school for sports, where he could climb and run and kick a ball and play. He said "With the boys and girls?" I guess he's ready for peer society. He seems really excited about the idea of being with other children. But he wasn't TOO ready. He asked if this school would be with a teacher or Mommy. I said "Both". He nodded his head enthusiastically and repeated "Teacher AND Mommy. Yay. Mommy. Teacher. AND Mommy."

September 10, 2009

Noooo! Walk Around!

Today, I told Alex that we had to go out for a long walk and that we had to take The Green Carriage (a new Jeep lightweight stroller that he doesn't care much for). That brought on a fit. He said he wanted to 'Walk around', which means allowing him to do the walking, which would mean I would not get to the art gallery as I'd planned. It's too far for me to rely on his walking it. I was willing to let the art gallery go today just so I could get out and walk. When he would not relent on the carriage, I brought out his puppy harness and lead, he threw another fit. 'Noooo! Puppy go 'way! Walk around!'. So I informed him that it was either the carriage or the puppy leash. That brought on tears. So I got down onto the floor and told him I wanted to talk to him. He wouldn't come over to me, but he listened as he kept himself wrapped up in the curtains. I told him that the reason why he needs either the leash or the carriage was because it was dangerous for him to walk around outside without them. Mommy had to keep him safe, I argued, and she does that with the carriage or the leash. I went on to explain some of the dangers of his being outside without them and he looked like he was giving it some serious thought. I paused to let him think about it and waited for him to say something. Eventually he said 'I scared of ice cream truck.', in a tone that sounded like a reasoning process, if it's even possible at his age. I said 'That's right and with the leash or the carriage, Mommy can take you away from the ice cream truck if you get scared.'

Within a minute or two, he was back to listening to his options. The leash meant a walk around the neighborhood. The carriage meant a long walk to the art gallery and then to Dunkin Donuts for Munchkins, which he loves. He chose the Munchkins and still threw a fit when I put him in the carriage, but he was more readily reminded of our talk when I'd said "Remember. We talked about this. It's dangerous without the leash or carriage." He relented on his back arching and said simply "Dangerous. I scared of ice cream truck."


So he WAS reasoning! Wow. September 10, 2009

You Mean It Goes on the Ground???

We had our soccer game cut short today. It seems that Alex was all about "playing soccer" until he discovered that it involved placing his beloved ball down on the grass and kicking it. He was back to being a tree hugger within seconds.

September 1, 2009