That Spooky Spirit

I think the concept of Halloween has kicked in for Alex. This afternoon, we traveled to Mangone's with Daddy to pick out a large pumpkin for carving. Their yard looked great, decorated with many of the yard decor they have for sale including a giant, inflatable haunted house. When we were last there a few days ago, I couldn't get Alex out of the house. Now, they had a cauldron stirring witch next to it and he wasn't so sure about it any longer.

He loved all of the other decorations though. The ghosts, the scarecrows, the gourds, the pumpkins. He was thrilled to have helped pick out our pumpkins. He even agreed to pose with some of their photo props, like a pumpkin truck and old fashioned farm pick up.

He wasn't too thrilled when it was time to leave, but poor Daddy was going to have quite a hike ahead of him carrying this large pumpkin. We had to bribe him out of there with a promise of stopping at CVS and a carving of the new pumpkin.

Carving the pumkins turned out to be a lot more difficult than we expected. There was pumpkin goo and pumpkin seeds and thick shells and tricky pictures to trace. Alex was thrilled though!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Take a Hike, Take a Hike!

We started Mommy and Me nature classes again! Alex was thrilled to get back to the Rye Nature Center and see the pond and acorns and, yes, the Rye City water pipes that run through it.

This time around, Alex wasn't as slow to join in with the class. He wanted to see the animals and sit down with everyone else. He objected to the hike at first, but then he learned it was going to the pond and the dock. Then he didn't want to return to the Nature Center.

After our class, it was time for a nice afternoon in Rye. There was lunch at Poppy's Cafe, at which Alex insisted on sitting at the counter for his french fries and bananas. There was the struggle to get to the toy store and the shoe store, both of which were averted by bribes to go to a new favorite place; The Country Store. Apparently Alex remembered their yummy sugar cookies from the summer and wished to get in on that action again.

Then there was the visit to the Dress Up museum and the library where Alex treated ME to a story instead of the other way around. And now Alex knows that he can play on the computers, though he doesn't stay on the children's station for very long.

Yay Fridays in Rye!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Negotiator

Alex was unusually naughty today. It started with his refusal to get out of the house to ride his tricycle. His new tricycle! Nope! He wasn't budging without the 'beam' attachment to his Crimson Dynamo action figure. After a fruitless hour of my trying to get him sneakered and jacketed up so that we could go, I decided that the time had passed. Now, I had to get to the drugstore. That set off a howling fit that is, thankfully, a rare sight around here.

He wouldn't go to the store. He wouldn't get his jacket on. When I told him that his temper tantrum required a time out, he refused! He never refuses time outs. Then I told him that he'd lost his computer privleges for the evening. More tantrum. So, then he earned the most dreaded punishment of all - an upside down smiley face sticker on his chart. Oh, the horror and howling that brought on!

I couldn't get him to calm down enough to explain the ground rules, so I told him to go to his room to calm down. He refused. So, I got up and placed the upside-down smiley face sticker on his weekly chart. He was so angry and upset about that, he marched into his room and peeled it off. Now, he was definitely getting a time out, but I didn't really desire to do it while he was in this state. I laid down on the couch and, for a change, watched some of my true crime shows.


After a while, a no longer howling Alex was heard dragging his little rocking chair from his room and across the dining room. I watched as he acted with such determination to maneuver the chair around the bench in the living room and through a narrow passage behind the computer chair to a spot right next to the couch. He faced the chair towards my head at the place where I was lying and sat down, facing me, hands on his knees.

"Mama, we have to talk", he informed me.

"OK, Baby. What is it that you want to say?" I sat up a little and looked at him.

"Mama, when you feel angry, you have to remember to take a deep breath." At this, he demonstrated a deep breath. "And calm down," he continued.


I told him that he was right and that I should get a handle on myself when I get angry, but that he had to as well - and he still had a time out coming.

"Mama!" he insisted, "You're not listening! When you get angry, you have to take a deep breath and calm down."

Apparently, this sage advice was offered in lieu of the time out. No dice, buddy. And thank you, Kai Lan, for teaching us a valuable lesson about taking a step back from a sticky situation.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

A Hard Knock Life

Today after his class at Tumbles, Alex wished to get a pumpkin. We strolled to Magone's and found a nicely shaped medium pumpkin. We also found a pumpkin carving kit in CVS. Later that afternoon, following his nap, Alex wanted to carve the pumpkin. Unfortunately, he was too wound up about Nick Jr. Boost to pay much attention. I told him that we'd do pumpkin carving on another day.

Later that evening, Alex had to eat his dinner in order to play on Boost some more. In the meantime, I sat down at the computer to do my homework. Alex asked if he could get on Boost and I explained that if he didn't finish his dinner, he'd get no computer privileges for the rest of the night.

'No pumpkin carving AND no Boost today!?!?!' he exclaimed.

Poor kid.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Everybody Needs a Red Tricycle

Alex earned another big prize from his Big Boy Boot Camp accomplishments: a shiny new red tricycle, even with the 'hair' on it (handlebar fringe). Dan had taken Alex to look at tricycles some months ago. Alex selected the very sturdy and very attractive Schwinn Roadster. We tried to find it at the store again last weekend to no avail, so we had to order it online. It arrived on Friday and we assembled it this morning. Alex wanted to take it out for a spin NOW!

And we were all too happy to go with him.

He was besides himself with joy about his new tricycle, even though it proved to be harder for him to do than he originally thought it would. But he practiced and practiced while we pushed him or pulled him by the handlebars. By the end of the day, he was able to pedal himself a few feet.

That didn't stop him from thoroughly enjoying pointing out his new trike to everyone who passed. He wanted to take it through the sidewalks and past the school. I can only assume that he wanted to show the big boys who are often there with bicycles just how big HE was getting too.

After a wonderful afternoon of practicing in the park, we decided to go for ice cream to celebrate. While in Applebee's, Alex was not happy one bit that we had to leave his tricycle parked in an area in which he couldn't see it. "Someone will take it!" he cried. We assured him that we could clearly see if someone went up to the trike. No sharing rule was in effect for the ice cream, of course, but he let up on it. Apparently he was appreciating the trike we gave him.

He'd told us yesterday while walking towards the train station "I love you both". I guess he was feeling all sorts of warm and fuzzy towards us again today.

We had to make a stop at CVS for a few things before we headed home. Unfortunately, Alex wanted to ride his tricycle all the way home from the lower school (Warren). It won't be so bad when he knows how to ride it. It's the having to bend over to reach a 21" tryke to pull or push it all the way home that hurts.

No matter, Alex tried and tried to pedal himself. He'll get there. We're sure of it.

Congrats on your new ride, Baby!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Quiet Schooner

Today was the day of our Pioneer sail. Alex had earned the sail as a prize for accomplishments in Big Boy Boot Camp. He choose the Pioneer over the tugboat cruise they also have. Apparently Alex doesn't much care for boat engines. The Pioneer is an 1885 schooner that has been retro-fitted with a small engine to get it out into the harbor and back to the pier, but granted, it would sound nothing like a tug's giant engines. I think Alex made the right choice.

It took the first half of the 2-hour sail for Alex to feel comfortable enough moving around the ship. He was really into watching Daddy help hoist the sails, even though he first objected. ('Don't walk around the ship, Daddy. It's dangerous!') After Daddy helped hoist the second sail, Alex felt a little bit more at ease walking around.

After staring into a cabin porthole for about 20 minutes, he felt a lot more at ease. He even walked up to the First Mate and declared 'I want to help!' They had a hard time locating a small line for him to haul, so we allowed Alex to explore some pretend jobs on the ship.

The sights didn't interest him at all; not even the tugs all over the harbor. He only took a passing interest in the Statue of Liberty. It was all about the boat crew for him - and that he just loved! He was soon parroting the First Mate's commands about the "jib" and the "main peak". He was shouting out commands himself as he "steered" the ship by turning a small wheel on a line peg. He was walking all around the cabin tops (with our sturdy grip), pretending he was hoisting line. This was just a pretend play date come true for him.

Our sail wasn't until 4 PM, so there had been some time spent on the Ambrose before we went sailing. That hadn't been enough of a visit for Alex, so I promised him that we'd be back soon for a Mini-Mates play class at the museum. I also hope to get him to Governor's Island before the ferry there ends this month. He asked ALL about it as we cruised back and forth past its shores. He actually remembered the island from last year's NY 400 festival.
And, yes, the Pioneer proved to be just as quiet as Alex likes his ships to be.

Saturday, October 2

A Summer of Successes

Tomorrow ends the first phase of Big Boy Boot Camp. To be honest, I didn't know there would have to be a second phase. I had no idea just how long potty training goes on. This is not to say that Alex didn't have amazing successes through the previous nine weeks. He did. We just have to extend it for potty skills.

Two months ago, on July 30th, we celebrated Alex's 'graduation' from being a baby. He got through the trauma of being separated from Mommy for a real duration of time in his nursery school summer camp. He started out in tears when we'd leave. We ended the six weeks with his never wanting to leave the playground and his beloved Blue Room.

At the time, Alex was still in diapers 24/7. He was still refusing to sleep in his big boy bed, preferring a bean bag on the floor. He was still demanding a bottle before bed time. He was terrified of sitting on the potty most of the time. His few successes in it had come far between. He didn't care for underwear at all, nor even pull-ups. Dressing himself confounded him. He had to be literally forced to pick up toys, with my holding his hand over the toy and grasping it for him to put it away.

Today, he knows where every toy goes and he gleefully puts it away, to show how well he can clean his room. He's thrilled to put on his own socks and pull up his own pants. He thinks it's fun to put on a shirt. He hates the thought of daytime diapers now and refuses pull-ups for a different reason. The bottle is a distant memory as is the bean bag. It seems he can't even remember not having his beloved Superhero comforter and sheets.

For success in Big Boy Boot Camp categories, the big prizes from which he had to choose were; a tricycle; a sail on the Pioneer at the Seaport Museum; a big fire engine from Playland and a sail on the W.O. Decker at the Seaport Museum.

For conquering the bottle nearly immediately, he won his big toy from Playland; a school bus that he preferred instead. This left his success in his big boy bed and his moderate scuccess in potty. We promised that if he left daytime diapers and learned how to use the potty regularly, he'd win a big prize. He's accomplished at least that much.

Now, he wants more and more lessons. Clean up assignments. Academic lessons. More challenges on dressing himself. The next potty step is for him to use it without fail and to use a public toilet. He says he's eager to learn. He knows that he does not want diapers any longer.

So, Alex has won his tricycle and at least one sail on a historic ship. We ordered his tricycle this Monday. Between the two sails, he surprisingly chose the 1885 schooner, the Pioneer after a summer of talking up the 1930 tug, the W.O. Decker.

"The W. Decker is too noisy", he says. He wants the schooner for its quiet sailing.

Mommy has put up his new Big Boy Boot Camp chart for the next 8 weeks. New categories. New challenges. New prizes to be selected.

Congratulations baby. You did it.

October 1, 2010