Band Practice

Mommy needs to study, so she turned off the Lady Gaga she was playing from iTunes. A guitar strumming Alex objected.

'We can't play our instruments without the mus-gik.'

Oh, sorry. Mommy turned it back on, but at a lower volume than it had been before.

'No, not lower like that. We can't play with it lower.'

Level checks and everything from this kid already.

Wednesday, September 29

They Say it Goes Too Fast

We had to take an unexpected adventure this afternoon. Mommy was able to get permission from the Dean to transfer online classes from the hot mess of a section she's in to a heavy work-load but more fairly graded section with Professor Lindley.

After a morning's worth of phone calls obtaining the permissions she needed, Mommy had to travel to campus to complete the transfer with the Registrar's office. It was a really rainy day, but we had to get there, rain, umbrella stroller, soggy Alex and all.

After we got off the 40 bus, it really opened up. We got soaked on the short walk to the Administration building. We had to travel to the Tech building and then back to Administration to get everything done. What a mess we were.

While on the way there, I had joked to Alex that he was going to college now. He repeated it and told everyone at the bus stop that he was going to college. I didn't think he got what that meant, though. Then in the classroom buildings, I realized he DID get it. With his backpack on over his varsity baseball jacket and wearing a travel thermos, Alex strutted around the halls as if he belonged there. He dashed into a group of college students walking down the hallway to be among them, walking to class. What a sight he was!

He told everyone who would listen that he as in college and going to class. At the bookstore, he ran away from me to look at the adult sized collegiate T-shirts, choosing his preferred one and to go get HIS textbook for his class. At the cafeteria, he told everyone about his WALL-E book, as if it were a textbook.
After all, everyone around him was walking around with textbooks in their arms. He needed his books too!

Well, they say it goes really fast, don't they?

September 27, 2010

He. Was. Turned to Steel

Lately, Alex has been demanding his tricycle. He was promised a tricycle among other big prizes if he completed sections of Big Boy Boot Camp. He knows that not only had he completed the original sections, but he's also moved on to achievement in newly added sections.

Where IS his tricycle?

So, today, Alex, Mommy and Daddy headed out to White Plains to go get Alex's tricycle; a red Schwinn Roadster with 'the hair on it', as Alex calls handlebar fringes.

But no one had the trike in physical stock anymore! We went to Toys R Us and Sports Authority, even to the dreaded (and typically boycotted) Target and Walmart. No one! We had to promise Alex that we would order it online. He was disappointed until we got to the second reason for our trip: a Halloween costume.

Alex has said for months that he wants to be Iron Man for Halloween. I hadn't been able to find a good Iron Man costume in his size and I didn't do any better at Toys R Us. That was until Alex saw the Red Power Ranger costume. It was love immediately.

I guess family costumes would be out this year. I'm not going as a pink or yellow Power Ranger (the female ones). At Target, Dan and I turned on the pressure to get him into a costume the whole family could replicate. No dice, but we did find a better Iron Man costume. At least if Alex chooses to go with Iron Man, then Daddy and Mommy only have to go as Colonel Rhodes and Pepper Potts. Black pinstrip suit for Mommy. Air Force officer's uniform for Daddy.

Once home, Alex wanted to get into his costumes right away. He loved the Power Ranger one and he actually looked really good in it. Then he remembered the Iron Man costume. It was Iron Man all the way then. It seems he's not too sure which one he'll wear for Halloween trick or treating, but he's sure to have fun whichever one it is.

While we were home, Mommy made the mistake of looking up adult sized Power Ranger costumes and one of the first to return in the search was the Pink Power Ranger. Alex saw it and excitedly declared that Mommy would be the Pink Power Ranger for Halloween and that Daddy would be the blue one because, as Alex says, "they're the Red Power Ranger's friends".

Not at 72 dollars for pink and 95 dollars for red, my friend. I think we may go with T shirts or something.

Saturday, September 25

Matryoshka...what? I want to paint!

Alex wasn't sure what "matryoshka" were. He was pretty sure he didn't like that word. Too funny sounding. He just knew that Grandma got him some great presents from her trip to the Baltic Sea. He loved the 'Finland' T shirt she got him. He really loved the little English Constable magnet. Then, of course, there was the new locomotive she got him at the Seaport yesterday. He played with that one ALL day today - and even slept with it last night.

We should hope so. At the toy vehicle kiosk in the Seaport, directly in front of the escalators - and therefore impossible to avoid when with youngin's - Alex had such a hard time making up his mind, that he demanded two vehicles. Mommy made him a deal. Use public potty and get both. Don't and get only one. He opted for only one - after he'd had the taxi for about 15 minutes. He returned it for the Amtrak locomotive. But I digress...

The Matryoshka. Yes. They came with paints. Watercolors, to be precise. Alex demanded today 'I want to paint the dolls!' So...we painted.

He painted the little dolls just a little. He really wanted to just play with the brushes and water.

Maybe we'll finish them in a month or so. Who knows?

Friday, September 17

To Our Favorite Immigrant

Alex recorded a special message to Daddy while sitting on the Immigrant Memorial in Battery Park.

Awwww.

September 16, 2010

The Ambrose: Docked at Third and Bird

This morning, Alex and I traveled to the South Street Seaport to meet Grandma McCann. We had planned a tour of Little Airplane studios (producers of The Wonder Pets). We got there a little early, so we all enjoyed a breakfast snack of cart food! Mommy had a shish kabob and Alex had his first big, salty pretzel!

The studio tour didn't really hold Alex's attention very much. The Supervising Producer holding the tour, Tone, offered to refund our tickets. After Alex fell in love with Samuel Lovebird from the up-and-coming (to the US) 'Third and Bird', we were able to take a talking Samuel in exchange for our refund. Thank you Little Airplane!

This meant it was time for Alex's favorit-est part ever - a tour of the Ambrose!!! Alex was psyched to get onto the old 1908 light ship again. He wanted to tell Grandma McCann allll about the engine room. Unfortunately, the stairs to the lower deck were a little too steep for Grandma, but Alex insisted on seeing it. He also wanted to steer the ship for a while.
 
We had to do some coaxing to get Alex onto the Peking, so that Grandma could see that too. We stopped in the on-board aquarium where Alex saw a real life horseshoe crab! Mommy pet it, but Alex passed. We even spotted the W.O. Decker from the high deck of the Peking. Alex can't wait to take his sail on that ship!

 Mommy thought that Alex might like a boat ride right now and that Grandma might want to take an easier ride home. I suggested that we all walk down to the Staten Island ferry to see if it could work for Grandma. Alex was a little intimidated by what he called "the really big boat". On the way to Staten Island, he wanted to stay safely on the inside and sit on a bench away from the windows.

Once we arrived on Staten Island and discovered that Grandma could take a single bus home, we grabbed another snack. Alex enjoyed a donut and orange juice, but it was a vanilla icing donut, so it wasn't that great. After surverying the docks and waterfront, he did want to go to the "Staten Island Beach" though. We had to explain that it was quite a far way from us.

We said "Goodbye" to Grandma and took our ferry back to Manhattan. This time, Alex led me out to the outdoor landing! Right there, on the main deck and everything. True to his girl-loving self, he was charming to a beautiful German tourist who was just as enthralled with him. Maybe 20 years from now, she might be in the market for younger men.

We couldn't get to the subway without visiting Battery Park, of course. We had to look for Spiderman! He wasn't there, but Zelda, the wild turkey was. Then Alex said that he needed to take a break, and sat down on the Immigrant Memorial to take one. Mommy talked to Alex about immigrants for a bit and we taped a greeting for Daddy - our favorite immigrant.

 
We arrived at Grand Cental Terminal just around dinner time. Alex didn't want to go home. I talked him into a deal. Use the public potty and we can stay for dinner. So...he did! He used the potty at Grand Central and he was treated to a yummy dinner of a giant chocolate chip cookie and chocolate milk at Junior's.

You'd think that Alex was exhausted by this time. Nope. He chatted to me all the way through our Metro North ride. We even met up with Daddy on our way back from the Harrison train station. He chatted to Daddy all the way home!

Then he was pretty eager to get to bed that evening, all snuggly with Samuel Lovebird.

Beach Buddies

What a surprise! Gail called at 8 AM and cancelled on me! (She was babysitting.) Debbie D. and Debbie G. dropped by not knowing when we were supposed to start the study. I'd had to tell them that when Gail cancelled, I'd already told Alex the good news - we could go to Island Beach again. It was due to be a beautiful day. They understood and I prepped us to go.

I tried to get us there a tad earlier today. We would have to stop at Town Hall to get a day pass. I was able to get us there on the 2 PM boat, arriving on the island at 2:15. There was a surprise waiting for Alex on the island too. The food vendor and his wife had to be on hand to pack everything up for the season. They had brought their 5 year old son, William with them. Alex had a playmate for the whole day! Alex took to William like a fly to honey.

William was a sweet and kind boy who didn't mind playing with a boy 2 years younger than himself. Alex was very Big Boy about sharing his toys (despite one brief incident over the big green Dig-Dig). They played on the playground together. They dug in the sand and moved trucks and rocks and shells around. Alex had a blast!

Alex took so soundly to William that when they walked back to the tent from the playground, Alex asked William to hold his hand. Being a big Kindergartener now, William refused. Alex was heartbroken. "William! You have to hold my hand!" he howled. I had to talk Alex into laying off, especially when he made William even more nervous by talking about how William would come home with us.

I told Alex that William had his own family to go home with. I asked William if he would be returning on the ferry with everyone else or if his dad had his own boat. William said that they'd be coming back on the ferry with everything they had to take from the stand. His uncle would be at the dock to help them with it all.

Alex took this as his cue to manipulate the outcome of events. He ran up to the picnic area by himself in which I had to dash after him, asking William to stay with the toys. Alex ran to the food stand and was trying to get the older William's attention. He wanted a buttered roll. I told Alex I had one from earlier, but he wanted another one. Well, OK. It's only a buck fifty anyway. Alex did eat his roll back at the tent.

After the 5:30 ferry set out for Greenwich, I told the boys to keep playing with the trucks and toys, but I was going to be folding up the tent. I started my long, methodical beach packing when Alex dashed up to the picnic area again. This time, I had everything scattered everywhere. I asked William if he could go after Alex. When he caught up with him, he called down to me. Alex wanted a buttered roll.

I threw things together on the beach and came up to where they were standing. I told Alex I still had a buttered roll for him. He wanted another. I finally got it. Alex must have thought that if he could stop the older William from leaving the stand, then 5 y.o. William wouldn't have to leave on the ferry - and neither would we. Oh boy.

So, yeah, Alex didn't want to leave. I had to carry him off the playground when it was time to head to the 6:30 ferry. He refused to put on his shoes - thinking that would stop us. Sorry, kiddo, nothing will. We can't get stuck on the island.

Now I know that it's all worth the effort to get there more often next year. Good-bye Island Beach and good-bye summer in Greenwich. We will definitely be seeing you next year.

Wednesday, September 15