Spontaneity Rocks

Ecology class was cancelled today. The email said that they were preparing for their fund raiser tomorrow and suggested we stop by then instead. This left a big ol' space on our schedule, so I made Alex's day. We went back to J.W. Tumbles for Open Gym.

We saw lots of old friends there. I explained to one mom, Liane, that we would be back to Tumbles in November. Alex had a great time running and climbing. When it was time to go, he wasn't too happy until I told him that we would be going to the diner and the hardware store. He was all about the hardware store.

He surprised me more than once today, though. I told him that we also had to go to Village Hall to order some recycling bins. When we'd done it, he asked me when we were going to get the recycling bins. (I'd ordered them to be delivered.) Cooperation with an errand? That's new.

But that wasn't the only surprise. Lately, he's been very spontaneous with his hugs and affectionate expressions, like telling me that he loves me. Today, he stopped by the sidewalk grass to pick a flower, like he commonly does, but he handed it to me instead of keeping it.

You know I pressed that flower. It's a passed on dandelion, at least a few weeks out of bloom, but I pressed it anyway.

Friday, September 30

Alex Loves Shopping. No, Really. He Does.

I had an appointment with my neurosurgeon, Dr. deLotbiniere this afternoon. I had to bring Alex with me, which was great with him. It meant we could spend some time together at White Plains.

I had to return some DVDs to the Mamaroneck library. I also had to get Alex a new biking helmet and the experimental "potty toy" today. So, we went out to Mamaroneck Avenue early. Then we traveled to White Plains. This was a whole DAY of shopping for Alex.

After the surgeon examined my scar and told me that he would like me to get an MRI on the anniversary of my surgery, we left the office and walked to the bus stop. We took it towards White Plains instead and did some shopping.

For a strange reason (meaning the carts he saw which had riding cars attached to them), he wanted to go to Shop Rite (which he kept calling "Shop Well"). Then, when I told him that we didn't need any groceries, he wanted to go to Target. I was OK with that as long as we could look at clothing for him. He had other plans. The toy aisles were ready for him.

I took some photos for Santa. Ya know, ideas. We never did get to look at any clothing.

"I love shopping", he told me "Just not for clothes, or pots, or groceries. Just toys, really."

I think I figured that out.

Tuesday, September 27

Precision Please

Alex is yelling at Dora (the Explorer) right now. Apparently, she has suggested the use of some "sticky tape" to fix a hot air balloon that one of her friends is using. Alex is objecting to the idea of "sticky tape" insisting that ALL tape is "sticky". So, apparently, Dora should stop saying "sticky" tape.

And to think he stopped watching Ni-Hao Kai Lan because he thinks Kai Lan is too bossy.

Monday, September 26

A Shopping Day

Alex was playing with his puppy this afternoon. At one point, he wrapped its leash around a handle of one of the trunks in the living room. 

"I'm going to the store," he told me. "And they don't let puppies in the store.  He has to stay there."

I would have taken a photo of it, but when I grabbed the camera I noticed that the battery was missing. So, that was a quick hunt.

Precision Please

Alex is yelling at Dora (the Explorer) right now. Apparently, she has suggested the use of some "sticky tape" to fix a hot air balloon that one of her friends is using. Alex is objecting to the idea of "sticky tape" insisting that ALL tape is "sticky". So, apparently, Dora should stop saying "sticky" tape.

And to think he stopped watching Ni-Hao Kai Lan because he thinks Kai Lan is too bossy.

Monday, September 26

Coney Island Part 1: The NY Aquarium

Anxious to do more meet ups and to get to Coney Island at least once this summer, I contacted my Yuku friend Sarah to ask her if she could get to the NY Aquarium.  After much debate as to which day was predicted to have the least amount of rain, we decided this morning that it would be the day. 

I left my house with Alex early, knowing that I'd get to Coney Island ahead of Sarah and her kids.  I wanted Alex to see the amusement parks there, hoping I could entice him to want to visit those too.

We had some brief lunch on the boardwalk and a bit of a disagreement over his playing on the monkey bars on the beach.  (It was close to the time we had to meet Sarah.)

But, I was able to get him into Luna Park to have some ice cream. He agreed to come back there after the aquarium.

Sarah and her son Braeden were waiting for us at the entrance.  We met up with her husband Marc who had had to bring her April 07 baby, Ryleigh, to the bathroom. (Hint, Alex. Hint.)  We were just in time to see a walrus feeding and then head off to the sea lion show.  Alex laughed his head off at the sea lion antics, but you just know I wasn't able to get it on video.

I did get him rocking out to the next part of it, though.

Alex took so well to Sarah and Marc!   At one point in the sea lion show, he scooted up next to her and placed his hand on her knee.  While walking there, he held onto Braeden's stroller while she was pushing it.  Then, once outside the show, he took to Marc like crazy. 

All of the kids with Sarah's husband, Marc.

We decided to see the hands on exhibit, so we walked into that hall.  Unfortunately, it was closed, so we had to settle for the saltwater marshlands exhibit which allows the viewer to see underneath the water. (With fish placed there.) 

(There wasn't one time we could get all three looking back at the camera at the same time. ) At one point, I had a really big scare.  Alex wandered off on his own and it's dark in this exhibit.  He was lost for about panic-striken 3 minutes.  He earned a demerit for that.  ;-(

The rest of the exhibit was really cool.  There were seahorses:

Giant, deepwater fish

And a giant walrus statue, on which Alex refused to be photographed.

In the shark exhibit (which Alex insisted on getting to), there were Great Whites and a 10 foot stingray.

The best exhibit, though, had to have been when Alex wanted to hold Ryleigh's hand.  (I told him that he had to ask her first.  I asked her and she agreed.)  They soon became NY's new power couple, or so said Sarah.

After we bought some souvenirs (Alex wanted the shark set), we agreed to go to Nathan's for a quick bite.  Out on the boardwalk, the previously camera shy Alex hammed it up. (Probably for Ryleigh's sake.)

He also had something very important to tell Ryleigh on the walk there: That's the parachute jump that can be seen in the distance. It doesn't work anymore. I had explained this to Alex when we first arrived.  He took every opportunity to tell Sarah and Marc (and Ryleigh) this repeatedly.
After we had hot dogs and fries, Sarah and Marc had to go back home.  While saying our goodbyes on Stillwell Avenue, Alex informed Marc that he would be staying with us.  Marc had to inform Alex that he would be driving the car to get everyone else back home, so, maybe next time.

At that, Alex and I turned to go back to the boardwalk. We had some fun to get after.

Coney Island Part 2: Luna Park

After we'd left Sarah and Marc, I headed towards Luna Park.  We walked through the Scream Zone entrance on Stilwell and through a back alley that had arcades and games.  At a basketball game, I won Alex a raggedy teddy bear.  In an arcade, he checked out the games, but didn't wish to play any.

"They copied Playland!" he objected.  I had to explain that Coney Island had opened nearly 40 years before Playland did. Playland was the copy.  He had to verify that with me several times while we walked through Wonder Wheel park and up onto the boardwalk.  By the time we arrived at Luna Park, he was cautiously telling the staff there that Playland was the copy.  (Only one woman knew what he was talking about.)

I'd bought a Luna Card before we met Sarah and her family. Now we had to get to spending it! I encouraged him to try a kiddie log flume there called "The Mermaid Parade".  Despite his objections to the name, he loved the ride.  He wound up on it some four times.  He laughed so hard each time it went down the hill.  A tiny hill!

Then he wanted to go on some swings that went up pretty high - for him anyway.  I talked him out of those and onto these boats.  Boy, was he both sorry that I did and glad that I hadn't let him go on the swings.  These boats were "too high" for him.

Poor little guy.  He's hanging on for dear life in that video. After these boats, there was no getting him onto any of the more daring rides; not even things he's been on before like the spinning cups or the hot air balloons. (Both at Sesame Place and other locales like Playland or festivals).

We did find another ride he enjoyed a lot.  A little tot train.

Then it was time to play some games!  We tried a duck game, at which he won a seahorse.  Then we tried the fishing-froggy game at which frogs spin around on a circle with their mouths opening and snapping shut.  You had to dip a hook into their mouths and lift them up.  That took longer than I should admit.  He won a little bear there.

Then he wanted to take a walk out to the beach.  We stopped for some more ice cream.  Then I realized that he would need a new shirt, since he got ice cream all over himself.  I was able to get two souvenir shirts for $15 dollars. 

We walked all the way past Steeplechase park and the now-well-known-to-him Parachute Jump.  There was a gazebo on the beach there right across from another jungle gym, but I was nervous around the crowd that was seated there.  I had to rush Alex off the jungle gym.  He wasn't happy about it.  At the next jungle gym, I realized that it was close to 6 PM.  We still had points on the Luna Card and we wouldn't be back soon.  I had to get him out of there too.

As we walked back towards the amusement parks, I saw a ride in Deno's Wonder Wheel Park (or is it the Scream Zone) that looked currr-aaa-zy.  It was like a yo-yo or a gyroscope, balanced on two wires, bouncing high into the air.  In the yo-yo/gyroscope are two seats, intended for passengers.   It can be seen here; the black thing in the middle of the two large orange poles.

They have to be kidding me.

I assured Alex that we would not be going on that ride.

But there were more games to play! We stopped at some skee-ball in the Scream Zone.

He rode the Tot Train and the Mermaid Parade one more time each. Then there was one more ride I talked him into: The Beach Shack.  This was a shack with seats facing out from its center that spun around on an asymmetrical pivot, like the swings will.  He loved it!! He wanted to go back on it, but all of the kiddie rides were closing then.  We had 9 points left on the Luna Card, so we played one more game: a water gun race at which we won a purple snake.   

The sun was soon setting on Coney Island. I realized that we had to go. We'd get home well past Alex's bedtime at this rate.  Alex told me that he wanted to come back there "tomorrow".  I had to tell him that it would be much longer from then. The parks are only open on weekends until the third week of October and for some of Sukkoht.   After that, they close until May. 

He fell asleep on the subway home.  I hated having to wake him at Grand Central.  He had such a full day.