Happy Harvest, Optimus Prime

We attended the Harvest Festival at the Stamford Nature Center today. I wish I could say Alex had a great time, but it may not have been the case. And we met up with Jen, her mom Sheila and her two boys and everything!

Alex wore his Optimus Prime costume. He had already been thrilled about that part. Then, he was intrigued at the Animal Embassy - seeing pythons and alligators and all. (The staff told us that every animal kept there had been LEFT with the Nature Center. An Alligator? Really?? Really.)  He loved seeing the otters.  Everybody loves otters.

However, when it was time to get to the activities and crafts, Alex W. was all over those. My Alex? Not so much. Leaf prints? No! Pick a pumpkin? No! Crank some cider? No! I did that already! He was just a jaded guy. He did love feeding the animals, especially the sheep and "llamas".  They have real llamas there, but Alex calls sheep that are any color other than white, "llamas" because, apparently, "Sheep are white". 

He also enjoyed the hay ride and chasing the turkeys with Alex W. So there was that. He got into the cider and treats stop and the antique farm equipment. Everybody loves cider and treats, right?

Then there was a period of time in which he took some inspiration from "The Secret of Kells". This was a film I'd borrowed from the Mamaroneck Public Library earlier this month which I had loved, but Alex had refused to watch.  I can't say I blamed him, though.  The animation was drawn like Bronze Age era Celtic etchings and illuminations. Pretty scary when they're animated.  But I'd loved the story so much that I told it to Alex in installments.  He was enchanted by the story of Brendan, kept inside the monastery walls by an overprotective uncle and his encouragement by Brother Aidan, a skilled illuminist.  Aidan had taught Brendan how to identify berries used for ink.  After I told Alex about this, he eyeballed every berry as a potential source of ink and taught it to Alex W too.

Alex's favorite part, though, was the visit to Nature's Playground. He'd been asking to go to it since we'd arrived. I'd put it off to last because I knew there was no way we were going to get the boys out of there. Boy! Was I right. Neither boy gave that much of an argument about leaving (my son put up more of a fight though), but it was clear that they weren't happy.
We'd stopped at the souvenir shop, but Alex kept choosing toys that were run-of-the-mill. Daddy promised him a stop at the Stamford Mall, though. He had a reward due for having been so good at picking up his toys. NOW he was happy to leave.
We parted ways with Jen and her family and headed to the Stamford mall. We actually wound up going to Target and there we found...the mask. I mean a real, honest-to-goodness hard plastic for real Optimus Prime mask. This one could be played with repeatedly and not break.
Alex was so thrilled with it that he took it out on the train to admire it. He told us that when he wore it at the costume parade everyone would say "I wish I had a mask like that!" Turns out that's almost exactly what he heard from a young woman on the train. When we were leaving, she told him that he had a really cool mask and that she'd love to have a mask like that.
Alex held his hand out to Dan and said "See? I TOLD you!" (I explained it to the young woman.)

Yes, Alex, you did, indeed, tell us.

Saturday, October 15th

A Serious Student

We did apple pressing today at Mommy & Me Ecology. In the middle of the demonstration Alex said that he needed a piece of paper because "I have to take notes".

He's serious about that cider making. I'll tell you.





We also met Jose, the Chinchilla:

And Squeaks the guinea pig who loved the pear slices we gave him:

And we watched a box turtle eat some lettuce:

When it came time for the cidering demonstration, Alex was eager to show off his skillz learned in the Cidering Workshop.

Like usual, though, he wasn't crazy about Craft Time. That is, he didn't wish to contribute his apple to the class apple tree. 

So, he contributed the leaves that Ms. Kristy had prepared instead.

He was also willing to paste a blank apple onto the tree.  I guess it was something, right?

Friday, October 14

Alexism Recovered

While cleaning up some papers, I found the following quote I'd written down. I'm not sure when it was said. Given the recency of the paper it was on, it was likely said in rainy September.

"I like the rain. It brings me puddles."

Friday, October 14

Sticker Jonez

In addition to having used potty a few days ago, Alex wanted to remind me of how good he was in music class today.

"I was better in music class, today, right? Almost good?"

Well, yes, he was. He was much better than he was last week. Still hated the textbook kids' names, though. I hope he adjusts his attitude towards the homework he was given. Learn the scale alphabet backwards and forwards and learn the correct piano numbering for his fingers. Just an FYI to Rothstein and Melanie; if you want to see some better cooperation, drop the cutesy bug stickers. Just sayin'.

He's a Play-UH!

Regarding Potty: Our arrangement is that he can play with the Space Shuttle as long as he sits on the potty (1 hour max) and for two hours after he does something in the potty.  However, after overhearing my discussion with a friend in which she’d said that her oldest daughter declared that she would potty train at 4 (and did on her fourth birthday and ever since), Alex told me that he would potty train when he was 5.  I didn’t wish to retract the Space Shuttle toy, so that deal stayed in place while I accepted that he would, indeed, potty train at 5. 

Tonight, he pooped in the tub.  It was the first time it had ever happened with me bathing him. I didn’t react very strongly at all. I had him get out, I wiped the tub and drained it, rinsing it down with the shower.  Then I refilled it.

In the meantime, he moved his new blue potty. I asked him where he was taking it.  He said “Nowhere” and proceeded to sit on it.  When the tub was full, I told him that he had to get in it and he told me that he was trying to do pee-pee.  (Oh, slick).  I told him that I’d give him ten more minutes. After ten minutes, I told him that it was enough.   He objected. “No! I’ve done stinkies! Look!” Sure enough, there was a small sliver in the potty. “I need to finish!” he objected.  (Slick again.)  I told him that he could finish and that we’d be getting in the tub soon.

Then he asked if he could play with the Space Shuttle.  Grrrrrrr.  I hate being played like this.  Of course he can play with it. That was the deal.   No bath tonight, I suppose.  Now I have to think of an exit strategy from this new manipulation.

I should be proud that he’s so intelligent, right?

Alex Day Continues in Mamaroneck

We arrived at Mamaroneck Avenue just about 3:20 or so.  I first stopped at CVS to purchase something I needed. But then it was time for Alex to duck into Miller's.  We spent a terrific 40 minutes there before we had to leave.

When it came time to go, though, Alex was having none of it.  Mommy was hungry though! And it was close to 4 PM! It took a lot to get Alex out of the store - without a new toy and everything.

I stopped at the new Middle Eastern restaurant to check out the small offerings that could be quick and easy, but it was a few minutes past 4. I didn't trust that we'd make it.  It turned out to be a good thing too.  The walk was longer than I recalled.  Many months before, we'd done the walk to Miss Marilyn's music class just about the same distance.  That was when Alex was in a carriage. Now, with his little legs?  It would likely take about 15-20 minutes to get there.

We arrived at around 4:20, staking out a spot on the porch bench.  So, it seemed a good place to start reading the new Geronimo Stilton book we'd just borrowed from the Rye library.  Kate arrived just about 4:35 and handed me back my iPod.  Yay! Now, I could hear my music again, but more importantly, I could eat now!

We parted at the corner of New and Mamaroneck and I had hoped to stop at the Mexican restaurant (Three Jalapenos), but it was closed for renovations!  We walked on to Depot Way and took the back way around to check out the Turkish restaurant, but it looked too expensive. I didn't wish to spend much.  We finally went to Super Pan, the Guatemalan restaurant. 

When it was all done, we went back to the bus stop.  Alex was getting very sleepy.  No kidding! We'd been out since 9 AM!

To say that he slept well that night is an understatement.  I fell behind in housework.  I most certainly didn't get to plan my weekly meals that day.  But, it was all worth it.

Alex Day at Milton Point

After leaving the Meeting House  - and Alex having rung its bell - we came across the Milton Point firehouse.   There was a firefighter there, washing the trucks and engines.  Alex and I took a walk around to look at the engines. They had a pump, a tower ladder and even an emergency services vehicle.  The attraction, though, was outside.  They had a naval anchor, dated 1942 from Norfolk, standing outside. Alex loved seeing it and talking about it.  He asked me to read the date on it (I suppose he was recalling that it was there from the anchor in Harbor Island Park) and asked me what sort of ship it had been on.  I said I didn't know that, but that it had been made in Virginia, where Grandpa McCann had first been stationed after getting out of Boot Camp.   Alex started to call it "Grandpa McCann's anchor".

Then, we came upon a deli I'd often seen while traveling to and from Playland. It was called "The Corner Store" and it was a fancy, boutique deli with all sorts of goodies.  Alex had a chocolate cupcake, made up like a spider's web for Halloween. 

The deli was just off the corner of Oakland Beach Avenue, which is where the 76 bus stops.  Amazingly, we had taken just an hour to do our tour of Milton Point.  The very next bus was due at that stop about 10 minutes after we arrived.  It took some convincing to get Alex to agree to go on the bus.  He wanted to go back to Rye City center and thought that we were taking a bus away from that.  We were, but it also turns around.  I had to get Alex to believe it before he'd agree to get on.

In the meantime, we had a "Who's bigger" contest while sitting on a garden curb waiting for the bus. I'm pretty sure I won, even though Alex was sure he did.

I promised Alex that if we got to Rye City center early enough, that we could stop in the store he had hoped we'd stop in: Shoes N' More.  (It has a castle to climb).  Unfortunately, the bus arrived at Theodore Fremd Avenue only 10 minutes before a 61 was due.  We needed to get on that 61 if we'd hoped to meet Kate at 4:30 at the Avalon.  I promised him instead that we would shop on Mamaroneck Avenue.

Despite his not being all that happy about that, this was turning out to be a great Alex Day.