Kaelen's Zoo Part 2

I guess when you are rebelling against structure, this means that you also will abandon your friends if necessary to prove your point.

After a most excellent adventure with his friends, Kaelen decided the other night that he just wasn't ready for bed. After a lot of talking and thumping, Mommy finally relented and poked her head into the door. To my surprise, Kaelen had tossed all of his loyal friends into the deep dark abyss known as the floor as well as all blankets. However, one friend in particular I think did a little rebelling of their own, as this was the site that I was greeted to:

Little Bugger.....

Some could argue that Kaelen is a late bloomer. I could argue that he certainly isn't a late bloomer in the growth category. My child is 16 months old and has almost outgrown 24 month clothing and is mostly wearing size 2; and weighs in at a whopping 29 lbs. He has an extremely good appetite fueled by a sense of adventure and curiosity that puts the cat to shame.

Paul and I over the past month have been trying to encourage Kaelen to walk. The most he will ever take is 4 - 5 steps on his own before deciding that Mom and Dad are better at assisting him or that crawling is much more exciting. There are times as a parent, when you can't help but wonder if all is okay because everyone else's child is walking and they are younger than yours. You start to compare (which ALL parents do) as this is a way to judge if your child is "on track" with normal development. I always keep in mind that every child is different and are on their own schedules. I didn't walk until 17 months and Paul at 15 months, so if we base his development on genetics, he is certainly right on track. Deep down, I know that Kaelen is doing just fine. Plus, being a working full time mom, I am always worried that I am going to miss out on those big moments; I likely rush Kaelen so I can see his accomplishments. It is a selfish trait I know, but I am so proud of this little boy and want to be there for it all.

Having said that, apparently Kaelen decided that he was going to walk everywhere at daycare yesterday. It surprised Kathy (the wonderful, amazing angel who takes care of Kaelen) as it was right out of the blue. So, of course Paul is full of excitement and phones me as I am on my way home (he found out when picking Kaelen up from daycare). Brimming with excitement of watching my son accomplish the next biggest feat in his life, I get home ready to be running after my son.

This is where Murphy's Law sets in; Kaelen had other plans for the night. The little bugger wanted no business of walking last night. Instead he would rather mommy crawl around with him and play chase. The point of this story: this impatient mother is going to have to wait a little while longer before her son wants to show off his newest acquired skill. And me? Well, I just have to exercise that patience and be sure not to push my son.

Kaelen's Zoo

Oh to have the imagination of a toddler. I can't help but envy children as it seems as we get older, we lose the ability to have fun vivid imaginations, or we don't allow ourselves to go there; deeming it as immature when you are a teen and then passing it off as not enough time when we are adults. I guess that all changes when you become a parent - you are presented with the opportunity to partake in that wonderful wild world of make belief again......

Kaelen has an army of zoo animals as his adventure companions in his crib. On a nightly basis, Hippy the Hippo, Leo the Lion, Bunny, Lambchops, Lankydoodle (the Elephant) and Monkey eagerly await Kaelen's arrival between 8:00-8:30 pm. From there, the seven of them embark on the most excellent adventure. Kaelen exercises his new sounds that he may have discovered that day and the plethora of zoo animals get to try out the new WWE maneuvers that Kaelen likely has learned from his daddy. No matter what the adventure may be that night, it certainly is a good one. The crib gets a rocking, Kaelen gets a singing and usually an animal or two unfortunately gets tossed overboard to fend for itself in the deep dark unknown (the floor). And, when Kaelen finally returns from the adventure, he is exhausted and falls into a peaceful sleep with animals (equally exhausted) scattered around the crib in various positions of disarray.

Meanwhile, Mommy or Daddy (and at times both) are sitting in the dark, rocking in the chair in his room with a big grin on our faces and at times tears. The nightly adventures that we get to witness are so innocent and full of joy, that we can't help but leave his room with an extra spring to our step and a fresh, positive outlook for the next day.

Being a parent is truly the best job on earth and we are blessed to have this privilege. Thank you Kaelen for being so precious and for bringing us more happiness that we could ever imagine. You truly are our pride and joy!

Da Vinci, Picaso; did they paint in the nude?

I wonder if this is how some of history's greatest painters kick started their productive careers? With soap crayons and a bathtub.......

Happy New Year!

Okay, so this is a few days late, but nevertheless, Happy New Year! May 2006 bring you good health, good wealth and plenty of joy.

Our New Years was celebrated with my mom and the three of us. The adults got spoiled rotten and feasted on lobster tails, crab legs and scallops while Kaelen got his own special feast of pasta mixed with tuna and green peas. Some of you may be gagging at that concoction but Kaelen devours it within seconds!

For Christmas, I received a memory card for my camera (thanks to Daddy and Kaelen)so now you will be inundated with pictures of Kaelen as I am shutter bug happy. As you can see, my little monkey is certainly not camera shy: