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macblaze
Jun 6, 2007, 6:10 PM
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Cat's in the Cradle is on the radio right now...this was the song that was playing in the car 15 years ago as I drove at 2 am to deliver mother and unborn son to the hospital.
15 and 3/4 years later he's driving me around, climbing 11s in the gym and is generally the smartest smart-ass in my life. He's also (as I type) under general anesthetic for the first time for some oral surgery and I'm just thinking all of it. Holy crap, who left me in charge of all this...I'm still waiting to grow up!
What about yours...let's hear some spray!
(This post was edited by macblaze on Jun 6, 2007, 6:12 PM)
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madriver
Jun 6, 2007, 6:18 PM
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....15 3/4 years later my female charge is finishing exams while being recruited as a sophomore by a dozen D1 and two dozen D3 schools....oh the NCAA violations!!!!! While not climbing very much anymore she can still put most to shame in a gym or on the rock....she is the most AMAZING KID I know...along with my younger male charge!!!! Not looking forward to drivers Ed here in a week.....time flies when you're having fun!!!!!
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lena_chita
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Jun 6, 2007, 6:26 PM
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macblaze wrote: Holy crap, who left me in charge of all this...I'm still waiting to grow up!
LOL, that sums it all up very nicely. I hope your son's surgery goes well.
My kids are 8.5 and 4.5yo. I wouldn't mind if they were 19 and 15yo right now. But everyone is telling me that as soon they grow up I will be wishing for the time to turn back so they could be little again... We'll see.
Spray? What spray? My kids are, of course, the most amazing children that ever inhabited the Earth. My son is well on his way to get a Nobel Prize by the time he is 21, and my daughter is a world-renouned dancer in the making, but she may yet become the first woman to climb 5.15a. Right now her finest climbing accomplishment is climbing the boulder problem called "refrigerator" at the age of 3yo -- it is at least a V3 is you are less than 3 feet tall and are climbing in beaded pink satin slippers.
(This post was edited by lena_chita on Jun 6, 2007, 6:28 PM)
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wjca
Jun 6, 2007, 6:36 PM
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I'm still potty training a 2 year old. He'll pee in the pottie with no problems, but won't drop the kids off, so to speak. This past weekend we tried bribing him. We bought him a new toy lawnmower, a pair of kids scissors (don't ask me why he wanted these so bad, I have no idea) and a whole bag of M&M's. We kept everything in sight and told him he could have them when he pooped "on the potty." We let him run around completely nude from the waste down (as he is more likely not to pee unless he is at the tiolet). So after many close calls on Saturday (he'd get in there and get stage fright) he finally delivered. He was standing "on the potty" while playing in the water at the sink and dropped a duece right there in the floor. I called in my wife and ask her what do we do? Technically he pooped "on the potty." We had to give him the goods. I'm a lawyer and my two year old son found a loophole in the one sentence agreement I entered into with him. That deflated my ego a good bit. For all new parents out there, "on the potty" is not the same thing as "in the potty." I got taken by a two year old. I hope that he did it on purpose, because if so, he is a bona fide genius. Unfortunately, I'm sure he just had to crap and that was as good a place as any.
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slablizard
Jun 6, 2007, 7:12 PM
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I hear ya...
well I love them! What else you need?
Adrian (8) is very good a sports, climbs with me sometimes, plays basket, swims and does gymnastics.
Francesca (10) loves to dance and to draw, very good swimmer, jazz dancer and speaks good Italian, climbs with me sometimes too.
they both love to read, we get LOADS of books weekly from the library.
(This post was edited by slablizard on Jun 6, 2007, 7:28 PM)
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limeydave
Jun 6, 2007, 7:12 PM
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wjca wrote: I'm still potty training a 2 year old. He'll pee in the pottie with no problems, but won't drop the kids off, so to speak. This past weekend we tried bribing him. We bought him a new toy lawnmower, a pair of kids scissors (don't ask me why he wanted these so bad, I have no idea) and a whole bag of M&M's. We kept everything in sight and told him he could have them when he pooped "on the potty." We let him run around completely nude from the waste down (as he is more likely not to pee unless he is at the tiolet). So after many close calls on Saturday (he'd get in there and get stage fright) he finally delivered. He was standing "on the potty" while playing in the water at the sink and dropped a duece right there in the floor. I called in my wife and ask her what do we do? Technically he pooped "on the potty." We had to give him the goods. I'm a lawyer and my two year old son found a loophole in the one sentence agreement I entered into with him. That deflated my ego a good bit. For all new parents out there, "on the potty" is not the same thing as "in the potty." I got taken by a two year old. I hope that he did it on purpose, because if so, he is a bona fide genius. Unfortunately, I'm sure he just had to crap and that was as good a place as any.
Apparently that's very common.
My 4 year old girl was the same way at 2. I told her I was proud of her when she went pee-pee in the potty, and that I'd be very proud of her when she 'drops the kids off' as you so eloquently put it. It took a few weeks before she didn't want to drop one in the diapers any more, but even to this day she goes potty by herself and shouts out of the bathroom "Daddy! I went .... are you proud of me?" Of course I am.
As for being the smartest kid on the planet - of course she is - she likes me to open up a clean notepad page on the computer and will type out the alphabet, her name, or anything i put in front of her to copy, she can use backspace if she makes a mistake and enter to start a new line.
She also knows that F11 toggles the menu (just kidding)
[/spray]
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madriver
Jun 6, 2007, 8:16 PM
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...it hasn't been easy by any means....nosireee.....just getting her off the short bus to being recruited by Stanford took several years of electroshock therapy....
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macherry
Jun 6, 2007, 8:32 PM
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well,my oldest Lucas (almost 18) is off to university this year..........university of Alberta. He's going for a degree in computer science. he just scored a scholarship from the school district and here's holding out for more. He never did catch the climbing bug or anything athletic, but he's a cool kid with a great sense of humour, very loving and considerate. I expect him to be making millions with his smarts. he's made the transition from a son to a good friend. I'm going to miss him while he's at university.
My daughter zoe is 15, like her brother, an honour roll student and plays a mean trumpet in the school jazz and concert band. She started climbing at 12, and now at 15 recently got the climbing bug again. With her height and reach and athletic ability, i should have a rope gun in no time!!!
kids, i love mine dearly and often wonder how the hell they grew up so fast.
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macblaze
Jun 6, 2007, 8:47 PM
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macherry wrote: well,my oldest Lucas (almost 18) is off to university this year..........university of Alberta. He's going for a degree in computer science. he just scored a scholarship from the school district and here's holding out for more. He never did catch the climbing bug or anything athletic...
Too bad, U of A's got an awesome wall in the Butterdome. Zak's always been a bit of an indoor geek too but we always told him he need one activity and after Scouts became a bore he picked climbing to my everlasting joy.
He's now at home resting and contemplating a bottle of Tylenol 3 and the fact that he's never figured out how to swallow a pill properly... sigh, it's the small failures as a parent that wear...
A flash slideshow I made of him for Mother's Day.
(This post was edited by macblaze on Jun 6, 2007, 8:49 PM)
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macherry
Jun 6, 2007, 9:33 PM
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what a wonderful slideshow!!!
a climbing wall at the butterdome you say............hmmm, i will be visiting him.
with Luke we also said he needed some sort of activity. he occasionally bikes with me, but he's a pretty good skiier and enjoys hiking.
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keeper
Jun 7, 2007, 3:00 AM
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wjca wrote: I'm still potty training a 2 year old. He'll pee in the pottie with no problems, but won't drop the kids off, so to speak. This past weekend we tried bribing him. We bought him a new toy lawnmower, a pair of kids scissors (don't ask me why he wanted these so bad, I have no idea) and a whole bag of M&M's. We kept everything in sight and told him he could have them when he pooped "on the potty." We let him run around completely nude from the waste down (as he is more likely not to pee unless he is at the tiolet). So after many close calls on Saturday (he'd get in there and get stage fright) he finally delivered. He was standing "on the potty" while playing in the water at the sink and dropped a duece right there in the floor. I called in my wife and ask her what do we do? Technically he pooped "on the potty." We had to give him the goods. I'm a lawyer and my two year old son found a loophole in the one sentence agreement I entered into with him. That deflated my ego a good bit. For all new parents out there, "on the potty" is not the same thing as "in the potty." I got taken by a two year old. I hope that he did it on purpose, because if so, he is a bona fide genius. Unfortunately, I'm sure he just had to crap and that was as good a place as any.
THAT was priceless!!! He is indeed... just like Daddy.
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notch
Jun 8, 2007, 1:04 AM
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Sitting here with a 5 week old asleep on my lap, the only light in the room the glow of my screen. I don't dare move lest he wake up, his mother's not feeling well and I hope she'll sleep long. I don't envy those with older kids, every day is amazing right now. Not easy, but amazing.
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pornstarr
Jun 8, 2007, 5:03 AM
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lol
suckers
if it were only the 50s again.....
go away kids....
love mine, by the way...
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lena_chita
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Jun 8, 2007, 3:23 PM
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wjca wrote: I'm still potty training a 2 year old. He'll pee in the pottie with no problems, but won't drop the kids off, so to speak. This past weekend we tried bribing him. We bought him a new toy lawnmower, a pair of kids scissors (don't ask me why he wanted these so bad, I have no idea) and a whole bag of M&M's. We kept everything in sight and told him he could have them when he pooped "on the potty." We let him run around completely nude from the waste down (as he is more likely not to pee unless he is at the tiolet). So after many close calls on Saturday (he'd get in there and get stage fright) he finally delivered. He was standing "on the potty" while playing in the water at the sink and dropped a duece right there in the floor. I called in my wife and ask her what do we do? Technically he pooped "on the potty." We had to give him the goods. I'm a lawyer and my two year old son found a loophole in the one sentence agreement I entered into with him. That deflated my ego a good bit. For all new parents out there, "on the potty" is not the same thing as "in the potty." I got taken by a two year old. I hope that he did it on purpose, because if so, he is a bona fide genius. Unfortunately, I'm sure he just had to crap and that was as good a place as any.
That just hsoes that while you may be a lawyer, you are still very much in the early learning stages of parenthood. GIVE HIM THE GOODS becuase he pooped on the floor while standing on the toilet? Yeah, right!
Even assuming that the kid has truly thought about it and found a loophole in your promise, you have to put on your "parent face" and say-- no, that's not what I meant, and you damn well know it. So, no, you don't get the prize. And all the whys are deflected with an ironclad excuse; Because i said so!
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clausti
Jun 8, 2007, 3:38 PM
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lena_chita wrote: That just hsoes that while you may be a lawyer, you are still very much in the early learning stages of parenthood. GIVE HIM THE GOODS becuase he pooped on the floor while standing on the toilet? Yeah, right! Even assuming that the kid has truly thought about it and found a loophole in your promise, you have to put on your "parent face" and say-- no, that's not what I meant, and you damn well know it. So, no, you don't get the prize. And all the whys are deflected with an ironclad excuse; Because i said so!
is authority by fiat (and not reason) really a good long term strategy? i dunno about your kids, buy my parents lost that one.
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freezorburn
Jun 8, 2007, 4:26 PM
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lena_chita wrote: wjca wrote: I'm still potty training a 2 year old. He'll pee in the pottie with no problems, but won't drop the kids off, so to speak. This past weekend we tried bribing him. We bought him a new toy lawnmower, a pair of kids scissors (don't ask me why he wanted these so bad, I have no idea) and a whole bag of M&M's. We kept everything in sight and told him he could have them when he pooped "on the potty." We let him run around completely nude from the waste down (as he is more likely not to pee unless he is at the tiolet). So after many close calls on Saturday (he'd get in there and get stage fright) he finally delivered. He was standing "on the potty" while playing in the water at the sink and dropped a duece right there in the floor. I called in my wife and ask her what do we do? Technically he pooped "on the potty." We had to give him the goods. I'm a lawyer and my two year old son found a loophole in the one sentence agreement I entered into with him. That deflated my ego a good bit. For all new parents out there, "on the potty" is not the same thing as "in the potty." I got taken by a two year old. I hope that he did it on purpose, because if so, he is a bona fide genius. Unfortunately, I'm sure he just had to crap and that was as good a place as any. That just hsoes that while you may be a lawyer, you are still very much in the early learning stages of parenthood. GIVE HIM THE GOODS becuase he pooped on the floor while standing on the toilet? Yeah, right! Even assuming that the kid has truly thought about it and found a loophole in your promise, you have to put on your "parent face" and say-- no, that's not what I meant, and you damn well know it. So, no, you don't get the prize. And all the whys are deflected with an ironclad excuse; Because i said so!
Lena's argument is sound but I would rule in favor of the plantive. The 2 year old lived up to the "verbal contract" but fell short on the follow threw. Give him the lawnmower but NO M&M's
PS I'M a Failure @ potty training. My 2 3/4 YO son will only go #1 in the potty. I have no idea what else to do! Maybe I'll just beat his ass the next time he goes in his pants?
(This post was edited by freezorburn on Jun 8, 2007, 4:37 PM)
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imnotclever
Jun 8, 2007, 4:49 PM
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clausti wrote: lena_chita wrote: That just hsoes that while you may be a lawyer, you are still very much in the early learning stages of parenthood. GIVE HIM THE GOODS becuase he pooped on the floor while standing on the toilet? Yeah, right! Even assuming that the kid has truly thought about it and found a loophole in your promise, you have to put on your "parent face" and say-- no, that's not what I meant, and you damn well know it. So, no, you don't get the prize. And all the whys are deflected with an ironclad excuse; Because i said so! is authority by fiat (and not reason) really a good long term strategy? i dunno about your kids, buy my parents lost that one.
You just wait missy. She's not dealing long term yet. You got to change your strategy about every 2 weeks it seems.
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lena_chita
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Jun 8, 2007, 5:25 PM
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clausti wrote: is authority by fiat (and not reason) really a good long term strategy? ...
No of course not. It was my attempt at a joke.
The truth is, wjca's brilliant 2yo kid probably wasn't trying to find a loophole in the promise, pooping on the floor while standing on the toilet probably happened by accident and the kid probably wasn't demanding the 'prize' for that performance anyway... so if wjca seriously thought that that particular behavior needed to be reinforced/rewarded, b/c technically the conditions of the agreement were met, well... that's where the difference between a lawyer and a parent comes in. (But I don't think wjca could possibly think that seriously, unless he is a totally different persona in real life!)
Speaking of potty-training stories, I had a very memorable conversation with my then-2yo son one evening when he, as is usual with recently-trained kiddos, developed an urgent "need" to go to the bathroom-- repeatedly, with 2-minute intervals -- as soon it was time for bedtime, while being able to go for hours wihtout seeingthe inside of the bathroom during daytime. This time-honored tradition is known as bedtime stalling...
After maybe the 10th trip to the bathroom, he couldn't squeeze a single drop out of him, but still insisted on the need to go.
Me: O.K., you've been sitting here for a while. I'm going to count to 30, and then you go to bed, O.K.?
DS: Why are you going to count to 30? I don't like 30! 30 is a round number. I like "spiky" numbers better!
Me: Spiky? What numbers are spiky? (yes, I can be easily side-tracked... )
DS: 31! or 29!, but 31 is spikier.
Me: oh, you mean odd numbers? Like 1,3,5,7, 9?
DS: no, 9 is not a spiky number. 1,3,5,7, are spiky, 11 and 13 are spiky, but 9 and 15 are not.
Me (thinking to myself-- he can't possibly be taking about prime numbers, he just can't be!): Is 21 a spiky number?
DS: No, but 23 is spiky.
Me: How about 25?
DS: not spiky!
Me (thinking-- gee, this is freaky, and realizing all of a sudden that I'm haivng this conversation with a bare-bottomed 2yo sitting on the toilet, and it is at least an hour past his bedtime): You know what? We'll talk more about spiky numbers tomorrow, let's just go to bed, O.K.?
To this day I don't know what the heck was going on in his head that day... But he is awfully good with logic puzzles and he's had 6 more years to perfect the side-tracking, evasion and argument-over-miniscule-details tactics since then.
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clausti
Jun 8, 2007, 5:36 PM
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mmmm prime numbers....
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macblaze
Jun 8, 2007, 6:34 PM
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lena_chita wrote: -- as soon it was time for bedtime, while being able to go for hours wihtout seeingthe inside of the bathroom during daytime. This time-honored tradition is known as bedtime stalling...
Hey, mine's 2 months shy of 16 and its amazing that his bladder is perfectly in cync with my desire for him to do chores.
"Zak...come wash the dishes!"
"ok, in a minute"
10 minute wait
"Zak... I said the dishes!"
"I'm in the bathroom"
You can pretty much substitute any job, no matter how small, and replay the above conversation. Even if they are 5 only minutes apart.
As for the "authority by fiat (and not by reason)" strategy. You'll find eventually it goes full circle. "Son, in this situation no one is actually right, and since my reasoning is more logical than your reasoning and it's my household, then we are doing it my way..." I keep thinking this will encourage him to be come a brilliant rhetorician, but it usually just pisses him off 
Day 2 off of school, his face is swollen up like an over-achieving chipmunk's, he still won't swallow the damn pills, and I guess we aren't climbing this weekend...sigh.
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lena_chita
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Jun 8, 2007, 7:24 PM
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macblaze wrote: lena_chita wrote: -- as soon it was time for bedtime, while being able to go for hours wihtout seeingthe inside of the bathroom during daytime. This time-honored tradition is known as bedtime stalling... Hey, mine's 2 months shy of 16 and its amazing that his bladder is perfectly in cync with my desire for him to do chores.
But of course! I find that it is usually synchronized with homework time, too. And any food that isn't on my son's favorite list has VERY strong diuretic properties.
Why is your son's face swollen, by the way?
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macblaze
Jun 8, 2007, 7:51 PM
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lena_chita wrote: Why is your son's face swollen, by the way?
Oh, I started this all by thinking of my son while he was having oral surgery... pretty straightforward having the 2 upper wisdom teeth removed but the 2 lower ones were growing sideways toward the nerve and they had to actually cut away the bone to remove them.
I think food time is the only one I don't let him get away with excuses: once a day at the table, we practice "real" manners...everything else I have a hard time calling him on
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lena_chita
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Jun 11, 2007, 3:36 PM
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macblaze wrote: Oh, I started this all by thinking of my son while he was having oral surgery...
Duh! I did read it, too! Maybe I need to start a thread about early onset of Alzheimers!
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