Thursday, May 30, 2013

You gotta fight for your right

The end is nigh.

Maybe not the end of days, but the end of parental leave and the end of daddy daycare. The Pumpkin Man is in daycare transition this week, starting full time on Monday.

Good thing he has an older brother who has taught him the ways of the big, bad world. One of the Pumpkin Man's first daycare experiences was mealtime. He was sat at the table and handed his small chunks formerly known as food. Out of nowhere another baby sidled in and starting swiping his eats. His first reaction was to cry, but the daycare workers were too busy with other children. Quickly realizing his protest was in vain he swiftly implemented Plan B. As the other baby went for another handful, the Pumpkin Man poked her in the eye.

I'm not really worried about his transition.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Almost a year

Today the pumpkin man is eleven months old. Almost a year. The time flies by and so do the milestones.

I'm not entirely sure I'm happy that he's now able to pull to standing - only a few days before vacation. At least we're keeping things interesting.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Post-Game Analysis

The snow has melted. The sun is shining brightly. The flowers are in full bloom. So it must be time for the NHL Playoffs.

With the big man turning four last month, I thought it high time to introduce him properly to game. Of course we shoot, pass and score on the driveway and we've been skating on the rink, but I haven't actually taught him the game. So for the last two Leafs games we've watched the first period together.

I now find myself in an existential quandary. The kid has questions. I don't mind answering them. There are a lot of rules, gear and broader context issues to contend with. It just blows my mind how he can deconstruct the whole thing from top to bottom.

Now this post-season clearly isn't ideal as I'm more likely to see the Oilers on the golf course than lifting Lord Stanley's Cup. As a fair parent I realize that should let my boys make their own choices of which teams to support, but that's not to say Oilers gear outnumbers Leafs swag in our house 6 to 1. A gentle barrage of propaganda also isn't offside.

But I'm holding out hope that he's chosen an Oilers sweater to wear to school for three days in a row.

Oh, and he calls Toronto the "Make Believes".

Monday, May 6, 2013

Stages

Being an at home parent means going through all of the different stages:

From sleeping on the floor in various pretzel shapes, to the pain and torment of the inability to stick with one task, to newfound mobility often resulting in accident and personal injury.

And then there are the things the kid goes through.

Fashion sense

At first I didn't really see the utility of shorts on the baby. Now I see their immeasurable value as a diaper containment device.