May | 2008 | SuburbanDaddy

Take The Animals To The Zoo

What to do on a long holiday weekend with the ~~Animals~~ Things? Take them to the zoo!

The weather was absolutely perfect so we went to the National Zoo in Washington, DC. It’s something we do once a year. It’s only a 45 minute drive, why only once a year? Because that’s about how long it takes to get over fighting the crowds for parking and trying to get through the hot monkey house while pushing two strollers.

Thing 1 got to see a Capybara, which, for unexplained reasons, he finds hilarious.

Thing 2 got to see a tiger. He is obsessed with tigers and calls them Shere Khan after the one in The Jungle Book Movie. He stood at the railing, totally mesmerized, watching the tiger pace back and forth. Then, the tiger did something that amused every kid there to no end. He pooped in the water! This remains the highlight of the trip to my kids. I have to admit, it was pretty funny.

Thing 3 was just happy to be out and about, shoving cheerios into his face, and watching the crowds of people go by.

Parenting Poll Of The Week – Does Spanking Work?

Last week I went to Red Robin for lunch. Sitting in the booth next to us was a toddler girl, maybe 2 or 3 years, with her mom. The girl kept standing up and turning around to our table, like toddlers do, but it wasn’t what I would call particularly bad behavior. Believe me, I have seen bad table behavior.

The mom was in a bad mood and wanted the girl to sit in her seat and wait patiently for the food to come. After ~~asking~~ demanding she sit down, the mom said very sternly:

“If you don’t sit down now, I will spank you right here in the middle of the restaurant and everyone will see!”

I wasn’t surprised that, to a toddler, the threat of being humiliated in public would have no effect. I mean, my toddler thinks nothing of skipping, dancing, or singing in public places. Or of being naked while doing those things.

We don’t spank our kids. It’s not so much because I am morally against it. I just don’t see how it actually works in disciplining kids. This mom could have had much better results if she had thought to bring some simple toys or snacks for her kid. Or maybe get up and walk around until the food was there.

Clearly, the spanking method she was using was not effective. I don’t have any problem with parents being allowed to spank their kids. As long as it doesn’t cross the line to abuse, they have the right. I just don’t see how it can work.

[poll=18]

Update On Our Patient

Kick Me Sign After two weeks + one day of recovery time, Thing 1 returned to preschool yesterday. He still has bandage strips covering the scar, so we haven’t seen what it looks like since the stitches were taken out.

He really is a great patient. He follows all the rules and never complains. He enjoyed the extra attention, though I’m sure he’d rather be back to jumping and climbing and playing like a four and a half year old. Continue reading Update On Our Patient

What I Don’t Need

In my youth, which means before I had kids, I had trouble getting up in the morning. I had to be very careful to set my alarm, or else I would sleep through whatever it was I had to do. Ahhh, youth.

I haven’t set an alarm clock in four and a half years. Surprise surprise, that’s exactly Thing 1’s age.

It is impossible for me to oversleep for anything now. Most days, Thing 3 is my alarm clock. We can’t set the exact time he goes off, but he is sure to be standing in his crib and doing his cock-a-doodle-do (aka crying) sometime between 5-6:15am.

Just in case Thing 3’s wakeup call doesn’t work (not likely), I have backup Plan B – otherwise known as Thing 2. As soon as he wakes up Thing 2 will come into our room and climb into our bed.

So, what happens on those rare occasions, like when I travel for work, when there are no Things to wake me up? Do I go back to my oversleeping youth? Not to worry.

My natural clock has been “readjusted”, from so many years of waking up by 6am, that it is impossible to sleep any later. It’s quite a ~~curse~~ blessing, really. It doesn’t matter how late I go to sleep, I will be up at 6am. Just like the Things.

Parenting Poll Of The Week – Let Them Win?

I have played many, many games with Thing 1 this week. I’ve discovered that he is highly competitive and doesn’t like to lose very much. He’s not really a sore loser, and he doesn’t usually get upset when he loses. But whenever I win, he insists on playing again. And again. And again. Until he wins, then we can stop.

I don’t let him win, but I find myself hoping I lose. Not because I don’t think it’s good for him to experience losing. But because I don’t want to keep playing.

What about you?

[poll=17]

Greatest Playground In The World

I’m not a big fan of malls, but they are the perfect place to bring kids on a rainy day. Here are some pictures of my trip with Thing 2 to Tysons Corner Center this weekend.

Thing 2 has what we call an “inner rhythm”. He often goes around humming, singing, and dancing in his own little world. No matter what is going on around him. Here he is dancing his way through the mall. Strangers are entertained, and often stop to look and laugh.

Thing 2 In The Mall

No trip to the mall would be complete without a stop at the indoor play area. In case you don’t have kids, or haven’t been to a mall recently, these are the areas where parents let their kids loose to climb, run, and scream in a (somewhat) controlled environment. It is total chaos.

Mall Playground

If the above photo looks blurry, that’s because the kids are in constant motion. Finally, here is a shot of Thing 2 doing his famous “monster face”.

Monster Face At The Mall

No More Games

Thing 1 has been home from preschool now for seven days while he recovers from surgery. He’s in good spirits, but use of his right arm is limited, and we need to help entertain him. So we play a lot of games. Over and over and over. I estimate I’ve played 26 games of Trouble, 14 games of Chutes and Ladders, 12 games of Candy Land, 35 games of Spiderman Yahtzee.? We’ve also played our share of Go Fish and War.

With his little brothers at daycare all day, it’s the most one-on-one time we’ve spent with him since before his brothers were born.? I know he’d prefer not have his right arm bandaged up and be able to run around, but I think he’s really enjoying all the special attention he’s been getting.

This must be what it’s like to be an only child.? Having to deal with three all the time, I usually imagine life with just one kid must be easier.? But now that I’ve been doing it for a week and a half, I see that, in some ways, it’s actually easier to have more kids!? With all the fights I break up between Thing 1 and Thing 2, I didn’t realize how much they actually entertain each other.

Without his brother there, Thing 1 is constantly asking me “What do I do now” and “Can we play a game again“.

If you have any game suggestions, please please leave them in a comment.? I’m about to start another game of War.

Kids Are The Best Patients

Patient Thing 1 had surgery six days ago. He was born with a hemangioma on his shoulder. It started as a little red dot, and eventually grew to several inches in diameter. It used to look like he was wearing a shoulder pad on one side, but it became flatter over time.

We’ve always known he would eventually have surgery to remove it. The doctors suggested we wait until just before school age, when he’s still young enough not to remember it, but old enough to allow the lesion to recede somewhat on its own. After school age, he might become self conscience about it. Up until now, it bothered us more than him.

The surgery was at Children’s National Medical Center, at an outpatient location. I’m sure to the doctors this was considered a “routine” procedure Continue reading Kids Are The Best Patients