By the time Todd left SB for LA this summer, he'd been on the bedwetting alarm for 4 straight months. While most people reported that their kids showed marked improvement after only a few weeks, and the longest was just a couple of months, I was confident that we should have this nipped in the bud before he went to Oma and Opa's house for summer.
Alas, I was wrong.
I kept careful record of how each night went, and after a while, it was the same ol' pattern: gets wet after a couple of hours, alarm goes off, change everything (sometimes, even the sheets). Sometimes it would go off in the middle of the night afterward, but most of the time, I'd simply get him up along with me when I got up to do my own "midnight bathroom shuffle" at around 4-5am.
During the summer it was the same story. My mom would have to get him up or change him before she went to bed (usually a few hours after he fell asleep), and then my dad would get him up again in the morning (Dad usually wakes up around 4:30am).
It wasn't until the end of summer that he finally started going longer stretches between wetting episodes. We weren't sure if it was because he was getting older and finally outgrowing the bedwetting, and staying dry longer, or if it was because it was so hot that he was losing more liquids to sweat, thereby slowing the accumulation of liquid in his bladder?
He's been home a few days now, and so far the pattern has been fine-- in bed by 9pm, I manually drag him out to the toilet before I go to bed (around 11:30pm -- midnight), and then up again when I get up at 4-5am to use the bathroom myself. So far it's working out fine, and we haven't had any wetting incidents. But we shall see what happens over the weekend, when I might just let him go without getting him up myself, to see what time the alarm goes off. More adventures in potty training!
Showing posts with label Health and Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health and Development. Show all posts
Bedwetting Alarm
With Todd rapidly approaching his 8th birthday, I thought it was high time we started doing something to address the fact that he is still not dry at night. During his annual physical exam, his doctor mentioned that a lot of people have had success using sleep alarms-- they sound an alarm when the sensor detects moisture, thereby waking up the kid before he completely empties his bladder. The idea is that it trains his body to recognize when he has to go pee, and then wake up when he does.
So we got Todd an alarm and are trying it out today. We'll see how it goes!
So we got Todd an alarm and are trying it out today. We'll see how it goes!
Annual Routine Physical Exam
Now that Todd is 7 years old, he no longer undergoes "well baby exams". He's a big kid now, and goes through normal routine physicals, just like Mommy and Daddy do!
This was the first time he visited a pediatrician in Santa Barbara rather than in LA. Todd had seen him once when he was sick earlier this year, and it was Dr. Abbott who diagnosed Todd with mono. Our friends use him for their daughter too, and are pleased with him, so we decided to stick with him as Todd's PCP.
Overall good health! 49.5 inches tall, and 59 pounds. Still tall, but not off-the-charts tall anymore.
He got a chicken pox booster shot, since he hasn't had the disease yet, and a flu shot. The nurse who delivered the shots was NOT patient, gentle or friendly. In an effort to get him the shots as quickly as possible, she squeezed his arm so hard that the flu shot left an angry bruise that took several days to heal. As if the soreness from a flu shot wasn't enough!
They also conducted a hearing test (which yielded normal results) and a vision test, which revealed a potential problem with Todd's right eye. He seemed to have difficulty seeing clearly out of it, so we got a referral to a local pediatric ophthalmologist. The appointment is at the end of the month, since they're pretty popular and booked solid! We'll see what comes out of that exam...
This was the first time he visited a pediatrician in Santa Barbara rather than in LA. Todd had seen him once when he was sick earlier this year, and it was Dr. Abbott who diagnosed Todd with mono. Our friends use him for their daughter too, and are pleased with him, so we decided to stick with him as Todd's PCP.
Overall good health! 49.5 inches tall, and 59 pounds. Still tall, but not off-the-charts tall anymore.
He got a chicken pox booster shot, since he hasn't had the disease yet, and a flu shot. The nurse who delivered the shots was NOT patient, gentle or friendly. In an effort to get him the shots as quickly as possible, she squeezed his arm so hard that the flu shot left an angry bruise that took several days to heal. As if the soreness from a flu shot wasn't enough!
They also conducted a hearing test (which yielded normal results) and a vision test, which revealed a potential problem with Todd's right eye. He seemed to have difficulty seeing clearly out of it, so we got a referral to a local pediatric ophthalmologist. The appointment is at the end of the month, since they're pretty popular and booked solid! We'll see what comes out of that exam...
Happy 7th Birthday
Todd spent his actual birthday in LA, what with his school closing down early. This year, we thought it would be nice to have the family come up to SB so they could see the new house.
We got to show the entire family not only the new house, but the surrounding community and amenities (clubhouse, pool, billiards room, etc). The sun came out in the afternoon, making for a pleasant deck experience, overlooking the lake.
Todd enjoyed playing with his new toys: a bocce-ball-like game from Amir and Priyanka, a new electric circuit set from Ron and Debbie (Amir, the electrical engineer, enjoyed that one, too!), ice cream maker from Grandpa, microscope from Oma and Opa, and magnetic dartboard and pyramid-shaped Rubik's-Cube-like puzzle from Grandma and Grandpa Duaine.
The little man is 7 now. Wow, hard to believe it's been that many years already. He's so tall, most people think he's 8 or 9, yet he still has a baby face typical of 5/6 year olds. My little boy is growing up!
We got to show the entire family not only the new house, but the surrounding community and amenities (clubhouse, pool, billiards room, etc). The sun came out in the afternoon, making for a pleasant deck experience, overlooking the lake.
Todd enjoyed playing with his new toys: a bocce-ball-like game from Amir and Priyanka, a new electric circuit set from Ron and Debbie (Amir, the electrical engineer, enjoyed that one, too!), ice cream maker from Grandpa, microscope from Oma and Opa, and magnetic dartboard and pyramid-shaped Rubik's-Cube-like puzzle from Grandma and Grandpa Duaine.
The little man is 7 now. Wow, hard to believe it's been that many years already. He's so tall, most people think he's 8 or 9, yet he still has a baby face typical of 5/6 year olds. My little boy is growing up!
New Karate Dojo
Todd obviously stopped doing karate while we were trying to correct his constant toe-walking, which involved the use of casts during the summer of 2010. When he returned in the Fall, we were busy with other activities, esp swimming lessons 3x a week and I didn't start looking back into karate until the new year began.
I decided not to return to South Coast Karate. The group lessons, I felt, were not as beneficial anymore because the group he would be participating in was too large and varied in age/ability-- from age 5 to 15, white belt to brown belt. It wasn't focused enough. His private lessons were also progressing a bit slower than I would have liked. So I looked into several other studios and settled on the Wu Shu Studio. It's all the way downtown, so a bit of a drive, but well worth it.
He started lessons at the end of February and progressed quickly. His Sifu is patient and detail-oriented, yet pushed Todd at just the right level. Within a month and a half, Todd had learned the kenpo techniques needed for the yellow belt, which he promptly earned, and then moved on to beginning the orange belt techniques. Now that's progress! :-)
I decided not to return to South Coast Karate. The group lessons, I felt, were not as beneficial anymore because the group he would be participating in was too large and varied in age/ability-- from age 5 to 15, white belt to brown belt. It wasn't focused enough. His private lessons were also progressing a bit slower than I would have liked. So I looked into several other studios and settled on the Wu Shu Studio. It's all the way downtown, so a bit of a drive, but well worth it.
He started lessons at the end of February and progressed quickly. His Sifu is patient and detail-oriented, yet pushed Todd at just the right level. Within a month and a half, Todd had learned the kenpo techniques needed for the yellow belt, which he promptly earned, and then moved on to beginning the orange belt techniques. Now that's progress! :-)
Growing Too Tall
Conversation on how quickly Todd was growing and how tall he was getting:
Mommy: Someday you'll be taller than Oma, then you'll be taller than me.
Daddy: And someday you'll even be taller than Grandma!
Todd: Will I be taller than Daddy?
Mommy: No.
Todd: Why not?
Mommy: Because I refuse to allow it!
Todd: You can't do that! Only God can do that!
Mommy: Someday you'll be taller than Oma, then you'll be taller than me.
Daddy: And someday you'll even be taller than Grandma!
Todd: Will I be taller than Daddy?
Mommy: No.
Todd: Why not?
Mommy: Because I refuse to allow it!
Todd: You can't do that! Only God can do that!
Tooth Fairy cuts her budget
Todd lost his 4th tooth (still all on the bottom row) today. This is starting to get expensive! So the Tooth Fairy decided to cut down on her offerings, from $1 to 50 cents :-D
Second loose tooth!
Todd's second loose tooth, which was right next to his first one, came out last night! He had parked himself in front of the bathroom mirror and started tugging at it, and next thing he knew, it came right out! So now the gap on the bottom has widened a bit.
We again put his tooth under his pillow, and evidently the tooth fairy was tired of hauling around heavy, noisy coins, because instead of 4 quarters, she left a nice, crisp $1 bill under his pillow :-)
We again put his tooth under his pillow, and evidently the tooth fairy was tired of hauling around heavy, noisy coins, because instead of 4 quarters, she left a nice, crisp $1 bill under his pillow :-)
Loose Tooth!
Todd's loose tooth finally came out tonight! It came out while he was eating dinner. He noticed something felt strange in his mouth full of food, and pulled it out. He didn't quite realize it was his tooth until he turned it over to the root and noticed blood on it. He joyfully exclaimed the news to us, and we all rushed over to have a look at this latest milestone. Todd examined himself in the mirror and kept touching his tongue to the gaping hole in the bottom of his front teeth. We took some pictures for posterity.
He looks a bit like he's grimacing, but since the tooth came from the bottom row, an ordinary smile would have simply covered up the hole with his bottom lip.
Speaking of loose teeth, last night while brushing his teeth, I noticed that the tooth next to his (what was then really really loose) now missing tooth was starting to loosen, as well. In a few weeks, that gaping hole will become even larger :-)
He looks a bit like he's grimacing, but since the tooth came from the bottom row, an ordinary smile would have simply covered up the hole with his bottom lip.
Speaking of loose teeth, last night while brushing his teeth, I noticed that the tooth next to his (what was then really really loose) now missing tooth was starting to loosen, as well. In a few weeks, that gaping hole will become even larger :-)
First loose tooth
I was flossing the little man's teeth last night when I noticed that one of his bottom teeth wiggled a little. I pushed at it with my finger, and sure enough, it was the makings of a loose tooth! Todd was so excited when I revealed this news to him. He bounced around like... well, like he normally does, I suppose ;-P He was especially thrilled that he wouldn't have to wait until he was 6 years old (which I had told him) before he lost his first tooth. I'm sure he's glad to be catching up to his gap-toothed classmates :-D
Long-awaited updates
At long last (and just in the nick of time-- 2009 is just about over!) I've managed to update this blog, with 17 (that's right, SEVENTEEN) new posts, not including this one. I'll have to strive to do better at keeping this up, alongside my regular blog.
In between all the activities I've written about, Todd's made steady progress with his reading (where not just the reading but even (and more importantly so) the comprehension is at an advanced level) and we visit the library nearly every week to pick up a stack of books to tide him over for a week.
His karate got off to a bit of a slow start in the fall. Although he practiced his moves well over the summer, he didn't practice his kata, so it took some time for him to get back into it. He's learned the 2nd kata as well, and is starting to master it.
His intensive swim lessons over the summer have vastly improved his skills. Oma had him in a variety of group and private lessons at various facilities, and the constant practice helped a lot.
When he returned to SB, I enrolled him in private lessons twice a week, where he was able to refine his strokes and improve his endurance. In January I'm going to try to put him in group lessons once more, at the YMCA, to see if being around more advanced kids will help propel his motivation to improve himself, esp since he seems to be stagnating a little with the private lessons.
Well, I think that about concludes the updates for now. Whew! Sorry about the long delay. Don't forget to scroll down... FAR down, for all the updates since my last post on June 15! :-)
In between all the activities I've written about, Todd's made steady progress with his reading (where not just the reading but even (and more importantly so) the comprehension is at an advanced level) and we visit the library nearly every week to pick up a stack of books to tide him over for a week.
His karate got off to a bit of a slow start in the fall. Although he practiced his moves well over the summer, he didn't practice his kata, so it took some time for him to get back into it. He's learned the 2nd kata as well, and is starting to master it.
His intensive swim lessons over the summer have vastly improved his skills. Oma had him in a variety of group and private lessons at various facilities, and the constant practice helped a lot.
When he returned to SB, I enrolled him in private lessons twice a week, where he was able to refine his strokes and improve his endurance. In January I'm going to try to put him in group lessons once more, at the YMCA, to see if being around more advanced kids will help propel his motivation to improve himself, esp since he seems to be stagnating a little with the private lessons.
Well, I think that about concludes the updates for now. Whew! Sorry about the long delay. Don't forget to scroll down... FAR down, for all the updates since my last post on June 15! :-)
Annual checkup
Updates in droves yet again! Be sure to scroll all the way down for the latest.
Took today off work to take Todd to the doctor for his annual exam. Here are his current height/weight stats:
46 inches tall -- almost 4 feet!?!?
44 pounds
He got his hearing and vision tested and passed with flying colors. Then came the hard part-- receiving FOUR shots and then getting blood drawn. Todd was NOT a happy camper after the 2nd shot, and was definitely unhappy about getting blood drawn, but as soon as the needle was in, he realized it didn't hurt and he stopped crying, watching the blood flow through the tube in fascination. Whew! Glad we survived that ordeal!
Took today off work to take Todd to the doctor for his annual exam. Here are his current height/weight stats:
46 inches tall -- almost 4 feet!?!?
44 pounds
He got his hearing and vision tested and passed with flying colors. Then came the hard part-- receiving FOUR shots and then getting blood drawn. Todd was NOT a happy camper after the 2nd shot, and was definitely unhappy about getting blood drawn, but as soon as the needle was in, he realized it didn't hurt and he stopped crying, watching the blood flow through the tube in fascination. Whew! Glad we survived that ordeal!
Lunchtime timesavers
On Monday, Daddy taught the lower and middle schoolers at Todd's school, giving them a basic introduction to computers, even bringing computer parts for them to look at. Since his stay encompassed the lunch period, he brought his lunch and ate with Todd. This enabled me to prepare a nice hot lunch of rice, meat and veggies for Todd instead of his usual sandwich, since Daddy would be there to eat with him and feed him, or at least supervise him to make sure he ate everything. Then Daddy took him home and Mommy took over, cleaning up, changing him out of his uniform, and taking him to after-school care.
This worked so well for a number of reasons:
1. Todd gets a nutritious lunch from the get-go, rather than having to eat a sandwich at school and follow it with regular food at home.
2. It saves time, as he's more likely to eat the regular food quickly when he's hungry at lunch, rather than being full after a sandwich.
3. Again, it saves time at home because all he has to do is eat his fruit and clean up, no time spent on eating his actual lunch. As a result, nobody feels rushed any longer. Mommy's not harried and Todd's not pushed around. In fact, one day last week we were able to go out onto the balcony and blow bubbles while Todd ate his apple, because we actually had time to!
So we decided to continue doing this, having one of accompany Todd with hot food during lunch, while the other goes home later and takes over the cleaning up and driving him to after-school care.
That's when we discovered yet another benefit:
4. Reduced lunch hours for both of us! Instead of both parents having to take 1.5 hours (the shortest we've been able to cut it to is 1 hr and 20 min, and then only if Todd's cooperative all around), each parent only has to take 1 hour, albeit not simultaneously. For example: Daddy leaves before noon to have lunch with little man, while Mommy goes home at 12:30 to prepare fruit and lay out clothes. Then, Daddy's home by 12:45 (immediately leaving and getting back to work by 1pm), giving Mommy time to leisurely dress the boy, take him to after-school care, and be back at work by 1:30pm. In other words, only 1 hour for lunch for each of us.
Not bad, eh! The nice thing about this is that we can continue doing this even when Todd is in the later grades, and not dismissed till 2-3pm. Great peace of mind in knowing our son is well-fed during the day :-) One less thing to worry about!
This worked so well for a number of reasons:
1. Todd gets a nutritious lunch from the get-go, rather than having to eat a sandwich at school and follow it with regular food at home.
2. It saves time, as he's more likely to eat the regular food quickly when he's hungry at lunch, rather than being full after a sandwich.
3. Again, it saves time at home because all he has to do is eat his fruit and clean up, no time spent on eating his actual lunch. As a result, nobody feels rushed any longer. Mommy's not harried and Todd's not pushed around. In fact, one day last week we were able to go out onto the balcony and blow bubbles while Todd ate his apple, because we actually had time to!
So we decided to continue doing this, having one of accompany Todd with hot food during lunch, while the other goes home later and takes over the cleaning up and driving him to after-school care.
That's when we discovered yet another benefit:
4. Reduced lunch hours for both of us! Instead of both parents having to take 1.5 hours (the shortest we've been able to cut it to is 1 hr and 20 min, and then only if Todd's cooperative all around), each parent only has to take 1 hour, albeit not simultaneously. For example: Daddy leaves before noon to have lunch with little man, while Mommy goes home at 12:30 to prepare fruit and lay out clothes. Then, Daddy's home by 12:45 (immediately leaving and getting back to work by 1pm), giving Mommy time to leisurely dress the boy, take him to after-school care, and be back at work by 1:30pm. In other words, only 1 hour for lunch for each of us.
Not bad, eh! The nice thing about this is that we can continue doing this even when Todd is in the later grades, and not dismissed till 2-3pm. Great peace of mind in knowing our son is well-fed during the day :-) One less thing to worry about!
That's not what he said!
Ah, the time to pit one parent against another has come. When Todd arrived home from school today, he explained that he wanted jelly-only sandwiches (instead of the PBJ he regularly gets at lunchtime). I explained that he HAD to have peanut butter as it was a good source of protein. But then I went on to further explain that on weekends, when it was snack time, I'd be happy to make him jelly-only sandwiches then.
He immediately pounced on my last statement and pointed out: "Your answer is not the same as Daddy's!"
I was quick to clarify that when Daddy and I were both talking about lunch, our answer was the same: you *must* have PB.
But wow, talk about keen to observe any differences in one parent's explanation vs. another! Time for Daddy and I to band together and make sure we get our stories straight... and airtight! That kid finds loopholes faster than dirt finds him!
He immediately pounced on my last statement and pointed out: "Your answer is not the same as Daddy's!"
I was quick to clarify that when Daddy and I were both talking about lunch, our answer was the same: you *must* have PB.
But wow, talk about keen to observe any differences in one parent's explanation vs. another! Time for Daddy and I to band together and make sure we get our stories straight... and airtight! That kid finds loopholes faster than dirt finds him!
Todd takes up Karate
Last summer, we'd tried enrolling Todd in Tae Kwon Do at a place near my parents' house. It didn't work out too well, probably because (a) he was still too young-- just turned 3! and (b) the instructors were rather loud and intimidating. Good for discipline for older kids, not so good for toddlers who don't quite understand yet.
Anyway, this past summer, after turning 4, he expressed interest in returning to Tae Kwon Do. Of course, by then school was ready to start so he had to come back to SB. Recently, however, we found several karate classes in/around SB. Unfortunately most of them had the kiddie group classes during times when Daddy and I would still be at work. Or else they were far away (well, far away by SB standards). That is, until I found one place that not only had group classes starting at 5pm, but was located in the building right NEXT to Todd's after-school care center!
I took Todd to his first, introductory class last Monday, and he did remarkably well. He followed instructions, listened to the teacher, and even volunteered at the end when the teacher sought someone to come up to the front and help him with a demonstration.
This past Monday marked Todd's second lesson, and this time Daddy joined in to watch. We were surprised at how well Todd adapted. When the teacher called each kid up individually to line up, he remembered to stand ramrod straight in front of him and address him with "Yes, sir!" When corrected during the moves, he remembered and followed instructions with minimal distraction. It was quite heartening to see! And hopefully the discipline will be good for him.
Saturday will be his first private lesson. I think the combination of the individual attention during a private lesson plus the social atmosphere in the group lesson will be good for him. Here's hoping to more successful classes in the future! :-)
Anyway, this past summer, after turning 4, he expressed interest in returning to Tae Kwon Do. Of course, by then school was ready to start so he had to come back to SB. Recently, however, we found several karate classes in/around SB. Unfortunately most of them had the kiddie group classes during times when Daddy and I would still be at work. Or else they were far away (well, far away by SB standards). That is, until I found one place that not only had group classes starting at 5pm, but was located in the building right NEXT to Todd's after-school care center!
I took Todd to his first, introductory class last Monday, and he did remarkably well. He followed instructions, listened to the teacher, and even volunteered at the end when the teacher sought someone to come up to the front and help him with a demonstration.
This past Monday marked Todd's second lesson, and this time Daddy joined in to watch. We were surprised at how well Todd adapted. When the teacher called each kid up individually to line up, he remembered to stand ramrod straight in front of him and address him with "Yes, sir!" When corrected during the moves, he remembered and followed instructions with minimal distraction. It was quite heartening to see! And hopefully the discipline will be good for him.
Saturday will be his first private lesson. I think the combination of the individual attention during a private lesson plus the social atmosphere in the group lesson will be good for him. Here's hoping to more successful classes in the future! :-)
School progress report
This afternoon, Allan and I dutifully reported to Todd's school to meet with his teacher and discuss how he has been doing in class. She handed us his report card-- all good marks so far!
She went on to explain that he was starting to come out of his shell a bit. He answers questions in class, and plays nicely with the other kids. One of my chief worries (besides the social aspect) was the fact that he has a short attention span and tends to let his mind wander when he should be paying attention. According to his teacher, he doesn't do that so often at school. He does at times, but not more than is normal for most little kids. For the most part, he listens and follows instructions. That was a big relief to hear.
We were also regaled with an anecdote about a recent day during chapel-- a bit hazy on the background, but apparently the kids were talking about being scared at night-- and Todd raised his hand. When called upon to speak, he piped up with his little bit of advice:
"When I say my prayers at night, I'm not afraid anymore!"
Doubly pleasing to hear because not only is he participating in school, but he sees the value of saying his prayers :-D
She went on to explain that he was starting to come out of his shell a bit. He answers questions in class, and plays nicely with the other kids. One of my chief worries (besides the social aspect) was the fact that he has a short attention span and tends to let his mind wander when he should be paying attention. According to his teacher, he doesn't do that so often at school. He does at times, but not more than is normal for most little kids. For the most part, he listens and follows instructions. That was a big relief to hear.
We were also regaled with an anecdote about a recent day during chapel-- a bit hazy on the background, but apparently the kids were talking about being scared at night-- and Todd raised his hand. When called upon to speak, he piped up with his little bit of advice:
"When I say my prayers at night, I'm not afraid anymore!"
Doubly pleasing to hear because not only is he participating in school, but he sees the value of saying his prayers :-D
Routines
After a couple weeks, we've finally begun settling into a routine.
At first, when I found out that Todd would be dismissed after lunch, and the school didn't provide after-school care long enough, I was a bit dismayed. It would mean having to drive to school to pick him up and drop him off at an after-school care center somewhere else.
But soon I realized that this minor inconvenience was more than made up for by the fact that Todd would get to eat lunch with us!
When he was in preschool, my chief concern (aside from hygiene and staying dry) was that he wasn't eating/drinking (well) enough. There were many days when I'd pick him up at 5pm only to discover more than half of his lunch still in his bag. No amount of cajoling, threats or bribery worked. Harder still was providing a variety of healthful things to eat-- just about the only thing I could really pack, that would ensure he ate it all, was sandwiches.
But now? I can send him off to school with just a little bit to eat (some fruit for morning snacktime and a small sandwich and juice for lunchtime), and then whisk him home for a proper, nutritious, hot lunch. Top it off with plenty to drink and making sure he gets scrubbed down clean before sending him off for a few hours of after-school care.
Another good thing is that it breaks up the monotony of the day for Todd. Rather than spending 8 hours nonstop at a child care facility, he gets to see his parents in the middle of the day, a nice little change. It's fun for us, too, to eat together as a family. Makes a nice break for Mommy and Daddy, as well!
We can also change him out of his uniform and into regular clothes for Boys and Girls Club. You know how boys like to roughhouse. This is good way to preserve his uniforms :-)
Todd has taken to going poopies at lunchtime, which is great because it ensures that one of us can wipe his little po-po properly, rather than have him attempt to do it himself at school. It's yucky enough to have him walk around with skid-marked undies, but its even worse if he gets some on his hands and doesn't wash it off properly.
So, all in all, this difference in venue for both school and after-school is working out to be a blessing! We're certainly settling into our routine nicely :-)
At first, when I found out that Todd would be dismissed after lunch, and the school didn't provide after-school care long enough, I was a bit dismayed. It would mean having to drive to school to pick him up and drop him off at an after-school care center somewhere else.
But soon I realized that this minor inconvenience was more than made up for by the fact that Todd would get to eat lunch with us!
When he was in preschool, my chief concern (aside from hygiene and staying dry) was that he wasn't eating/drinking (well) enough. There were many days when I'd pick him up at 5pm only to discover more than half of his lunch still in his bag. No amount of cajoling, threats or bribery worked. Harder still was providing a variety of healthful things to eat-- just about the only thing I could really pack, that would ensure he ate it all, was sandwiches.
But now? I can send him off to school with just a little bit to eat (some fruit for morning snacktime and a small sandwich and juice for lunchtime), and then whisk him home for a proper, nutritious, hot lunch. Top it off with plenty to drink and making sure he gets scrubbed down clean before sending him off for a few hours of after-school care.
Another good thing is that it breaks up the monotony of the day for Todd. Rather than spending 8 hours nonstop at a child care facility, he gets to see his parents in the middle of the day, a nice little change. It's fun for us, too, to eat together as a family. Makes a nice break for Mommy and Daddy, as well!
We can also change him out of his uniform and into regular clothes for Boys and Girls Club. You know how boys like to roughhouse. This is good way to preserve his uniforms :-)
Todd has taken to going poopies at lunchtime, which is great because it ensures that one of us can wipe his little po-po properly, rather than have him attempt to do it himself at school. It's yucky enough to have him walk around with skid-marked undies, but its even worse if he gets some on his hands and doesn't wash it off properly.
So, all in all, this difference in venue for both school and after-school is working out to be a blessing! We're certainly settling into our routine nicely :-)
First Day of School
Today was Todd's official first day of school.
He joined 5 other kids in the kindergarten class of St. John of Damascus Academy. It was exciting, dressing him in his school uniform (either a white or burgundy polo shirt, and navy pleated trousers) and sending him off with his lunch on his first day!
He is the youngest in his class, but also the tallest, thanks to his freak Daddy. Figures!
He seemed to enjoy his first day of class, and his first day at Boys and Girls Club, where we drop him off for after-school care. They get plenty of exercise as well as structured activities like reading, coloring, and computer time.
All in all, a successful first day!
He joined 5 other kids in the kindergarten class of St. John of Damascus Academy. It was exciting, dressing him in his school uniform (either a white or burgundy polo shirt, and navy pleated trousers) and sending him off with his lunch on his first day!
He is the youngest in his class, but also the tallest, thanks to his freak Daddy. Figures!
He seemed to enjoy his first day of class, and his first day at Boys and Girls Club, where we drop him off for after-school care. They get plenty of exercise as well as structured activities like reading, coloring, and computer time.
All in all, a successful first day!
Not too much butter!
Todd and I were both pretty hungry after church today, so we decided that, rather than drive straight to Sylmar (it was nearly noon), we'd accompany our friends to our usual post-service lunch at Jake's (a little cafe we frequent, it serves lunch and breakfast).
I ordered some stuff from the kids' menu for Todd, and one of the items included toast. He was looking forward to it, and wanted honey with it.
When his food arrived, first thing I did was butter his toast. Todd watched me carefully. I had barely spread a small pat of butter on a slice and was reaching for more butter, when Todd exclaimed: "Not too much!"
A bit puzzled, since it was very little butter, I queried why.
"Because butter has a lot of fat. Too much fat is not good for you, it will make your heart sick!"
I ordered some stuff from the kids' menu for Todd, and one of the items included toast. He was looking forward to it, and wanted honey with it.
When his food arrived, first thing I did was butter his toast. Todd watched me carefully. I had barely spread a small pat of butter on a slice and was reaching for more butter, when Todd exclaimed: "Not too much!"
A bit puzzled, since it was very little butter, I queried why.
"Because butter has a lot of fat. Too much fat is not good for you, it will make your heart sick!"
Swimming
After Todd's school assessment, we went back to the apartment and changed into our swimsuits so we could hit the complex's pool. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day-- perfect weather for swimming!
We had loads of fun dunking our heads in the water, and Todd even jumped from the top of the steps into the shallow end of the pool, dunking his head as he splashed in! He was still nervous about lying on his back to float (didn't want to put his head in the water), and about "swimming" with only his chest/tummy supported, but he seemed more comfortable in the water than previously :-)
We also enjoyed soaking in the jacuzzi and practicing some leaps and dunks in the nice warm water! It may have been a warm and sunny day, but with Santa Barbara's mild climate (and temps in the 70s), even a splash in the pool can quickly turn chilly!
We had loads of fun dunking our heads in the water, and Todd even jumped from the top of the steps into the shallow end of the pool, dunking his head as he splashed in! He was still nervous about lying on his back to float (didn't want to put his head in the water), and about "swimming" with only his chest/tummy supported, but he seemed more comfortable in the water than previously :-)
We also enjoyed soaking in the jacuzzi and practicing some leaps and dunks in the nice warm water! It may have been a warm and sunny day, but with Santa Barbara's mild climate (and temps in the 70s), even a splash in the pool can quickly turn chilly!
