Posts Tagged caregiver
Earth Day is Everyday
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on September 2, 2010
LTD the human tornado has firmly put one object in his sights, the recycle bin. The little guy is obsessed with both the paper bin and the plastic/metal bin. On the one hand I let him have at it because it occupies his attention for longer than most things and isn’t really dangerous. However, if you talk about one hand you have to talk about the other. He makes a wicked bad mess. The plastic isn’t so bad, I just pick it all up and put in back in the bin and besides he keeps me honest because now I make sure to thoroughly wash everything. The paper is a different story. You see, LTD takes his career as the human tornado very seriously and while on the job he makes sure to not only pull all the paper goods out of the bin but also to rip them apart into tiny little pieces. It would appear the terms of his tornado contract specifically state that he does not have to clean up after shredding. I hope the collectors appreciate that he is doing their job for them.
Oh, Great, We Get to do it Again
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on August 26, 2010
LTD and I have a pretty tight daily routine. However, the routine can be a cruel goddess, she gives with one hand and takes with the other. The benefits of our routine keep us from going into the tall grass. Kids need structure and I need a schedule to follow when I’m too tired to think straight. Also, it’s important to note that the routine doesn’t destroy creativity or spontaneity, rather it allows the little guy to take a nap and eat meals without getting hungry enough to have a level five meltdown. The routine is great if someone else has to take care of LTD, he hardly notices we’ve gone.
The flip side to the positive aspects of the daily routine lie in the brutal soul stripping sameness of every day activities. In and out of the car, putting the shoes and socks back on, and my personal demon the highchair tray. It seems as if I am always washing it. And let’s not forget the diapers or telling him to stop sticking his finger in the dog’s eye. One simple ritual from our daily routine somehow manages to make everything else worth doing every day. LTD will wander behind the couch and then pop out, open is mouth into a huge gaping grin and say, ‘ahhhhh.’
Yeah, Are You Gonna Finish That?
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on August 24, 2010
Normally, I have to inhale my lunch over the sink while LTD takes his nap. I never know how long he will be asleep for and have to plan accordingly. However, occasionally, I will eat in front of him. When that happens all hell breaks loose. When eating in front of friends, co- workers or family; you may say, this is good, try a taste or they may say, that looks yummy can I have a bite? Well, LTD has no use for such polite manners. He demands a bite. He lets his desire for your food be known through physical and verbal actions. He points and waves his hand in the direction of the delicious pizza you are about to eat. He screams ‘uh’ over and over and over again until you simply break. Don’t even get me started on what happens if you try and eat Dairy Queen in front of him. The whole scene turns into Lord of the Flies and I get to be that Piggy kid with the glasses. Time for me to go back to eating quickly over the sink.
Hulk Smash
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on August 10, 2010
Another day another baby milestone. Unfortunately, LTD’s new favorite thing to do is loud, destructive and annoying. That’s right, folks, the little guy has taken to banging things on the
coffee table. It was bad enough when he tries to eat the coffee table, but now he is really testing the structural integrity of both the table and my ears. However, I can’t help but feel this is karmic pay back from my Hulk phase when I was a lad. I don’t want you to think he is obsessed with just the table; he also bangs things on the floor, the cabinets and my head.
The amazing thing about the little caveman’s smashing fetish is that he hasn’t actually smashed anything. I chalk this up to the toys being well made and the surprising strength of the varnish on the coffee table. Sadly, I fear the first thing to go will be my head. The bright side to all this banging that I assume as he grows this behavior will stop. I mean how long can a little boy really enjoy smashing and hitting things?
Sweat Lodge
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on August 2, 2010
Any one living on the east coast knows that it seems like this summer has been one long heat wave. Beyond the Car Seat doesn’t want to have a debate about global climate change 
except to say this: Last week our central air conked out. The inside thermostat was in the 90’s and the whole family was in a foul mood for a few days. Thankfully, our electrician/plumber Joe was able to fix it and now life is back to normal. The internal heat wave caused us all to sweat profusely and things quickly devolved into mild unpleasantness as our society began to break down. The baby sweat caused LTD’s hair to become matted down and he looked like a hobo. It didn’t help that he spent most of the time without a shirt on. There is something a little pathetic about seeing a kid that sweaty, I think because he doesn’t know to clean himself up and make himself presentable. He brought new meaning to the word disheveled. Now that the house is cool and the heat wave finally over I appreciate life more and express joy that my kid’s appearance no longer attracts harsh stares directed at me by society’s judges.
The Man With One Red Shoe
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on July 20, 2010
A new item has been added to mine and LTD’s daily routine. At least once a day a kind stranger stops me and says the following, “Do you know he is missing a shoe.” And every day I say the following in response, “Yes, thank you, it’s in the car. He takes them off.” And then the kind stranger concludes with a knowing look and says, “Been there.” However, this morning the routine has been drastically upended. I was about to drop the little guy off in the gym’s daycare area when a kind woman caught up to me and held out her hand to give me one of LTD’s shoes. It seems I committed the ultimate sin I left a man behind. We were just lucky he didn’t drop it outside as it rained wicked hard a few minutes later. Well lesson learned, I will either buy a big supply of super glue or pay better attention.
Now, Where Should I Put This?
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on July 15, 2010
LTD has developed two approaches to objects he finds around the house. The first approach is called, ‘whatever’. This technique is put into practice when the little guy is carrying something with him on his travels and then simply drops it behind in his wake. All things considered his leave behind behavior isn’t too big a deal, just another to pick up at the end of the day. However, his second new behavior can be both funny and irksome. LTD has started putting things inside of other things. I know what you’re thinking no big deal right. Sure, when he puts his Fisher-Price Little People inside of the stacking cups it is very cute. How do you feel when he moves past toys to the car keys? I need a map and flashlight to figure out where stuff is; of course the best place to start is usually in my shoe. Thankfully, he doesn’t have access to the bathroom or I’m sure he would fulfill the baby cliché of putting my cell phone in the toilet. For now, I shall assume it is all harmless curiosity on his part and continue to try to keep my belongings out of his reach. Yeah, good luck with that.
Would You Mind Turning Off the Hose?
As long time Beyond the Car Seat readers know all to well, LTD is not in daycare. His lack of exposure to other kids on a daily basis has resulted in him never really being sick. The streak is over. Or I should say, the streak of him not getting a cold is over and the streak of stuff coming out of his nose has begun. Thankfully, this all happened a few weeks ago and now that he has recovered I am able to speak about the traumatic things I’ve seen for the first time.
The first sign of trouble was when LTD started have coughing fits, sounding hoarse and running a slight fever. He was also not exhibiting good behavioral control like he normally does. It was clear to The Mommy and me that he was not feeling 100 percent. Thanks to our awesome pediatrician’s office having walk in hours, I took the little guy in for a quick check up. We didn’t wait all that long and after listening in the doc determined that it was either croup (or as I call it kennel cough) or a cold, but nothing serious. He told me to watch and see for the next day to see what developed. Well, it turns out he did in fact have a cold as his cough went away and the mucous started. LTD soon looked liked every sick baby cliché in the book. We are talking gross. The doc told us to use Tylenol for the fever, engage the cool air humidifier and use the steam from a shower if necessary. Unfortunately, the cold’s symptoms and discomforted seemed to mostly manifest itself during the night which made for some tired days. All in all it could have been worse with LTD feeling better after a few days even if his nose ran like it was getting paid to make mucous. The Mommy and I have survived the first real cold and assume the little guy won’t get one again.
Put Down that 8 Track and Pick up That Podcast
Posted by Proud Dad in Baby on Board on May 10, 2010
My friends over at Manic Mommies recently interviewed me for their hit podcast. Check it out here: http://www.manicmommies.com/?p=4321