Date:
July 2007
We (you, me and Mommy) went to lunch at CPK today and you sat in a booster seat (instead of the high chair) for the first time. You did surprisingly well too. I’m not sure when you’re suppose to be moved from the high chair to the booster seat, but you looked like an old pro for the most part. You did try to stand a couple of times, and I kept my arm around you, just in case you were going to almost fall, but it was a totally successful adventure for all involved.
Today we went to Freedom park (because it wasn’t as hot as the sun this morning!). You really like the swings. It’s amazing. All of the great toys at the park and you are enamored with the swings. I have to admit, swings are pretty cool … but the have a PIRATE ship toy there. A PIRATE SHIP TOY! It’s like I don’t even know you sometimes 
There was also this butter cup looking thing that would turn you in circles and make you really dizzy. Here’s you on it:
And here’s me in it:
The biggest difference in our experiences? You didn’t look green after the ride … and me, well let’s just say it took a little while to get my legs back and to not want to throw up.
The PIRATE toy was really cool. It had misters in the ground (weird I know!). You seemed to like it almost half as much as you liked the swings. I think another month or 2 and you’ll be wanting to get on the toys other than the swings.
Here’s a picture of you running around in the misters in front of the PIRATE ship:
All of this talk about the swings and no picture yet! How could I almost forget:
Anyway, I had a good time playing at the park. I think you did too.
You’re first words were (in no particular order): Moma, Dada, up and hot. These are all said in a whispery voice … almost as though you’re not sure if you’re saying it correctly. You’ve now mastered the art of ‘No’. It’s not the whisper of your other words. It’s quite forceful. A loud, insistent ‘No’ when me or Mommy rests our foot on your folding chair. Or when we’re we’ve done something incorrectly. It’s so freaking cute! I’ll have to get a recording of it and post it for everyone to hear, because frankly if I wasn’t so taken aback by being told no from a 16 month old it might be the single funniest thing I’ve ever heard in my life
I’ve read a parent blog entry today about what kinds of kids we’re raising today and what messages we’re sending them. We always want to make sure that our children have the self-esteem necessary to get through life, but we also don’t want you to think that you are entitled to everything that your little hearts desire. Where to draw the line? Frankly, I have no freaking idea. For the most part the best answer I can give is leading by example, but what if that doesn’t work? What then?
For the most part I think that each generation is always perceived by it’s predecesor to have it too good, even though that very same previous generation pines for ‘the good old days’. Maybe it’s just a generational gap thing that will never be understood. And maybe it’s better that way. Maybe the whole point of not understanding how to raise your kids is what being a parent is all about. And spoiling them, or at least testing the bounds of spoiling are necessary to being a good parent. I think it comes down to not being an extremist in either direction (but I think this holds for most things in life). We as parents shouldn’t over discipline our kids so that they don’t know what it’s like to be a kid, but we should also not let them be ‘in charge’ so to speak. The real challenge of being a good parent is finding that range (not point, but range) in which we don’t veer off to far to either extreme.
We went to Casuelas Quinta tonight and hung out with your friends from the mommy group. We had a really good time, and you even shared your tortilla chips with Amber (Mia’s mom). We got to see Chloie and her mommy and daddy (Robin and Steve) and Benjamin with Belinda and Stuart. Sierra was there with her little boy too (but I don’t know his name).
You were a fan of the tortilla chips. I didn’t know you weren’t suppose to have them and we’re not suppose to tell Shari about it … so shhhhh. You also liked the salsa, even if it was a bit hot for you. However, you wouldn’t touch a chip if you even thought it had looked at the guacamole … which is really too bad because it was some tasty guacamole.
We also ran into Grandma Janie and her friends. They were celebrating Mimi and Moco’s anniversary … while Moco was in Alaska, but that’s another story for another time.
Anyway, here’s a picture of you having fun in your high chair with your one lensed sunglasses:
