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By Nod on February 7th, 2010 | Category: Family Life, ParentingWhile Mrs. Nod and I worked on shoveling out 30 inches of snow from the driveway, I sent Wynken and Blynken out back to clear away the heat pump. After warning them to be careful of the nearby outside basement steps, I returned to my grueling task.
Not five minutes go by when Wynken comes rushing up and says “Blynken fell down the basement steps and now she’s stuck!”. I rushed to the back and sure enough, she fell down the well of the stairs into the drift, arms and legs akimbo. Not only that, she lost her boot in the process.
She handled it well and didn’t panic; thankfully she didn’t get hurt – just stuck. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her back into the garage and set her down safe and sound.
She says, “Thanks, Daddy.”
I said, “Don’t you know, I’ll always come for you?”
‘Cause, you know, that’s what Daddies do.
By Nod on September 12th, 2009 | Category: ParentingKids usually say whatever is on their minds; the trouble is understanding what they are really thinking.
Case in point: Wynken came home from school and asked for the umpteenth time for us to buy him his own Nintendo DS game console. Rather than rehash our reasons for why we haven’t done so, Mrs. Nod noted that Wynken was a bit upset and probed a little deeper into what was up.
As it turns out, the kids on the bus have been excluding him from playing the collaborative games even when he borrows a DS from another kid. Wynken’s rationale was if only he had his own DS and was good at the games, then the other kids wouldn’t exclude him. Of course, as a parent we know that isn’t the case at all: it wasn’t his ability or lack of ability on the games — they were excluding him. Bullying doesn’t stop unless hearts change.
Since he goes to a Catholic school, we called the administration and got that little problem nipped in the bud. We’ve learned the hard way that we have to aggressively defend our kids and keep people accountable for their actions. We’ve got the behavior changed, but we’ll still be praying for their hearts.
Second case: Nod-girl came up to me, apropos of nothing, and says: “I’d miss you if you left.” I said, “Thanks, sweetheart, but where am I going? I go to work every day.” She responded, “Liam’s Daddy left them and now he lives in a different state.”
Turns out her classmate’s parents are divorced, but she didn’t know the word for it. Now this happens more than it should, but it does happen and that’s a reality in our society. (Actually I’m very proud
By Nod on August 15th, 2009 | Category: Family Life, ParentingIf a bike could have bling, then Blynken would definitely be in love with it. The girl loves things that sparkle, things that have ribbons, and things that are pink.
Well, that’s what her new bicycle looks like: Peppermint Swirl. It’s got pom poms on the handle, white wall tires with a blue stripe and a plastic carry-all on the handlebars. Of course she fell immediately in love with it as: “exactly what I wanted”. Sure, OK, right. What made it good for me was that it was actually on sale, so I saved a few dollars on it. I’m looking at the frame, the height, fit, and brakes; she’s looking at the color, the accessories, and paint job.
Sigh. That’s why girls have Dads. So we can look at the boring but necessary stuff while they just enjoy the thing for what it is. And I suppose that’s how it should be at her age.
She actually really enjoys riding a bike, so I didn’t mind getting her a new one that fit, so she didn’t have to ride the 14″ tots bike. I took both Wynken and Blynken on a bike ride by turns today, and they both used that bike since it was the only working kids bike. Since then, Blynken got a new bike, I bought a new tire for Wynken’s bike, and now Nod-girl wants to learn how to ride, so I’ve got to dig up the training wheels.
I’ll make ‘em a bike riding family yet.
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Cross-posted at: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
By Nod on May 23rd, 2009 | Category: Family LifeJust about every kid out there loves the pool. Today, our pool opened and the day was hot. Perfect combination. After getting a bunch of chores and errands done, Mrs. Nod headed off to the pool with Wynken, Blynken, and Nod-girl while I stayed home with the toddlers and their naps.
So why didn’t I go? Other than logistical difficulties with two toddlers who are hell-bent for leather to drown themselves, and other than the fact that they love it more than I do*, I was perfectly content not to go, because I know something that the Nodlings don’t: the water is freakin’ cold still.
There haven’t been enough hot days yet for that giant mass of cold water to warm up appreciably. Wait a month, then it’ll be great. Plus, being the very first day, the chlorine levels have to be intolerably high — I’ll wait to see their puffy little red eyes in church tomorrow.
* The phrase “love it more than I do” reminds me of one of my favorite childhood books called More Spaghetti, I say! by Rita Golden Gelman in which Minnie can’t stop eating spaghetti.
“I love it. I love it. I love it. I do.”
More than me?
“More than you.”
Cross-posted at: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
By Nod on April 19th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized Ever think to yourself, I’ve heard better sermons from a three year old? Now you can have a point of reference.
Nub climbed up into the chair and started expounding with fire and brimstone. I’m pretty sure he told a joke at one point, but see for yourself.
Cross-posted at: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
By Nod on April 4th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized Blynken had her second piano lesson today. She seems excited about the opportunity, but the catch has been to get her to calm down and pay attention so that she can learn.
Everyone wants to get right to it, to be able to play immediately, but we must walk before we can run. So with piano we must learn fingerings, names of notes, how to read music, how to count — boring but necessary.
The mantra in our house is “work first, then play”. They hate to be reminded of it, but it’s a life lesson. But soon, in its time — there will be music.
By Nod on March 3rd, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized That’s what my mother would tell me.
That is what amounted to a threat coming from her: “If you don’t do X, then your name is going to be mud.” The thing is, I believed her. (She always told me that I knew what side my bread was buttered on.)
Names are powerful things. We use them to uplift, we use them to tear down (sticks and stones). Most parents spend countless hours when deciding on names for their children. Does it sound right? What is the meaning? Do the initials spell something obscene? Is it a family name? Does it reflect our values or religion? And so on … as well it should.
The story of the Tower of Babel is based in part on the monstrous pride of the people who were trying to make a name for themselves instead of submitting to the Lord. Then they said,
“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.” Genesis 11:4
Each of my children has a first, middle, and last name. I use them quite liberally, most of the time using the first alone, sometimes I use the first and middle together, or even the dreaded triple name utterance. (That’s how we knew we were in trouble as kids, when our parents used our full names.)
Occasionally, I’ll use first initial and middle name to get their attention; and for the girls, I will even use only their middle name (again to get their attention). With 5 Nod-lings, there are a lot of names flying about the house.
Imagine my surprise, then, when Nod-girl told me
By Nod on January 20th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized Blynken is my questioner; always she is the one who will ask the far-flung questions … What if I died? What if I did that thing you said not to do? What if you won the lottery? I wonder what would happen if I took this bag of marbles and knocked it on the floor? … and so on.
She was so excited to make her first Reconciliation that she had another question:
What if after making my Confession, I never sinned again?
I laughed; but it is a great question for all of us. What if we never sinned again after making our Confession?
What a superb attitude! Of course we’re all fallible (that’s why we have Confession in the first place); but isn’t that what we all striving for with the Grace of God?
C’mon: what if?
Cross-posted at: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
By Nod on January 15th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized The terrible toddlers, Nib and Nub, have taken to screaming and crying. This is to say: they won’t nap, and they won’t go to bed anymore.
Whether they are not getting enough exercise or stimulation during the day, or whether it’s been the perennial cough and cold this season brings, or something else completely is anyone’s to guess. What I do know is that the old stand-bys are not working anymore.
This gets to be a little nerve wracking after a while, as you may imagine. Couple this with a steady moaning from about 4pm onward, and you start to get that look in your eye.
Enter the video. Now I hate as a matter of habit to put on a video just to turn their brains off, but now and again, it’s your only defense. Until we transition to the “new” routine, whatever that may be, this will work as a backstop.
Nib and Nub are fascinated with the Baby Signing Times video series, which is designed to teach pre-verbal, deaf, or developmentally delayed kids simplified sign language. Heck, the older kids are fascinated by it too and they speak just fine. It aims to cut down on a lot of the frustration that kids feel when they can’t communicate.
Suffice it to say: the Baby Signing Times videos are a mesmer. I put it on for Nub while he was in the crib — zonkers in 20 minutes. I put it on for Nib in her high chair (at 11pm when she refused to sleep) — ka-pow! Sleeping like a … well, baby.
So there you go: educational, entertaining, and sleep inducing — a parent’s dream.
Cross posted at Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
By Nod on December 27th, 2008 | Category: Uncategorized On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me … an Easy Bake oven and some sugar cookies.
In a North American rite of passage for little girls, Blynken got her first Easy Bake oven. She patiently waited until after all the day’s activities and until after dinner.
Then dear old Dad screwed in the requisite 100W light bulb (not Soft White! not Long Life!) in the Easy Bake oven and we pre-heated it for 15 minutes. We carefully opened the package of prepared sugar cookie mix and added 3/4 tsp. of water (using her brand new measuring cups and spoons, I might add) to make dough.
We rolled out the dough in two batches – one chocolate, one plain – and used the cookie cutter to make little hearts in the center; we switched the vanilla heart into the chocolate cookie and the chocolate heart into the vanilla cookie for nice effect.
Blynken put the cookies in the tins and baked the cookies in her Easy Bake oven and shared them with Wynken, Mrs. Nod, and Nod-girl.
“Dad, is it okay if you don’t get a cookie? There are only four of them.”
(Hmm, I do all the work and Mom gets the cookie?) Yes, it’s quite OK, I like to lick the bowl better anyway.
You never saw a girl more contented; she’s just thrilled being a girl and doing girlie things. She even cleaned up afterward. Then she turns to me and says:
“Dad, I just love baking with you.”
Aw, who needs a cookie anyhow?
Cross posted at Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
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