We finally got around to taking more recent bath pictures of Miles. Here's a few cute ones:
Having fun
Playing with the bubbles
All smilesFriday, July 13, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Wee Bit O'Culture
In honor of a well respected dancer, I have decided to post a short video clip. Alessandra Ferri retired from ABT on June 23, 2007. The clip is of a music video made by Sting interpreted by Ferri in a classical/contemporary piece of choreography. It is by far one of my favorites. (Bear with all the drama of the warm-up section. The piece is well worth it.)
Monday, July 9, 2007
Extreme Baby Sports
Last week Chris and I took Miles to a new park. We usually go to the one in our neighborhood, but as we were driving home one night, we passed a large public park with a sprawling playground. Since we had to be out of the house for a real estate showing, and I was headed to work later, Chris and I decided we would meet up at the new park, switch cars and then hand off the baby. I had to be out about an hour before I had to leave for work and Chris wasn't going to be able to meet us until a half hour later, so I was going to keep track of Miles all alone for a while.
Miles and I drove over to the park and followed the long, winding path down to the playground. He squealed with delight as we got closer, with his fingers pointing and his "eyes on the prize". The playground was divided into four sections: big swings, little swings, infant/toddler area and big kid area with a medium and large gym. Being the responsible parent that I am, I brought Miles right over to the age appropriate section. It was really small, with tiny slides and just one little tunnel. To our left were the swings and after Miles finished one lap around the toddler area and appeared bored, I suggested we go try them.
We went and swung for about five minutes when he was suddenly distracted by a vision in primary colors: the big kid area. It was huge with bridges, slides, steps and towers. At that very moment if he had not been restrained by the infant swing, he would have been gone. I couldn't get him out fast enough so a fussing struggle ensued. The larger play area had a winding play gym and behind it an even larger area with a rock climbing wall and some of the highest slides I've seen at a playground. We started out on the medium sized area and of course this time I had to climb too.
Miles still has no concept of how little he is, and coupled with that he has absolutely no fear. I hate having to go down the slides after him, but it's the only way for me to make sure he stays safe and still keep up with him. So after the fifth or sixth time down, he made a break for the larger area. I decided to entertain the idea and followed him over to it, thinking he would see how high the slides were and just come back down. This would give me a break from having to slide myself and stop the static shocks I get every time I go after him. After reaching the top, he headed straight for the tallest slide and proceeded to try and walk one foot in front of the other down it. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back quickly but not without a toddler tantrum. I turned around and noticed a slide with a twisting tunnel and felt most comfortable letting him go down that one. Since using the stairs to go back down was no longer a "Miles option" I ushered him in that direction.
I sent him down and ran to the open slide to the left, an unoffensive looking straight slide that appeared to get me down quickly and in one piece. I jumped on the slide and headed down trying to beat Miles to the bottom. After hitting the sixth mogul and the seventh back spasm, I prayed for a quick end. I flew off the bottom and hobbled to Miles' side just as he popped out of the tunnel. We then moved back over to the medium area as I physically felt I was too old for another run at the tall slides.
At that point I truly believed that I was in the clear and as we crossed over one of the bridges, Miles headed right for one of the smallest slides on this play gym. Thinking all would go well I followed close behind with relaxed confidence. Instead of sitting like he had done on the other 20 slides, minus one, he tried to walk down this one as well. I guess I just couldn't get to him fast enough because in a flash, he was up in the air, then on his back spinning around from feet to head. It all happened within a second and as he came to the end of the slide he flipped over from back to front and went face first off of it onto the wood chip ground.
I don't even remember how I got down, but just as I jumped off the play gym, Miles was just managing to stand up. I grabbed him to pick him up, brush him off and comfort him, but his crying was being silenced by a mouth full of mulch. I quickly cleared his mouth of the ground cover and by this time, he was already done crying. I hugged him tight and said "your okay". I sneaked a quick peek around to make sure nobody took notice of my poor parenting skills and then put full attention on comforting Miles.
He rubbed his eyes and pushed me away to get down. I replied once more "Are you alright?" He nodded his head "yes" and as fast as it happened he was off and running again. His resilience for falling continues to amaze me. What would make most grown men grimace, ends with a quick whimper and usually the bumps and bruises appear later to mark a greater level of injury.
Within a few minutes only a little red bump appeared on his cheek this time as a small reminder of his mighty fall. Since nothing was broken or bleeding I chalked it up to a lesson learned for both of us, and hoped this incident would have some lasting effect on the "fearless wonder". It only took 10 minutes for me to be wrong, but by that time daddy had arrived and we could now double team him. We only spent a few more minutes at the park because by that time my stress level was higher than my blood pressure and Chris was starting to feel and understand the tension pain as well. As we were leaving a few teenage boys were climbing to the top of the rock wall and then dismounting with back flips. I turned to Chris and whispered, "Hurry before they give Miles any ideas." As visions of emergency room visits filled my mind, I never wanted a girl so bad.
Miles and I drove over to the park and followed the long, winding path down to the playground. He squealed with delight as we got closer, with his fingers pointing and his "eyes on the prize". The playground was divided into four sections: big swings, little swings, infant/toddler area and big kid area with a medium and large gym. Being the responsible parent that I am, I brought Miles right over to the age appropriate section. It was really small, with tiny slides and just one little tunnel. To our left were the swings and after Miles finished one lap around the toddler area and appeared bored, I suggested we go try them.
We went and swung for about five minutes when he was suddenly distracted by a vision in primary colors: the big kid area. It was huge with bridges, slides, steps and towers. At that very moment if he had not been restrained by the infant swing, he would have been gone. I couldn't get him out fast enough so a fussing struggle ensued. The larger play area had a winding play gym and behind it an even larger area with a rock climbing wall and some of the highest slides I've seen at a playground. We started out on the medium sized area and of course this time I had to climb too.
Miles still has no concept of how little he is, and coupled with that he has absolutely no fear. I hate having to go down the slides after him, but it's the only way for me to make sure he stays safe and still keep up with him. So after the fifth or sixth time down, he made a break for the larger area. I decided to entertain the idea and followed him over to it, thinking he would see how high the slides were and just come back down. This would give me a break from having to slide myself and stop the static shocks I get every time I go after him. After reaching the top, he headed straight for the tallest slide and proceeded to try and walk one foot in front of the other down it. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back quickly but not without a toddler tantrum. I turned around and noticed a slide with a twisting tunnel and felt most comfortable letting him go down that one. Since using the stairs to go back down was no longer a "Miles option" I ushered him in that direction.
I sent him down and ran to the open slide to the left, an unoffensive looking straight slide that appeared to get me down quickly and in one piece. I jumped on the slide and headed down trying to beat Miles to the bottom. After hitting the sixth mogul and the seventh back spasm, I prayed for a quick end. I flew off the bottom and hobbled to Miles' side just as he popped out of the tunnel. We then moved back over to the medium area as I physically felt I was too old for another run at the tall slides.
At that point I truly believed that I was in the clear and as we crossed over one of the bridges, Miles headed right for one of the smallest slides on this play gym. Thinking all would go well I followed close behind with relaxed confidence. Instead of sitting like he had done on the other 20 slides, minus one, he tried to walk down this one as well. I guess I just couldn't get to him fast enough because in a flash, he was up in the air, then on his back spinning around from feet to head. It all happened within a second and as he came to the end of the slide he flipped over from back to front and went face first off of it onto the wood chip ground.
I don't even remember how I got down, but just as I jumped off the play gym, Miles was just managing to stand up. I grabbed him to pick him up, brush him off and comfort him, but his crying was being silenced by a mouth full of mulch. I quickly cleared his mouth of the ground cover and by this time, he was already done crying. I hugged him tight and said "your okay". I sneaked a quick peek around to make sure nobody took notice of my poor parenting skills and then put full attention on comforting Miles.
He rubbed his eyes and pushed me away to get down. I replied once more "Are you alright?" He nodded his head "yes" and as fast as it happened he was off and running again. His resilience for falling continues to amaze me. What would make most grown men grimace, ends with a quick whimper and usually the bumps and bruises appear later to mark a greater level of injury.
Within a few minutes only a little red bump appeared on his cheek this time as a small reminder of his mighty fall. Since nothing was broken or bleeding I chalked it up to a lesson learned for both of us, and hoped this incident would have some lasting effect on the "fearless wonder". It only took 10 minutes for me to be wrong, but by that time daddy had arrived and we could now double team him. We only spent a few more minutes at the park because by that time my stress level was higher than my blood pressure and Chris was starting to feel and understand the tension pain as well. As we were leaving a few teenage boys were climbing to the top of the rock wall and then dismounting with back flips. I turned to Chris and whispered, "Hurry before they give Miles any ideas." As visions of emergency room visits filled my mind, I never wanted a girl so bad.
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