The other evening, Keltan and I were in the front yard, between the driveway and the front porch. I forget what i was doing, perhaps rolling up the hose, but I finished and started to walk up the steps. Keltan was about 15 or 20 feet away. It was dusk, with a little bit of light left, though not much. Keltan realized that Daddy had left the spot where he was standing, and panicked. He started fussing - not the little fuss of someone walking into a different room or putting him down. No, this was an all-out "I'm out here alone in the dark in a great big world and I have no daddy here to protect me" type of cry. I had to step back down and get him, and it took a couple of minutes to get him calmed down. I had hopes that he wouldn't go through this phase, because previously he had not demonstrated any kind of fear about anything.
Another instance he has exhibited some fear is with Raleigh. Now, for anyone that doesn't know, Raleigh is our 75 pound lab/chow mix dog. He is very docile, patient, and the sweetest dog you will ever meet. He is only ferocious to those that meet him on the other side of the glass door as he charges it full speed with a crazy-loud bark. That bark is the subject of this story. Keltan likes to play chase, though he is not very good at the concept. He will go running off through the kitchen as I follow on all fours. About halfway through the kitchen, he forgets that he is supposed to be running, and turns around to chase me! We will turn around and run back into the den, where I will attempt to dodge him, bowl through Raleigh who is most of the time blocking my path, and go into the kitchen. Keltan will come running after me, laughing like crazy. Of course, Rals thinks this is great fun, and wants to join. His way of joining is barking with all his might, directly behind Keltan.
Now, I wish I could describe the look on Keltan's face when this happens. I want to capture it on film, but as these things go, the camera is never there when he does it, and when I have the camera, he doesn't do it. But, his face will go from pure laughter to wide-eyed, pursed lips, and the most serious face you will ever find! He kicks into high gear and chugs into my waiting arms full speed. I grab him, give him a big hug, then we call Raleigh over and give him pettings. Then we proceed to do it all over again.
He loves to be read to. He brought me a book as I was sitting in his bedroom rocking chair a few nights ago. We generally try to read 3-4 books each night before bed. I think his favorite is a silly little book called "Pajama Time." While reading this book, I do my best to imitate one Stanley Dickson - all the energy and excitement I can muster, and with little thought to being quiet. I often imagine Dad reading this book to Keltan and think of the fun that could be observed. Needless to say, I try to not end on this book. I have to bring him back down with a book about the two nutbrown hares - "Guess How Much I Love You." After I get him in bed, I ask the question "Why bother? Shouldn't I just put him in our bed, since that is most likely where he will end up in 4 - 5 hours?" That's right - he hates to sleep alone. Now and then, he will actually fall back asleep after crying and screaming for a few minutes, though most times he will scream and/or bang on his crib for a couple hours until Mommy finally can't take it anymore. You know all that expert advice from the experts on child-raising? Yeah, go ahead and throw the section on bedtime in the garbage.
Yesterday (sunday), we went to Rockwall to eat lunch and run an errand. In between, we stopped at Lowe's to get some windows ordered. Keltan was a little energetic (what a surprise!), so we found a rather deserted aisle (the bathroom vanity section), and I let him run up and down the aisle. I think he logged over 2 trips to the moon during his time on the floor, but that still wasn't enough! He was not very happy when I had to put him in the buggy, though I was able to keep him a little distracted with my NASCAR style driving - 2 wheel cornering, squealing wheels, motor sounds. He thought, in fact, that it was quite funny. While Mommy was checking out, I took him outside and let him wonder around in the outdoor grills display. Quite the little handful, he is! But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole entire world!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Vaccinate?
http://www.infowars.com/finland-suspends-swine-flu-shots-after-vaccine-linked-with-neurological-disorder/
This article illustrates the reason I hesitate and even refuse to vaccinate Keltan. This vaccine, like so many others, was rushed out and injected into people without proper testing. Recall that the CDC and other government agencies were pushing this hard along with most doctors. I said all along that we didn't have enough information on the vaccine. The same is true with the accepted traditional vaccines. While the vaccine may be safe, we have little to no information on the suspension material of choice - aluminum. Remember that it was not too long ago that Mercury was thought to be safe. Turns out that was absolutely incorrect. And while not used in vaccines, we used numerous products daily that exposed us to lead. Turns out that was a bad idea, too.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Well I hate to say it, but I'm afraid Keltan is beginning to show his likeness to Mommy. He has decided it is time to exert his will on situations and to pitch a big ole screamin' fit when we have other ideas. I say he is showing Mommy's side because I KNOW I never was hard-headed about things! Speak of the devil, he has awakened yet again and it is his will to be out of his crib.
Yes, that is right. He does not at all sleep well in his own bed. He awakens and will not go back down for anything. We wonder if he is having night terrors. Even in bed with us he will become wide awake, sit straight up in bed and wimper or scream. Hopefully he will overcome this problem.
He loves to pick up pecans in the backyard. He began by carrying them around, then decided it would be good to have one in his mouth - shell and all. Mrs Margie has him convinced now that it is great fun to put them in a bucket. Much better in my opinion.
Mud. What boy doesn't like mud? Put a little water on the bare dirt and VOILA! Instant fun for the Kman!
Well, I must go fight wills with him. I'm afraid he will win because I'm tired.....
Yes, that is right. He does not at all sleep well in his own bed. He awakens and will not go back down for anything. We wonder if he is having night terrors. Even in bed with us he will become wide awake, sit straight up in bed and wimper or scream. Hopefully he will overcome this problem.
He loves to pick up pecans in the backyard. He began by carrying them around, then decided it would be good to have one in his mouth - shell and all. Mrs Margie has him convinced now that it is great fun to put them in a bucket. Much better in my opinion.
Mud. What boy doesn't like mud? Put a little water on the bare dirt and VOILA! Instant fun for the Kman!
Well, I must go fight wills with him. I'm afraid he will win because I'm tired.....
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
In the shower
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Late update
Wow! I didn't realize it has been since sometime in June since I updated this blog. But, as predicted by my wise Aunt Glo on June 15, 2010, we have been crazy busy keeping up with our walking and running baby.....
So, what has happened since June?
Keltan had his 1st birthday party on July 3. I was reluctant to have a big party, desiring instead a small gathering of family and a small cake. Inga persisted, however, and, like my dad, I gave in to my wife. We planned a rather big gathering of family and friends (28 guests in all). Grandma came down early and helped us get the house and yard in shape. To that, we owe her a HUGE Thank You!
We decided to serve fajitas as our meal, so I bought a whole side of beef and a semi full of chickens, along with a farm of veggies. We got all the tables and chairs set up, the citronella candles lit, the fans out and plugged in, the drinks in the huge cooler, and the guests started to arrive about 5:15 for the 5:30 start. Mind you, this was July 3. July is a month of drought in Texas. It never rains. It never gets below 90 degrees. We never get a puff of cloud in the sky in July. Except for July 3, 2010 at 5:45 PM in Terrell, Texas. It POURED!!!! We had to move the party inside. 30 people in our house was a bit tight, but we made it work.
Then it was time for cake. Keltan (mommy) blew out the candle, and we got Keltan a huge slice of it. He knew exactly what to do! He grabbed a humongous handful of it and shoved it in his mouth. Of course, it wasn't messy enough for Grandma, so she helped him smear some more on his face and in his hair! Silly Grandma...
As I mentioned before, Keltan is now mobile. He walks and walks and walks. He thoroughly enjoys walking in the yard, so much that, if I carry him into the back yard, he wiggles and squirms until I put him down to walk in the grass. He has also discovered the great fun in running from Mommy and Daddy when he his putting a forbidden object in his mouth. Oh yes, that is GREAT fun, and ends in loud giggles.
For some time now, Keltan has loved to tear down blocks as I build them. A few weeks ago, he discovered that, if he replaces the block, he can tear it down as well. So started the building phase. We're still working on it, but he likes to put blocks together, only to tear them down immediately. This has also phased into attempting to put lids on bottles, and basically anything on anything.
Which leads to the toilet....
If it can be carried, it needs to be in the toilet. That is Keltan's creed.
Our little guy has been fighting an ear infection. We thought he was just being fussy with his teeth and not sleeping well. Turns out he had an ear infection. We gave him the 10 day dose of antibiotics, and thought it was cleared. It wasn't. He just finished his second strain of antibiotics last night, and we hope we got it this time. He goes in on Friday to see the doctor and find out. He also successfully defeated Pink Eye. It took eyedrops to fight that. If you have ever tried to give a cat a bath, you understand what we went through to give him eyedrops. Funny thing is, with the very last dose, he just let us put them in with no fight. Figures...
We traveled a couple weekends ago to Guthrie to see Grandma. On the way home, we stopped in Oklahoma City to see Inga's Grandpa and his wife, Betty. Since they are both in declining health, we were a little concerned with how Keltan would behave while we visited. Turns out we needn't have worried. I took his little Spider Man ball in with us, and he had a great time showing off with that. He chased it around the living room, and then started throwing it into the small trash basket, which thankfully was empty. When Betty sat down, he decided to play ball with her. This brought out a side of her I hadn't seen before. She had a great time with him. So, he entertained us all for a while.
We took him to swimming lessons at the city pool last month. The lessons were only 2 weeks, and consisted of nothing more than acclimating them to the pool. He really enjoyed it, as did his mommy and daddy. On the last day of class, I took him down the big slide. This slide is a really nice one, for kids. It empties into about 3 feet of water, and has twists and turns in it. Well, it turns out that big boys don't go down it so well. I had to push us most of the way. It was my plan to stand up at the end, and not get the little guy's head under water. As we were going down, I was thinking that would be a very easy task. HAHA! At the very end, it suddenly decided that I needed to MOVE! We got jetted out, and, as I was caught by surprise, My bum ended up on the bottom of the pool, and Keltan ended up with a face full of water! He only gulped in a couple gallons, however, and survived fine. I didn't take him down it again.
It is incredible to watch his little personality grow, though frustrating at times when he attempts to exert his will in a situation. This makes you sit back and think about how to best handle some things, and I do a lot of figuring out a better solution than the one I presented. There is, for sure, a learning curve. I hope the things I mess up on won't scar him for life.
For pictures and video, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/jeffrey.n.dickson
So, what has happened since June?
Keltan had his 1st birthday party on July 3. I was reluctant to have a big party, desiring instead a small gathering of family and a small cake. Inga persisted, however, and, like my dad, I gave in to my wife. We planned a rather big gathering of family and friends (28 guests in all). Grandma came down early and helped us get the house and yard in shape. To that, we owe her a HUGE Thank You!
We decided to serve fajitas as our meal, so I bought a whole side of beef and a semi full of chickens, along with a farm of veggies. We got all the tables and chairs set up, the citronella candles lit, the fans out and plugged in, the drinks in the huge cooler, and the guests started to arrive about 5:15 for the 5:30 start. Mind you, this was July 3. July is a month of drought in Texas. It never rains. It never gets below 90 degrees. We never get a puff of cloud in the sky in July. Except for July 3, 2010 at 5:45 PM in Terrell, Texas. It POURED!!!! We had to move the party inside. 30 people in our house was a bit tight, but we made it work.
Then it was time for cake. Keltan (mommy) blew out the candle, and we got Keltan a huge slice of it. He knew exactly what to do! He grabbed a humongous handful of it and shoved it in his mouth. Of course, it wasn't messy enough for Grandma, so she helped him smear some more on his face and in his hair! Silly Grandma...
As I mentioned before, Keltan is now mobile. He walks and walks and walks. He thoroughly enjoys walking in the yard, so much that, if I carry him into the back yard, he wiggles and squirms until I put him down to walk in the grass. He has also discovered the great fun in running from Mommy and Daddy when he his putting a forbidden object in his mouth. Oh yes, that is GREAT fun, and ends in loud giggles.
For some time now, Keltan has loved to tear down blocks as I build them. A few weeks ago, he discovered that, if he replaces the block, he can tear it down as well. So started the building phase. We're still working on it, but he likes to put blocks together, only to tear them down immediately. This has also phased into attempting to put lids on bottles, and basically anything on anything.
Which leads to the toilet....
If it can be carried, it needs to be in the toilet. That is Keltan's creed.
Our little guy has been fighting an ear infection. We thought he was just being fussy with his teeth and not sleeping well. Turns out he had an ear infection. We gave him the 10 day dose of antibiotics, and thought it was cleared. It wasn't. He just finished his second strain of antibiotics last night, and we hope we got it this time. He goes in on Friday to see the doctor and find out. He also successfully defeated Pink Eye. It took eyedrops to fight that. If you have ever tried to give a cat a bath, you understand what we went through to give him eyedrops. Funny thing is, with the very last dose, he just let us put them in with no fight. Figures...
We traveled a couple weekends ago to Guthrie to see Grandma. On the way home, we stopped in Oklahoma City to see Inga's Grandpa and his wife, Betty. Since they are both in declining health, we were a little concerned with how Keltan would behave while we visited. Turns out we needn't have worried. I took his little Spider Man ball in with us, and he had a great time showing off with that. He chased it around the living room, and then started throwing it into the small trash basket, which thankfully was empty. When Betty sat down, he decided to play ball with her. This brought out a side of her I hadn't seen before. She had a great time with him. So, he entertained us all for a while.
We took him to swimming lessons at the city pool last month. The lessons were only 2 weeks, and consisted of nothing more than acclimating them to the pool. He really enjoyed it, as did his mommy and daddy. On the last day of class, I took him down the big slide. This slide is a really nice one, for kids. It empties into about 3 feet of water, and has twists and turns in it. Well, it turns out that big boys don't go down it so well. I had to push us most of the way. It was my plan to stand up at the end, and not get the little guy's head under water. As we were going down, I was thinking that would be a very easy task. HAHA! At the very end, it suddenly decided that I needed to MOVE! We got jetted out, and, as I was caught by surprise, My bum ended up on the bottom of the pool, and Keltan ended up with a face full of water! He only gulped in a couple gallons, however, and survived fine. I didn't take him down it again.
It is incredible to watch his little personality grow, though frustrating at times when he attempts to exert his will in a situation. This makes you sit back and think about how to best handle some things, and I do a lot of figuring out a better solution than the one I presented. There is, for sure, a learning curve. I hope the things I mess up on won't scar him for life.
For pictures and video, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/jeffrey.n.dickson
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