Day 40

So today was very busy, but very fun and insightful.

First, I have to talk about Sunday morning, because Zak just cracked me up. We stayed up the night before very late. We have visitors from the Polish tennis team staying with us since they are playing in the ATP. Zak simply would not go to bed...he was having way too much fun with these guys, who adored him. Finally at 11:30 we went to bed. At 8:00, I got up and I checked on Zak. He was kind of awake and said "No Mommy, I don't want to get up!" Wow, that's a first :-) I guess we really wore him out.

We started the morning as normal, doing some light housework, hanging out together. He needed to go to the bathroom at some point, and usually I go help him reach the toilet. This time he told me "No Mommy, you stay here" and put out his hand to stop me. So I let him go on his own, peeking around the corner to see him standing up going to the bathroom on his own. They grow up to fast.

Then at 10:30 we biked up to Zak's school because a police officer was coming to talk and show them a police car. It was very cute to see the police officer trying to get 20 or so 3 year olds to listen to his lesson about how to shout out for help if someone they don't know asks them to go home with them. He gave them all police badges, and then they got to sit in the police car. So fun. Today at school, Zak pointed to where the police car was on Tuesday and said sadly, "Police Car all gone."

Then I decided to try out the Blue Ash rec center gym for a half an hour. They have a tot room for Zak, so we went there together and hung out for awhile, then I got a quick run in on the treadmill, it felt great! Zak did great too, so maybe we'll make it a tradition. I need to start getting more exercise in besides just tennis.

Anyway, then it was lunch time, so we ate at the Blue Ash Cafe, then went home for a nap. At 3:00 he woke up, and we went up to the ATP to watch Ala's practice match. The drive up there was what was so insightful.

As we started heading north on Kenwood Rd (just a couple blocks from our house)...Zak said, yeah, we're going to King's Island.! And sure enough, the ATP is right next to King's Island, and it's about the only time we take a left there on Kenwood. I know many adults who wouldn't make that connection (but I won't mention Jelica's name). Anyway, I explained to him that yes, this is the way to King's Island, but today we're going to watch Ala and Maciek play tennis. He said "Oh. Ok. Let's go watch tennis." Big Smile. THEN, as we are driving on 71 North, we go past Home Depot and Lowe's at Fields Ertel. Zak says, "Look down there....Tato's shopping." That man takes Zak shopping way too much apparently.

We park at the ATP, and it's like 100 degrees. I'm sweating just stepping out of the car. 5 minutes into our walk from the parking lot to the tournament, Zak asks me to carry him. I say "No Zak, why don't you walk." He stops and says "Mommy,carry me. It's too hot to walk." Really. Anyway, we get to the tournament, and we get to go through the players entrance because Maciek and Ala put us on the "Family list", so we have VIP passes for the whole event. Zak walks straight to the players lounge and is pretty adament he has no intention of going outside to watch any practice in 100 degrees. We did manage to go watch a half an hour or so (Ala always comes over during breaks and gives him things, so that kept his attention a bit)...but we pretty quickly had to give up and go back to the players lounge. Kuba joined us after work and we took turns watching some games and hanging in the loung with Zak (who loved the arcade inside.)

I love his new "Oh, ok" saying. Diane had asked for a couple pictures of Zak. He was upstairs with the printer, so I printed the pictures, and as he was coming down the stairs, I asked him to go to the printer and bring down the pictures. He stopped and said "Oh, ok. I'll get pictures." And he went back up and got them.

Anyway, a very nice day. I think I mentioned already that working Monday, Wed and Thurs doesn't feel as natural to me as working Monday, Tuesday and Thursday...and the interesting thing is my new team asked me today if I'd kill them if we switched back to Monday, Tuesday and Thursday as of Jan. :-) Cool. Still 5 months like this, but then back to something that feels a bit better to me. By then I'll probably be used to this way :-)