You know, it's occurred to me, I've just passed the 1 year mark! Wow, time is flying way too fast. I still feel like I'm learning how to manage it, and probably it'll all be over before I do :-) One of the VPs at work asked yesterday when I was coming back full time...I'm counting on another year and a half...when Zak goes to kindergarten. I think I can make it. This time has been precious for me.
I pretty much caught up at work this week, and feel very much ok at the macro level. Unfortunately, I started getting sick Tuesday afternoon, and spent all of my "Zak Wednesday" laying on the counch with a bad stomach ache. I literally ate one waffle all day. I told Zak my tummy hurt, and he got a look on his face of "I know what to do"..and said "Hey, I can kiss it for you!" And he did. And I was all mushing and warm inside.
Luckily Babcia is still here, and Katie came over to play for a few hours in the afternoon, so hopefully he wasn't too bored. We did a few things...we walked around the block at one point, in between rain showers. I've already told you how he points out "Sally" whenever he sees a porsche...he's also started pointing out other characters..."Hey, there's a Rusteze guy", and I look and it's a rusty old car.
I asked him if he wanted to practice writing his letters for another star. He told me "That's a big idea!" I have no idea where he got that! We say it at work all the time, so I can only imagine that I must have said it at home at some point...but i can't recall it! It was very odd to hear that from a 3 year old. I had him write "Sally"...and he told me "Funny that Sally has an eleven in her name." :-)
Zak's been doing this strange thing where he likes to close his eyes, and walk around until he bumps into things. I told him I'd rather him not do that, because he's goign to run into something and hurt himself. He said, very seriously, "Yeah, but if I do, you'll kiss it and make it better." One day he's going to realize how unmagical my kisses really are. I did hear him playing with his car toys in the bathtub later...he kept making one of them go uner the bubbles, and the other car told him not to go under the bubbles. The first car asked "Why", the second car said "Because, you are going to get hurt and I don't want to see you get hurt." It made me smile.
Last thing that I forgot to mention a few weeks ago when I blogged about taking Zak to my office...when we left, he asked "Why do you work in a maze?" Ah!
Anyway, even though I was down and out with the stomach flu, Zak kept me smiling. :-)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Day 88, 89, 90 and 91
Made it through two weeks ago better than I expected :-) There is so much I want to get done at work, I have so many ideas...if only I had more time! I just got asked to take on a pretty major project at work, and I don't feel i can say no. It's so hard to tell what is scope creep on my 60%, and what is just normal work life that everyone struggles to balance. Anyway, it's an interesting one, so I want to do it, I just need to figure out how to fit it in.
In the meantime, Zak has become quite a character. He's become a freak over "Cars the movie cars" as he calls them, to the point of obsession. He started throwing a little fit when we needed to leave the rec center. I told him that was the kind of behavior Tato and I don't like to see, and the type that keeps him from getting new cars. He quickly said he was sorry. I told him "Thanks for the apology, but it still won't get you a new car, at least not today." He said "I told you I was sorry to get a new car!" Inside I was laughing...at least he was honest.
Kuba and I have been trying to figure out the right approach to teaching him about consequences and the value of money too. I'm not sure how I feel about paying him to do chores that he already should be doing. We started a "star" system, which seems to be working well. He needs to get 10 stars in order to get a car....and he can get stars in various ways. If he helps with laundry, the dishes, etc. Sometimes he neogitates for more stars. For example, I told him I'd give him a star if he at least "tried" our salmon...he thought for a minute, and said "how about two stars?" I thought it was a pretty good start into the realm of negotiation, so agreed. But in the end, he decided trying the salmon wasn't worth even two stars. :-) He also beat me at a game of "Snakes"...and suggested that was worth a star. Made me laugh, but not enough to dole out another star :-)
We went to visit Kuba for lunch on Friday, went down to the Montgomery Inn Boathouse to see the river. It was a beautiful day, so we walked outside for a bit. Zak all of a sudden yelled out, "Hey look! It's Sally!" as he was pointing to a very nice looking Porsche in the parking lot. I wonder what the owner would think to have their car associated with the Disney character :-) Interestingly, he can pick a porsche out anywhere now...as Sally.
And now another week has gone by, and I had a bit of a break down at work last week. I had to give up half a day last week for some all day meetings, plus an evening for a business dinner. Those all day meetings usually get me down a bit...just the stress of trying to keep up without letting it consume you. I woke up at 4 most days and started working a bit. Another week gone by without a tennis practice...no wonder I'm losing my matches :-(
But Friday was all Zak, and that helped. I'm still stressed going into tomorrow, I have so much to catch up on, but having the time with the family really helped. Friday was beautiful, so we went up to the park for 2 hours in the morning. We came back, and I turned on some music and started dancing. Zak at first told me "Mommy, stop! Don't dance!" Why does no one in my family realize my artistic talents? Anyway, I told him I was either dancing without him, or with him...so he got up and start dancing, in a very particular and interesting way. He insisted that I follow him around the house, which I did. After 15 minutes I was pooped, but he told me to keep going. Looks like he's a boy of extremes :-)
We went to meet my friend Melanie for lunch. My brother bought us a tandem bike for Zak for Christmas. We've tried it a few times in the driveway, so I was ready to bike up to meet her, but it started looking more and more like rain...maybe next time. I can't wait to go biking with Zak on it :-) After lunch, it still wasn't raining, so I put on my roller blades, and Zak took his scooter and we rolled around the neighborhood. Around 4 it started to rain, so we finally came inside. It was a great day after a stressful week.
I have to tell these last two stories, even if it happened on the weekend, so not really part of my part time adventure...we started a home improvement project this week, a pretty major one. Zak has really shown how much he's grown. He really can help now. We gave him the vacuum cleaner, and he kept things clean as we were tearing down dry wall and such. He helped carry out lumber, took out trash, etc. etc. From time to time, he'd tell me, "Ok Mommy. I'm done helping you, now I'm going to help Tato. Let me go get my tools." He'd come running back with his drill, hammer, and level. The last time tonight, he said "Ok Tato, what can I do?" Kuba said "Hold on, I need to think, I'm not sure what we have to do right now." Zak said "I know. Look at this edge right here? It needs to come off. Here, I'll work on this, you hand me some nails, ok?" Kuba was very surprised.
Tonight I came into my room, and there was a big mess! Zak has this "magnet mosaic" game...600 magnets of different colors that you can put on different patterns to make some mosaics. Zak had thrown all of them on my bedroom floor! I called Zak in, and asked what happened. He said "I was cross." I asked why? He said "I was really mad about dinner." I recalled back that he had wanted what he calls "Toast Waffles" for dinner (cinnamon waffles, in the shape of cinnamon toast.) He had already had a toast waffle for breakfast, so I told him I'd make him a regular waffle or he could eat what we were eating (the "toast waffles" have more sugar in them). He shouted that he didn't like "circle" waffles, and didn't want what we were eating. I ignored him, and prepared his plate. He ran off, but when he came back, he took his plate and asked if we could eat on the patio...which we did. I remember thinking it was great that he started throwing a fit, but then came around. I guess I know now how he let off his steam. So then he started cleaning them all up, and said "But I'm happy now." Is this normal?
Anyway, a great weekend, after a tough couple of weeks. Tomorrow's first meeting, 6am :-) So now I'm headed to bed.
In the meantime, Zak has become quite a character. He's become a freak over "Cars the movie cars" as he calls them, to the point of obsession. He started throwing a little fit when we needed to leave the rec center. I told him that was the kind of behavior Tato and I don't like to see, and the type that keeps him from getting new cars. He quickly said he was sorry. I told him "Thanks for the apology, but it still won't get you a new car, at least not today." He said "I told you I was sorry to get a new car!" Inside I was laughing...at least he was honest.
Kuba and I have been trying to figure out the right approach to teaching him about consequences and the value of money too. I'm not sure how I feel about paying him to do chores that he already should be doing. We started a "star" system, which seems to be working well. He needs to get 10 stars in order to get a car....and he can get stars in various ways. If he helps with laundry, the dishes, etc. Sometimes he neogitates for more stars. For example, I told him I'd give him a star if he at least "tried" our salmon...he thought for a minute, and said "how about two stars?" I thought it was a pretty good start into the realm of negotiation, so agreed. But in the end, he decided trying the salmon wasn't worth even two stars. :-) He also beat me at a game of "Snakes"...and suggested that was worth a star. Made me laugh, but not enough to dole out another star :-)
We went to visit Kuba for lunch on Friday, went down to the Montgomery Inn Boathouse to see the river. It was a beautiful day, so we walked outside for a bit. Zak all of a sudden yelled out, "Hey look! It's Sally!" as he was pointing to a very nice looking Porsche in the parking lot. I wonder what the owner would think to have their car associated with the Disney character :-) Interestingly, he can pick a porsche out anywhere now...as Sally.
And now another week has gone by, and I had a bit of a break down at work last week. I had to give up half a day last week for some all day meetings, plus an evening for a business dinner. Those all day meetings usually get me down a bit...just the stress of trying to keep up without letting it consume you. I woke up at 4 most days and started working a bit. Another week gone by without a tennis practice...no wonder I'm losing my matches :-(
But Friday was all Zak, and that helped. I'm still stressed going into tomorrow, I have so much to catch up on, but having the time with the family really helped. Friday was beautiful, so we went up to the park for 2 hours in the morning. We came back, and I turned on some music and started dancing. Zak at first told me "Mommy, stop! Don't dance!" Why does no one in my family realize my artistic talents? Anyway, I told him I was either dancing without him, or with him...so he got up and start dancing, in a very particular and interesting way. He insisted that I follow him around the house, which I did. After 15 minutes I was pooped, but he told me to keep going. Looks like he's a boy of extremes :-)
We went to meet my friend Melanie for lunch. My brother bought us a tandem bike for Zak for Christmas. We've tried it a few times in the driveway, so I was ready to bike up to meet her, but it started looking more and more like rain...maybe next time. I can't wait to go biking with Zak on it :-) After lunch, it still wasn't raining, so I put on my roller blades, and Zak took his scooter and we rolled around the neighborhood. Around 4 it started to rain, so we finally came inside. It was a great day after a stressful week.
I have to tell these last two stories, even if it happened on the weekend, so not really part of my part time adventure...we started a home improvement project this week, a pretty major one. Zak has really shown how much he's grown. He really can help now. We gave him the vacuum cleaner, and he kept things clean as we were tearing down dry wall and such. He helped carry out lumber, took out trash, etc. etc. From time to time, he'd tell me, "Ok Mommy. I'm done helping you, now I'm going to help Tato. Let me go get my tools." He'd come running back with his drill, hammer, and level. The last time tonight, he said "Ok Tato, what can I do?" Kuba said "Hold on, I need to think, I'm not sure what we have to do right now." Zak said "I know. Look at this edge right here? It needs to come off. Here, I'll work on this, you hand me some nails, ok?" Kuba was very surprised.
Tonight I came into my room, and there was a big mess! Zak has this "magnet mosaic" game...600 magnets of different colors that you can put on different patterns to make some mosaics. Zak had thrown all of them on my bedroom floor! I called Zak in, and asked what happened. He said "I was cross." I asked why? He said "I was really mad about dinner." I recalled back that he had wanted what he calls "Toast Waffles" for dinner (cinnamon waffles, in the shape of cinnamon toast.) He had already had a toast waffle for breakfast, so I told him I'd make him a regular waffle or he could eat what we were eating (the "toast waffles" have more sugar in them). He shouted that he didn't like "circle" waffles, and didn't want what we were eating. I ignored him, and prepared his plate. He ran off, but when he came back, he took his plate and asked if we could eat on the patio...which we did. I remember thinking it was great that he started throwing a fit, but then came around. I guess I know now how he let off his steam. So then he started cleaning them all up, and said "But I'm happy now." Is this normal?
Anyway, a great weekend, after a tough couple of weeks. Tomorrow's first meeting, 6am :-) So now I'm headed to bed.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Days 84,85, 86 and 87
I've been a bit lazy about the blog the last couple weeks, and I'm sorry about that. I've still been tracking notes, so I'll try to catch up now. Work has been good. I think I'm starting to figure out how to let the stress drive me, but not overwhelm me. It's a very hot time right now there, with budget firms being set for next fiscal year, and our lead team of 20 VPs coming to town next week...but I'm trying to do the best I can when I'm there, let myself creatively think on the issues when I'm not, but not let it consume me. There are so many little things I can do, but I need to stay focused on the big rocks...and at least make sure the little things I do do move the big rock forward a bit. I feel like in this new role, there are many more "little" things that consume my time...I need to be careful.
The last two weeks I've also been very reclusive. I don't know if others get like this, and I don't know exactly what triggers it, but from time to time, I feel like a hermit. I just want to hole up in my home, with my family, and keep everyone close. I cancelled most of my tennis last week, same for the gym...and asked Kuba if we could just all stay together each night. We didn't do anything special, just made dinner and hung around. I actually feel pretty lazy after awhile, but I just need it from time to time. Maybe it's me mentally prepping for those VPs coming to town, and knowing I have a big week of several 6/7am to 10pm days coming up. Anyway, for whatever reason, we stayed holed up, not doing much, and I didn't even feel like blogging. Obviously I'm coming out of it now :-)
So now to the good stuff. My time with Zak has been great. When I get in these moods, I enjoy my time even more with him. He's really becoming such a sweet boy. Everytime he meets a new kid on the playground, or at the gym, he immediately walks up to them and offers them one of his cars. They don't always get what he's doing...but he offers it, and my heart melts.
We've been doing our "class work" in the mornings, and it's struck me how different he is than me in certain things. There was a matching page, where you match things on the left with things on the right...this time small things to big things. He did the first 4 or so exactly perfect, drawing lines across...then on the last one, he started drawing, then draw all the way around the page, up and down, in between other pictures, and finally landed on the right match. I don't think I would have ever done something like that as a kid...in fact, I probably would be more apt to take a ruler to draw the lines between the things versus a maze around the page. I love that he doesn't mind being a little non-traditional with his matching :-)
I again tried to get him to at least try some Polish...I asked him to at least say yes please, and thank you in Polish when Babcia made him some milk. It was so sweet to hear him say "Tak prosze" and "Dziekuje"...I think Babcia's heart melted then. She said he says it with such a sweet American accent.
A couple of funny things...on Monday, Zak was pouting because he didn't want Kuba and I to go to work. I asked him, "Don't you want to stay and play with Babcia?" He said "Babcia's not a playing kind of guy...she's more of a cleaning kind of guy." I burst out laughing! Apparently he attributes Babcia with cleaning all day! I must admit, when I come home from work, the house is prestine and I always wonder how she manages :-) I guess now I understand that she probably doesn't spend quite as much time as I do on the playing part :-P
The other funny thing was when Zak and I played a joke on Kuba. He went for tennis one night and usually gets back around 10:30 or so. Zak was up in his bed, but about 10 minutes before Kuba came home, Zak came downstairs and said he couldn't sleep. So I had him climb into bed with me. When we heard Kuba drive up, I told him, hide under the covers and when Tato gets close, we'll jump up and say "Surprise." So he got himself under the covers, and I pretended to be asleep...but I couldn't help but smile a bit. I couldn't believe we could actually play a trick together on Kuba. Kuba came into the room, and I could tell he was sensing something...at almost the same time, Kuba said "What's that goofy smile on your face" and Zak said "Is he here?" from under the covers...so I threw back the covers and said "Surprise! We're still awake!" Kuba started tickling Zak asking what he was doing in our bed and still awake. It was fun.
Last memory for the week...on Wednesday we went to Macy's again (to buy what? cosmetics for Babcia), and then to Fresh Market. When we got back into the car after Fresh Market, I realized we didn't have the toy we started the day with. I asked "Where is Rosie?" (pink train engine)...and Zak said "Oh no, I left her in the store." "Are you sure?" "Yes!"...so as I was getting back out to go look for her...Babcia says, no, no, no, she is SURE that Zak didn't have Rosie when we went into the store...she thinks he left her at Macy's. But I was pretty sure I saw him have her still at Macy's. Babcia is 100% sure though that he didn't have her at Fresh Market, so we start searching the car. Zak said calmly again..."She's in the store." So I go ahead into the store, he had been searching deligently through the Easter candy because I told him he could take one candy...so I concentrated there, couldn't find her, then in the carts, etc. It's a small store, so many of the workers helped as well...but we couldn't find her. So I came back out and said "Sorry Zak...let's go check back at Macy's" Now he started to panic.."No! She's there, in the chocolates!" He's so sure, so I take him out to have him help find her. Babcia is again saying, "No, I'm sure, he didn't have her there!" Who do I listen to? I figure Zak doesn't say much, so when he talks, I better listen. So we go back to the store, and he walks straight to the Easter chocolates, but still we can't find her. He retraces his steps through the whole store...still no Rosie, and then back to the chocolates. He's looking around really sad like "I know she is here!" Finally, I dig a bit deeper into the basket of chocolates, and she's all the way down at the bottom! Zak knew it! Babcia was certainly surprised. :-)
The last two weeks I've also been very reclusive. I don't know if others get like this, and I don't know exactly what triggers it, but from time to time, I feel like a hermit. I just want to hole up in my home, with my family, and keep everyone close. I cancelled most of my tennis last week, same for the gym...and asked Kuba if we could just all stay together each night. We didn't do anything special, just made dinner and hung around. I actually feel pretty lazy after awhile, but I just need it from time to time. Maybe it's me mentally prepping for those VPs coming to town, and knowing I have a big week of several 6/7am to 10pm days coming up. Anyway, for whatever reason, we stayed holed up, not doing much, and I didn't even feel like blogging. Obviously I'm coming out of it now :-)
So now to the good stuff. My time with Zak has been great. When I get in these moods, I enjoy my time even more with him. He's really becoming such a sweet boy. Everytime he meets a new kid on the playground, or at the gym, he immediately walks up to them and offers them one of his cars. They don't always get what he's doing...but he offers it, and my heart melts.
We've been doing our "class work" in the mornings, and it's struck me how different he is than me in certain things. There was a matching page, where you match things on the left with things on the right...this time small things to big things. He did the first 4 or so exactly perfect, drawing lines across...then on the last one, he started drawing, then draw all the way around the page, up and down, in between other pictures, and finally landed on the right match. I don't think I would have ever done something like that as a kid...in fact, I probably would be more apt to take a ruler to draw the lines between the things versus a maze around the page. I love that he doesn't mind being a little non-traditional with his matching :-)
I again tried to get him to at least try some Polish...I asked him to at least say yes please, and thank you in Polish when Babcia made him some milk. It was so sweet to hear him say "Tak prosze" and "Dziekuje"...I think Babcia's heart melted then. She said he says it with such a sweet American accent.
A couple of funny things...on Monday, Zak was pouting because he didn't want Kuba and I to go to work. I asked him, "Don't you want to stay and play with Babcia?" He said "Babcia's not a playing kind of guy...she's more of a cleaning kind of guy." I burst out laughing! Apparently he attributes Babcia with cleaning all day! I must admit, when I come home from work, the house is prestine and I always wonder how she manages :-) I guess now I understand that she probably doesn't spend quite as much time as I do on the playing part :-P
The other funny thing was when Zak and I played a joke on Kuba. He went for tennis one night and usually gets back around 10:30 or so. Zak was up in his bed, but about 10 minutes before Kuba came home, Zak came downstairs and said he couldn't sleep. So I had him climb into bed with me. When we heard Kuba drive up, I told him, hide under the covers and when Tato gets close, we'll jump up and say "Surprise." So he got himself under the covers, and I pretended to be asleep...but I couldn't help but smile a bit. I couldn't believe we could actually play a trick together on Kuba. Kuba came into the room, and I could tell he was sensing something...at almost the same time, Kuba said "What's that goofy smile on your face" and Zak said "Is he here?" from under the covers...so I threw back the covers and said "Surprise! We're still awake!" Kuba started tickling Zak asking what he was doing in our bed and still awake. It was fun.
Last memory for the week...on Wednesday we went to Macy's again (to buy what? cosmetics for Babcia), and then to Fresh Market. When we got back into the car after Fresh Market, I realized we didn't have the toy we started the day with. I asked "Where is Rosie?" (pink train engine)...and Zak said "Oh no, I left her in the store." "Are you sure?" "Yes!"...so as I was getting back out to go look for her...Babcia says, no, no, no, she is SURE that Zak didn't have Rosie when we went into the store...she thinks he left her at Macy's. But I was pretty sure I saw him have her still at Macy's. Babcia is 100% sure though that he didn't have her at Fresh Market, so we start searching the car. Zak said calmly again..."She's in the store." So I go ahead into the store, he had been searching deligently through the Easter candy because I told him he could take one candy...so I concentrated there, couldn't find her, then in the carts, etc. It's a small store, so many of the workers helped as well...but we couldn't find her. So I came back out and said "Sorry Zak...let's go check back at Macy's" Now he started to panic.."No! She's there, in the chocolates!" He's so sure, so I take him out to have him help find her. Babcia is again saying, "No, I'm sure, he didn't have her there!" Who do I listen to? I figure Zak doesn't say much, so when he talks, I better listen. So we go back to the store, and he walks straight to the Easter chocolates, but still we can't find her. He retraces his steps through the whole store...still no Rosie, and then back to the chocolates. He's looking around really sad like "I know she is here!" Finally, I dig a bit deeper into the basket of chocolates, and she's all the way down at the bottom! Zak knew it! Babcia was certainly surprised. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
