Exploring the Past (a Vist to my Alma Mater)

Just yesterday I took my three year-old with me to my old stomping grounds, Sacred Heart University, known to most beloved alums as SHU.  "Whatever made you think about taking Lewie there?" my mom asked after I told her about our little adventure.

"Well, since he loves exploring college campuses (Mommy and Daddy both work at different colleges, and he loves to visit us at work) I figured I'd take him to another one.  Plus, it gave me an opportunity to see all the new buildings they've been touting about over the years..."

My mother may have thought this was a strange decision, but it ended up being a spectacular day!  For one, it gave Lewie a chance to be Lewie and to enjoy all the things that HE loves.  We rode on four different elevators, explored the various nooks and crannies of old and new buildings alike, and waved hello to all the young, excited students in the hallways.  (It was definitely very busy for a Friday afternoon.)

However, then there were the unexpected events that made the day even better.  When visiting their new gym, Lewie showed interest in one of the large coach buses used to shuttle around athletes.  The driver actually let him sit behind the steering wheel and press buttons, like making the door open and close.  Then we had a chance to visit their brand new campus center, the Linda E. McMahon Commons.  Little did we know, that yesterday was the actual dedication ceremony and grand opening of the building.  Lewie had a chance to see their state-of-the-art dining hall, and since everything is brand new and just on display, he was allowed to go inside their "kitchen" area and pretend like he owned his very own restaurant.  "This is my restaurant," he touted as he pretended to work as a busy chef.

Finally, after hours of exploration, Lewie became tired and didn't want to walk back to the car.  "Carry me Mommy," he pleaded.  In days of the past, I would have welcomed his request, but now that he wears a size 5 toddler and weighs over 50 lbs., the thought of carrying him for a half a mile already made my back hurt.  Not even two minutes later, I saw a young student worker driving around on a golf cart.
     "Could you give us a ride back to our car?" I begged.
     "Sure, no problem," he answered as he shuttled us right to the door of our car.  This of course, was another extra special moment that Lewie couldn't stop talking about.

Yesterday, I'll admit it, was a super day!  It's been 15 years since I walked the SHU campus as a young, bright-eyed college student.  I couldn't help but to smile as I saw all the new young students full of hope, excitement, and dreams.  Their SHU campus is definitely a different experience from mine.   The SHU I knew looked more like a high school compared to the five-star luxury resort they have now.  Maybe one day Lewie will choose to go here too.  Time will only tell.
 

The SHU Campus with the Linda E. McMahon Commons in the background.

Lewie's new restaurant (i.e. the new SHU cafeteria)

Lewie playing in the kitchen.

The types of "electronic" menus college students have these days...

Five-star resort quality can even be found in the bathrooms.

The new Campus Chapel.  (Only a few years old.)

Inside the chapel...

The detail of these walls...

This is the detail up close and personal.

Inside the gym.  Lewie said, "Mommy look at all the toys in there.  Can I play too?"

Monday's Mommy Moment: My Two Year-Old's First Art Exhibit

My little boy is constantly learning new things at daycare.  He does music and movement, art projects, storybook projects, and nutrition charts...to name a few.  Well, since his daycare is part of our local community college, his time there will be ending in one short month.  (This means I have to secure summer daycare for him with someone else, but it also means that this last month is jam packed with extra special events--some to show off all the projects he has been working on for the past school year and some for pure entertainment value.)  For example, this Tuesday, a children's author will be coming to Little Lewie's class to tell the children about writing a book, and then she will autograph any books that we buy.  Next Wednesday, I've been invited to Little Lewie's first "book presentation", where he will present the storybook and illustrations he's been working on all year.

This past week, however, Little Lewie had a chance to show off his art work at his very first art exhibition. We received a special announcement in the mail, which said his work would be displayed out on the fifth floor walkway, not far from the college cafeteria. Sure enough, Little Lewie's art work, along with the seven other students in his classroom and the twenty some students in the preschool classroom, was hanging up with his picture. While the teachers did not post their names, they did, however, write descriptions about each student.  Here are some pictures of the "gallery":

Here are Little Lewie's "masterpieces".  (Definitely reminds me of Picasso...)

Here are some other "exquisite" art pieces from other students.  The second one is a
sculpture made out of shredded paper.

And finally, here we are admiring his fabulous work.

It's official.  This will now be the first of many functions for Mommy to go to and be a cheerleader for her little boy.  I don't suspect this will stop until he's graduated from college.  Oh, as far as I'm concerned, I hope it never stops...

Monday's Mommy Moment: Finding Creativity in Silence

Our house is noisy.  It's not because there are a lot of people--there's just my husband, Little Lewie, and me.  Our house is noisy because we're always busy "doing."  In the morning, we watch the weather and some news followed by Little Lewie's cartoons.  In the afternoon, if I'm not at work, I'm usually vacuuming, doing laundry, washing dishes, or doing some sort of other activity that provides a background noise.  Oh yeah, and there's more TV. 

Finally, in the evening, there's even more TV.  (When my husband returns from work, I can always guarantee he will request control of the throne, the recliner, and oh yes, the remote.) Consequently, the TV doesn't go off until well after Little Lewie is in bed either.   If Little Lewie isn't listening to the TV, music, or my household chore activities, then he is used to hearing Mommy and Daddy talk on their cell phones. 

Yes, while we are busy "doing", we are 1) training our little guy to feel like there always needs to be some sort of background noise, and 2) missing out on what's being said or taking place behind the laughter, shrills, screams, and blabber on TV.

This weekend, whenever possible, I decided to shut the TV off.  I didn't talk on my cell phone, and I put down the laundry and other chores.  Yes, instead,  Little Lewie and I went for walks where we could hear the sounds of birds, geese, and even peepers (we had one incredibly warm day).  And, when we were at home, we played "in silence." 

At one point, I realized my little guy wasn't interested in playing with me anymore, and he had created his own little storyline.  He became so involved in his play that he even let me film him without once paying attention to me.  It was at this moment that I realized what I've been missing.  He was talking, making sound effects, and creating his own little pretend world.  I know kids do this all the time, but I've been missing it.  In the confusion of our loud, perpetually busy household, I've been missing my little boy's play--the secret, inner workings of his mind--the beauty of his thoughts, imagination, and creativity.  Below is some of his play I was able to capture on video. 

For months now, I've been reading mom blogs that have made it their personal mission to turn off the TV.  While I won't be able to get my husband to subcribe to this philosophy anytime soon, I will however, do my best to create "quiet" times in our house or outside where Little Lewie can listen to nothing else but his own thoughts (and maybe a bird or two in the background.)

Monday's Mommy Moment: My Funny Valentine

It's official.  My little two year old has a crush.  She's about the same age as Lewie, and they met, surprise surprise, at daycare.  Was it love at first sight?  Oh, I can't say, but I can say that as I picked up my little boy on Friday, he was heartbroken to see her get whisked away by her mom.  As she and her mom made their way to the door, Lewie screamed, "No, no, no!" 

"What's wrong Lewie?" I asked, looking up from his locker.

My eyes met the mom and the little girl.  With the sweetest of voices, this cute little angel with brunette ringlet curls, smiled at Lewie  and said, "Bye, Bye Lou Lou."

"No, no, no," cried Lewie again shaking his finger as if he were scolding her.

"Lewie," Annalise has to go home with her mom now.  "You'll see her again on Monday," I replied.  (As we know, it's next to impossible to rationalize with a two year old.)

Annalise left, but my little boy was still upset.  When I told my husband the story, he laughed.

"Every time I drop Lewie off at daycare, he runs to greet Annalise.  I'm surprised you're just finding this out now.  They've been an item for a while."

"Oh really," I said surprised.

So, my little boy has a crush.  We'll have to make sure to put an extra heart sticker on her Valentine's Day card next week.

Monday's Mommy Moment: Snow Swinging

After our fifth winter storm this year, our yard and sidewalks looks like this:

The back of our house .

Our narrow pathway up to the garage.

I desperately wanted to take Little Lewie outside to play in the snow, but what could we do?  The snow was too high for sledding, snowmen, or snow angels.  The walkways were too icy for running or playing with his ride-on toys.  Yes, I ran out of ideas, but my little boy didn't...





"Look at me Mommy!"

"I LOVE swinging in the snow!"

Little Lewie grabbed my hand and pulled me to the swings.   I had to help him walk through the snow first of course, and it wasn't very easy for me either.  Technically, with the snow's height, Little Lewie should have disappeared all together and the snow, for me, should have come up to my waist.  Instead, I was amazed to learn that neither one of us actually sunk to the bottom.  Instead, we sunk in the snow equally--and that is, to our upper thighs.

Once we finally got to the swing set, I brushed the snow off his seat with my lovely dishtowel (that's in the first two pictures), and then, for the first time ever, Little Lewie walked up to the swing, turned around, and sat down.  Normally the swing is about 3 feet above the ground, but now it was only a few inches from the snow floor.  It was an interesting experience, but even with just an inch between the bottom of his feet and the snow, Lewie was still able to swing.  Sure I had to stand thigh high deep in snow as I pushed him, but it was worth it to see that happy ear-to-ear grin light up his face.

Yes, if it were up to boring and 'practical' mom over here, we probably would have stayed in the house another day.  Thank goodness for Little Lewie's ability to 'think outside the box'.

Monday's Mommy Moment: More than Just Dinner

I remember cooking dinners just for my husband and me.  Life was easy then.  I only had to appease two different pallets, and I could almost always guarantee that everything would be enjoyed and eaten--leftovers too.  Now, to say that dinnertime with our two year-old is different in an understatement.  It's turned from a time of good food and conversation to a circus three-ring act.  You see, my little boy has turned from this extraordinary eater to this picky, semi-obnoxious dinner companion.  (You know the kind of person in restaurants that keeps sending their food back.)

Every once in a blue moon, (Have you ever seen a blue moon?  Yeah, me neither.) my little boy will actually eat everything quietly on his plate.  However, for the most part, dinnertime for us has become a circus side show, full of entertainment and surprise.  Usually I can usually expect one of two different demeanors.

Playtime. Yes, this is when my little boy decides it's more fun to play with his food than eat it.  In this mood, he's been know to...

• Dump all his chocolate milk onto his tray and pretend like he's finger painting.
• Notice that his "rubber type" spoon has a little spring action to it, and use it to make flying catapults of carrots, mashed potatoes, and anything else.
• Create his own recipes by mixing say--salmon, yogurt, milk, and rice together.
• Start drumming on his tray to see what he can knock off his plate.

The Revolt.  In this mood, my little boy suddenly thinks he's the royal prince, and I am his lowly servant.  He decides what he's going to eat, how much, and when he prefers his dessert.  In this mood, he's been known to...

• Push all his food away, threatening to send it hurling right off his tray.
• Spit food out, or worse--scrape the food off his tongue with his hands because he finds it just that revolting.
• Yell "NO", and then demand his two favorite foods--"cookies" and "toast".  
• Forcefully keep his mouth sealed shut so that we can't try and feed him.
• Place his arm in front of his mouth to create an extra barrier of making sure the food can't get in.
• Close his eyes and pretend like he's sleeping so that we can't feed him.

Yes, my little boy has really turned into that unsatisfied customer that's never happy with his food.  Even when I think I have made a food that he likes, he'll pick it up, survey it, and flat out reject it.  My only hope is that over time, he'll learn to enjoy eating more foods and dinnertime can be about good food and conversation once more... 

Monday's Mommy Moment: Playing Store

At age two, my little boy is the one who calls the shots.  For the most part, he determines what he's interested in playing and how long we're playing it.  Oh, I'll try to pick out fun crafts for us to do, books for us to read, puzzles for us to complete, or construction projects (i.e. blocks) to build, but he lets me know right away whether it's on his agenda and if he has the patience to do it.  I could have a whole afternoon activity planned out, and within the first minute, he'll let me know whether it's actually going to happen.

With that said, I was pleasantly surprised when Friday morning, my little boy actually did like an activity I planned.  My mom bought him a cute pretend cash register, so we set it up on his little table to play store.  I decided to walk through the kitchen and pretend to select a variety of items on my "shopping list," and then I brought them to his little table for check out. 

At first he wasn't sure what to do, but when I handed him each item and then put out my plastic shopping bag so he could drop each item into the bag, he caught on.  It was fun.  He "scanned" most items and then took my paper money at the end to put in his register.  Once the transaction was complete, I shook his hand and said, "Thank you, Sir.  Have a nice day!"

For once, I captured my little guy's attention for a whole hour.  He didn't rush to play with his cars, run to look at what's in the refrigerator, grab his shoes to go outside, or take a temper tantrum looking for his binky.  Nope.  Instead, he got lost in the world of imagination, and he had fun assisting and "checking out" his customer over and over again.  Toward the end, he enjoyed shaking my hand so much, that he skipped scanning the items and working the register altogether.  (Hmmmm, I wonder if I have a mini politician on my hands...)

"Why thank you kind sir.  You're so helpful," I said to Little Lewie shaking his hand one last time.

"Thanks Mommy," he responded, extending his hand and giggling one last time.  (Wish I could have captured that one on film...)

Monday's Mommy Moment: Everyone Loves the First Snow

Last Sunday, we had the first real snowfall of the season.  It came in the form of a mini blizzard, with snow difts of 20 inches or more and lost power for many homes.  My husband, Little Lewie, and I, being sick and incapable of doing anything else, watched the snow swirl around outside from our windows. It was a little scary, but still, it was beautiful.

There's something magical about the first snow of the year.  It takes away the dark, naked, barren landscape and makes everything bright, sparkly, and pure.  As we stayed inside to recover from our flu/stomach virus(and Little Lewie to recover from his nasty cold), our little boy stood by the door complaining.  "Outside, outside," he'd moan, grabbing our hands and leading us to the door.  Evidently, he remembered playing in the snow last year, and he was determined to make it happen again this year.

At other times, he'd grab his shoes and put them in our hands.  "Outside," he'd mandate, while trying to make me slip the shoe on his foot.  I loved his persistence.  Since Daddy was the first of us to get sick (and spread it to me), he was the first to feel better, and so he took Little Lewie to the park several days in a row where they hiked and tromped through snow, threw snowballs, and and ran around chasing each other.

Finally this Saturday, almost a full week later, I had a chance to join them.  It was close to 50 degrees out, and even though a lot of snow had melted, our little boy still enjoyed stomping, kicking, and playing in the slush.  We didn't get a chance to go sledding yet, but it's on our agenda for the next snowstorm, which I'm sure will be equally beautiful.  (They always are up until March when I'm ready for the tulips and daffodils to come out.) 

Monday's Mommy Moment: First Visit to the Rainforest Cafe

The Rainforest Cafe is a rare treat.  There are only a handful in the country, but we happen to have one only 45 minutes away from us in the Westfarms Mall.  If you're not staring at their incredibly large fishtank filled with some of the most beautiful, exotic fish in the world, then you're staring at the larger than life, mechanical butterflies that open and close their wings or the wild, mechanical gorillas beating their chests, or the large elephant swatting his trunk.

The ceiling is a starry sky, which becomes cloudy every 30 minutes when a "thunderstorm" sweeps the rainforest.  Then, the lights dim, thunder rumbles in the background, and the gorillas go wild (just like real ones probably do when looking for shelter.)  

Yes, the Rainforest Cafe is a fantasy land where you can eat a delicious mango salsa burger or yummy chocolate lava volcano cake in the midst of all these mechanical jungle animals and pretend thunderstorms.

My mom forewarned me about taking Lil' Lewie there too early.  "You don't want to scare him," she said.

"No, of course not," I replied.

I heeded her warning during the first year, but now that he was two, I thought he might actually enjoy the restaurant.  After all, there's a lot of cool things to look at and watch, and I've seen numerous toddlers come with their parents.  In fact, some toddlers actually hold their birthday parties there.

With that said, we took the 45 minute trip, and brought Lil' Lewie to the restaurant.  He seemed to like the fishtank as we waited in line to be seated, but he didn't like the first seat we were given too much.  It was next to the gigantic elephant, which even without moving, seemed to intimidate him.  We were finally given a seat at the front of the restaurant near the bar.  It wasn't a great seat, but the restaurant was better lit there and far enough away from all the mechanical animals that could potentially scare him.

Pretend fruit hanging above our heads.

We seemed to be doing fine until our first thunderstorm hit.  Out of nowhere, the lights dimmed and the monkeys started freaking out.  Of course, they weren't the only ones.  My little guy started freaking out too as he started screaming for us to take him out of his seat while pointing to the restaurant exit. 

"We haven't even started eating our meals yet," my husband pouted.

"I know," I answered faintly.  "I guess my mom was right."

Somehow we did manage to get him to stay in his highchair throughout our meal (and three thunderstorms later), but we were highly disappointed that this wasn't a trip that he enjoyed.  I only hope that his fear wasn't so strong that this will be a frightful memory that stays with him for life... If he's twenty and still deathly afraid of monkeys and thunderstorms, then we'll know why.

Monday's Mommy Moment: Christmas Memories

The holiday season is magical for kids, especially when they believe in Santa Claus and notice all the beautiful lights and decorations around them.  I'll admit I was looking forward to this year.  I thought my little guy at age two would start to enjoy and appreciate all the activities.  He does, for the most part, find the Christmas tree fascinating, but he's still not a huge fan of all the decorations--he either doesn't notice them or, in the case of the outside Christmas lights, he's downright afraid of them.

In years past, he didn't quite understand the hoopla either.  Of course, that didn't stop me from torturing my little guy and making him dress in special Christmas outfits, etc.  Here are some of my favorite holiday photos:

Four Months-Old--"What's all the fuss about?"

Four Months-Old--"Are you Santa?"

Four Months-Old--"I like my presents."

One Year-Old--"Help!  Get me away from this creepy man!"

One Year-Old--"Please Daddy.  Please come get me, please."

One Year-Old--"My first Christmas Party."

One Year-Old--"I'm waiting for my Christmas cookies..."

One Year-Old--"Really Mom.  Am I just a pawn for your amusement?"

One Year-Old--"Hey, I'm really getting into this whole reindeer thing."

Yes, it will be interesting to see what memories I will be able to capture this year.  At least, knock on wood, he won't have a horrible bruise above his eye like last year's unfortunate incident...