Living the dream baby!

Thursday, September 30, 2004

Mr Anonymous

I was perusing this blog the other day to get a sense for how the content appeared in aggregate. After skimming through the site, a horrible realization dawned on me. The blurbs that have been presented to date are primarily focused on Karsyn, with little mention of my other child…what’s his name...oh yeah, Ryan. Of the five or six postings I’ve made thus far, there’s only a single piece dedicated to my son.

I always said that I would make absolute sure that I treat my children equally, and that neither would ever feel that my attention favored the other. Well, it’s a good thing the Ryno can’t read yet. He’d probably be crushed if he saw how much real estate his sister takes up on this blog.

It’s not intentional. I was about to type up some lame excuse about how it’s hard to write about a five month old, because kids that age don’t do all that much, but they I thought back to the days when Karsyn was just a blob, and how miraculous every day was with her.

A coo, or a smirk was big news when she was an infant, so why wouldn’t it be with Ryan. The fact that I’ve lived through it already with a first child is a sad excuse. His accomplishments are just as wonderful. I have taken advantage of these events, knowing full well that I’ll look back some day and regret that I didn’t pay more attention.

So with that I’ll pay tribute to some of the things that have transpired in the big guy’s life recently. For those of you have kids and have gone through all of this as well, bare with me.

Today when I got home from work, I had a moment to spend a little time with Ryan, without his sister trying to soak up my attention. Karsyn was invited to a play date, and was having dinner at a friend’s house.

Contrary to what I’ve suggested, there are quite a few things you can do with a five month-old. Getting Ryan to giggle is one of those things that bring me pure unadulterated joy. It’s one of those things that makes you smile and helps you forget about all the pressures of daily life, because it’s a simple emotion that expresses a happiness that is genuine. There are no angles to second-guess. No agendas, just a simple reaction that represents pure happiness.

He came down with a cold for the first time on Monday, so Sonya has had the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with a cranky baby for the past few days. I got the best part of the deal, spending ten minutes playing with him after I got home from work, fishing for a chuckle or two. I was rewarded with a few minutes of smiles and a flurry of giggles.

Mr. Anonymous got a little face time with his dad, and I got to see my son as happy as a clam. Simple pleasures can be a great thing.

The little guy is also starting to fill out a bit. Sonya lamented that a stranger asked her if Ryan was, “a year and a half old?” When she responded that he was almost six months old, she said the person couldn’t believe it. Granted he is a big boy, but a year and a half? Come on.

We estimate him to be somewhere between 20 and 25 pounds now. A 13 to 18 pound gain since he was born, or upwards of a 300% increase. The kid has tripled in six months!

So maybe we haven’t been missing out on his infancy….we’ve just been spending most of the time feeding him.

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Back to School....Again

Sonya and I attended our first “Back to School Night” on Thursday at Karsyn’s school. Let me re-phrase that, it was the first “Back to School Night” that we’ve attended as parents on Thursday night.

It’s a lot different being on the parent side of the stick. I figured it would be a lot more pleasant, with a lot less pressure. At least compared to when I was a kid, when every encounter my parents had with a teacher was a potential recipe for disaster. I mean, those teachers tell your parents EVERYTHING. I not-so-fondly remember my parents returning home from teachers conferences. Had my teachers ratted me out?

I figured that now being the parent means that all the pressure is off of me. It’s all on the kid’s shoulders now.

How wrong I was...again. School has changed a lot in 30 years. The pressures related to the things that are expected of children seem to be so much greater than when I went to school.

There are quarterly progress reports that Karsyn will have to go through every two months or so. As the year progresses, so must her comprehension of things that I don’t remember seeing until 2nd or 3rd grade. She must be able to recognize all 26 letters of the alphabet (both upper and lower case), which I think is a pretty tall order for a five year-old.

Am I overreacting here? All I remember from Kindergarten was finger painting, sitting in a circle and reciting the "Pledge of Allegiance". Was there more to it?

I don’t remember being introduced to the alphabet until the 1st grade. She has to have them wrapped up well before then. Sonya points out that this is something she has mastered since pre-school anyway, so I shouldn’t worry. But I do.

I think worrying about my children’s scholastic accomplishments is something that I will never be able to overcome, no matter how well they do in school. I think it’s a compulsion that was past on to my by my dad. Thankfully, he understood the value of education when my sister and I were children, but I can already feel this sense of urgency building. I want her to be better than I am. I want her and her brother to be more successful in school than I was.

Anyway, the expectations are greater it would seem these days. Karsyn has to understand what a period is for (“It keeps the words from running away Daddy,” she tells me.), and when a question mark is used (she’s got that one nailed down already).

Kindergarten just seems a lot tougher, which I hope doesn’t sour the experience. If learning is fun, then learning won’t be a chore. As soon as it becomes a chore, things get dangerous. I can tell you everything I ever learned in the classes that I loved, and next to nothing about the classes that I hated.

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Networking at 4


Karsyn and Shire


This whole kindergarten thing is wild. Everyone knows everyone. Karsyn has friends and acquintences cross referenced all over the place. School, soccer, Daisys, dance class. Maybe I should go back to Kindergarten. The photo above is a pic of Karsyn and her friend Shire, who happens to also be in her kindergarten class at West Valley.

I promise to do my best...

The activities just keep piling up. Karsyn has officially joined Daisy Troop 1294, Sunnyvale’s newest addition to the world of scouting (not to be confused with Troop 1249 of Des Moines, Iowa, or Troop 1924 of Punxatawnie, Pennsylvania). Daisy’s, as it was explained to me, is the Girl Scouts introductory level for five and six year-olds. Daisy’s then graduate to Brownies, then on to Junior Girl Scouts. The final destination is of course, the Girl Scouts, which is targeted at girls eleven to seventeen.

I’m not sure if the GS has an equivalent to the Boy Scout’s Holy Grail (the Eagle Scout), but I suspect there has to be something for these young ladies to target. Karsyn gets to start this quest by first earning her Learning Petals and participation patches. Petals are awarded after she completes some scouty task, which can then be sewn on to her tunic.

Yes, I said tunic. It’s a sweet little blue number that is accessorized with a bright yellow baseball cap. Think “Hot Dog On A Stick”, sans the stove go-go dancer hat. I’m thinking it might be some sort of hazing ritual, seeing that the girls are new to the whole organization. The official Girl Scouts website also indicates that Daisy’s may also wear, “official T-shirts, shorts, or leggings.”

Are they going to kick them out of meetings if they show up to a meeting or weenie roast in an unofficial t-shirt? I suspect the Lee’s are going to test this at some point.

Sonya went over the Daisy Girl Scout oath with me, which includes a pledge to “serve God….”

Hold the bus Moses.

For those of you who really don’t know me, I am a purveyor of sarcasm. Religion tends to be an easy target. It's a weakness. Sonya, as you may know, was reared with a healthy helping of Catholicism. I was raised in a pagan environment, completely religious less. I have an absolute opinion on religion, but I have been advised by my spiritual advisor to keep those opinions to myself.

But if you're bored, do a Yahoo Search on "Girl Scout Oath"

In any case, it’s really not that big a deal. I’ve made light of the organization as a means to hear myself talk (and for your reading amusement). As long as Karsyn has the opportunity to make new friends, earn a petal or two, and pick up on a few life values along the way, then I’m behind her all the way.

To our devout churchgoing friends, take no offense. And please forgive me if I’ve touched a nerve (actually, I think you have to. It’s in the bible).

Now when do we get to make some Smores?

Saturday, September 11, 2004

Unicorns Kick Grass

Karsyn kicked off her soccer career with a stellar performance against the Sunnyvale Orange Blossoms on Saturday at Ortega Park. Sporting her brand new Unicorns jersey, Karsyn scored her first career goal with a shot from three feet out after dribbling the ball up the field. The AYSO girls 6 & under league plays 3-on-3, without a goalie, but Karsyn had to get past three defenders before poking her tally home.



Since the league doesn't keep score, there was no official winner or loser. Well, that's not exactly true. Bug's mom and I were the big winners. Seeing her play in an organized sport and having fun was one of the biggest thrills of my life. That's my little girl out there!



The team consists of about 10 girls, so the coach splits them up into groups of 5 and each group plays the opposing team. With two substitutes, there's plenty of PT for all of the mighty Unicorns. Check that, the "White Unicorns", as I have been corrected on more than one occasion.



The two teams concluded their match with a friendly set of high-5's and a cheer for each other. All in all, a great day of soccer. By the way...Karsyn wears #7, which happens to be one number higher than her dad's favorite #6. She tellsme that she's, "one better than dad."

Checkout some photos from Karsyn's first soccer game HERE

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Bring on the Cheesburgers

We were reminded of just how fast our children are growing over the weekend. Ryan started teething, and he decided to expedite matters by having two lower teeth make their world premier. He's a tough little guy though. Throw in 100+ degree weather and you have yourself one miserable weekend, but the Ryno sucked it up and got through it like a champ.

We decided to welcome the new pearly whites by introducing rice cereal to his diet for the first time. In true Lee spirit, Ryan caught on to the whole eating deal with flying colors. He'll be barbequing before you know it!

The big guy also hit a milestone this afternoon by flipping from his stomach to his back all by himself. Considering that an assault on the fridge could be just around the corner, mobility is probably important.

Saturday, September 04, 2004

Our Unicorn set to Kick

The start of Fall also means the start of Fall sports. Karsyn has just joined the Sunnyvale Unicorns (AYSO) 6 and under girls soccer team. Following in the foot steps of her mom, Karsyn has been participating in the Little Kickers soccer program for about a year, but the Unicorns will be her first taste of organized play.

All games will be played at 4pm on Saturdays at Ortega Park in Sunnyvale [Map]

The Unicorn's schedule is as follows:
11-Sep
18-Sep
25-Sep
2-Oct
9-Oct
16-Oct
23-Oct
30-Oct
6-Nov
13-Nov
20-Nov