Picture of This Day

Yep.  That's right.  We're living with a superhero.  With all that entails.

After school today Kiernan went home with his friend Oliver for a playdate.  The whole thing came together perfectly.  Oliver wanted a playdate.  His mom e-mailed us about said playdate days ago, suggesting Monday (today) as a good day for it.  I had to be downtown for a show today, and Wendy had several meetings.  So Oliver's mom--Gemma, who is so, so great--picked up the boys and took them home.

After fighting my way through traffic I arrived at the playdate house.  I made my way inside.  And this is what I found.  A superhero son.  So I've got that going for me.

Getting him out of that costume so we could go home and have superhero dinner and do some superhero homework...let me tell you, no mean feat.


Sherman Oaks, CA
January 10, 2011

Picture of This Day

We got back from the grocery store today and I started putting away the fridge stuff.  Kiernan went to the door and looked out, watching the kids playing across the street.  I started a mental countdown.

"Daddy?  Can I go out and play with Haven and Gustavo?"

I thought about all the stuff that still needed to be done today, and how monitoring him outside would get in the way of those things.  Then I remembered living in Churchland, VA.  Way back when.  Around third grade or so.  Going out and playing in the neighborhood with my friends.  One of them I remember, a boy a couple years older than I was with a name like Robert Burton or something like that.  Not a bad kid, but not the greatest influence.  And Mom knew that.  But she also trusted me to go out and play in the neighborhood and not lose myself.

I also remember how much joy was contained in those days.  Running around the neighborhood.  Goofing around.  Learning bad words.  Getting hit in the head with a baseball bat...Good times.

"Sure."

Shoes and socks and out the door.  Hours of play ensued.


January 9, 2011

Focus

Weird, borderline creepy pic?  Perhaps.  Out of context.  He took this of himself with his own camera when we were up at Big Bear.  He gave his cousin Dorian a camera for Christmas, and both of them broke out their cameras and went nuts taking pictures.  He loves taking pictures with that camera.

The real point of this post,however, is to talk about Lego projects, and what lessons I'm learning as I watch him work with his new toys.  Simply extraordinary.

Last night was Wendy's book club.  She has this every six weeks or so.  It rotates from house to house.  This Friday book club was at our house.  We were in a minor frenzy as we prepared for the gathering, and Kiernan was in top form.  Entertaining himself and being mostly understanding of the fact that we could not give him attention.  He relegated himself to his room to work on various projects as we readied the house for the arrival of Wendy's book friends.  Once the guests were settled and laughing comfortably in front of the fire, I joined him in his room to ready him for bed.

He was finishing his dinner in his room as he quietly worked on one of the Lego sets he received at Christmas.  These sets are truly amazing.  Far more intricate than I would have imagined.  This one, a gift from Nana and Pop, has more than eleven hundred pieces.  Kind of makes my mind spin.  Yet there he was, in the center of his room, working his way through the directions.

I came in and sat down.

"Hi Dad.  Want to help me with this?"

Well...yes.

It was such a revelation.  I don't know quite how to express it.  Watching him there, looking through all those pieces.  Consulting the manual.  Carefully snicking together the pieces.

I watched him doing it.  Occasionally helping him find the odd piece he was having trouble finding.  And I realized I was watching my boy learn and grow right before my eyes.  There he was carefully fitting together these tiny pieces.  Working out problems.  Exhibiting patience.  I was seeing it happen, right before my eyes.

Sitting there with him in his room.  Watching him concentrate.  Watching him focus.  Seeing him, right there before me, learning to be patient.

Man. Being a parent is just the best thing ever.

Picture For This Day

Getting suited up for some action on the slopes with his main man, Cousin Dorian.


December 27, 2010
Big Bear, CA

Picture For This Day

Going up against Uncle Mitch and Cousin Dorian for the Rubicon Cabin World Championships.


December 29, 2010
Big Bear, CA

Picture For This Day

Soccer with the boys at yesterday's playdate.

Julie, Matt and Jon's mom, brought along soccer balls and a couple of portable goals.  Kiernan took one look at all of this and gazed longingly beyond the fence at the play structures therein.  I gestured to the kids kicking the ball.

"I don't want to play soccer," he said to me, matter-of-factly.  "I want to play on the play structure."

Fine with me.  He shed his shoes and socks and headed into the fenced area and had a blast.  As it turned out, most of the kids did the same, eshewing soccer for running about in the sand, climbing, going down slides, and randomly tackling one another.  The portable goals joined us for a time, and then they were dragged back out to the grass as a couple of kids decided to play soccer again.  Kiernan showed no interest in that.

Until I said it was time to go and started to gather our things.

"I want to play soccer now," he informed me, as he put on his socks and shoes.

You don't say.


Balboa Park: Encino, CA
January 4, 2011

Picture of This Day

Today was an early dismissal day.  Teacher training and whatnot.  So one of the moms set up a playdate at a local park for right after school.

Fun was had.


Balboa Park: Encino, CA
January 4, 2011

Independence

Kind of a goofy picture, but I like it.  I had to shoot it surreptitiously from across the room.

We spent the last week of December in a cabin with family.  Gammy and Grance and Aunt JoAnne and Uncle Mitch and Cousin Dorian.  One of the great joys of the week was watching how Kiernan and Dorian interacted. How they played and shared and negotiated.  They are so great together.  One of Kiernan's big challenges was dealing with the time when his younger cousin would take his nap.

The picture above captures Kiernan working this out one day.  He spent most of Dorian's nap just playing with Legos.  On this day he was playing with his cousin's new Lego bulldozer.  Kiernan loved this thing...as did Dorian.  No surprise, it was Dorian's newest toy.  But Kiernan so wanted to play with it.  That bulldozer was so, so cool.  So, on this day, Dorian said Kiernan could play with the new bulldozer while Dorian was asleep.  It was just such a great negotiation.

Kiernan spent most of Dorian's nap that day playing on his own with the bulldozer and another Lego dumptruck.  The adults were on the other side of the room, reading and writing in journals and playing Angry Birds and catching naps and going for walks.  Hearing Kiernan in playtime, doing quiet voices as his cousin slept...beyond beautiful.

After an hour or so he asked me to play with him.  We went into the cabin's kitchen and played, me operating the dumptruck and Kiernan commandeering the beloved bulldozer.  I felt so good, being the good dad playing with his son.  Sharing quality time.

After fifteen/twenty minutes Kiernan asked, "Is Dorian gonna be up soon?"

Yeah, I'm a good dad.  But at this time...just a placeholder.  Oh well.  Getting him to fly on his own is the point, right?

Right.  Sigh.

Picture For This Day

Playing this weird pig tossing game with his Grance, during our recent vacation.  I love his air of concentration here.  I also have to say that I love that Rance was successful in getting Kiernan into this game.  That just makes me happy.


December 2010
Big Bear, CA

Picture of This Day

As it turns out, our boy is into Legos.  Specifically Atlantis Lego sets.  Big time.

Happy New Year.  And love to you all!


January 1, 2011