Dog walks Boy

Now that Alex is mobile, we try to do more exploratory activities outside. Already today, we've had a dog walk, playing in great-grandparents' yard, and a walk in the stroller. Alex enjoys walking the dog around our complex. He gets to hold on to the leash. Sometimes, the dog, Ari, pulls too hard and pulls him over, too, but he just gets back up and continues on with his giggling. Ari tends to be a very excited dog, always rushing to the next thing. However, if Alex has the leash, she walks very nicely with him and doesn't run when he drops the leash. She's done a pretty good job about not yanking him over. A lot of times, I hold on to the middle of the leash instead, but Alex enjoys doing the walk by himself. Even if I'm hovering…

Books are fun!

Books, books, and more books! I love that my son has chosen to play with books. They aren't much more than flat toys with pretty colors and a Mommy-provided soundtrack. But, he likes to grab them and hand them to me. This morning was particularly cute. We were reading Good Night Maine from his grandfather in Maine. Alex likes to help me turn the pages, which makes reading in a continuous fashion difficult. Alex turned the book open to the page with the lumberjack , and I obligingly read that page. He kept turning back to that page, though, and pointing to the lumberjack. When he realized his mommy wasn't getting it, he pointed to the lumberjack and announced: "Dada!" He proceeded to do this several times, of course while my camera was charging. Daddy, who grew up in Maine, has been a lumberjack and worn flannel, so the comparison is amusing in its accuracy.

Sometimes, when we're skipping over numerous pages without reading them, I have to remind myself that Alex is enjoying the pictures and the sound of my voice, not the plot. The plot of the story isn't of great fascination yet, though books are useful for building their vocabulary and teaching speech patterns. You can even read to him from one of your books (assuming you aren't reading too racy a novel).

My Son's World: What do we leave behind?

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."

We all want our children to grow up in a better world. We, of course, all have different ideas on what that world should look like. I'd like to share a simple version that I hope we can all agree we'd like to see. How we get there is apparently a matter of vicious controversy, unfortunately. But let's all pretend for a moment that it's possible. Then, let's think about how we can make changes in OUR OWN behavior to get there, rather than decrying others for the state of the world. This isn't about politics or which cause is supported or anything else. This is for everyone.

I want my son to be safe. I don't want him gunned down in a mall because the police were too afraid of repercussions to stop an armed gunman. I don't want him getting shot in school because someone decided teachers were to blame for their problems. I don't want him to be afraid of every person in our town. I want to feel like I can say yes when he wants to walk home from school because I want him to be able to be independent and confident. It's one block; I can see the entire walk if I stand outside my tract. Shouldn't that be safe, even if I didn't hover to watch? I live in a wonderful neighborhood, but that may not always be the case. I wish children would always be safe from the tragedies that humans visit upon each other, but that is unfortunately not true.

I want my son to breathe clean air. I want him to look up at a blue sky. I want him to value the world around him. We go visit the local zoos all the time because I want to instill in my son an appreciation for those creatures that would otherwise be nothing but a distant inconvenience for "progress". He's been to the aquarium and seen creatures whose habitats are being destroyed. We learn about conservation efforts and little things we can do to improve the natural world's problems. I know he doesn't understand it yet, but someday, I want him to stand on the side of protecting our planet for his children. If he never learns, how will he know what needs to be protected?

He should be able to dream and follow those dreams. As much as we want to do for our children, there are things they have to earn in order to be adults who can then move forward in their lives without us. I want Alex to follow his dreams, to work for them, rather than expect others to hand him everything. Someday, I'll be gone, and I want to know that I have left my son in a world where he can thrive, both because of the tiny mark I left behind and because of the man I help him to become.

The world is full of many things that can damage the future for all of our children. Let's try to make sure we aren't one of those things. My son wakes up with a smile on his face every day. He looks at me and a big grin just breaks over his whole expression. He is EXCITED to face the world. He shares that smile with everyone, wherever we go. He laughs and shouts for joy. I NEVER want to see that light go away. Please help me make the world into the one you want for your children.

Santa Ana Zoo with Grandma