What goes around, comes around

Jan. 3, 2010

In my previous posting, I spoke about what kind of dad I am. Well I had lots of practice as Nathan is the youngest of 7 cousins which I had plenty of practice on getting wound up before sending them back to their parents. Often being a human jungle gym, having little ones climb, flip, hang or just plain getting teased was one thing Uncle Kevin did best.

Of course I was also the uncle who bought all the toys with all the music and sound and noise that the kids love but my brothers and sisters would curse me over. And of course, I always had extra batteries to make sure they could play for hours and hours, in the comfort of their own homes. I never was asked to be much of a babysitter, I’d just entertain the kids at family gatherings.

Well apparently things have now come full circle. I told my mom that Nathan’s favorite Christmas present was the new bibs that she made for him. It’s the present that Annette and I anticipate the most and appreciate just as much as any present with our name on it. Apparently, that changed (in Nathan’s eyes not ours) once we got some of the toys out of the boxes at home. Nathan’s new favorite toy is a xylophone/piano. A staple to many households, the different metal clangs pierce any sweet silence around the house. There’s very little escaping it without being in a place where you can’t see what other trouble he may be getting into.

The video is only a small sample, as to get the full effect, you’ll have to loop it 10-15 times over as once he gets started the concert has officially begun. We really don’t complain too much as Nathan is using his arms and building strength there, as well as focusing on a toy for several minutes at a time, and he doesn’t fuss unless, he should happen to drop one of the mallets (affectionately called, “bong-bongs” by Annette.)

This toy contains no batteries, no volume control, and no off-switch, but he sure does love it and for everything else we put him through, we’re normally pretty willing to endure. We normally have to concede that no good tv watching will be done during his recitals, and if he starts to sing, it’s just an added bonus.

Yes, this Tuesday will mark the beginning of our three-week, daily (5-days a week) treks to Cincinnati to Leap Beyond Therapy, for our intensive therapy sessions. The video camera should be charged up, and we have plenty of discs to record, so we just hope he gives us good results worth the time and effort to get him there. We have high hopes for 2010 and know he’s always been up to the challenge. No, the xylophone will not be coming with us, but we do have all the Elmo and Backyardagains DVDs ready which should have us ready to abandon the car screaming once these three weeks are over.

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