Nick's Life: September 2012

I looked forward to that father-son bonding moment where I steadied him on his bike absent training wheels, running behind him down the driveway cheering on his accomplishment, giant grin of paternal satisfaction. No such Kodak moment with Nick.  He basically hopped on the neighbor's bike, and rode off. They spent an entire summer practicing with their son, and then Nick comes along and acts like he didn't even notice the training wheels were gone. We had a mini-ritual of removing the training wheels from his bike, and then he rode off. The braking lesson took a little longer, but he had that down in about an hour.

Early in the month we flew kites at Kensington Metropark. He and mama both had their own kites, and we flew them for two hours on a perfect afternoon. He picked up quickly how to manage the string and keep a kite in the air.  We also participated in the Milford Duck Race where we bought a little rubber duck and watched it run down the small river (while avoiding being stepped on by the local idiots.)

When Nick is tired, he's done.  One picture this month is of him falling asleep while balanced between the couch and table.  But he always finds the energy for Gymnastics class.  He runs poor Coach Megan pretty ragged, then runs over to her at the end of class, and tells her, "You did good, Coach Megan," blows her a kiss, and she blushes. He's starting to wield charm as a weapon. There's a little girl named Zoey in his gymnastics, and kindergarten class at school. One of those kids at five years old where you think, he could marry this one if he wants. He'll be courting her with petal showers soon, I'm sure (where he pulls pedals from roses and tosses them over your head.)  Unlike the little boy who crowded him in line, which Nick plastered him over the head with his cafeteria tray. The kids are required to draw a picture of their misbehavior, and Nick drew two stick figures with trays over their heads, in battle (his drawing continues to impress me). He explains the lesson learned as, "First you tell the teacher. If that doesn't work, then WHAM!"  I'm working with him, trying to delay or eliminate the second phase of his approach.

Other firsts: tie-up laces on tennis shoes, but when he ties them wrong and his mama corrects him, he tells her, "No, honey, it's like this." He had his first sleep over, at William's house. He also learned to whistle this month (and won't stop, even with his mother threatening to pummel him... whistles during dinner, during TV, in the tub, in bed.)  He has his first loose tooth, a little early. 
He's almost the same height that I was at 6 years old, about four months early, and he's in pants that fall off his waist becase his legs are so long, pants that fit him have a waist for an eight-year-old. At the doctor for his latest vaccinations, he tells the nurse, "I like shots just a little bit, I'm tough."  Then switches his story when the needle appears to, "I do NOT like shots."

- Jason