Walk!!!
Obviously my rant a month ago about my kid not walking described a temporary frustration. And it is over! (Cheer with me!)
The Little Ninja has set off from cruising around the furniture and let go of Mama's and Papa's hands. He walks!
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Little Ninja who couldn't...
...walk. The Little Ninja, who was, admittedly, late to sit, late to crawl and late to stand, is, unsurprisingly perhaps, late to walk. (Aside: Just trying to squeeze as many commas as I could into that sentence.) While most kids walk at around 12 months, and approximately ALL of the particular kids around us are starting even earlier, The Little Ninja is still only crawling at 18 months. I am going crazy.
While it is technically still (barely) within the range of normal development, and I don't in my heart of hearts actually believe there is anything wrong with him, I am stressed out about this. I feel pressure to do something. This pressure might be entirely imagined, but it affects me nonetheless. The worst part of this, however, is that I can't do anything about it. I can reason with myself till my face turns blue that "he'll walk when he wants to," as people keep saying to try to reassure me when I mention it, but the fact is, I don't know if I believe it. I am extremely annoyed that he can't walk yet. And I can't do anything about the walking either. Because, apparently, he WILL walk when he's good and damned well ready. And nothing I do will speed that up. Believe me. I encourage him. I walk him around while he holds on to my fingers. I reach out, hoping he'll walk to me a few steps across the room this time, instead of sitting down and crawling over, like all past experience has taught me to expect. I try not to show my disappointment and I try to stifle my jealousy when the next much younger kid is already walking. I try to stay positive, even defensively spouting the positive "I guess he's just not ready yet" nonsense in response to other people's commentary, but it's all a lie. In my head I'm screaming: Walk, Child! Just stand up and walk!
Subconsciously, I probably pass on some of this pressure and frustration, though I try not to say or do anything too negative or direct. And there will be those of you reading this (haha) that no doubt believe I should just relax because everything happens in its own time. I wish I could. Really, I do. And I try. For The Little Ninja's sake. He should be allowed to develop on his own timetable. And the sweet mother in me agrees with this wholeheartedly.
The selfish adult in me, however (who may well be more forceful than that sweet mother), is sick and tired of it:
While it is technically still (barely) within the range of normal development, and I don't in my heart of hearts actually believe there is anything wrong with him, I am stressed out about this. I feel pressure to do something. This pressure might be entirely imagined, but it affects me nonetheless. The worst part of this, however, is that I can't do anything about it. I can reason with myself till my face turns blue that "he'll walk when he wants to," as people keep saying to try to reassure me when I mention it, but the fact is, I don't know if I believe it. I am extremely annoyed that he can't walk yet. And I can't do anything about the walking either. Because, apparently, he WILL walk when he's good and damned well ready. And nothing I do will speed that up. Believe me. I encourage him. I walk him around while he holds on to my fingers. I reach out, hoping he'll walk to me a few steps across the room this time, instead of sitting down and crawling over, like all past experience has taught me to expect. I try not to show my disappointment and I try to stifle my jealousy when the next much younger kid is already walking. I try to stay positive, even defensively spouting the positive "I guess he's just not ready yet" nonsense in response to other people's commentary, but it's all a lie. In my head I'm screaming: Walk, Child! Just stand up and walk!
Subconsciously, I probably pass on some of this pressure and frustration, though I try not to say or do anything too negative or direct. And there will be those of you reading this (haha) that no doubt believe I should just relax because everything happens in its own time. I wish I could. Really, I do. And I try. For The Little Ninja's sake. He should be allowed to develop on his own timetable. And the sweet mother in me agrees with this wholeheartedly.
The selfish adult in me, however (who may well be more forceful than that sweet mother), is sick and tired of it:
- carrying the damned heavy kid, because this is Holland, where they don't pave everything and it rains all the time so I can never set him down without him immediately getting filthy and/or soaked
- buying new pants because he's worn the knees out (while I would like to repair them, there's just no time, frankly)
- buying new shoes because he's still supposed to wear soft shoes until he's been walking well for three months and soft shoes just cannot withstand the force of his crawling (neither can the tops of his feet, which is why we put shoes on him in the first place. That and it's cold and wet)
- grimacing and washing because his hands are constantly disgusting, because he constantly has them on the ground. I firmly believe that this would be improved by walking. Perhaps not by much right away, but eventually.
- delaying. There are so many great things to do once you can walk (or at least stand up without holding on to anything). And I want to do them with The Little Ninja. And none of them will happen this summer. Even though I wanted and expected them to. And maybe I secretly fear that they won't happen next summer, either.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Disappointment at the Zoo
I love the Toronto Zoo. I always have. It is - bar none - my favourite attraction in the GTA. Yet I hadn't managed to get there for several years. Before today. Now, with The Little Ninja in tow, it was clear that we would have to go this time, much to my own delight.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. I had, after all, been idealising the place in my head for a good 10 years. I had been looking forward to the zoo since I planned the trip to Canada in the first place. I had even checked out the website to see what special animals would be on display. I guess I had set myself up for disappointment.
My Dad might possibly have mentioned at some point that the zoo wasn't doing all that well and the city was considering privatising it (in my opinion a good idea, especially after my experiences) and that there was some protest about the elephants in the Canadian climate, but I had waved away these minor points as they obviously could not possibly affect my wondrous zoo experience.
Well. What a frickin disappointment. Maybe the zoo isn't doing that well, but I paid $23/person PLUS $10 parking and I damn well expected to see lots of animals. We didn't see any cheetahs, though I am willing to believe there is one somewhere in the massive enclosure, though before today I would have bet on more. But there was only one lonely giraffe, one rhino, one lion, one tiger, one antelope - it was like the zoo in Madagascar - one sad example of each of those fantastic animals. And the pride of the zoo, the polar bears, were in the far enclosure where you could barely see them off on the grass, rather than in the viewing enclosure.
I understand that it's no longer high season. That was clear in the many empty kiosks we passed, the closed restaurants and the shortened opening hours. But I paid full admission and I expect to see animals! The pavilions closed at 3:30 and the whole zoo closed at 4:30. We didn't even get to see the special sting ray exhibit. Or a bunch of other things, but the zoo is really, really big and I didn't really expect to see the other things. The polar bears were not really on display. But my biggest disappointment was the lack of some animals. Those mainstays of zoo visits, lions and tigers and bears; oh my, what a disgrace. Come on, Toronto; it is not fair to the animals or the visitors to have just one of these animals. Either find some more or send them off to another zoo to at least have some company. I don't need to walk for an hour to get around the Africa area of the zoo just to see one lion, one giraffe, one antelope and not find any cheetahs at all. (The cheetahs are my favourite...)
That said, the elephants were still there (at least two) and the hippos (also two) were fun to watch. If, however, as my Dad reports, the elephants are to be sent to San Francisco or somewhere else warm, only the hippos will remain as a positive point. And that's not good enough. Toronto Zoo used to be one of the best in the world. And I don't think that's all in my head. I fervently hope that the city sells it to some zoo operator that knows its business because there is no reason (especially at those prices) for the zoo not to be a top-rate attraction!
Perhaps my expectations were too high. I had, after all, been idealising the place in my head for a good 10 years. I had been looking forward to the zoo since I planned the trip to Canada in the first place. I had even checked out the website to see what special animals would be on display. I guess I had set myself up for disappointment.
My Dad might possibly have mentioned at some point that the zoo wasn't doing all that well and the city was considering privatising it (in my opinion a good idea, especially after my experiences) and that there was some protest about the elephants in the Canadian climate, but I had waved away these minor points as they obviously could not possibly affect my wondrous zoo experience.
Well. What a frickin disappointment. Maybe the zoo isn't doing that well, but I paid $23/person PLUS $10 parking and I damn well expected to see lots of animals. We didn't see any cheetahs, though I am willing to believe there is one somewhere in the massive enclosure, though before today I would have bet on more. But there was only one lonely giraffe, one rhino, one lion, one tiger, one antelope - it was like the zoo in Madagascar - one sad example of each of those fantastic animals. And the pride of the zoo, the polar bears, were in the far enclosure where you could barely see them off on the grass, rather than in the viewing enclosure.
I understand that it's no longer high season. That was clear in the many empty kiosks we passed, the closed restaurants and the shortened opening hours. But I paid full admission and I expect to see animals! The pavilions closed at 3:30 and the whole zoo closed at 4:30. We didn't even get to see the special sting ray exhibit. Or a bunch of other things, but the zoo is really, really big and I didn't really expect to see the other things. The polar bears were not really on display. But my biggest disappointment was the lack of some animals. Those mainstays of zoo visits, lions and tigers and bears; oh my, what a disgrace. Come on, Toronto; it is not fair to the animals or the visitors to have just one of these animals. Either find some more or send them off to another zoo to at least have some company. I don't need to walk for an hour to get around the Africa area of the zoo just to see one lion, one giraffe, one antelope and not find any cheetahs at all. (The cheetahs are my favourite...)
That said, the elephants were still there (at least two) and the hippos (also two) were fun to watch. If, however, as my Dad reports, the elephants are to be sent to San Francisco or somewhere else warm, only the hippos will remain as a positive point. And that's not good enough. Toronto Zoo used to be one of the best in the world. And I don't think that's all in my head. I fervently hope that the city sells it to some zoo operator that knows its business because there is no reason (especially at those prices) for the zoo not to be a top-rate attraction!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Off and running
Today, for the first time since... wait, let me think... since I was six weeks pregnant with The Little Ninja, I went running. :D
If you could call it that. Well, I'm going to call it that, anyway.
It wasn't the energizing, easy 5K I used to do all the time. I only did about half that and it was far from easy. I ran for 60 paces and then walked for 60. But it was still energizing. I mean, I was keeled over trying to catch my breath at the end, but I felt good. OK, I wasn't THAT out of breath. I did some stretching and had a shower and my energy was way up until I sat down to work and fell asleep. Seriously. I guess it took more out of me than I thought.
After rereading the line I was working on for about the tenth time, I went to lie down for a nap. Really, there's only so much you can do. So I napped for an hour and then it was time to go pick up The Little Ninja from daycare (another 4K, but just walking this time).
So I walked 8.5K and walked/jogged/ran another 2 or 2.5. I'll have to recharge my Garmin so I can keep better track of my running. Because this was not a one-time event. I'm back world! Off and running!
If you could call it that. Well, I'm going to call it that, anyway.
It wasn't the energizing, easy 5K I used to do all the time. I only did about half that and it was far from easy. I ran for 60 paces and then walked for 60. But it was still energizing. I mean, I was keeled over trying to catch my breath at the end, but I felt good. OK, I wasn't THAT out of breath. I did some stretching and had a shower and my energy was way up until I sat down to work and fell asleep. Seriously. I guess it took more out of me than I thought.
After rereading the line I was working on for about the tenth time, I went to lie down for a nap. Really, there's only so much you can do. So I napped for an hour and then it was time to go pick up The Little Ninja from daycare (another 4K, but just walking this time).
So I walked 8.5K and walked/jogged/ran another 2 or 2.5. I'll have to recharge my Garmin so I can keep better track of my running. Because this was not a one-time event. I'm back world! Off and running!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A change'll do ya good
This is so true. Especially for me. Because I am addicted to change. And since my husband, um... isn't, I don't get enough without going out of my way to do so. So you can imagine that I might be getting frustrated with my walk to and from The Little Ninja's daycare, as the last 700m have been the same each way all summer. The first part I can vary, but that last bit is the same stretch of the same road, over and over, rain, heavy rain or cloud. (I wasn't kidding when I said summer just started yesterday.)
But today the soccer club next to the daycare had its first game of the season, and this opened up an alternate route that hasn't been available since the season finished in the spring. Instead of that same road again, afternoons when the club is open, I can take a pathway through the club, changing my entire route. It's a nicer route, too. I don't have to walk along the road at all, I can just stay on the bike/walking paths. Yay!
Other people, I think, could also do with a change. Doesn't anyone consider their facial expression when walking down the street or biking? Seriously, people, you're in public! Passing others constantly. How hard is it to have a pleasant expression on your face, if smiling and saying hello are simply too much to ask? Even in warm, sunny weather, the likes of which we haven't seen since May, almost everyone I passed today had a scowl on their face. Not very friendly, I tell you. Not terribly positive. I mean, I know Holland prides itself on its ability to complain, but seriously? It's pathetic and depressing. It was a beautiful day today. Smile! Enjoy the ride/walk. Greet your neighbours!
I realize that my friendly Canadian disposition will never really fit in here, and I'm not really expecting anyone to say hello (I learned that lesson long ago) but I think scowling is a bit excessive. I mean, not only does it make all the people you pass think that a) you don't like them and b) you're evil, but doesn't it also make you feel angry and upset as well? I tried to fit in in Russia with a scowl (even Dutch people have NOTHING on the negativity that is Russia), but I just made myself feel angry. Really people. Try smiling. A change'll do ya good.
But today the soccer club next to the daycare had its first game of the season, and this opened up an alternate route that hasn't been available since the season finished in the spring. Instead of that same road again, afternoons when the club is open, I can take a pathway through the club, changing my entire route. It's a nicer route, too. I don't have to walk along the road at all, I can just stay on the bike/walking paths. Yay!
Other people, I think, could also do with a change. Doesn't anyone consider their facial expression when walking down the street or biking? Seriously, people, you're in public! Passing others constantly. How hard is it to have a pleasant expression on your face, if smiling and saying hello are simply too much to ask? Even in warm, sunny weather, the likes of which we haven't seen since May, almost everyone I passed today had a scowl on their face. Not very friendly, I tell you. Not terribly positive. I mean, I know Holland prides itself on its ability to complain, but seriously? It's pathetic and depressing. It was a beautiful day today. Smile! Enjoy the ride/walk. Greet your neighbours!
I realize that my friendly Canadian disposition will never really fit in here, and I'm not really expecting anyone to say hello (I learned that lesson long ago) but I think scowling is a bit excessive. I mean, not only does it make all the people you pass think that a) you don't like them and b) you're evil, but doesn't it also make you feel angry and upset as well? I tried to fit in in Russia with a scowl (even Dutch people have NOTHING on the negativity that is Russia), but I just made myself feel angry. Really people. Try smiling. A change'll do ya good.
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