Jump

Meatball has been following in the footsteps of his big brother, trying to jump on, and off of, everything. Frequently when he is jumping on something upon which he probably shouldn't be jumping (beds, couches, and the like), he actually gets a little bit of air. He is just about 20 months old.

I appreciate this developmental milestone because it was a physical therapy goal for The Boy.

I'm glad to say that The Boy LOVES to jump. And to bounce, and to hop like a frog, or hop like a rabbit, or pretend to be a kangaroo, or a bird.

It's been nearly a year since they told us, no more chemo; go home and be normal. And I still look at The Boy in amazement sometimes, because we are SO lucky to have him. And then I look at Meatball and think, what a blessing he is, as a typical child. It keeps me focused on his positive qualities during some of those times when I get bogged down by the difficulties that come with typical toddlers. Usually the easiest thing to do when Meatball is bound and determined to play with the dishwasher is to completely relocate. A different part of the house that doesn't have a dishwasher, or better yet has a pretend dishwasher, is the best place for him when he is getting frustrated that he isn't being permitted to open and close it and push the buttons.

Busy week this week. I'm playing in a concert band on Sunday, and we rehearsed Monday night and today (they rehearse every Monday night, usually). So that's two extra nights out for me during the week, and two extra nights that Musical Daddy is "on" without me. I trust him completely to take excellent care of our children--sounds ridiculous that I even have to say this about my husband, their father, but there are plenty of dads who struggle. That said, he's definitely been dealt some rough hands this week. The boys have colds and are uncomfortable and cranky. They've been sleep-resistant and have been fighting with each other more than usual, when they are tired.

The Boy learned something very important in school today: how to cough into his elbow. Yes, we have showed him this before, but of course when you see 9 other little kids your own age do it, and it's something that has been fun to learn, it sticks that much more. Also, it's fun for 3 year olds to learn those things together; less so when they're older and their teachers or parents are so exasperated by their lack of manners...

Unfortunately, his cough is getting worse. Nothing major, just a cold, but plenty uncomfortable. So he probably won't go back to school tomorrow unless he wakes up feeling like a million bucks. Anything is possible, of course, but I'm thinking the rest would do him good. Then, hopefully, we can make it to Tot Shabbat tomorrow night.