Musically Inclined

Parents, especially new parents, tend to dream big for their kids. I’ve got a few friends who’s kids are pretty much going to Washington State. There are parents out there who are trying to groom the next Albert Einstein. And, there are plenty of kids out there who are getting more than a little pressure to become the next Tiger Woods or Kristi Yamaguchi.

Inasmuch as I’d love to see Finley take interest in a sport or two, my real desire for her is to discover and enjoy music. I’m not saying I want her to be a violin prodigy or have a string of sellout rock shows, I’m just hoping she can learn to understand the beauty of it and maybe even learn to make her own music.

A few weeks ago, quite on her own, she surprised Heather and me with a little solo. We didn’t even know she new any songs, but sure enough she was, in her baby language, singing a little tune. Heather thought it sounded a bit like “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and we started singing it to her.

Immediately, her eyes turned to saucers and she began clapping. We had connected with her on the musical level. And we’ve continued to connect in the time sense.

It’s not hard to deduce that she’s probably getting a ton of musical exposure at daycare, but as I began to think about it, I realized there’s a little more going on at our house than you might expect.

We really noticed her ability to sing while we were in Pennsylvania. She would walk around Mama and Bompa’s house singing the tune to “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star” (which also happens to be the tune to the ABC song). It’s definitely her favorite tune of the moment and she sings it whenever she remembers.

It started to dawn on me that her ability to know this song made a ton of sense. Because of all of her musical toys, I would say a good 90% have that tune playing on them. She has an “Aquarium” that hangs on the side of her crib – it’s a lit-up music box – and the first song that plays to her at night is Twinkle Twinkle. Her piano, her musical frog, one of her pull cars – all Twinkle Twinkle. She’s just figured out how to copy it.

But it’s much more than basic recognition. She really enjoys music. Especially when we sing to her. It’s becoming the sound to soothe the savage baby. She loves it when we sing, clapping her hands and grinning a big toothy smile.

In fact, the Finley top three is “Twinkle/ABC,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “The Wheels on the Bus.”

I’m just glad her recognition of the songs comes with a big smile. And if the song ends before she wants it to… she’ll let you know. She’s a big fan of repetition, but at that age, they all are.

So, maybe this is just the beginning of a very musical life and maybe she’s just happy that Momma and Poppa know the songs she knows. Either way, music makes her smile, which is what it’s supposed to do. And that’s all I can ask.

Finley Tour 2008

One of the things you learn very quickly as a parent – especially when the kids are very young – is that you are basically just the road managers and chaperones for this little rock star.

It’s true. You may have created this little wonder and may even be slightly responsible for all the little cute things she does, but when it gets down to it, you’re left off stage to watch the show from the wings.

It doesn’t matter who you’re going to visit or what relationship you have with them, even your own mother will knock you down to get to the kid. All you can do is make sure they are cleaned up and dressed well. Once you’ve arrived at the gig, you might as well just check out the food.

But that’s okay. Soon enough, the kid won’t be quite as cute or endearing and fall from the charts as the next baby boy band pulls for everyone’s attention. If you’re lucky you’ll get to see relatives every two or three years and get a little attention. But that’s what reunion tours are all about.

We just went through the rock star experience on a trip to Pennsylvania to visit Heather’s side of the family. Finley Tour 2008 – The East Coast leg – kicked off on a VERY long Saturday of flying from Seattle to Erie, PA. It’s a long story, but in a nutshell, we had one airline push us back for mechanical difficulties and we spent a few more hours in Philadelphia – because of weather – than we wanted.

And before we had time to recover from jet lag, the following day found us celebrating Father’s Day showing off the Diva to Pennsylvania kin. You’d think they’d never seen a baby before. Then again, we were hanging out at Heather’s grandparent’s house in Spring Creek Township (pop. 872), with most folks coming from the nearby metropolis of Corry (pop. 7,000). At any rate, the Finley show was in full effect and our little star did not disappoint.

I wasn’t too sure how well she would do with so many people giving her so much attention, but she was able to put together some moves I had never seen before, including a few little dance moves that had the crowd rolling. Then it was “Good night, Spring Creek” (around 7:30pm) and the starlet was whisked off stage to her private pack-n-play.

Of course, after such a busy start to the week, she settled in to life in the country, warming up to her great grandparents and her aunt and cousins who couldn’t get enough. She was in a good mood all week and was even able to say a few words including “Mama” and “Bompa” – the pet names for Heather’s grandparents.

All in all, we had a relaxing trip and after a few tears and another weather delay in Detroit, we were on the final 4-1/2 hour leg of the tour. After entertaining much of the last few rows of the plane, the Finley entourage returned home, safely.

So, as we re-adjust to West Coast time and settle back in to our quiet little life, far from the white-hot spotlight of Spring Creek we know we’re just energizing our batteries for the next trip the big cities of Montesano or Oak Harbor – and all stops in between. And as long as she has Momma and Poppa as her roadies, I’m pretty sure our little rock star will continue to shine for quite some time.

Finley’s Turn

Those two people who think they are in charge are too busy having a cold and getting ready to go on a vacation, so I decided to take over this blog thing for this week. It really isn’t that hard. I see my daddy pushing buttons on the computer thingy all the time, so I figured I could give it a shot.

They keep telling me that this week I will be 15 months old, whatever that means. Why can’t I be a year or a year and a half? What’s this obsession with counting every week and month until I’m two? All that time figuring out how old I am takes away from time that could be spent making my food.

The lady – we’ll call her “mommy” – is a pretty good cook. I especially like anything that is cut small enough for me to shove every single piece of it into my mouth. I just like the way she acts when I do it. I have to keep those people on their toes. I have to remind them how easy they really have it. So, every once in a while I’ll throw a piece of food on the floor or cover my body in yogurt. It’s funny watching their faces… and it’s supposed to be good for my skin, anyway.

So far this place isn’t too bad. I have a lot of toys that keep me pretty interested and if I get too stinky, they clean me up pretty good. That’s another place I have to keep them on their toes. There’s no fun in just laying there, letting them change me. I have to wriggle around. It let’s me see how good they really are.

Sometimes I get to visit other people. I don’t know them too well, so I don’t get overly friendly. That is, unless they have something to give me. Just last weekend I went and visited my daddy’s mommy and she had this dolly stroller. That was pretty neat. I went all over the whole house as fast as I could. Then all these other people showed up and kept trying to talk to me. I think they all need to learn to talk a little better. I couldn’t understand a word they said. It’s like when I go visit my mommy’s mommy. So many people trying to talk to me. At least there, some of them are closer to my height.

When we’re not going to visit big people, I get to go to school. It’s lots of fun there. I get to run around and get dirty. There are other people my size who like to run around and get dirty with me. They like to feed me and give me clean pants too. It’s just like being at home, but there’s a lot more noise. But, by the end of the day, I get pretty tired of those other kids and when I see my mommy or daddy come to pick me up, I’m ready to go home. Mostly because I know they will give me more food.

I like my home because it all belongs to me and I can do whatever I want. Mommy and daddy like to try to keep me from doing certain things, but I know this: I will figure out how to do those things eventually, and I mainly do it to make them chase after me. It’s lots of fun.

I think I’m training them pretty well. They feed me regularly, keep me clean and they kiss me all the time! They’re finally starting to figure out how to play, too. The daddy one makes funny voices when we read books and the mommy one tickles me, so I think I’ll keep them around for a little while.

I know that soon they will figure out what I’m trying to say. It’s so hard to get them to understand me. Usually, I just want some food or juice. But a lot of the time I’m trying to tell them thank you for all their hard work. The truth is that even though they are new at taking care of me, they are doing a pretty good job. I can’t wait till they figure out that most of the time I’m saying “I love you.” Because I do.

Alright, I have to go. I haven’t heard from them in a while. I’d better cry or something and maybe I’ll get another kiss. Bye!

Growth Squirt

It’s amazing what you discover about your kid when you spend more than just a few hours a day with them. Five days a week, I see Finley for maybe an hour or so in the morning before she’s off to daycare. Then when she comes home, she’s maybe up for another two or three hours before it’s bedtime.

Of course, we spend our weekends with the munchkin, but this past week, we got to spend 24/7 with her while we were on vacation and really began to notice how much she’s growing from a baby to a toddler.

There’s little doubt that the biggest reason for her growth is from all the time she spends with the kids at daycare. Finley recently moved up from the infant room to the toddler room and watches those big kids’ every move.

The most noticeable change we’ve seen is in her mobility. She started walking at about 10 ½ months and just a little over three months later, she’s moved on to running and much to our dismay, climbing. And it’s not just pulling herself on to the lowest ledge… That would be too easy. Our little monkey has figured out how to put toys and other objects against higher objects to help her “step” up to the next level.

We got home from vacation and were unpacking when out of the blue, little Miss Shortstack was standing on the coffee table with a little help from her princess couch. And just earlier this evening, I watched as she pulled one of her push cars over to the entertainment system so she could climb up to get closer to Mickey Mouse on TV.

I can’t even explain her fascination with her laundry hamper. She tips it over, crawls in it and rolls around like she’s having a seizure. From the outside you can’t see her, so the hamper takes on a life of its own, like it’s some sort of misshapen and spastic muppet. It’s pretty darned funny.

Then there’s the communication aspect of her life. Don’t get me wrong, crying still rules the roost around here, but she’s now beginning to point at what she wants… Her little index finger outstretched showing us what she wants. If we’re lucky, she’ll add a Finley word to help explain what it is. We were wondering if the term “manamana” was her name for her binky, but I’m beginning to think it means “I want.”

She’s a bit more selective with “dada” these days, too. It’s fairly clear she knows it’s me she’s talking about when she says it. And “mama” is used more frequently around Heather. She understands what “ni-ni” means, too. When she’s playing near the floor, she’ll often lay down and look up and say “ni-ni,” as if she’s about to take a nap.

But there are a couple of big things she’s beginning to do that are making me realize just how fast she’s growing. The first is she is starting to understand the word, “hi.” She’ll pop around the corner and say “hi.” She’ll say it when you pick her up, and if she’s in a really good mood, she’ll see that we find it funny and repeat it and throw in a smile, because she knows we’ll get excited. She knows how to play us, for sure.

The other thing – my favorite – that’s she’s beginning to do and understand, is give kisses. I’ll be holding her and say “Give daddy kisses,” and she’ll lean over with her little mouth half open and peck me on the cheek. For my money, there’s nothing better in the world than that. We’ve taught her how to blow kisses, too, but I’m not sure she really understands what she’s doing… It’s more of a play move at this point. But that’s how she’s learning.

Just like the rest of us, she’s associating learning and fun. Which is why daycare is so valuable to her, right now. It’s also why we need to keep teaching her while having a good time… while she still can. I’m not sure when learning got boring, but I’m hoping we can keep her excited about education now. It’s a lot more fun to sing the ABC song than it ever was trying to learn the periodic chart of the elements.

So, until that time, we’ll keep watching her develop and help her as much as we can with as much fun as we can put into it. And, if my little squirt decides to give me a kiss on the cheek along the way, I won’t complain.