Taking Walks With My Two Little Men

I can't drive yet. Hopefully next week the doctor will clear me, but until then, at least while Greg is at work, Nick, Henry, and I are limited to walking around the neighborhood. We've taken a bunch of walks this week.

Actually, I'm not quite ready to venture very far with two kids, at least not yet. But I know that I need some exercise, and Nick turns into a monster if he doesn't get his energy out. So we took walks this week--at least on the days it didn't rain. Considering that I just had a c-section, I'm feel like I'm recovering well; though my energy levels aren't anywhere near pre-pregnancy levels, I have way more energy than I did for most of the third trimester of pregnancy.

Shall I address the baby leash first? Well, last year Greg and I had a special tether that we used with Nick--basically it was a baby leash. We stopped using it sometime last summer because Nick started rebelling. Basically, he'd run until he ran out of leash, fall down, and cry. Then, he'd stand up, run, until he ran out of leash, fall down, and cry. Repeat fifteen times. Sigh.

But now, I have this little man to worry about. . .

. . . and after the first time Nick ran from me, I decided that a new "leash" was in order. He ran, leaving me the unenviable task of frantically setting the brake on the stroller, then chasing Nick down and tackling him before he got to the pond. I was freaking out about both boys at the same time.

A woman can only handle so many stressful moments before she decides it would be better just to stay home. Plus, I'm still not supposed to lift Nick. Yeah, right. The doctor who came up with the whole "lift nothing heavier than your baby" obviously didn't understand the realities of caring for a two-year-old. It is physically impossible to care for Nick without having to carry him.

Anyway, I bought a more appealing version of a baby leash. This one we call Nick's "backpack," and it comes with a tether. I like this one better because it has some elastic give to it. When he reaches the end, it pulls rather than yanks, so Nick doesn't end up on the floor. He heeds the warning fairly well. Plus, the tether means I'm willing to risk walking to the park.

I've been avoiding the park that Nick broke his arm at last year, even though it's the closest park to our house. Perhaps it's just superstition, but it's also that this particular park has several tall areas without guardrails. I'm not taking any chances. There are lots of parks within walking distance, and I prefer the one across the street from the elementary school the boys will attend someday. Nick was super, super excited when he found out where we were walking. Henry? He just continued to nap. Something about the stroller relaxes him.

We stayed at the park a good forty minutes or so, and then it was time to walk home. Nick didn't want to leave. "No," he said. "I just want to play at the park for a little while more." Then he repeated this, at full volume, while stomping his feet. It's not as cute while coming from a screeching child. Also not cute when Mommy has to haul you over her shoulder and drag you out of the park, caveman style. That's what I mean about doctor's having unrealistic expectations about not lifting a 30-lb. child.

I suppose I could've stayed at the park until he was willing to leave on his own, but I was hungry, and it was getting near naptime. Finally I wrestled Nick's "backpack" on and we headed home.

Did I mention that this park is farther away? It's at least a half mile away, probably more. Nick has walked way farther than that, so I didn't think it'd be an issue. It wasn't until we got about halfway back. Nick sat down on the concrete, told me "I'm ready to take a sleepy nap," and refused to move. I had to literally beg him to get up and walk home. I ended up carrying him the last two blocks because he tried to climb into a hole that had been dug to plant a tree. He refused to stay away from the hole.

Hey, at least I got my exercise, right?

Henry's First Walk

I know it probably sounds overly ambitious, but after bringing Henry home from the hospital Sunday afternoon, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. It was a lovely day, and we wanted both boys to get some fresh air.

I'm still recovering from my c-section on Thursday, but I've had a number of surgeries, and one thing I know for sure is that the more you move around and get light exercise, the sooner you recover. I get stiff and very sore if I sit around too much after surgery. Greg is home from work this week, but next week I'll be alone with both boys, so I figure I had better recover pretty quickly. My plan is to go for a walk everyday, and walk a little farther each time, so that I get my energy back.

Nick is really trying to be a good big brother, and he wanted to push the stroller, so we let him. He seems to like Henry and be interested in him, but he quickly becomes frustrated when any situation or conversation is not about him. I think that's pretty typical of two-year-olds; they tend to be self-centered anyway, and Nick thinks the world revolves around him. (You mean it doesn't?)

Nick has so much energy, and he tends to run ahead when we go for walks. Thank goodness he's been trained to stay on the sidewalk, and Greg keeps a very close eye on him. I still think I'm going to use a tether (baby leash) when I go for walks by myself with both kids. Nick is not obedient enough to stay right by me, and I'm not fast enough to chase him down.

We don't have that problem with Henry, at least not yet. He looked around a lot, then settled down for a nap. I think the motion of the stroller soothed him. It's a little to think that in two years, Henry will be running around picking up sticks, just like his big brother does. I'll have to make sure to enjoy his snuggly babyhood as much as possible.

We walked for about a half-hour yesterday, then a little longer today. I'd guess we did at least a half-mile, if not more. It felt good to be out of the house, getting a little bit of fresh air and exercise. I'm in training, you see--in training for chasing a two-year-old while carrying a newborn. Now that is an aerobic workout.   : )

A Chocolate Tour of the Gold Coast

I know what you're thinking. "More with the chocolate?" Yup. If there's a fun event in the area that has chocolate in its name. . . I am so totally there.

A few weeks ago, my friend Lynn came up to celebrate her birthday with me, and we were trying to come up with something fun to do. She brought up a walking Chocolate Tour of Chicago that one of her doctors had been on with his wife. Apparently, they'd really liked it. So we decided to try it, too.

What is a chocolate tour, you ask? Well, we went to five different chocolate-themed independent or artisanal candy shops and bakeries, and had samples at each of them. On the way, we learned about the history of chocolate and about the ingredients that go into fancy chocolate. My favorite sample was actually from this first place, teuscher chocolates. It was a truffle with dark chocolate, then milk chocolate, with champagne on the inside. Simply divine.

Next, we went to More bakery, where we sampled a mini cupcake and bought a few more. My favorite was the more cupcake, which is kind of their take on a hostess cupcake. I loved the cream in the middle.

Outside the bakery there was a building with a ladybug cow crawling up the side. No, really. I'm not making this up.

Next, we went to Hendrix Belgian Bread Crafters, and tried the most delicious bread with Belgian chocolate in the center.

As you can imagine, I was in a carb-lover's heaven at this point. I especially loved all of the excellent quality dark chocolates I was getting to sample. Our next stop is probably the shop I'd be most likely to visit again on my own--Sarah's Pastries and Candies.

This place had really delicious dark chocolate covered caramel lollipops. I love the combination of a good, smooth dark chocolate and caramel.

The reason I'd visit this place again was that their chocolate was reasonably priced and still very delicious. They even showed us where the dark chocolate pours from. I wouldn't mind having one of these in my house. I'd have chocolate covered strawberries every evening, I think. Or blueberries.

Our final stop was to Tazo, where we had chocolate chai. By this time we were both really beat, and my feet were starting to swell a bit. It was a really fun tour, though, and I love going downtown, even though it can be really expensive.

I bet we got enough exercise to work off all of the chocolate samples. They have these chocolate tours all over the city, and I'd love to go on another one. I think my friend thought it was a pretty good birthday present, too. 

Squeaky Shoes

I bought some cool new shoes for Nick last week on Ebay. Yes, they really do squeak. The cats weren't sure what to think of him. Nicholas has been stomping around all afternoon, showing off his new toy. He was doing some dancing, too, earlier today. These shoes are too big for him, so I think I'll have to get another pair in a smaller size. He really loves them, and I sure can't lose him with these shoes.

Lately Nick's been into kitchen implements. Spoons, tupperware, bowls. . . he's fascinated with all of them. I guess the little girls at his babysitter's house like to have play picnics with their mini dishes. He must be picking up on that. I gave him a spoon and a piece of tupperware, and he was in heaven.

Does toddler chasing count as exercise?

Because if so, I can count hundreds of minutes each week as a workout. Chasing Nick as he runs towards the garbage can. . . Following him to figure out why he's crying. . . Racing him to see who can get to my cell phone first. . . Running to stop him from abusing the cat. Then he'll do something funny and cute, like breaking into dance in the middle of the living room. (see above)

They say that a toddler's brain is twice as active as an adult's, and I believe it! Nicholas is incredibly curious, zips around from one thing to another, and is constantly on the lookout for trouble. Plus, he's fast. I do believe he's skipped straight from barely walking to outright running. He can do squats, fast pushups, near somersaults, and sprints. I read once about a study where they took football players who were in excellent shape and had them mirror the every move of toddlers. I believe by noon every one of those football players was dead tired. Perhaps the toddler plan will be the next big diet and exercise book. "Throw half of your food off the table, but eat whatevery you want. Put rice into your ears, throw toys down the stairs, and make every step a run. Soon you'll be as slim as can be! It's the toddler diet!"

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the toddler's need to explore. I've even read studies about how kids can be negatively impacted if they aren't allowed to explore their environment and have new experiences.  It's very seldom that I get frustrated with the force of nature that is my son. Usually I just sigh in defeat or laugh at the absurdity of things. Nicholas is like a tornado lately, though. Greg and I try to let him play with anything that isn't dangerous, so long as we're keeping an eye on him.

We try to pick our battles. The plastic straw he's playing with above? Fine. The butter knives he was trying to snitch from the dishwasher while Greg was cleaning up dinner? NOT fine. That's why he's stomping out of the kitchen in the picture below.

I borrowed Grandma Toni's camera today while she was visiting. It was so nice to take pictures of Nick again. My camera is still at the Nikon repair shop. Hopefully I'll eventually get it back in one piece. I keep trying to take pictures with my cell phone, but Nick won't stay still long enough and they all turn blurry. I guess that's the point, though. Nick won't stay still. At least not until bedtime. Then he's out.

Trees, Trees, and More Trees! ! !

I'm not usually one to overuse exclamation points, but Nick has been very excited about all of the Christmas Trees he's seen lately. On New Year's Day, we decided to indulge his excitement by taking him to the Museum of Science and Industry in downtown Chicago. Every winter, they have a display of Christmas trees decorated for countries around the world. Since his first real word was "tree," we figured he would enjoy pointing at all of them. He did. We went with Nick's Great-Grandma Dorothy and Grandma Toni so that they could see the trees, too. Here you can see Nick with his Great-Grandma, showing her our tree and telling her, "Tree!"

Nick was fascinated by all of the lights and ornaments. It really was quite lovely. He just kept pointing and announcing, "Tree!" all day long. We did a lot at the museum, but I think today's post will be all about the trees. Nick kept trying to tear the ornaments off, but thank goodness most of them were wired on. I don't believe he was the only baby who tried to abscond with the ornaments.

Nick has been pointing like crazy lately. Sometimes we're not sure what he's pointing at, but on this day we were pretty sure it was the tree.

Nick also did a lot of walking around the museum. He's getting more surefooted as he practices. We all kind of blocked him in and let him crawl and walk around a little bit, because he wasn't going to stand for staying in the stroller. He wanted OUT. And he was so happy when he got to walk with daddy.

 My favorite part was the pretty blue lights in the center area of the museum. Everything was bathed in a gorgeous blue light, and shapes danced on the ceiling as Christmas music played. I know it's after Christmas, but it was a nice way to close the season.

Today Greg took the tree down while Nick was having his afternoon nap. He said that Nick started crying and saying, "Tree?" when he came downstairs and saw that it was gone. He keeps pointing to the area where the tree was and asking, "Tree?" Poor guy. He'll have to wait until next year.