Water Park

Sunday the family took a trip to Six Flag's Hurricane Harbor for some fun in the Sun.  We had to take Gram's and Papa's van to the park because ours died on Friday.  A dead fuel pump didn't dampen our spirits as we took Grams and Papa along with us.

We got a later start than we wanted.  It is never easy getting the kids both going in the same direction but throw in the fact that we had to put some "scum scream" (sun screen) and swim suits on the kids it gets even tougher.  To explain the "scum scream" quote from above, scum scream is Alyce's name for sun screen.  Her language is just about perfect to us but sometimes she will still butcher words giving both Mom and I a tickle.

At the park everyone had a good time.  Once a home base was found Alyce took off towards the kiddie play area.  The kids area had three parts.  A big rope house with lots of water jets, water slides, and a pirate ship.  The pirate ship was the area dedicated to kids Alyce's age.  The other two areas probably would have gotten her run over.  The first thing she did was go up in the pirate ship and down the slide.  She did it two more times and then something must have happened because she would have none of the slide.  She would go up in the ship, turn the captains wheel, and even look at the slides but not go down.  A few times the number of kids in the boat probably exceed a maximum threshold and parents weren't allowed up there (more on this later) so I'm guessing Alyce got spooked or pushed around by some other kids.  Alyce being the shy girl she is, shriveled from any sort of confrontation.  Later in the day Mom and I finally devised a way for Alyce to go down the slides but with our help.  One of us would be along the slide and as long as we held her hand she would go down without any trouble.  We didn't offer our hand unless she asked for it and sure enough a few times she did it without our help.

To better explain this pirate ship you go in it on one side and slide down the other.  This presents a dangerous situation for a parent.  Do you hold your child's hand after each trip down the slide to the stairs so they can go up the stairs and back down slide to be out of your sight before you get back?  Or do you wait at the bottom of the slide and let your kids out of your sight as they walk around the pirate ship and for you to catch them at the bottom.  In both cases a single parent has to let their kid out of their sight.  Ignoring drowning hazards in the 6 inch deep water in such a public place with so many people it is a recipe for a lost child.  Such an event happened to me!  One time Alyce seemed to be taking a bit longer get back up the stairs than she should and I started peering around for her.  Luckily looking through the pirate ship I saw her walking away from me and already 30 feet away.  I tried calling her over to me but due to all the running water around she couldn't hear me.  Panicked I ran around the ship (losing sight of her momentarily) and eventually caught up with her as she was over half way through the kid's play area.  I gave her that hug that parents give to kids they thought they'd lost even though she was only lost from me for about 20 seconds.  I told Alyce that she scared me and shouldn't wonder off and I'm sure she probably wandered what the big deal was as she knew where she was.

This is one of those lessons learned by a parent where they finally realized where their parents where coming from when they were grounded as kid.  Because when I was a bit old than Alyce I left home during nap time to see if preschool was still open without telling anyone where I was going.  Sorry Mom for scaring you like that.  I can only imagine what you were going through.

The only other event of note at the water park was the wave pool.  While I was holding Alyce she seemed to enjoy herself by going up and down with the waves.  I Kind of played it up a bit by jumping up saying "wee" when every wave came.

This was a good introduction into water parks for Alyce but me having to hold Alyce in the wave pool is highlighting the fact that she doesn't know how to swim and really isn't comfortable in water above her knees. I think it is time Mom and I find some swim class for her, even if they are early on a Saturday.

Father's Day

This year I had a great Father's Day.  Not that the ones I've had in previous years were bad but this one was pretty cool.  Mom let me sleep in and the day started off very stress free.  Later in the afternoon Mom, Alyce, Grams, and I all went to go see the Disney Pixar movie Toy Story 3.  The Toy Story line of movies holds a special place for me.  The first movie came out in 1995 so completely blew me away with what you could do with a computer that it helped push me towards a career with computers.

Alyce going to the movies and sitting through an entire film is nothing new.  I think this might have been the first time she has done it while out of diapers.  Alyce seemed to enjoy the film but more than the movie she loved the popcorn.  As long as her cup was full and her juice box was nearby she was in heaven.

After the movies we met up with Papa, Onermark Grams, and Luke for dinner at the Macaroni Grill.

Stress free morning, movie, and dinner with the family;  Sign me up for next year.

Playing is Hard Work

The crew enjoying some juice after playing hard outside. 

Potty Trained

I think it is safe to say that Alyce is potty trained.  Aside from staying dry which is the technical definition she has taken ownership of her own bodily functions.  When we first started training we'd ask Alyce every half an hour or so if she needed to use the restroom.  If we forgot to ask the chances of her having an accident increased.  In my opinion if you have to badger your child for potty success it is a hollow victory.  Alyce has moved passed that.  She could be sitting playing with toys or outside playing and stops what she is doing, says she has to go potty, walks into the bathroom, and does her business.  All of that without any input or action from Mom or myself.  Depending on the outfit she is wearing she can into and out of her clothes as necessary.  Mom has also gotten her trained to wash her hands every time so we don't even have to remind her of that.

It has been a long road but I can't really say it has been a hard one.  We've worked on it off and on for maybe a year but like most people said it really depends on when the kid is ready and not the parent.  We could have sped up the process by getting Alyce in daycare before school or using cloth based diapers instead of disposable.  But if she would have been trained a 2 1/2 but still required me to drop what I was doing to help undress her I don't think I would have considered that potty trained.

Mom and I couldn't be prouder of her; so proud I'm telling just about anyone who has kids and would appreciate the accomplishment.  Their comments are that it only gets better from here on out.  I can't wait until both kids are trained and we can finally keep the diaper bag at home.

Dinosaur Money

For Alyce's 3rd birthday we gave her a dinosaur bank for all of her money.  The bank looks like a friendly dinosaur and it is purple painted wood.  You put coins in the dino's mouth and they zig zag down into its belly which is a clear plastic egg.  There is a little gap in the egg for bills to be inserted as well.

Alyce likes her bank.  She especially likes to put money into it.  When I get home from work and if I have any spare change in my pockets I give her everything but the quarters.  Whenever she gets more than a few coins in her hands she says things like "I've got lots of money" or "I'm going to put this money in my bank".

A while ago as she was putting in a hand full of coins she commented that it was getting pretty full.  It was about half full but to from and empty bank to half is pretty good for a kid.  I told her that when it does get full we will empty it out, count it, and fill it up again.  I went on to say that with that money she could buy something that she wanted.  Finally I asked her what she was going to buy with her money and Alyce's reply was "chocolate".  I inquired as to whom she was going to buy chocolate for and she said "everybody". 

So there you go.  In about six months when the bank has been filled we will buy some chocolate for you.

Funny Things Alyce Says

Alyce says the funniest things sometimes.  A lot of the things she says are hilarious because they are so innocent;  innocent but true.  In the past few days she said two things that got both Mom and I to burst into laughter.  When Alyce said them and we started laughing she laughed too but to look in her eyes I don't think she understood why it was funny just that it was.

The first thing she said that was funny was a few nights ago I sang a few lines from the opening song of a new t.v. show that Alyce is watching, Wonder Pets.  Wonder Pets is a pretty cool show in that there are three animals a baby duck, guinea pig, and turtle that go and help other animals.  Throughout the entire show the Wonder Pets are singing their dialog.  Naturally these songs get into your head but you can't remember all the lyrics so at dinner I sang to myself "wonder pets wonder pets blah blah blah" to the melody of the song.  Alyce breaks into my blahs by saying "daddy, those aren't the right words".

The second funny thing Alyce said was also a few nights ago while the family was eating tacos.  I like my tacos very hot and put on lots of sauce, however, I have a reaction to that sauce that causes me to sweat profusely.  So I'm finishing my first taco, sweat is beading on my forehead, and Alyce states "daddy you have water on your head.  Where did it come from?"  Try explaining that to a 3 year old.

I love all the questions she asks and things she says.  You never know what she will say next.