Is this what Springsteen meant by Growin Up?

One of Elijah's greatest pleasures is to tell either Sarah or myself we did something wrong. A huge smile always appears anytime he utters the phrase "Mommy (Daddy) you made a mistake" or "You made a boo-boo." To engage him in a conversation I will sometimes sing a song and deliberately say a lyric wrong, and thus get him to respond in this way. He also will do the same thing (sing a lyric with a wrong word) and expect me to say "Elijah you made a mistake", which also puts a big smile on his face.

So the other day when Sarah left something in the car, I turned and asked Elijah what happened. With a huge grin he replied that "Mommy screwed up." Sarah and I looked at each other knowing full well that we both had to take some responsibility for the broadening of our little guy's vocabulary. But we also realized that he had used the word in the proper context and was saying boo-boo in a more adult way, both of which were very positive steps. Because of this we have neither discouraged nor encouraged his new method of expression, which has led to Elijah using it on occasion (about five percent of the time) when he mentions errors made by any of us.

I know this isn't how it's taught in "Parenting 101," but if it moves Elijah even a little forward...well what the f--k.

The Full Monty

As with any other child, Elijah has his pleasures and his phobias. The arrival last week of a variety of toy traffic signs resulted in one of the largest smiles you could ever see, but the movement of them from their original placement in the den was responsible for a great deal of angst. He loves the Pooh video game that Uncle George and Aunt Julie got for him, yet he runs upstairs in fear every time a Heffalump (an elephant- like creature) appears on screen, then he yells down to me instructions on how they can be defeated (by bursting a balloon). When that is accomplished, back down the stairs he runs, ready to giggle and play the game again, until the dreaded creatures reappear and the whole routine is repeated.

That's how it is with Elijah. Two steps forward, maybe a half step back. We just received his progress report from school, and though he is either working toward or exceeding most of the goals set for him at the beginning of the school term, in regard to some other skills (taking turns, initiating social contacts) there is still lots of work to be done. But there definitely is progress. When asked to draw and write about what he did over the winter break, Elijah drew a picture of two boys on a sled using the name of the neighbor boy he went sledding with. That type of acknowledgement, along with his progress at verbal communication (conversations do not have to be initiated by others, and there is some back-and-forth exchanges that follow a normal conversational pattern) is extremely encouraging. Yet, echolalia and moments when all he does is repeat dialogue or song lyrics are that half step back I mentioned earlier.

A great example of this type of behavior occurred at our fitness club the other day. As I have mentioned previously, this facility not only has a wonderful children's area, but the employees there have shown incredible patience with Elijah. Seldom these days do I get the dreaded page over the speaker system that my presence is needed at the child center because of something the little guy has done. Though he was put into "time-out" last week, my workouts have been uninterrupted for the most part these past few months.

Yesterday seemed to be like one of those days. I had concluded my exercise routine and was at the center ready to leave with him when he informed me, "Daddy, I need to go to the restroom." Elijah went to the bathroom and was finishing up his business when another little boy entered and went to the other toilet. That is when the step back took place. Elijah has developed an odd fear of toilets that have powerful (loud) flushes. It seems as if the toilet the little boy was about to use fell into that category. This caused incredible panic for Elijah, who put his hands over his ears and ran out of the restroom. The major problem with this was his pants and underwear were around his ankles, exposing those in the general vicinity to his "full monty." I quickly got him back inside, then had him pull up his pants, wash his hands and calm down. Luckily, his moment in the buff was no more than a few seconds, though it felt like minutes to me.

Afterward we talked about what had occurred and he seemed to understand that one cannot just run out in public with his pants down. Again, a step forward following a mini-step back. I can tolerate, even embrace, this type of two-step dance as long as he doesn't try to emulate a young Chippendale performer in the process.

Drowning in a Sea of Snow

For those of you who live here this is old news, but for the benefit of those in my native state, this is what we were dealing with last week:

I was determined to keep our driveway clear, but as the snow kept falling, the piles got higher. But as bad as the snow piling up was, the bitter cold made it even worse. The combination of the two made it a miserable few days, but at least one person seemed to enjoy it.

The Answer My Friend is Blowin In the Wind...and the Willows

Ever since my first visit to Disneyland (so long ago the canoe trip in Frontierland was considered "state-of-the-art") my favorite ride there has been Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I always loved the quick turns and near disasters, and no, not because it reminded me of my own driving abilities. Yet, until Elijah's arrival I had never known the source and inspiration for this ride.

As a gift years ago, Elijah got a DVD of Wind and the Willows, and though the sound mix and animation of this version appears to have been done somewhere in the Outback, (it was done by a company in Australia) the little guy loves it nonetheless. And as for me, knowing the background story of Toad Hall and all of it's animal denizens, gave me not only a greater understanding of the ride, but a huge desire to share the joy of experiencing Toad's escapade with my son. (And yes, I know it will have to be at Disneyland as the Toad ride was closed in Orlando.)

So until we take that trip to childhood Mecca, which will be probably this year, Elijah will have to make do with a DVD, his imagination and the artistic ability to recreate the main characters:

I think Walt would have been proud.