Mrs. Captain's Blog: 2008

Essay by Anna Quindlen

Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2. Every part of raising children is humbling. Believe me, mistakes were made. But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

WE DIDN"T COME IN FIRST PLACE. Sorry Big Guy!

MIlestones

FIRSTS
Fancy Restraunt - Fogo Du Chao's - Beverly Hills - 2 months
Party - Thanksgiving at Annie & Johnnies - 2 months
Laugh - Christmas Day - 3 months
Food - Sweet Potatoe
Costume - The Wizard
Long Car Trip - 3 months - San Diego for Jennifer's Xmas Party
Overnight Trip - 3 months - San Fransisco
Amazing Feat - Stood on his own (while leaning on ottoman) - 3 1/2 months
Plane Trip - 7 1/2 Months - New York
Drank from Sippy Cup - 7 months
Sat by himself without support - 7 months
Crawled (army style) - 8 months; (regular style) - 9 months
Pulled up - 9 months
Stood up alone (in crib by himself) - 9 months
Fed himself (puffed rice) - 9 months
Cruised - 9 1/2 months
Clapped Hands - 10 months
First Steps - 12 1/2 months
Word - CAT - 13 months

Big Boy Bed - 21 months

in Pull-ups/Used Potty - 26 months

first day of pre-school - 29 months

FAVORITES
Plush Animal - Sleepy Sheep
Tools - Tooth brush & Remote Control

FACINATIONS
his own hands (3 months)
his own feet (4 months)

SPECIAL SKILLS
"Pillow Break" on command - 11 months
Put Socccer ball in basket on command - 11 months

Essay by Anna Quindlen

Blog Archive

About Me

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Monday, August 11, 2008

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Sunday, April 27, 2008

MIlestones