Kaden, 14 Months

I just realized, after writing my depressing post about my day at school, that Kadester is 14 months old today.  So, to make myself feel better, I am going to post adorable pictures of my child and write about all of the precious things he is currently doing.

At 14 months old, Kaden . . .

• Is talking!  Is it terrible that I'm not sure what his first word was?  I'm really not sure what his first word was.  In retrospect, I'm pretty sure he was saying some words long before we realized he was saying words if that makes any sense . . . Regardless, some of the words Kaden currently says are Dada, Mama, nana (meaning banana), cheese (He has woken up in the morning screaming this one.  That's how much he loves string cheese!), shoe, dog, duck (and quack), fish, bye-bye, this (Meaning, what is this? or I want this.  He always says this as he points at things.), guck (meaning yuck), truck, tree, Gigi, and roars like a lion when asked "What does a lion say?" (We are getting ready for Halloween.)  He tries to say Tip-Top (the name of his stuffed giraffe).  He has said blue and green, but he doesn't use these that frequently.  In addition, he wanders around the house speaking in some language that we cannot understand.

• Loves to talk on the phone.  He holds the phone up to his ear and wanders around the house babbling away in his foreign tongue.  The best part of this is he has to be walking around to talk.  One day he was in his high chair and he kept pointing at my cellphone.  He had a melt down until I took him out of the chair so he could run around the house while he talked.

• Loves, loves, LOVES to be outside and has a meltdown at the back door when he can't go outside and wants to. 

• Loves watching cars and trucks.  Since the hurricane, there have been lots of extra dump trucks, waste trucks, and backhoes roaming the streets of Kinston, and he can't get enough of them.  He is pure boy.  We went to a yard sale on Saturday and they were selling a go-cart.  Kaden immediately climbed right into the driver's seat. 

• Loves spending time with our neighbors, the Howards.  Kaden is in love with Stephanie and her kids.  They steal him to go on lots of walks, to feed the fish in a friend's pond, and to jump on the trampoline.  

• Loves animals.  He is infatuated with the dog, Ginger, that our neighbors watch.  He also likes to pet the dogs next door through the fence.  He is enamored with the YouTube video of the Welsh Corgi puppy.  It doesn't matter how sad he is, all you have to do is turn on that video, and he breaks into a HUGE grin.   

• Loves to kick and throw whatever resembles a ball.

• Is obsessed with shoes.  He carries them all over the house.  I am constantly looking for one of my shoes.

• Throws things away.  All the time.  This is a dangerous one.  We have found the remote control in the trashcan before.  In keeping with his shoe obsession, I find at least one of my shoes in the trashcan daily.  Lucky are the days when we find things in a fresh, unsoiled garbage bag.  Unlucky are the days when it's the opposite.  

• Has figured out how to lift the toilet seat and throw things into the toilet bowl.  This is a fun one.  We have sanitized a few items in boiling water due to this discovery.  He hasn't figured out how to flush...yet.  

• Is trying to learn to jump, but can't figure it out yet.  This is hilarious to watch.  

• Can climb up onto furniture and get down by crawling backwards.  

• Likes to smell things, especially candles.  On our walk the other day, he spent a good chunk of time smelling the flowers.

• Loves to wrestle and rough house with Daddy. 

• Loves to read books by himself and loves to be read to. (This is one of the few times he'll sit still on your lap.)

• Helps do chores around the house.  He will help me put the wet laundry into the dryer (and run away with wet onesies that I have to collect later), and he will wipe up the floor if he spills milk or juice from his sippy cup. 

• Now has six teeth.  The two newest just popped through.  

• Still considers Tip Top to be his best buddy.  He loves that stuffed giraffe.  It is precious watching him give Tip Top loves.  

• Has had his first haircut and now looks like a little boy instead of a baby.  (A longer post with video and up-to-date pictures to follow.)

I love this little guy with all of my heart!

Dear Future English Teachers of My Son,

I am not going to make a lot of false promises here.  I know the danger in pledging "my child will never."  I have been warned this phrase can come back to bite you.  Therefore, I will not promise that my child will always do his homework, or that he will never use Spark Notes as a last resort to understand early British literature, or even that he will never talk in class.  He will probably do each of these things.  For this I am sorry.

I can, however, promise you a few things:

My child will never use the f-word repeatedly in your class and then direct the f-word at you when you ask him to leave.

My child will never tell you to "get out of my face" and "mind your own business" when you ask him to put away his cell phone.

My child will never turn and walk away while you are conversing with him individually, trying to help remedy a problem situation.

Here's why I can promise you this:  I am an actual parent.  I understand that my obligations to my offspring extend beyond giving birth.  That means I am going to teach my son to respect not only his teachers but other members of the human race in general.  If my child ever does choose to behave in any of the ways outlined above, I promise you he will be afraid to come home. 

Sincerely,
A teacher who spent her planning period in tears, while filling out discipline forms instead of grading

Myrtle Beach Trip, September 2011

Over the second weekend in September, Joy and Bruce took all of us (that are currently living in North Carolina) on a trip to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

In true Kaden fashion we started out the vacation very cautious and uncertain:

Then, once acclimated, had a lot of fun:

 On this trip, I learned a few things:

1)  My child will always have a better tan than me, even though he wears three coats of SPF 50.

2)  There are perks to having a husband who isn't overly crazy about the beach.  Almost every time Kaden was napping, Chad stayed in the hotel room with him, and I got to soak up the sun.  Alone.  With a magazine.  With only the gentle sound of waves breaking on the shore disturbing what would otherwise be silence.  Heaven. 

3)  There are few things I enjoy more than playing card games late at night with family.  Even though they have to reteach me the rules every time we play, and even though I am seldom the winner, there is something therapeutic about laughing so hard I can't breathe.

4)  Vacations never last long enough.

Thanks, Joy and Bruce for taking us with you!  We had a great time!