Life with Dylan

Category: Quality Time

  • An open letter to my son

    I have noticed a change in you recently and I believe that I had something to do with it. You have seemed a little calmer and a little less agitated when I ask you to do something. The tone of your voice isn’t always sarcastic when you talk to me.

    You say please and thank you. You give me a hug for no other reason than to say I love you Mom. In general, life has been much happier in our home.

    I began to notice these changes about the same time I started being there for you. Not that I wasn’t there for you before, but I realized that there is a difference between being in the same room working on the computer and just being there on the couch. I have spent very little time on the computer since my ah-ha moment, which means much less time telling you to wait a minute. Social media can wait – you can not.

    Ten years have already flown by and I find myself wondering where the time went. When did my little boy grow up? Then I think, oh yes, he grew up when I wasn’t watching – When I wasn’t there.

    Those days and nights when I was too busy writing a paper for school, or too busy meeting a deadline for my editor, or writing a blog post that just couldn’t wait another day.

    The times when Facebook and twitter took priority over you – That is when you grew up.

    For the past few weeks I have been able to relax at night. Flip through a magazine or work on a crafting project and be there for you – be there with you. We can talk or read together. I watch you play a game on the Wii and when you say mom, watch this I can. Or when you want to share something that you just read, I can listen to you.

    I’m here Dylan. For real this time, I am here.

    Here to watch you grow up.

    Here to listen to you.

    Here to spend quality time with you.

    Our weekends will be filled with less chores and errands – and more time together taking pictures, going on adventures, exploring nature, and of course lots and lots of zoo trips.

    It scares me to think that the next 8 years will fly by just as quickly, if not quicker, than the last 10 years did. My baby will be 18 years old before I know it and I don’t want to miss any more than I already have.

    I love you Dylan.

    Love,
    Mom

  • Reading the Classics – and Loving every minute

    Gone are the days of reading Goodnight Moon and Dr. Seuss before bed. Part of me is thankful that Dylan can read to himself because it gives me time to do other important things like wash dishes and pack lunches. However, there is a big part of me that misses laying next to him and reading aloud – the Mommy part.

    Dylan has quite a fascination or should I say complete love of reading encyclopedia type books. Anything that he can read and memorize some fact or figure is what he thrives on. Do I want to read about facts and statistics before bed? No.

    I can’t even begin to guess the number of animal books or reference books this child has in his room. Even as a toddler, he wanted reference books – not some story about a bear who lived in the woods with other animals.Trust me – I tried and finally gave in to his desires.

    Now that he is in the 3rd grade and reading more, his teacher has actually banned him from reading ‘animal-reference books’ as part of his weekly reading. Oh, the horror for him was unimaginable! That was until I came across some books in the $1 bin at Target.

    Classics. Books I knew he would enjoy because they were about animals – but not a reference book. These books would take him to far off lands and give him a new love of reading. I love that he wants to learn something when he reads, but I also want him to know the pure joy of reading a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. Maybe even a moral to it.

    The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and  Moby Dick – these are now on the same shelf with his encyclopedias.

    I never read these books growing up, so reading them together is even more enjoyable. I want to find out what happens when I turn the page as much as he does. Last night we finished our first classic novel together and Buck will forever hold a special place in our hearts – just as he did for John Thornton.

    As for the next book on our reading list, well, that’s up to Dylan. I have a feeling it will be White Fang. Whatever book he chooses, I am just happy that I get my ‘mommy time’ back at night and that he is finding a whole new love for reading.

    Of course he still loves his animal encyclopedias. Somehow they still end up in his bed at night.

    Do you read to your children at bedtime? 

  • Family Time

    There is something to be said for spending time together as a family. Not just sitting in front of the television together, but real quality time together. This doesn’t mean you have to spend lots of money – be creative and think about what your child enjoys doing.

    You may be surprised at how the simplest things, like playing a game of checkers with your child, will mean more to them than spending the day at an amusement park. It’s the time when you turn off the television. Unplug from the internet. Put down the phone. (yes, I did pause to take this picture and was quickly reminded of the rules – No phone Mom) The time when you give all of your attention to your child.

    This is what they will remember. Believe it or not, children pay more attention to the times we say “Just a minute” or “I can look when I finish my work” than we think they do. And before long, they will stop asking you to look at the picture they just drew – or the LEGO creation they just made.

    Before you know it, your child will be too busy with their friends to even want to play a board game with you or swing at the park. I often wonder how my son got so big so fast – and before I know it, he will be dating and going off to college.

    This may sound far fetched since he is only 8 years old, but these past eight years flew by. So who’s to say the next eight years won’t fly by just as fast?

    Quality time can’t be bought.

    Quality time is priceless.

    How much quality time do you spend together as a family?

  • Do Your Kids Play?

    A new school year has begun and we are finally getting back in the swing of things. Homework, packing lunches, nightly reading, and so on. And as this school year begins, I once again find myself contemplating how I can make this year better than last year.

    The emails and papers coming home from Dylan’s school about various after-school clubs and sports are well … to be honest, a little overwhelming.

    They all sound wonderful, but come with a price. Yes, the clubs and sports programs will cost me money – money that isn’t really in my budget – but the other cost is much greater in my opinion.

    The cost of my son’s childhood.

    He loves Cub Scouts and the after-school science program. He joined the science program last year and really got something out of it. I don’t mind paying for this. The program meets right after school one day a week and lasts only one hour. It ends just in time for me to pick him up after I get off work.

    So what about soccer, tennis, Spanish, keyboard, chess, art, music, and swimming? These are all excellent programs for children, but do children really need to participate in all of them? Many parents will sign their children up for multiple after-school programs. Who makes this decision?

    (more…)

  • Summer Vacation – Day 1 at @SanDiegoZoo

    A few weeks ago Dylan and I packed our bags for a fun-filled vacation in San Diego. The goal was to leave all computers and work at home and just have fun! Three parks in three days – World Famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego, and Legoland California – can we do it? Of course we can, we have annual passes to all three! Nothing was going to stand in our way.

    We left home early on a Tuesday morning and drove straight to the San Diego Zoo. Yes, we were just there last month, but this time we were on a mission … to see the baby tiger cubs!

    We walked right to the Lost Forest, but sadly, the tiger cubs were not out on exhibit this morning. However, there is always something to learn when you are at the San Diego Zoo!

    Did you know that you can find parts of the Rain Forest in your Cupboard? All of the products in this display come from some sort of plant found in the Amazon Rain Forest.

    From Tiger Trail, we headed to Hippo Trail and we got to watch the Momma and Baby Hippo play for about 20 minutes!

    We even managed to get his cute video of the Momma Hippo teaching the Baby a thing or two.

    Dylan loves the area by the Hippo exhibit. He always wants to climb in the tree and pose for pictures on the bronze hippo sculpture. I think I have about 20 pictures on this hippo (spanning over 6 years) Yes, I guess you can say we go to the zoo often … but it’s always worth it to see the look on Dylan’s face when he is near animals.

    Now off to the Discovery Outpost Children’s Zoo to see all sorts of cute and furry animals.

    Black Marmoset

    Playful Meerkats
    Scarlet Macaw Parrot
    Now as much as Dylan loves our next stop, I normally choose to wait outside … but he begged me to come inside the Insect House. The least I could do was take some pictures for him.
    And if this wasn’t enough to show how much I love my child, we headed over to the Reptile House next! However, this time I stayed on the outer edge and handed the camera over to Dylan. These are a few of the pictures he took.

    There was one little guy that I thought was kinda cool though … well, maybe not so little.

    Green Tree Frog

    Feeling a little hungry after the long drive and walking around the zoo for 3 hours we stopped at the Safari Kitchen for lunch. They have the best burgers! Not to mention some brightly colored neighbors.

    Dylan was so excited about staying in a hotel (it’s the little things you know) that we decided to drive over to the hotel and check-in, give our feet a rest, and maybe hit Sea World for some night time fireworks!

    But that’s for another post …

  • Just Another Day at the Zoo

    When I asked Dylan what he wanted to do he excitedly said, San Diego Zoo! Life has been so crazy with work and school that we haven’t had time to visit the animals he loves so much. So it was up early and off to San Diego for the day.

    Dylan has been going to the San Diego Zoo since he was only 9 months old and he can tell you every nook and cranny of this place. If you get lost, he will tell you where to go. If you have a question about an animal, he will give you the answer.

    After walking through the entrance it was business as usual … first stop, the Reptile House. We have seen this Komodo Dragon at least 25 times, but he begged me to take a picture because it was “close up” and the Galapagos Turtles were just too cute. Mommy and baby … but that baby was HUGE!

    Next, he wanted to see the Polar Bears. Now, for those of you who have been to the San Diego Zoo, you know what a hike it is to get to those darn animals … and if you are lucky, you will actually get to see them doing something other than sleeping. I have been begging Dylan to ride the Skyfari for years now and he keeps saying he is afraid because it is so high. Well, this time he decided to take a chance. Maybe it was the bribery that he would have to walk all the way up there, or maybe the thought of getting off right at the Polar Bear exhibit. Whatever it was, I was just happy I didn’t have to walk there!

    Guess what? He loved it!

    …and the Polar Bear wasn’t sleeping!

    Ok, so Dylan is almost 8 years old … but when you are at the San Diego Zoo it is tradition to climb on every statue and take a picture. The life-size book about how the Polar Bears came to live at the zoo was pretty cool too and Dylan stood there turning the pages and reading every word.

    Now it was time to make our way down through the other exhibits. So many animals to see and so little time. Well, we had all day … it was really a matter of how long our feet could walk.

    There is a rock next to the River Otter exhibit that Dylan has been climbing on since he was 2 years old and he always insists on taking a picture here. He climbs up and strikes a pose. Such a goofball! One of these days I should line up all the pictures to see how much he has grown, but if I do that I will realize my little boy is growing up too fast!

    Mommy and Baby Hippo

    Yes, that orange blur is a Tiger!

    They had just fed the Lions and now they are resting.

    Today was an amazing day. I got to spend real quality time with Dylan with no agenda, no place to be, and tons of laughs. I watched him run and play, absorb more information about animals (if that’s even possible), and best of all … I got to hold his hand. It has been so long since Dylan has even wanted to hold my hand when I try to take his hand in mine. But today, today Dylan kept reaching for my hand. Best feeling ever!

    My little chunky monkey is all grown up. Now he plays with the big boys. However, he will still hold my hand, at least for a little while.

  • Scout-O-Rama

    For those of you who purchased a coupon booklet from Dylan, Thank You! He sold enough to attend Scout-O-Rama 2011 and we had the most amazing time. Scout-O-Rama is basically the annual trade show for scouting. Hundreds of booths to see with crafts, games, activities, cooking, and so much more… all run by the boys themselves. Many of the older boys (Boy Scouts) are required to run a booth and teach something to the younger boys (Cub Scouts) to earn merit badges. This year, Scout-O-Rama was held at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado. Beautiful day in the wilderness. Dylan had a blast and earned three more belt loops in the process!

    Just one of the many bridges Dylan walked across …

     Shooting with Grandpa … a guy thing!

    Cool bridge built by the Scout from Saigon!

    He amazed me at his accuracy.

    Dylan earned his Geography Belt Loop at this booth …

    They had the coolest obstacle course, military style, but Dylan did the course so fast that I couldn’t get pictures. You should have seen how fast his little legs went through those tires!

    Dylan did 10 push-ups, no problem!

    And what would a scouting event be without some sort of cart racing?

    Not the finish line, but the ice chests did stop him!

    Last but not least … a watermelon eating contest!

    The perfect way to spend a Saturday with my Wolf Cub.


  • Mom Is Done!

    After 2 1/2 long years of studying, writing papers, sleepless nights, countless pots of coffee, and hard work I have finished college. Although the announcements came a week ago and I turned in my final paper last Saturday, it just didn’t seem real to me until the knock on my door at 7:00 pm tonight. Who could it be? Ah, the FedEx man with a package. As I tore open the box with excitement I found myself suddenly in shock. Is this really mine? Did I really do this?

    Yes, Yes I did! I had a goal and I finished it. In exactly one month I will proudly wear this cap, gown, and stole in a commencement ceremony where I will be awarded my Bachelor of Science in Psychology. As with most things I do, I could not have completed this without the love and support of my family and friends. All the times I wanted to quit and all the times I questioned myself as to why I was doing this, these people supported me and encouraged me to keep going.

    Thinking back, I gave up many things (mostly a life outside of work and school), but nobody gave up more than Dylan. This small boy who was only in kindergarten when I started gave up so much of himself so that I could do my homework. I feel like I missed out on so much quality time with him, but I know that making up for that lost time will be so much fun!

  • Spring Break in Monterey

    This year we decided to not only get away for Spring Break, but to take our first road trip together. It was better than I thought, considering the furthest Dylan has driven is San Diego (2 hours), and this was going to be a 6-7 hour drive. The Are we there yet? didn’t start until Santa Barbara, and then it was How much longer? about every 40 minutes. I tried to get him to enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery, but it didn’t last too long.

    At last, he sleeps and the drive is peaceful.
    It’s just not a road trip without a stop at McDonald’s!
    Dylan’s picture from the road. (only 1 hour to go)

    We arrived in Monterey about 4 pm and I immediately felt relaxed. Something about hotels and being away from home, not to mention the fresh coastal air, was just what we both needed. Our agenda included The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, and anything else we saw along the way to our destinations.

    The aquarium was amazing and we spent almost all day there. Took over 150 pictures! Definitely worth the drive to see this place.

    Dylan even got a little education on Steinbeck with some historical landmarks…

    And in true Dylan style had a little impromptu photo shoot …

    A little stroll through the Cannery for some lunch.

    Lunch at Bubba Gumps

    A Kid in a Candy Store … Classic!

    Day 2 – The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History (like he needs any more animal/nature facts to add to his ever-growing encyclopedia of a brain)

    Who cares if it’s only 60 degrees outside … we’re going in the water! Well, Dylan went in the water. For about 2 minutes and then he decided his feet were freezing so we put our shoes back on and went for walk along the rocks to see marinelife up close. We spent almost 2 hours here along the shore in Pacific Grove.

    Just a few of the seals we saw

    Come on Mom, let’s go!

    The kelp beds from above

    This sign was great … Tsunami in California?

     After a long day of sight-seeing, we decided to have an early dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf. Dylan love the fact that seals were right outside the window of the restaurant. he thoroughly enjoyed his calamari and pasta!

     We had an amazing time together and will always treasure the bond that we share.

  • Dylan’s Perfect Day

    Take a child who loves LEGO’s more than video games and who eats and sleeps Star Wars … put the two together and you have one very happy boy named Dylan.

    Imagine his delight when I told him that Mom wasn’t doing any homework today, that instead we were renewing our annual passes and spending the day at Legoland. Wow, I do believe I just became the World’s Best Mom! Dylan has been seeing commercials for months about the Star Wars Mini Land coming soon to Legoland and he has been begging to go see it. What an amazing day. Words can’t even describe the things we saw today. From the spectacular sandcastle we saw as we entered the park, to the LEGO murals, to the life size Star Wars characters, and of course the amazing LEGO creations made by the Master Builders depicting scenes from the Star Wars movies … WOW, what a day!

    Yes, these murals are made from LEGO’s!
     

    The LEGO’s were even in the trees!

    Like I said, words can’t even describe…
    And what would a trip to Legoland be without a casual drive through the city? Learning all the rules of the road so he can get his drivers license.

    Last but not least … a priceless portrait of my Jedi!

    And that was Dylan’s Perfect Day!