Fact Checking

I just got the following email from Ben regarding my posts of earlier today (thanks for checking the facts, baby!):

The "Passat" is actually a Jetta.

The bug sucker does actually have a vacuum motor that sucks bugs!

Not a big deal, but humorous!

Love you,

Ben

Not Allowed to Share

Dexter is very good at sharing but he knew that he could not share his donut with My Bologna (despite My Bologna's intense interest in it). "I'm sorry, My Bologna. Donuts aren't good for dogs."

It was a close call when Dexy turned to smile at Mama!

Sure Sign of Spring

First popsicle of the season!

Satisfying!

Long Bread and Hot Bread

When we asked Dexter where he wanted to go for lunch yesterday while the car was in the shop, he said, "I want to go to where they have long bread and hot bread but I can't remember the name."  I said, "Is it the place that also has crunchy bread (croutons)?" "Yes!" Exclaimed Dexter. "Is it the place where you eat a ton of minestrone soup?" "Yes!" Exclaimed Dexy.  "Is it Olive Garden?"  "Yes!  Olive Garden!" 

Mini-Mechanic

We've had to take the Passat into CarX two times within the past week (and spent $1,200 on repairs). The upshot is that Dexy gets to watch the mechanics work. He never gets tired of it!

Digging for Bugs

One day after school last week, Dexter went to the park with a couple of school friends, one of whom had a "Bug Sucker" - a long tube with a bulb at one end that creates suction for pulling bugs up out of the earth. Without a Bug Sucker of his own (or as he describes it, a "vacuum for bugs"), he used a stick to create holes in the earth and search for bugs. 

Ever since, Dexy has gone digging for bugs in our yard every chance he gets and has covered a surprisingly vast territory! As my mother noted, at least he's aerating the ground which will help the grass grow.

He has yet to find a bug so I'm not sure how we'll handle it when he does.

Flip Flop Flop

Elissa was kind enough to take Dexy with her and Ian to Ian's swimming lesson while I had a research lab meeting yesterday afternoon (again, I thank God that I have Elissa in my life!).  When we met up for dinner afterwards, Elissa couldn't contain her giggles as she told me about Dexter's experience with flip flops (apparently necessary attire at the pool). At first, Dexy didn't want to take his socks off so she was jamming his sock between his first and second toes to get the flip flop on.  Then he decided that he would do it without socks and Ian helped him get them on (pictured). But the funniest part was how Dexter walked (or waddled) in them.  Elissa said he looked ridiculous trying to get the hang of flipping and flopping (Dexter later told me that the flip flops made him "walk like a penguin"). She said that he had to go potty while they were at the pool so he had to walk a lot (to the bathroom and back) in the flip flops - she could barely keep it together it was so funny looking.  Dexy even went up to the lifeguard to let him know that the flip flops made him "waddle". Looks like we're going to have to get in some flip flop practice this summer!

Batman and My Bologna

We had a ton of rain last week.  Our basement got water and poor My Bologna spent one whole night awake and shaking because of the storms. 

But it also got really warm so Dexter was able to wear his Batman raincoat that Grandmama and Grampy got him a few years ago (it finally fits!) and explore the yard with My Bologna.

Balloon Dog on a Balloon Leash

We ran into a man making balloon animals outside of a restaurant last weekend.  For a "donation" of two dollars, he would make a balloon weapon or animal.  Dexter wanted a dog.  He let Dexy pick out the balloon colors and made him a balloon dog on a balloon leash. 

Dexy loved it - he named him Lolly and proceeded to "walk" him to the car...

...and in the backyard when we got home.  It was $2 well spent!

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is another of the "Big Five" personality traits that I've been learning about.  While I'm skeptical about the impact of each of these individual traits on life outcomes (I tend to think it's more about the combination of them and how we enact those combinations in our social worlds), there is some decent research showing that those who are high in conscientiousness have better life outcomes in work, health, and relationships. Dexy does seem to employ context-specific conscientiousness - when faced with a task, say a new type of puzzle on a kid's menu, he is very thoughtful, inquisitive, and planful.  In this way, he is very much like his Mom and Dad!

Those Curls!

Dexter can't leave the house without some stranger commenting on how beautiful he is.  Most people comment on his "beautiful hair" or "those curls". I keep suggesting we trim it but Dexy doesn't want to (with this kind of reaction from the world, who would?!).

Extroversion

Last weekend, Ben took Dex to the nearby park. There were a bunch of other kids there and Dexter immediately went up to one and asked if he wanted to play tag. The kid agreed but thought Dexy wanted to play hide and seek. They got it straightened out and played tag together. Dexy didn't stop at one kid, though. He approached many kids to engage in different activities with him.

It's nice to know that Dexter is more extroverted than either of his parents! I just did an extroversion battery in my adult development class and my score was more than one standard deviation below average for extroversion (I have to say, the test seemed very dated so I'm not convinced of its validity). God only knows how Ben would score on it!

Grandfather Genes

When focused on a task, Dexter exhibits Gunker's "tongue out when thinking" and...

Grampy's "hair twirling when thinking".  Must be in the DNA!

Eat Your Heart Out, Mike Brady!

Mike Brady has nothing on Dexter when it comes to designing modern structures - Dexy came up with this house with a windmill on top design (how very "green" of him!).  Dexy was quick to point out that he put a dog in the house (no people - maybe it's a doghouse?).

Punching Hugging Bag

Aware that Dexter is taking Tae Kwon Do, Aunt Steph and Uncle Randy sent Dexy a punching bag for Easter.  We set it up in his room and taught him how to aim punches. 







It wasn't long before he was also tackling it to give it "hugs".

Representing

One of Ben's guitar students was playing trombone in a high-school jazz ensemble at Fitzgerald's on Sunday.  Since it wasn't far from our house and because it started at 5:30pm, we decided to try to get Dexter into the show.  Before we went in, we explained to Dexy that this was a special "grown-up" event and that he would have to be on his best behavior.  And sure enough, he was!  He was between 60 and 80 years younger than about 80% of the crowd (and it was a pretty big crowd) but he behaved beautifully, watching the band and giving good claps for solos and at the end of each piece.  The show lasted less than an hour so we took Dexter out to a nice restaurant nearby afterwards where he continued representing his four year-old kind wonderfully - we got compliments from a women at the next table on his manners and good behavior. 

More than Just Fountains and Fish

After exhausting the fountain area, Dexter enjoyed exploring the rest of the store.  We spent a long time looking at the miniature fairy gardens, chimes, mailboxes, birdhouses, and toilets. 

Dexter also was excited to go upstairs and sit in a variety of patio seating.

Fountain Fanatic

We took a drive out to a fancy western suburb for a cheap burger lunch but we also stopped at an expensive home and garden store.  It's too pricey for us to buy anything but I like going there to look around.  Dexy resisted at first but when I mentioned that this was the place with the fountains and fish, he changed his tune. 

Dexy took off running, excitedly pointing out fountains to us, explaining how they work ("the water goes down here and then into here and then the pump pumps it back up to the top again").

Even when we looked at the fish for fancy garden ponds, Dexy was focused on how the hoses and pumps moved the water.

Turtle Sandbox Opening Day

Despite yesterday's perfect weather for opening the turtle sandbox (and Dexy's strong desire to play in it), we had so many activities that we didn't have time. So we promised Dexter that we would do it tomorrow. Turns out the weather wasn't quite as amenable today to the turtle sandbox as yesterday but we proceeded with the grand opening nonetheless. Dexy wore his winter coat, hat, and socks.

Daddy "Watching" Dexter

I had followed Dexter to another nearby playground where he played for a full five minutes before Ben started looking around for him.  Over here, behind you, Daddy!

Spring Fever

We hit "almost 60 degrees" yesterday - very sunny skies and crocus and tulips and daffodils starting to poke through the thawing earth. After the play, we took Dexter to the park near school. Ben and I were impressed when Dexy went over to a teenager on the swing and asked if she would please get off so he could swing.  She obliged (how could she not!).

Dexy had a blast on the swings and slides,

making friends (mostly girls),








and feeling the thrill of the huge slide.  He always looked pretty worried while going down but had a huge grin on his face when he made it to the bottom and insisted on running back up to do it again and again.

No Pictures Allowed

While we weren't able to get any pictures during the performance of Chicken Little (which was wonderful - Dexy was completely enthralled, clapped along to songs, and laughed his head off when Chicken Little came running down our row of seats as she was trying to escape from Foxy Loxy), I was able to get some shots of Dexy in the theater before the performance began.

Dexy was very entertained (and slightly freaked out) by the theater seats that folded up and down. Eventually, Daddy had to put his leg over it so Dexy could concentrate on the action on stage.

Where is Dexy?

Not Flat Hood School Bus

It turns out the our school bus was not a flat hood school bus (although Dexter pointed out that the one parked behind us in the theater's parking lot, was).  This didn't dampen Dexter's school bus riding excitement.

The three of us (Dexy, Daddy, and me) packed ourselves into one seat (Dexy on Daddy's lap, half of my behind hanging into the aisle) for the drive there.

Coming home, it was a different story.  Dexy got into the last seat on the bus with Daddy and I got the single seat across the aisle. Three other boys from Dexy's class were in the two seats in front of us: acting up, switching seats, taunting Dexy. 




The mothers of these boys were right there, ignoring their sons as they climbed all over each other, stood up in the seats, poked and slapped at each other, spat at each other (yes, spat!), and called each other names.  The mom's were having a lovely conversation with each other about the new Costco coming to town and where to go for lunch, oblivious to their kids' poor behavior (or safety).  At one point Dexter asked one of them to stop reaching back over the seat to grab his hair and I finally firmly told the boy to sit down in his seat (prompting his mother to finally chime in). At another point, Ben told another one of them to stop poking Dexter and the kid got all upset (prompting his mother to finally chime in). I was so proud of Dexter. He wanted to stand on his seat too but complied when Ben or I told him to sit down. And he didn't act aggressively towards the other kids (who were being aggressive) but was definitely assertive telling them to stop. Ben and I told Dexter how proud we were of how he handled himself. I know boys will be boys but I was horrified at both the boys' behavior and the mothers' behavior.

Teacher's Helper

Dexter was very excited about his field trip for school yesterday.  The class (and parents) were taking a bus ride to a theater to see a production of Chicken Little. Dexy seemed most excited about the bus ride. The night before, he told me that he thought it would be a "flat hood" school bus (where the hood goes straight down from the windshield).  When we got to school in the morning, there was no bus waiting for us.

Dexter asked Ms. Lois where the bus was and she asked him if he would help her out by looking out for it. He readily took on the assignment (and told her that he thought it would be a flat hood school bus - she had no idea what he was talking about even when she figured out the words he was saying).



Dexy kept an eye out for that bus and alerted Ms. Lois (and everyone else) when it finally arrived. "The bus is here! The bus is here!"

Permission to Test

Dexy has gotten three "power clips" and three "tiger stripes" (pieces of black electrical tape) on his white belt in Tae Kwon Do indicating that he is mastering some skills. Dexter got "permission to test" for his orange belt from his instructor yesterday. Overall, he's doing really great. He still needs to work on his focus - no kidding! - but she thinks he'd pass to orange belt if he tested this weekend. Dexter doesn't seem to care about progressing in a formal way so Ben and I decided that we'll wait until the orange belt is more meaningful to Dexy before having him test.

Being Boys

Some hearty, good-natured rough-housing.

Equilibrium

For the first time ever, Dexter got to use his see-saw with someone his own size. Dexy and Ian both loved it!

 Up and down, up and down, up and down.

Equilibrium achieved!

On the Hunt (Again)

Ian and Dexy really enjoyed the backyard Easter egg hunt. We supplemented our abundant supply of decorated eggs with plastic eggs filled with treats so there was plenty of seeking and finding to do and they did it with enthusiasm!

"I see one!"

"I see one, too!"








Assessing the loot.