Stellar Day

A day of more "firsts." First swim lesson. Daniil literally dove right in and cried when the lesson was over. I suspect this is often the scene in the kiddie pool at the YMCA. Tell me, what three year old, in his or her right mind, would want to get out of a warm-like-a-bathtub pool where you can kick and splash to your heart's content and get Mama or Papa all wet in the process?

First acquaintance with a real goat, real rooster, sheep, pigs and turkeys at the Long Pasture Audubon Sanctuary in Barnstable. The pigs chased each other round and round, like dogs. I never realized pigs had such gumption and get-up-and-go. Daniil and I read about farm animals night after night, identifying them and mimicking their voices and sounds: "Baa... Maa... Moo... Oink... Woof... Quack..." I've been wondering, really, how relevant is all of this in a day and age when most of these animals are crammed into corporate slaughterhouses, not grazing on green pastures? Obviously, I'm not going to have this cynical and depressing conversation with Daniil anytime soon, but I do find it bittersweet to sing about "Old MacDonald."

First playdates, two in one day! The children in today's first playdate were inclusive, fun-loving and kind, but later in the afternoon, one of the boys exhibited a mean streak and was quick to lay blame on his younger brother or on Daniil. Perhaps he was simply "having a day," as we all do, so I want to be wary of passing quick judgment. I certainly wouldn't want someone to write Daniil off, or me, after a single interaction. Time will tell, as it always does. But if meanness or cruelty persist, I certainly won't be shy about exercising social discretion on my little boy's behalf.

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How I wish I could make this my full-time job. 5 weeks to go until I return to work. Every day's precious, not a moment to waste. Next week we add yoga and art classes to the mix, along with gymnastics and music and pre-school on Mondays and Thursdays. One big part of my parenting job, as I see it, is to expose my boy to the world. To supply him with a multitude of experiences--in the arts, in nature, in the country and the city, with people from diverse backgrounds--so that he feels well-versed and "at home" every and anywhere. I also see my job, as Lisa Belkin wrote in a recent New York Times article, as making myself unnecessary. Already, I strive to give my three-year-old as much independence as he can handle. For instance, although it would be much quicker if I lent a hand, I try not to put on or take off Daniil's clothes when he is fully capable. I don't cut his pancake, when he can easily get his knife through soft substances. I don't succumb to his pleas and carry his pail and shovel to the beach when he has two strong and capable arms of his own.