*I drink way too much coffee. But I doubt I'll cut back anytime soon.
*Gray just may gain some much needed confidence in himself. Most kids are both tying their shoes and riding a bike by age 4 or 5. But Gray, at age 7, was doing neither. The shoe-tying thing was greatly our fault, as we have always allowed the kids to pick out their own shoes. Until last month, Gray's always chosen ones with velcro closures. And it wasn't until last week that we told him that he had to start wearing his new shoes instead of the old, totally-falling-apart ones. Problem being, of course, he didn't know how to tie them on his own. The bike riding thing, well, he just hadn't wanted it bad enough to ever put in any effort. He is waaaay too big of a perfectionist for his own good.
Anyway, on Saturday, he decided he was going to learn to tie his shoes and to ride his bike. And I'll be damned if he didn't do it! We, of course, were very proud of him. But the pride he had in himself was just absolutely priceless!
*Fall is definitely getting the upper hand on summer. And I'm loving it.
*Those Dolphins really tried to give me hope in a better season this year, but ultimately failed. Thankfully, Penn State's keeping a smile on my face.
18 comments:
I drink far too much coffee too :/ And I also don't see it changing anytime soon.
yay Gray! He does look proud of himself, and with good reason :)
Want to hear something ridiculous? I still don't know how to ride a bike :P My boyfriend tried to teach me a few times, but it did no good. But one day, when we have unlimited time, I WILL learn!
I think 6-8 is more common for shoe tying, making Gray perfectly normal. I know by the end of grade one, half of Jack's class still couldn't tie shoes. Yah velcro!
Bike thing? same for Jack, but I think he was 8 before he got the two wheeler down, and my niece is 9 and still struggling. (You didn't say hold on to the brake! wah!) And yet Jack is very coordinated in other sports.
I completely agree that weekends during school go by waaay too fast. Enjoy the week, only 4 more, well 3, Friday hardly counts, days til the weekend.
Nymeth,
Well, if that's ridiculous, it's probably also ridiculous that I can't swim, huh? Bet hey, we can both read...and what could be more important than that, huh?
Raidergirl3,
Thanks, that will make Gray feel better to hear. Of course, at this point, I think he already feels better.
I like your thinking...only 3 to go!
Weekend's do go a lot more quickly! I used to drink far too much coffee; then it started randomly giving me headaches a couple years ago and I had to quit cold turkey-no cafe mochas, no nothing. :( Now I usually just drink one HUGE (i.e.: could possible join the navy's fleet) mug of black tea in the mornings. But today, I didn't get good sleep, so I've been drinking tea at regular intervals to stay away for my later classes. I'm on my fourth teabag. hehe
I would drink more coffee if it didn't keep me up at night! I love coffee!
Tim just learned to tie shoes a couple of weeks ago...luckily it was right before he was 10! (Oh the shame I have not trying sooner!) He still has NO INTEREST in riding a bike. He's had a brand new one sitting in the shed for two (or is it three) years! My boy is not a risk taker at all!!!
YAY for Gray!!!!!! I'm sure he is very proud of his accomplishments!
take care,
Dawn
Good for Gray!!
I told my husband last night that it is HIS responsibility to teach Jacob how to tie his shoes and that he'd better do it soon!
Eva,
Oooh, I love tea, too. I generally switch to drinking more hot tea during the winter and more hot coffee during the summer. Not sure why.
Dawn,
"My boy is not a risk taker at all!!!"...I think Tim and Gray would get along famously!!!
Melissa,
Now that was brilliant! Think it will work?
Yay for him! Wish fall would get the upper hand here, it was in the 90's here today...but once in a while, the early morning feels like it's trying oh so hard to be a smidge cool!
Yay to Gray!!
I haven't taught my daughter to tie her shoelaces; she loves her velcros! On some days when she's grouchy, she doesn't even want to wear her shoes on her own!
My caffeine of choice is Diet Pepsi and I drink WAY too much!! Oh well....I have one vice and it's going to have to stay for awhile!
Yeah for Gray! That's a big accomplishment (actually two) for him! He deserves to be proud.
Sorry about the Dophins. No offense but I really wanted to see Favre do well. Just to shove it those stupid Packers. But YEAH Bears!
You can never have too much coffee :) And the Dolphins have a long season ahead, I think they're going to get better. I also think Atlanta is going to really come roaring back this year.
Hooray for Gray!! I LOVE those pictures, especially the second one. As one who also sticks her tongue out the side of her mouth when she's really concentrating, I think that one is just the BEST picture evah!
Super cool for Gray!!! He'll have a ball being a bike rider. I cannot imagine my own childhood without the adventures that can be had on a good bike. Congrats!!!
I don't find that all that odd that he didn't know how to tie shoes. The velcro fad hasn't died at all..I just saw a commercial the other day for shoes that said something to the effect of 'you'll never have to tie your shoes again'.
Yay! Congrats to Gray--he looks like he is doing a fabulous job of riding that bike! I haven't been on a bike (except the stationary at the gym!) in about 13 years. Not even sure I would remember how (I guess they say...)
I drink too much coffee as well and am finding my back molars are starting to stain. I need to quit drinking so much but I have a tough time perking up in the morning without it!
I think Gray is the smart one here - if you wait to learn how to tie your shoes and ride a bike you can learn it all in one day. Most kids spend weeks learning - why waste that kind of time?!?!
There is a 24 week training program for the walk so I will start that in January or February. That program says you should be able to easily walk 6 miles before you start, so that is my goal. Right now I am doing about 2 miles a day until I do 15 minute miles (right now I am at about 20 minute miles with the dog and the stroller and a little faster without!) and then I will go to 3 miles and work my way up. Then I figure I will stick around 6 miles or so at 15 minute miles...
And if you are going to go through all the training, maybe you ought to come walk with us!
Do you know I drank too much coffee too, but something strange happened. A few months back, I became really sick. Brewed coffee made me so ill. When I began the road to recovery, the thought of brewed still made my stomach queasy. I started drinking tea. That lasted for like a month. I have gone back to drinking one cup and it's instant. Brewed turns my stomach.
I went from drinking a pot of coffee to one cup. Too strange.
Coffee is a GOOD thing! YUM!
Look at him - so big! CJ was 6 or 7 before he was riding his bike. I don't remember on the shoe tying. But he did most everything late - in his own good time. I think that might be just part of being a boy. I've learned to accept it with him - not to push him - because when he's ready, it's like a switch flips and he's doing it overnight! (Potty training and swimming were very late with him too.)
Gail,
90s...ewww! We've actually had a couple scattered nights down in the 40s, but the days in general have been wonderful lately, in the low 70s.
Melody,
Velcro really is a wonderful thing, isn't it? :)
Stephanie,
Yeah, I actually wanted to see Favre do well too, but do well while still losing the game. ;)
Stacy,
Oh, I love that you do "the tongue thing"! Gray actually doesn't do it nearly as much as Max does. Max does it when he's deeply involved in just about anything. It always makes us smile, because it was something Rich's dad always did. Kind of reminds us that he lives on in many ways, if you know what I mean.
Carl,
I think Gray's already learning what he's been missing out on by not being able to ride a bike. He's having a ball, I tell you! Now, if only Max would learn too, we could head out on family bike rides!
Trish,
The funny thing about me and coffee is that I don't think it ever gives me that "perked up" feeling. I can drink a pot full and still fall right asleep at night. For me, I think it's purely habit. And of course, avoidance of the dreaded lack-of-caffeine headache.
Kara,
"I think Gray is the smart one here - if you wait to learn how to tie your shoes and ride a bike you can learn it all in one day. Most kids spend weeks learning - why waste that kind of time?!?!"...this totally cracked me up! Wonder if that his plan all along. HA!
Sounds like you're off to a good start with your training. I'd say a twenty minute mile with dog and stroller in tow is pretty good. Lord, making a 30-minute mile with Baker would be a miracle, as he has to sniff everything in his path. I always enjoyed walking with the stroller. It was when they started walking and never wanted to be in the stroller that walks got reeeeaaaalllly time consuming!
J.Kaye,
That is odd! But in the end, maybe not such a bad thing, huh?
Jennifer,
I really think there's A LOT to be said for letting kids do things at their own pace. Had we forced the issue of Gray learning to ride his bike when he was five or six, he would have just been miserable. And I think that's true for so many things...there's such a huge range of so-called "normal" but unfortunately kids end up feeling bad about themselves when they happen to be on the slower side of something.
Yay for Gray! Eli didn't learn to ride his bike until he was probably 8. I'm not sure when he finally learned to tie his shoes, but I doubt he was any younger than Gray. We had the velcro problem, too!
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