Ty's Adventures

Ty ran his first 5k!!

2009-08-05T06:36:43Z

Ty and I ran his first 5k at the OC Fair.

He was so proud to be decked out in his running gear, and his first little D-tag on his shoe...

The kid is fast and he's got endurance... I actually had to tell him to stop and walk a few times because I was worried about him overheating... He got loads of attention from the other runners on the course... Because he was so small and so damned cute!!

He finished like a freaking rockstar... I was so proud. Right after this pic was snapped, I screamed a little, picked him up and swung him around...

He finished in 38:57. Faster than my first 5k. And he got a pretty cool medal to show for it...

The second and last race of the series is on Sunday, 8/9. His goal is to do better than he did last time. My goal is to try to keep up with him and let him run the whole thing if he wants to... I'm betting my 7-year-old will lead me to a 5k PR on Sunday.

I <3 NY

2009-05-03T20:57:20Z

Ty loves his "I heart NY" shirt. A dear friend gave it to him last year. She's from New York. I've told him that we will probably go visit her when he's about 10 or 12.

"I want to go to New York, but I don't want to go in the Cash Cab."

It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud.

He's maturing... The other night on the phone, he asked about a friend in the hospital, and then told me to "drive safely home, Momma..."

Last night, I told him I wanted to go to CPK for dinner and he said, "No thank you... That's expensive." I told him to let me worry about that, and it was okay. And we went out and had a lovely meal together... I was impressed at how well he did on the Sudoku on the kids menu!

Upchuck.

2009-04-21T03:51:31Z

The other night, Ty was asking what another word for "vomit" was... So, Mark and I traded phrases... From "upchuck" to "bowing to the porcelain god"... Ty's favorite was "tossing your cookies"... But he didn't quite get it... He likes to say that someone is "tossing THE cookies". Which just cracks me up every time.

Fit to be tied....

2009-03-24T04:28:28Z

Thanks to the invention of velcro, Ty went 6 2/3 years before learning to tie his shoes.

Yes, today was his 6 2/3 birthday, and last night we made brownies in anticipation of the celebration. Yes, his dorky math teacher mama will celebrate any "birthday" that can be reduced as a fraction...

Ty came home with duct tape on his shoe the other day. Somehow it had ripped itself apart and the only shoes he had left that fit were the boots he wears out to the desert.

Boots that tie.

This morning I tied them for him (as Mark did all weekend, I'm sure) and when I picked him up, he told me that his teacher had told him he needed to work on tying his shoes. Don't I know it... *sigh*

I can't believe I have a first grader who knows all the states and capitals, but doesn't know how to tie his shoes.

So, we sat down on the floor and practiced.

And twenty minutes later, the kid was elated to be able to say "I did it all by myself!" He was laughing and so proud of himself... It was a beautiful thing to see him so happy and proud. After calling Mark to tell him all about his accomplishment, he happily strutted to his room to put away his shoes, shouting "I'm so proud of myself!"

I nearly cried.

We're reading "Ramona the Pest" before bed. And when we finished tonight's chapter, he picked up the book and said, "I want to sneak a peek at the next chapter..." And sat there, quietly, reading to himself. I'm so proud!

Then Ty sadly told me that he should be on his "Plus 9s", but still hasn't gotten credit for his "Plus 7s" yet. I told him that perhaps he went too fast and had made a mistake? He insists that that's not possible. "Because I have a calendar in my head so I know my Plus 7s." And I totally believe him. Don't mess with Ty when he's talking calendars. LOL.

The kid loves broccoli. Raw. No dressing.

Weirdo.

*giggle*

Fra-Jee-Lay.

2009-03-17T19:28:44Z

Ty received a very prestigious award this morning...

We're beyond proud of him!

Cutting Teeth.

2009-02-11T05:37:54Z

I remember when Ty cut his first tooth...

My cousin, Jen, was watching him (it must have been a Wednesday) for the first time... I came home and she told me that he was so cute with his new little tooth...

And I stared at her... Saying, "Ty doesn't have a tooth!"

And she said, "Sure he does, stick your finger in his mouth!" Which I did. And found the tooth.

Hours later, I would realize I had cut a tooth as well... My first wisdom tooth (and only!)... Which would later be extracted... In the first surgery I was every knocked out for...

When I saw Ty on Friday, I was thrilled to realize he is finally growing teeth in the front... (I love his little lisp!)

Tonight, I had him to myself for dinner... He told me that the inside of his mouth hurt, and he kept trying to show me the inside of his left cheek, asking if it's "white"... It took me several minutes to realize it wasn't his cheek that was bothering him... It was his gum... Because he's got a 6-year-old molar coming in... Of course it hurts! Poor Bubba... And the one on the right side is poking at the gum, too. That one doesn't hurt him yet.

Of course, I told him that it was a molar that would fall out when he's twelve. But I was wrong(thanks, Internet!)... I'll have to tell him the truth in the morning...

I love that I was the one to figure it out this time.

:)

Ty finally lost his second tooth!!!!

2009-01-20T03:49:27Z

He made ME pull it out. Silly Bubba.

Juan vs. Joann.

2009-01-06T01:13:41Z

The kidlet was doing his math homework. I asked him to read the problem aloud and then he would have to write the number sentence...

T: Joann has 7 robots.

Me (interrupting): That's Juan, actually.

T: Oh, that's right. Juan. Because Joann wouldn't like robots.

Riiight.

Ty lost his first tooth!

2008-11-26T05:31:32Z

On Death and Dying.

2008-10-27T02:15:53Z

Maybe getting the fish wasn't the best idea.

When Ty didn't win a goldfish at the Fair, his grandmother took him to the pet store and let him pick out a goldfish. He named her Leah and he loved her. A couple of weeks later, we went out of town, and the same grandmother pet-sat for us... And we came home to TWO goldfish... "Well, Leah looked lonely swimming around in there by herself!" He named the new fish Tiara.

A couple of weeks later, Tiara died. We had a little funeral for her as we flushed her, ceremoniously, down the toilet.

A few days after that, Leah was floating... Again, we had a small funeral in Ty's bathroom...

Several weeks went by and Ty's dad took him to the pet store to get some new fish... Three this time. They were smaller than the first ones... He named them Leah, Tiara, and Lauren. Again, Tiara was the first to float...

Today, I took Ty to the pumpkin patch with some dear friends of ours...

On our way there, I got a text from a friend that her dad was dying. Possibly today. In Ty's presence, I called her and we cried together.

Ty asked me why I was crying, and I explained that my friend's dad is dying.

And as we walked around, Ty asked me the question that had probably been burning in his mind for months...

"Mommy, when a person dies, if you kept it, would it stink?"

"Yes, baby, it would."

"So, do we flush people down the toilet when they die?"

Um, no.

So, I explained the options for what happens to the body when a person dies.

Which we then proceeded to talk about for the rest of the day. In fact, as I'm typing this, Ty is back on the subject with his dad. LOL!

He wants to be buried because he doesn't want to "cook in the oven". "Even though it costs more." And he really wants M to figure out what he wants to happen when he dies. And while M hasn't made that decision, Ty really, really wants him to decide. Like, now.

I have a feeling this will be a recurring theme in the upcoming weeks.

In other news, we pulled out the Fall decorations. Ty really loved putting stuff out, especially the scarecrow he made in kindergarten.

He's in first grade now...

2008-10-01T03:15:55Z

And I have pictures. I will post some later...

But I did want to make sure to share a few of the choice things he's come up with lately...

Tonight, when he took a bath, he got some shampoo in his eye. It wasn't the "tears-free" shampoo. And he dubbed it "tear-able" when it got in his eye.

And this gem... We were driving to Target and he piped up from the back seat, "Mommy, I'm glad I'm not a girl." I waited. "Because when I grow up, a baby won't burst from my vagina."

And he's a poet... "I was holding a heart when I farted in the cart." So proud.

Nearly 6...

2008-07-23T03:56:06Z

Ty will be 6 tomorrow...

Earlier today, he said, "I'm really excited to be turning six. But I'm a little bit sad that I won't be five anymore..."

I totally get what he means.

My Little Cancer-Curer...

2008-05-18T19:39:10Z

Ty has pretty much been able to recognize the Team in Training Logo since he was about 2 1/2. He will only run a race (or come to one of mine!) decked out in his TNT tee-shirt and his Nike running shorts. Too cute.

Yesterday kicked off my 5th season with Team in Training. And I brought Ty to kickoff for the first time.

He was a little champ. He shook hands with my pals and introduced himself like a big boy. And when we stood up for the "finish line cheer", I pretty much started bawling to watch him do it.

I loved sharing this with him....

And he is really getting rather attached to my dear friend, Rachel...

He especially liked that she gave him a water bottle...

And here we are, starting another season of curing some cancer... Wanna help??? Click here!

My Mom is Special - By Tyler

2008-05-11T22:21:01Z

My Mom is special because... she cooks yummy food.

I like it when my Mom... bakes cookies for me.

My Mom can do many things! I think she's best at... giving me stuff.

My Mom has a pretty smile! I like to make her smile by... giving her a present.

My mom is smart! She even knows... how to spell big word.

Signed... Tyler Date... 5-11-08

No way he's not my kid!

2008-05-06T22:34:54Z

This morning as I filled my travel mug, Ty came up with the following gem:

If there was no coffee in the world, there would be no such thing as waking up.

It was a proud moment.

The Olden Days

2008-05-03T22:42:29Z

At lunch today, Ty announced, "I know when the olden days were..."

Intrigued, we asked, "When were the olden days?"

"Well, back in the 19s or something."

Whoa.

Later, Ty wanted me to wear a sparkly plastic necklace. And I coughed as he pulled it around my neck to attach it. Moments later, he fell on the couch, laughing hysterically... "That was so funny when I was choking you!"

Ah, yes. Good times.

Starbucks

2008-04-27T11:12:38Z

Ty's dad went to Starbucks the other day.

I wrote down my order so he'd get it right.

So did Ty:

Tuna Breath

2008-04-25T02:56:19Z

Dad and I added tuna to our salads tonight...

And as we were getting in our evening cuddles, Ty pulled away from Dad and said, "Ewww.... Something smells stinky! It's your whiskers, Daddy!"

They wrestled for awhile (I love how my sweet little boy will smile at me, angelically, while elbowing his dad (hard!) without even looking at him!)...

Then it was my turn for a snuggle... And Ty put his hand to his mouth and said, "eww." And there was a pause.

"What's wrong, baby?" we asked.

"Um, the opposite of Dad smells stinky now!"

After laughing our heads off, we all went and brushed our teeth.

The "N" word...

2008-04-24T18:49:31Z

At dinner last night, we asked Ty what he learned about at school.

He said, "We talked about the "N" word..."

M and I looked at each other with trepidation... "What do you mean, Ty?" M asked.

"What's the "N" word, baby?" I added.

"Like pen and den..." Ty explained.

OH! The "en" words! Got it.

30-Second Theater...

2008-04-02T01:36:57Z

Ty: Knock-knock!

Me and M (glancing sideways at each other): Who’s there?

Ty: Yaw.

Us: Yaw-who?

Ty: Why are you on the Internet??

All three laugh hysterically.

(He totally made that up, himself!!!)

Big Weekend.

2008-03-18T03:09:20Z

Ty had a big weekend...

Friday night was the typical night, except I went out so he got to ride home in Henk's truck. And rode in a big seat for the first time...

Saturday morning, he went and got donuts with Daddy, then hung out with me and Cousin Jen. She was stunned at how well he can read the menu at IHOP, and I was stunned that he ate all of his eggs and half of mine. Haha.

We went to Color-Me-Mine with Jenn and Colin... Last year, we started a tradition of painting ceramic eggs, so we met up downtown to do so. The boys finished quickly and amused themselves by washing their hands and running around outside while the moms finished up at a more leisurely pace.

Then we met up at Island's for dinner, where the boys told countless knock-knock jokes.

Ty's joke:

Ty: Knock-knock!
Us: Who's there?
Ty: Eyeball.
Us: Eyeball who?
Ty: You're stinky!

*hysterical laughter*

When we got home, Ty said, "Phew! I had a big day!"

He spent the morning with his dad on Sunday, and then we all met up with our friends who had just adopted a little girl from China. Ty was so good with her. He kept her entertained by picking up everything that she dropped. He did ask his dad to pick him up and throw him around upside-down since that's what little B was getting from her dad. And whoa, did the green-eyed monster rear its ugly head when she fell asleep on me! He said, "I want you to hold me while I sleep!"

This afternoon, as they were leaving the grocery store, Ty was standing in the cart while M was struggling to hold the bags and push the cart as well. A car stopped and waved them across the way, and Ty threw out his thumb to acknowledge their kindness... He's growing up, that little boy of mine....

Precious.

2008-02-23T15:38:07Z

I brought Ty home for a visit. We rolled into town yesterday in the late afternoon, and after a quick dinner, we headed over to Chuck E. Cheese to connect with some of my girlfriends and their kids.

Ty was a trooper and played and had fun until nearly 9:00 (he is usually in bed by 7:30 these days!). And then it came time to leave. And I sent him off with one of his little girlfriends to redeem his tickets. They came back with all of the tickets and said that it was too crowded. So I had to explain to him that he wouldn't be getting a prize that night. Which is NOT something you would ordinarily want to tell a 5-year-old. I could see the inner struggle all over his face. It was all he could do not to throw a tantrum or to burst into tears. And he totally sucked it up! He took a bunch of deep breaths and while he did try to launch himself off the booth at one point, it only took three words from me for him to stop. I was so proud of him!

And then this morning... He woke up before I did and let me rest for awhile before he crawled into bed with me for some snuggling. We talked and then I sang a little lullaby for him while he pretended to fall asleep and snore on me.

Then I got up to go make his breakfast and when it was ready I called him, but he didn't come. I went back to the bedroom and found him dissolved in tears.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked.

"Your song was just so beautiful it made me cry, Mommy."

Excuse me. I need a kleenex.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T05:29:08Z

Ty came home with this:

There was also a tealight holder he'd decorated...

How lucky am I to have the best Valentine ever???

Camping and Quesadillas

2008-02-13T01:14:39Z

We went camping at Ocotillo Wells this weekend. Ty did great on his quad. He loves riding it. This was the first time I'd really been out with them and we went on a "family ride" on Sunday morning.

Wow, was that a nerve-wracking experience?!?!

I can't ride behind Ty. I can't watch him without my heart stopping every other second. When I saw him get two wheels off the ground, I just about wet myself. Oy.

This afternoon, I made Ty a quesadilla for a snack. I was thrilled beyond measure when he took a bite and said, "Mommy, you make quesadillas better than at my school!"

*bows*

At least he knows to stay away from the porn.

2008-01-03T22:27:02Z

Ty's favorite thing these days is to mess around with the remote control for the TV. He knows which channels he likes and loves to check the "guide" to find out what's on next. With me sick on the couch, I've kind of been leaving him to his own devices (no pun intended) with the other TV.

I've been telling him to stay away from the "On Demand" channels, and if he's purchased anything, he'll have to pay for it out of his allowance.

A few minutes ago, he came running in to tell me "Only Mommy and Daddy can watch channel 1003."

"Why?" I asked.

"It says Adult On Demand," he answered.

Yay! Ty knows to stay away from the porn!!!!

Maybe it's time to consider one of those parental blocker thingies?