Gymboree coincidence

Today I checked out the local Gymboree as I was scouting locations for Cole's birthday party. Our apartment will barely hold the family members invited and there would be no room at all for Cole's baby buddies, so I was investigating other options. As soon as I walked into Gymboree Cole wanted to climb into the gym area and it was no easy task to hold him back. He was that intrigued by the brightly colored gym mats. I knew I had found the place.

It got better. The clerk who helped me recognized my address. She had rented the very same apartment a few years ago. We chatted about the quirks and charm of the place and the challenges of apartment living with toddlers. She was so kind and helpful that by the time I had left I had booked the party and signed Cole up for a class, but with the benefit of multiple discounts and many of the usual sign-up fees were waived.

The class will be great for Cole because it will be a chance for him to roam in some wide-open, padded space. I noticed that he was walking and crawling much faster while we were in NJ because he had more room to explore. I wish we had more to offer him at home, but this should help until we move into a house in the spring.

the big tub

Today I took Cole for a Baby & Me class at the rec center pool. Cole has always loved bath time, so I felt pretty confident that he would like the big tub. It's a good thing I was right because this was the first of eight sessions, and it could've been a long 2 months.

The pool is set up kind of like a beach. No stairs or ladder, just a slope so you can slowly walk into the water. Cole started kicking and splashing as soon as he felt the water reach his feet. We sang songs as we moved the kids through the water and Cole enjoyed the half-hour class. When I laid him on his back and supported him he just lounged and smiled. The only time he was uneasy was when I had trouble repositioning him and he got some water in his nose. He was quickly consoled and ready to play again almost immediately.

The tough part for me was being in 4 1/2 feet deep water which only leaves a bit of my shoulders above the water. It meant I was holding Cole at my face level which is why I goofed and got his face wet at one point. The taller moms had a much easier time. The next challenge was changing Cole out of his swim gear, drying him off, dressing him in a dry diaper and clothes while I'm still dripping wet. It took me so long that I was able to drip dry and then I kept one hand on him while he was laying on the towel-covered bench while I pulled my pants on over my swimsuit. I waited until I got to the car and had him settled in his carseat before I ran a comb through my hair. One good thing about having such a cute kid is that I can look like a total trainwreck and no one will notice.

Boardwalk

For the Labor Day weekend we headed north for a friend's wedding in NYC and to visit family in NJ. To beat traffic, we drove home on Sunday but along the way we stopped at Pt. Pleasant for Cole's introduction to the Boardwalk. We hadn't been to Pt. Pleasant in at least 2 years and I've really missed it. As a kid, I spent nearly every summer weekend at the beach and 2 full weeks in August, and sometimes I just need to smell the salt in the air. Oh and when that salt air mixes with the aroma of the cheesesteaks, pizza, zeppoles, fresh cut fries, fudge and taffy it's magical. Food aside, Pt. Pleasant is one of my favorite places ever.

The main reason I was hell-bent on making the stop at the boardwalk though was my MRI scan last year. Ever since, I have been looking forward to taking Cole to the boardwalk as a way of healing that difficult time. When I was in the MRI tube, I couldn't help but think of the what ifs. The whole reason for the test was to rule out the scarier options like a stroke or brain tumor. But I told myself that it didn't matter because nothing was going to keep me from bringing my little boy to the Boardwalk for his first trip on the same train I used to ride with my great grandfather.

We rode the train, and Tony took Cole on the carousel, and it was so much fun. I heard all the sounds of the MRI machine again but this time with a full beaming smile on my face.