dad catching up - 2010 events

Wrote this in late October...the day after my 46th b-day, waiting for my mom and Petru in front of the Wenham Train Museum. Now I'm typing on the computer (feeling an awful lot closer to 50!) and it's December, on the eve of St. Nicholas Day.

It's been awhile...I'm a lil' frustrated with the picture files on my preferred computer and I guess it kept me from sharing any Petru news for some time. Summer's gone, I know, a stunning observation from the foliage capital of the world...but many fun memories of surf and sand linger. Petru was at Camp Seaside (his daycare's summer program) three days each week. The first few week's were tricky as I worked mornings at a science camp (teaching Exploring with Engineering to 2nd and 3rd graders). Petru enjoyed the various "sitters" we arranged as well as extra mommy time. He even made a lighthouse with his grandfather (Papi) one of those mornings...while I helped the 2nd graders make towers and bridges.

Once camp ended for me, there was more time for outings like the Science Museum and riding together on the bike to Harvard Sq. to check out their unique playground (and frequently intercede when the children disagreed about how to run the troughs and dams). We also went swimming outdoors at the Waltham Y where a parent I know commented that I had a "little cling-on child" similar to hers in water behavior. Petru kicked and splashed, but most memorable for me were the neck scratches of little hands clinging-on as I tried to ease him away from my body into a floating position. Petru showed no fear when wrapped in an innertube and allowed to float about freely, but these devices are usually not allowed. Ana -Maria managed at times to "trick" him into games in the water and he'd forget for a minute that he was no longer holding on to one of us.

Another swim spot was Walden Pond. Here Ana-Maria got accustomed to "open water" swimming in preparation for her half-ironman triathalon, and Petru and I took hikes around the pond. "Let's go see Henry's house!" was what Petru said before scurrying off on the trails around Walden. We would also stop at the RR tracks of the Fitchburg line where Petru found a rusted train part that became a musical bell (he's always curious about the sounds he can make by banging on things...and quickly turns the sound into an imitation of a train crossing - arms swinging down for gates and hand aloft, opening and closing to show the flashing signal light).

Summer wound down. Petru's 5th b-day party was held at Jump-on-in, a party place full of inflated slides, jumping houses, and obstacle courses. At the end of August, we made our family trip to Romania where Petru visited Dracula's castle (5 minutes walk from Buni's house in Bran, a town in Transylvania), jumped on the trampoline and sang Beach Boys' songs, saw a circus, visited with his cousin Bianca who showed him the fun playground by her house in Bucharest, and noted the different varieties of street signs and traffic lights in a foreign country.

When we returned, it was time to start kindergarten (the subject for another post) and Petru chose his Bran castle t-shirt to wear on the first day. More to come on this blog (I promise!) and thanks for reading.