Confidence

Both our boys had interactions with confidence this weekend. Gibson's began because he is now mobile. While most of the time he just army crawls, he has also figured out that when he especially wants to get somewhere he can put his legs underneath him and launch himself forwards. This new found confidence resulted in this.



Gibson and I were playing on the bed when I laid him down next to me and went to roll off the side of the bed so I could come around and pick Gibby up. But Gibson, probably thinking that he could just get down by himself, kicked until he launched himself a full 2 feet and landed forehead first on a chest at the foot of our bed. Luckily it was a slow launch. But as you can see, Gibby got two lines of bruises from the smash itself and two rug burns from where his forehead scraped along the moulding of the chest. Nevertheless, Gibson's desire for mobility has not been curbed by this experience. He just keeps on going.



McKay, on the other hand, has battled his fears rather than overconfidence. Among other things, McKay is as terrified of the garbage man as this guy. But after some research I've realized that McKay just may have been an early learner about the struggles between garbage men and civilians who fit in their trash cans.



McKay is also afraid of any toy that talks and moves (especially toys that look like animals or dinosaurs). And for the last 4 months or so K's been terrified of nursery. The nursery bit is the odd one because they do lots of McKay's favorite things. They sing songs, they color pictures, they get to play with a pretend kitchen, and they even blow bubbles. But McKay refuses to do anything unless he is within his arm's reach of a leader. This week, however, McKay had his confidence breakthrough. He happily went to nursery and he was just his normal, happy, energetic self.



Unfortunately, this may have bred some over confidence in him. Later that night when his cousins came over they all had their baths together and Halle and Mila headed downstairs in their towels to go get dressed. McKay decided he would follow in his towel. The trouble was that McKay has never really run around in a towel, especially not on the stairs.



You can see where this is going, and yes, McKay took his very first tumble on the stairs in the near year we've lived here. He was a little shaken up, but he'll be ok. I think more than anything it was his psyche that was damaged. For the next day he would start walking up the stairs and get scared halfway up. But it looks like he's back to normal now, after all, he's back to his normal routine. Although he's never been as crazy as that girl.

Game, Set, Match

Teri and I have seen a bunch of double takes the past couple of Thursdays. For several seasons now, I have played in the men's doubles tennis league every Thursday. Teri is usually there at the tennis courts too, only she patrols the grounds with the stroller, K, and Gibby. But I decided to take the summer off so that Teri could play in the women's singles league, also on Thursday nights. This has meant a role reversal of sorts, where I get to watch Teri play while Gibby clings on to my shirt and McKay runs up and down the walkway with his little kid tennis racket whacking all the used tennis balls that everyone likes to give him.

The first time the guys I used to play against saw me with the stroller and kids they were a little confused. They remembered McKay - he's hard to forget because he's just about the only kid out there and he stands at the fence and calls "Daaaaaaaaadddddddddy" while we play. But once I told those guys that my wife was playing this season they understood, but the double takes were funny nonetheless.

Tennis has been a lot of fun this summer. Although Teri hasn't had as much time to practice as she'd like, she's done really well. She's holding her own against women who have played for several years. As soon as we can get in out there for a little more practice and get her hitting more consistently she'll start playing like all those Russian girls I used to teach on my mission. Note: My teaching was more centered on the Gospel and less on tennis.