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Saturday, September 04, 2010

On Fathers and Fire Stations


We brought Jordy to the Central Fire Station this morning. They hold an open house every Saturday morning from 9 to 11am, and I think it is such a lovely community service they perform! Jordy had a pretty good time - he loved the sirens and lights, was intrigued by the crane (or "a very, very long ladder" as he called it, a phrase he picked up from a delightful Eric Carle book that Mama Maree got him), was happy to observe from a distance the powerful water hoses, and didn't quite like sitting in the huge fire engine ("Jordan go down!" he exclaimed).

I think the part he enjoyed the most was being toted around by his dad; it's a special bond they share, those two. Often in the weekdays, when it's just Jordy and me in the afternoons, he'll discover something cool (like for example, when he realised he could say "rugby ball" in a low voice, a high voice, a quiet voice, a loud voice, and a robot voice), and the first thing he does after cackling in delight at newfound discovery is to say, "Show Daddy!". I think it's so lovely.


After reading the very insightful Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph, I'm conscious of not getting in the way of a Jordy/Daddy relationship. I've realised my Type A, sometimes-manic personality tends to make me a tad, err... controlling by nature, so I tell myself every now and then that I need to let go. That I'm not the expert on all things Jordy, and that Daddy and Jordy need to find their own rhythm, and develop their own shorthand.

I also know that at some point down the line, Jordy is going to become physically bigger and stronger than me, and if the situation ever calls for it, it's going to be very important then for D to step in and say, "Don't speak to/treat your mother that way, son!" If Jordy is in any way like me, I can foresee that happening quite a bit!



If watching your baby develop into a thinking, feeling person is like going on a road trip to an unknown (but pretty funky) destination, then watching him form relationships with the most important people reminds me of the coffee and cake stops you do in between.