lipeng's space

A gentle reminder to all of us parents.

 

Cat's in the Cradle
by Sandy & Harry Chapin

My child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3bht7S-3vI&feature=related

 

 

I've been trying to get rid of the excess fat around my ab, gained during pregnancy, with Ab exercises and to no avail.  Did you know that Ab Exercise does not flatten you stomach?

 

Ab Myth No. 1: Doing Ab Exercises Gets Rid of Abdominal Fat

Unfortunately, spot reduction doesn't work, either for the abs or for any other body part. The fallacy of spot reduction assumes that, if you have fat over your abs then exercising the ab muscles will make that fat go away. While exercising the muscle may increase endurance or strength, it won't burn off the fat in that area.

The only way to burn fat from your belly is to reduce overall body fat by creating a calorie deficit. The healthiest way to do that is with consistent exercise (cardio, strength and flexibility workouts) and a healthy, low-calorie diet.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/a/abmyths.htm

 

Saw this clip on my brother's blog.  Brought back some childhood memories. 

 

Ryan and Hans has to watch this, my nagging everyday is not working, time to try another approach!

 

     

"In 1915, Dr. Henry Dwight Chapin reported that in foundling homes throughout the U.S. where babies were given adequate nourishment and cleanliness, nearly every infant under two years died. The mortality rate was almost 100 percent. He had discovered the policy at the time was "no coddling." The babies died from lack of touch. Human babies definitely need tender loving care to survive. "

 

Another article that explains the primacy of human touch.

 

Ryan was sick so I took him to the clinic.  On the wall of the clinic is a picture of a baby being kissed by two adults (presumably the parents).  The caption says

"A kiss at 5 months can be felt at 50"... or something like that.

 

It continued to say that based on the organization's experience working with children for 100 years, children who are well loved goes through their adult life more self-assured and with a better sense of security.

 

So I went home and gave my two boys extra kisses.... just in case the usual amount is not sufficient.