Unfortunately, living in Westchester County, New York requires both parents to work full time.  This kills us as we are forced to send the tornado to a sitter 3 days a week.  Lukily, we have the greatest sitter ever who we love and the tornado adores.  She always has a great time because our sitter lives next door to and watches the tornado’s friend.  Also, our sitter has 3 kids of her own, all boys ranging from 14 years old down to 6 years old (I think).  Though they are so much older than the tornado they love playing with her and are like her brothers.  Also, Mondays her friend is there all day to play with so she gets tons of attention, which excites the tornado.  It gets so crazy that her nap schedule gets all out of whack and she only takes one short nap, sometimes bypassing it all together.  Usually this translates into a full night of uninterrupted sleep for all and a late start in the morning.  So though we regret having to utilize a sitter there are some benefits.

Now to the point of my post.  In the morning I tend to bring the tornado in and mom picks her up in the late afternoon.  So she gets the gushing excited greeting.  I get the tornado chasing me grabbing my legs and whining (used to be crying, but she’s a big girl now).  It breaks my heart to leave her, especially since when I get home at night she is generally sleeping so I see here in the morning for only 30 mins, 45 if I am lucky, as we are rushing out the door.  Luckily, I have 3 days off a week so I try to make up for the lost time on the other days.  Still it is real hard to leave her in the morning especially when that bottom lip pokes out and quivers and she gives me the sad eyes.  I wish my wife would take her up in the morning, but she is usually eating as she is rushing to work.  And in all fairness she asks every morning, but I feel bad since she is eating and all and usually aviods lunch.  The funny thing is that it seems worse than it is as by the time a make it back to the car she has already forgotten about me.

Oh well, could be worse.  She could be excited that I am leaving. 

Tornado’s babbling is becoming easier to follow these days.  Conversations contain babbling grouped together in sentences.  The funny thing is that the sentences are broken up by actual words.  That is right- she will actually use a real word from the English language and sometimes mulitple words seperate the jumbles.  Even better is how she changes her tone for emphasis.  She will answer you too.  I try to keep the conversation going so I will say “really” or ‘are you sure” and her reply is “yeah” or she shakes her no.  Before you say they all do that, her “really” or “no” actually fits the occasion.  Tornado even sings to a melody.  She really has a great handle on sounds.  I am waiting for the day when she walks into the room and says, “I’m here.”

I find it appalling that Belichick was not suspended for cheating.  Sorry to just jump into this one, but I am completely shocked.  First of all, let me qualify this by stating that I am a Giant fan and had no ill will torwards the Patriots and Belichick before this incident.  Second of all, Belichick was caught, without a doubt, filming on the Jets sidelines filming their play calling.  Obviously this gives them a distinct advantage and though they may have beaten the Jets anyway, how many other close games over the years could have been decided because of this information. 

Of course we cannot go back and truly evaluate each situation as we do not have proof, but strictly off of this incident Belichick deserved more of a punishment.  Wade Wilson was suspended 5 games for using HGH and he is a coach who is using the stuff to improve his quality of life due to a difficult bout of Diabetes.  Players caught using steriods and/or HGH are given 4 game suspensions and thought of as cheaters.  Belichick only pays a fine of $500,000.  Forget for the fact that he is a multi-millionaire and one of the highest paid head coaches in the league. 

HE CHEATED !!!!!!! 

Forget the loss of a first round draft pick, or potentially a second ands third round pick instead if they do not make the playoffs. 

HE CHEATED!!!!!!! 

Belichick needs to be suspended without pay for four games to go along with that fine and loss of draft picks.  There is not a team in the NFL that would not trade the 32nd pick in the first round for a championship, not saying they would be willing to cheat.  Roger Godall wants to send a message to the players and clean up the game then he must come down hard on Belichick, but alas he simply gave him a pat on the Cooley. 

And for all you Patriot fans and Belichick apologists out ready to back up him up and say to give him another chance I have only one last statement.  Belichick was caught doing the same thing in Green Bay and was already warned to keep the very expensive and highly sophisticated camera equipment in the locker room.  Enough is enough.

Watching The Tornado in action often has on lookers baffled as she tends to run around bouncing off furniture and walls, tripping over toys and other obstructions, walking off steps, the couch, or the bed as if they are completely flat, and (my personal favorite) running, diving, and barrel rolling.  Basically, she seems to wonder around aimlessly and seemingly unaware of her surroundings.  Of course she knows when people are around and she doesn’t simply walk into doors and walls, but she just seems real clumsy.

So I took The Tornado out for a walk this afternnon and it was truly a beautiful September afternoon, warm enough for short sleeves with a wonderful breeze to keep you from sweating.  I took her to her favorite kind of park, not the ones that dad thinks are amazing with fancy jungle gym structures and large twisty slides.  The Tornado prefers a plain old soccer field where she can just run around and throw her Winnie the Pooh kick ball for hours of fun.  As we were walking back the tornado was pointing and laughing and pointing and babbling with the occasional “that.”  She pointed out a nearby squirrel shelling an acorn and was mesmerized for a few minutes.  Then as we walked further she pointed out a white tailed pigeon and was elated when it flew away and followed it as it flew across our path.  By now we reached the road we live on and it is a pretty busy road with plenty of cars drive by and the tornado didn’t seem to care as they passed by, but she seemed amazed when a van pulling a trailer drove by and followed it down the street. 

It didn’t take me long to realize and appreciate how much my little seventeen month old has progressed.  Normally during our walks or play time I would try to point things out to her and she would seem either ambivalent or simply uncaring as I tried to show her objects.  Now when I point she looks or, even better, she is pointing out objects to me before I see them.  Everyday she amazes me.