Soccer Ball

(Editor's Note:  I have been reminded that this video has already been posted on the blog.   So you'll have to enjoy this post for it's writing, not just the media content that displays the cuteness of Sorin.)

For whatever reason, I've had thoughts of having children for many, many years. To raise children has always been on my mind and my heart. I have a desire to teach and mentor. And being the sports fan that I am means lots of time on the practice field and at games.

I can't wait to take Sorin to his first baseball game. I can't wait to take him to his first practice. What I can wait for is his first experience of failure or injury. Oooh, that's going to be tough. So where can I sign him up?

Still too young. But it doesn't mean I can't start my own practice. I'll call it pre-season here at the Schiefelbein house. It's been fun watching Sorin enjoy playing with the soccer ball which came with a set of sports gear. He's slowly started to interact with it and now he's gotten pretty good at it. He's got to start somewhere. This proud father thinks he's got a future (hopefully on the gridiron, though).

These Shoes Were Made for Walkin'

Sorin's Grandma Margit and Grandpa Dave wanted to buy him his first 'real' pair of shoes. We had received some hand-me-down's and moccasins but he has never gone to a shoe store to get his feet measured and fitted for some sturdy walking shoes.

So Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma Margit took him to Stride Rite to buy some new shoes.

He fits into size 5's extra wide! Who would have guessed that?? Not me.

Though come to find out, Hans, when he was first fitted for his shoes, had such wide feet the salesperson told Margit that he had never seen a child with such square feet. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree...

We tried on a couple pairs of shoes -  some tennis shoes, and some boots. Sorin (as you can see) was VERY patient and happy to be there (once he realized that we were staying with him). I think any new place that has both young women AND toys freaks him out because he thinks it is child care and that we are going to leave him there.

Sorin tested each pair to make sure he liked the fit...

...and even insisted on taking a look in the mirror to make sure that they looked good with his jeans... : )

These black boot-type-shoes looked and felt especially good - so we went with them!

Thank you Grandma!!!!!

Remember this??

Now look at him...

Time seriously flies... I have grown so accustomed to adults aging that I am constantly surprised by how fast Sorin grows and changes... looking back a year ago is just amazing. What joy... Grandma Susie grew Sorin a little pumpkin and when she showed it to him a couple of weeks ago he took it and ran! He loves the little joys of nature. And we love watching him love them.

Appleberry Farm

APPLEBERRY FARM

We took Sorin over to Appleberry Farm on Saturday to go enjoy the WARM weather (55 degrees!!!!) the sun and the beautiful fall countryside. What a great little orchard it was. You pick the apples and they give you a cute little hand drawn map to show you which apples are where and you can mix and match for $1 a pound. That is our kind of place! Sorin loved it, he wandered around the orchard, helped us pick, put the apples in the bag for us, posed for pictures, and even got his own little apple to munch on. Yum!

teachable moment...

here is he is with his little apple...

daddy took this - best pic of the year!

say cheese!

finishing off mommy's carmel apple...

Thoughts On Fatherhood

Last Sunday I had a father's feeling as I was dropping Sorin off at child care at church. Katie and I haven't been to church much this summer and when we did, we often let my parents take Sorin so we could actually attend church without interuptions. Sorin doesn't take too well to dad and (especially) mom leaving. So this week it was my week to take him to child care. As we walked in and got registered Sorin could see something was up. He started to observe everything and got timid right in my arms. We put his bag down and started playing a little bit. At the first sign of him interacting with one of the staff I bolted out the door. I went around the corner to one of the mirror/windows where I could see in but he couldn't see me. As I watched him get comfortable I had a mix of emotions.

I felt really bad that he was alone without me. Sure, he was in good and caring hands. But he doesn't know that. He was all by himself and trying to stay busy. He would start to play with something, but then somehow he would realize I wasn't there and he'd start crying. It's hard to see your son sad and alone, missing dad.

I also felt old. Sorin has grown up so fast. Wasn't it last month that I was getting up at 4am to give him a bottle because he was relying on me for food? Didn't we used to have hold him so close because he couldn't even hold his head up? And here I was watching him walk and crawl on his own. Find a toy and play with it. Roll a ball and pick it up. He's only 14 months but he looks like my little man!! So I watched him and thought of myself as an older dad.

Finally I felt pride. Here I am watching my son - my son! I feed him. I change his diaper. I put him to bed. I wake him and dress him in the morning. I rough-house him on the floor and carry him around the house. I push him in the stroller and carry him on my back. Now I'm watching him through the window as he grows into his own life.

What a great calling: to be a father.

Autumn is a good time of year

Katie has found out that Sorin really likes to be outside.  He has a little more energy and his level of exploration starts to take him to new places of discovery.  Of course this makes me thoroughly excited because I love being outside and in the elements.

Last weekend we went to Cedarburg for my Lakefront Marathon.  It felt like the first real autumn weekend, and Sorin enjoyed the weather.  Katie and I absolutely love this sweater we got from some friends.  I got a bunch of pics outside while Sorin was walking around with Steve.

A few weeks back Katie and I went out to Oktoberfest in New Glarus.  We've been out there a few times with friends for this festival - this was Sorin's first trip out.