It's getting really snow outside. And I'm gonna tell if Daddy tells if I'm to close in the road. Okay?
So, if you are in the road, you would get snowy. You'd get hit by a car.
But, the cars can't move right now.
We are going to keep our room clean and get Chicken Charlie pizza if we keep our room clean all day to every day!
Felix cries a lot. He does laugh when I make him laugh. I have to stand up. Where can I sit? I have to sit with mine photo album.
In mine photo album we see sometimes Felix and sometimes different babies. Like Ms. Shannon in the nursery of his church.
Sam, and I don't what the other names are.
I see Abby, me, and is that Lachlan?
I see me buried under pillows. You should do that again sometime.
I like it because I like too. And George likes it too. He thinks it's funny. And I say "oof, woof, dow-wow-treg." George and Felix thinks it's funny.
We are building a garden in this picture.
Daddy, I hurt mine foot. I got a Lightning Band-Aid on me.
There's me and Aunt Martha. Aunt Martha takes care of us. He's mine next best friend. I want to play with him or two.
There's Felix!
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Monday, January 15, 2018
Bouncing Felix
Felix is a blur.
He's jumping up and down (mostly contentedly) in the bouncer we dug out of the basement a few weeks ago. He was a bit too short for it when we gave the initial try, but the child is growing RAPIDLY and can now bounce himself quite easily.
Like most things that used to be Owen's, the bouncer was in pretty sorry shape initially. We had to break down every piece and disinfect them, scrubbing out bits of old food, dust, and mold. Once we put all the polyester parts through the laundry Felix made an enormous diaper in the seat, and it all had to be washed again.
But now he's a bouncing pro. His favorite is to bounce himself up and down (at about 108 bounces per minute) while James and Owen run around playing Chase. But he'll tolerate doing his bouncing game while just watching me read and sip coffee.
He coos, grins, and then looks dreadfully worried. He bubbles spit, dribbles some of it onto the already soaked patch on the front of his shirt, and then gives a yawn and resumes making noisy vowels at me.
He has a funny way of smiling just by pursing his lips into a straight line. It's very Jamesish. He grunts, looks quizzical, and the bounce slows down a click or two. He looks about the room, yawns again, and raises his eyebrows. He's trying to get his hands into his mouth--presumably so that he can suck on his fingers--but he's bouncing too hard and his aim isn't very good. So he folds his hands in front of them and rubs them together several times, but he has to stop bouncing in order to do this, so I'm sure it won't last very long.
It's hard to describe his little voice. It's low, and has a throaty quality to it. James' voice is reedy, clarinet-like. Owen is a (sharp) saxophone playing into a microphone that's turned up all the way. Felix might be something more like a bassoon.
I still have no idea what he'll ultimately be like--something entirely his own, I'm sure. But when he stares me down and makes sustained eye contact and begins to make purposeful noises at me, I think that perhaps I'm starting to see behind those already-turning-brown eyes some hints of who he is.
Then again, even though he's unblinking, it's hard to look too closely because of the bouncing.
He's jumping up and down (mostly contentedly) in the bouncer we dug out of the basement a few weeks ago. He was a bit too short for it when we gave the initial try, but the child is growing RAPIDLY and can now bounce himself quite easily.
Like most things that used to be Owen's, the bouncer was in pretty sorry shape initially. We had to break down every piece and disinfect them, scrubbing out bits of old food, dust, and mold. Once we put all the polyester parts through the laundry Felix made an enormous diaper in the seat, and it all had to be washed again.
But now he's a bouncing pro. His favorite is to bounce himself up and down (at about 108 bounces per minute) while James and Owen run around playing Chase. But he'll tolerate doing his bouncing game while just watching me read and sip coffee.
He coos, grins, and then looks dreadfully worried. He bubbles spit, dribbles some of it onto the already soaked patch on the front of his shirt, and then gives a yawn and resumes making noisy vowels at me.
He has a funny way of smiling just by pursing his lips into a straight line. It's very Jamesish. He grunts, looks quizzical, and the bounce slows down a click or two. He looks about the room, yawns again, and raises his eyebrows. He's trying to get his hands into his mouth--presumably so that he can suck on his fingers--but he's bouncing too hard and his aim isn't very good. So he folds his hands in front of them and rubs them together several times, but he has to stop bouncing in order to do this, so I'm sure it won't last very long.
It's hard to describe his little voice. It's low, and has a throaty quality to it. James' voice is reedy, clarinet-like. Owen is a (sharp) saxophone playing into a microphone that's turned up all the way. Felix might be something more like a bassoon.
I still have no idea what he'll ultimately be like--something entirely his own, I'm sure. But when he stares me down and makes sustained eye contact and begins to make purposeful noises at me, I think that perhaps I'm starting to see behind those already-turning-brown eyes some hints of who he is.
Then again, even though he's unblinking, it's hard to look too closely because of the bouncing.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Rotten Eggs
James and Owen are getting competitive. They play Buffalo (football) regularly, and Owen always ends up in tears. In Owen's own words, "James scores all the field goals, and I don't know how to score any field goals because he won't tell me how." Their assumption that you can only score in three-point increments is a mark of proof that these children watch a lot of Bills football. I've watched them play, and Owen is right. Whenever James gets the buffalo (the football) he prances into whatever corner of the room he's decided is his scoring area, and declares that he's scored a field goal. Owen, when he manages to get his hands on the buffalo, gets so excited that he just immediately throws it into the air and tries to tackle James. (Fact: Owen is way better at tackling than James.) But he never scores any points, because he doesn't know where his field goal is, and James won't tell him.
There's more than just football, of course. There are also complicated games like Chase, Bulldozer, Kick the Ball, Keep the Balloon in the Air, Pillow Fight, and Knock Down. It would take way too long to explain all the rules to these games. But they are all played regularly and competitively.
But most of all, there is the desire Not to Be the Rotten Egg. You can be the Rotten Egg at any moment. For instance, if it's time to go upstairs and brush teeth before bed, someone can should "LAST ONE UPSTAIRS IS A ROTTEN EGG!" And then, regardless of personal safety or other pedestrians, both boys elbow each other in a frantic race up the stairs.
Other Rotten Egg situations include Last Person to the Supper Table, Last Person to get their shoes on, Last Person to throw all of their stuffed animals onto the couch, Last Person to run into the bathroom, Last Person to climb to the top bunk, and Last Person brush their teeth.
There are often hurt feelings with the Rotten Egg game. Just this afternoon I found Owen in a collapsed and sobbing mess at the bottom of the stairs. I asked him if he had fallen or if something was wrong.
"No, James beat me upstairs, so I am a Wotten Egg!"
I offered to race him up the stairs again, and it turned out that I was the Rotten Egg. I was also the last person to hop in bed with the book they wanted for naptime. He might catch onto my trick at some point.
There's more than just football, of course. There are also complicated games like Chase, Bulldozer, Kick the Ball, Keep the Balloon in the Air, Pillow Fight, and Knock Down. It would take way too long to explain all the rules to these games. But they are all played regularly and competitively.
But most of all, there is the desire Not to Be the Rotten Egg. You can be the Rotten Egg at any moment. For instance, if it's time to go upstairs and brush teeth before bed, someone can should "LAST ONE UPSTAIRS IS A ROTTEN EGG!" And then, regardless of personal safety or other pedestrians, both boys elbow each other in a frantic race up the stairs.
Other Rotten Egg situations include Last Person to the Supper Table, Last Person to get their shoes on, Last Person to throw all of their stuffed animals onto the couch, Last Person to run into the bathroom, Last Person to climb to the top bunk, and Last Person brush their teeth.
There are often hurt feelings with the Rotten Egg game. Just this afternoon I found Owen in a collapsed and sobbing mess at the bottom of the stairs. I asked him if he had fallen or if something was wrong.
"No, James beat me upstairs, so I am a Wotten Egg!"
I offered to race him up the stairs again, and it turned out that I was the Rotten Egg. I was also the last person to hop in bed with the book they wanted for naptime. He might catch onto my trick at some point.
Friday, January 5, 2018
How We Are Staying Warm Today
If any family or friends are worried about whether we are staying warm today, rest assured that we are watching the snow bluster and blow from a (mostly) warm and quiet house.
None of us have to go anywhere, and none of us have had occasion to go outside today. (Except for me, but only very briefly.)
We had a big pancake breakfast, veggie burgers for lunch, and the soup for supper will soon be on the stovetop. There's been lots of coffee, and there will probably be toddies after the kids are in bed.
We took down our Christmas things (with one more round of twinkly Christmas music playing in the living room) and James and Owen argued about who would get to take down the star. (Felix did.) We put away the nativity sheep, each of which has been reglued several times over. (Owen.)
James did homeschool under a big blanket, and Felix, who is six months old today, ate his first bites of mushed sweet potato. He made funny faces and most of it came right back out, but any time you offered him a spoon he would take it.
I set up the stepladder in the (very cold) garage and loaded up the box with the stockings and ornaments, and the box with the nativity set, and the box with Christmas centerpiece, and the box with the boy's fake Christmas tree. I also unscrewed the real tree from the base and spilled about a million needles between the corner where it had been set up and the front step. It's sitting in a snowdrift beside our trash can for the next few days, and our living room looks rather bare.
We'd made grand plans to move our swivel chair into the living room, but James and Owen both protested against this plan. We're yet to come up with a suitable alternative.
I was going to shovel the driveway, but then it would just need to be shoveled again tomorrow afternoon. I'll just wait until tomorrow afternoon.
Every once in awhile we'll hear a car crunching through the snow outside, but the street has been largely quiet. If anyone that we know has been out in this weather, we hope that your journey is quick and that there's a hot pot of good coffee at the other end of it.
None of us have to go anywhere, and none of us have had occasion to go outside today. (Except for me, but only very briefly.)
We had a big pancake breakfast, veggie burgers for lunch, and the soup for supper will soon be on the stovetop. There's been lots of coffee, and there will probably be toddies after the kids are in bed.
We took down our Christmas things (with one more round of twinkly Christmas music playing in the living room) and James and Owen argued about who would get to take down the star. (Felix did.) We put away the nativity sheep, each of which has been reglued several times over. (Owen.)
James did homeschool under a big blanket, and Felix, who is six months old today, ate his first bites of mushed sweet potato. He made funny faces and most of it came right back out, but any time you offered him a spoon he would take it.
I set up the stepladder in the (very cold) garage and loaded up the box with the stockings and ornaments, and the box with the nativity set, and the box with Christmas centerpiece, and the box with the boy's fake Christmas tree. I also unscrewed the real tree from the base and spilled about a million needles between the corner where it had been set up and the front step. It's sitting in a snowdrift beside our trash can for the next few days, and our living room looks rather bare.
We'd made grand plans to move our swivel chair into the living room, but James and Owen both protested against this plan. We're yet to come up with a suitable alternative.
I was going to shovel the driveway, but then it would just need to be shoveled again tomorrow afternoon. I'll just wait until tomorrow afternoon.
Every once in awhile we'll hear a car crunching through the snow outside, but the street has been largely quiet. If anyone that we know has been out in this weather, we hope that your journey is quick and that there's a hot pot of good coffee at the other end of it.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
2017 Reading
Publishing a list of what you've read in the last year comes across as braggy pretty quickly. On the other hand, reading all of these books was a lot of work. (Admittedly, very enjoyable work in most cases.) Looking back on it all I see more re-reads and more 20th-century books than I can remember having read in most previous years. Also, it feels like there should have been a much more substantial showing of foreign texts, since I was in them every day. This is what I get for only being able to go 10-20 verses at a sitting.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Just Mercy
The Millionaire Next Door
The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister's Pox
Hamlet
Brave New Work Revisited
George Bernard Shaw (GKC)
The Gospel of Luke (Greek)
Gone Girl
Around the World in Eighty Days
Of Human Bondage
Lost Icons
The Whistler
The Old Bachelor
Down and Out in Paris and London
The Story of Philosophy
Faith In the Public Square
Phantom of the Opera
Germinal
Ancient Education and Today
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Small House at Allington
Siddartha
The Eyes of the Heart
All the Light We Cannot See
Godric
The Hobbit
Catch-22
Baudolino
Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
Return of the King
The Honourable Schoolboy
Inherit the Wind
A Hero of Our Time
A Man for All Seasons
One Man's Meal
The Good Soldier
The Man in the Iron Mask
Single, Gay, Christian
The Name of the Rose
A Legacy of Spies
The Idea of the Holy
Ab Urbe Condita III (Latin)
Odysseae I (Greek)
Odysseae II (Greek)
Why Study the Past?
Dead Wake
In the Garden of Beasts
Devil in the White City
Nickel and Dimed
Mystery of Edwin Drood
Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Pregnant Widow
Thunderstruck
Isaac's Storm
The Year of Magical Thinking
Odysseae III (Greek)
Money (Amis)
When the English Fall
The Uncommon Reader
The Rooster Bar
The Sixth Extinction
Nana (Zola)
Single & Single
Cake & Ale
Post Captain
Portnoy's Complaint
An Academic Question
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Dragon Teeth
Pride & Prejudice
Some Tame Gazelle
Boomerang
Capital in the 21st Century
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Just Mercy
The Millionaire Next Door
The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Magister's Pox
Hamlet
Brave New Work Revisited
George Bernard Shaw (GKC)
The Gospel of Luke (Greek)
Gone Girl
Around the World in Eighty Days
Of Human Bondage
Lost Icons
The Whistler
The Old Bachelor
Down and Out in Paris and London
The Story of Philosophy
Faith In the Public Square
Phantom of the Opera
Germinal
Ancient Education and Today
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Small House at Allington
Siddartha
The Eyes of the Heart
All the Light We Cannot See
Godric
The Hobbit
Catch-22
Baudolino
Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
Return of the King
The Honourable Schoolboy
Inherit the Wind
A Hero of Our Time
A Man for All Seasons
One Man's Meal
The Good Soldier
The Man in the Iron Mask
Single, Gay, Christian
The Name of the Rose
A Legacy of Spies
The Idea of the Holy
Ab Urbe Condita III (Latin)
Odysseae I (Greek)
Odysseae II (Greek)
Why Study the Past?
Dead Wake
In the Garden of Beasts
Devil in the White City
Nickel and Dimed
Mystery of Edwin Drood
Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Pregnant Widow
Thunderstruck
Isaac's Storm
The Year of Magical Thinking
Odysseae III (Greek)
Money (Amis)
When the English Fall
The Uncommon Reader
The Rooster Bar
The Sixth Extinction
Nana (Zola)
Single & Single
Cake & Ale
Post Captain
Portnoy's Complaint
An Academic Question
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Dragon Teeth
Pride & Prejudice
Some Tame Gazelle
Boomerang
Capital in the 21st Century
Monday, January 1, 2018
Our Christmas Trip to California
8:05
James: Did you pack some snacks?
J: Yes, we packed some pretzels and some fruit for you boys!
James: Great! Can I have a snack now?
Me: We are literally in our driveway.
J: And you finished your breakfast less than five minutes ago.
James: But I'm hungry for a snack!
8:07
J: Wait a sec...I don't think I have my cellphone.
Me: Anything?
J: Nope, turn around. I don't have it.
8:09
James: Now can I have a snack?
Me: James, we are still in our own driveway. We aren't going to have a snack for a while.
8:30
James: It seems like we've been driving for a pretty long time.
J: You can't have a snack yet.
James: Are we in Pennsylvania yet?
Me: Not yet. Another couple of hours.
James: Can I have a snack when we get to Pennsylvania?
J: You need to stop asking about snacks.
8:45
James: Hey, Owen.
Owen: What, James?
James: How do you feel?
Owen: Good!
James: Do you feel hungry?
J: Stop it, James
9:00
Owen: Are we in California yet?
Me: California?
Owen: Yeah, are we there yet?
Me: Do you mean Pennsylvania?
Owen: Right! To Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Me: No, we aren't there yet.
Owen: James, we aren't to California yet.
James: We aren't ever going to have a snack.
9:00-10:00
Lots of "are we there yet," "look how big the mountains are," variations on "I'm hungry," and Felix fussing
10:00
Snack time
10:05
James: Hey Mommy, when do you think we can have another snack?
10:10
Owen: How much farther away is California?
James: Ninety billion and six million and twenty billion and three one one thirty thousand and billion miles.
10:30
James: Mommy, now that we're in Pennsylvania can we have another snack?
J: No more snacks until after lunch.
James: Well, when is lunch going to be?
J: In about another hour when we get to Williamsport.
10:35
James: Are we in Williamsport yet?
et cetera
11:30
Me: Okay, guys do you see what's up ahead?
James: It's Wegman's!
Owen: <crying> No, no, we can't go to Wegman's! We have to go to Williamsport before we can go to California!
Me: This is Williamsport. This is the Williamsport Wegman's.
Owen: <instantly fine> Oh! Can we have sesame chicken?
11:35
Me: Okay, James, I need you to go potty and to hang your coat up on the hook in the stall, don't throw it on the floor, okay? And Owen, it looks like you're going to need a diaper change. Stay right there and don't touch anything.
Owen: James, is that you?
Me: <apologizing> Sorry, sorry. <to Owen> No, that isn't James, and you need to remember, like we talked about last time, you can't just stick your head under people's stalls.
Owen: James is going on the potty like a big boy.
Me: Why isn't your diaper wet?
Owen: I am holding mine pee-pee. But it's about to come out.
Me: Well, let's sit you on the potty, then. But how'd your pants get so wet?
Owen: I spilled mine water on mine self.
Me: Okay, here you go. Put your pee-pee in the potty.
Owen: <loudest announcer voice> Mine pee-pee is coming out!!!!
James: Daddy, I'm done.
Me: Yup, let's untuck your shirt. Okay, and can you wash your own hands?
James. I think so.
Owen: Daddy, I'm done.
Me: Okay, stand here and don't touch anything until I can wash your hands.
Owen: Lightning McQueen is faster than Jackson Storm.
Me: No, no...see you can't put your hands in the urinal.
James: Daddy, I want to go get food.
Me: Where's your coat?
James: Oh, it's still in the stall
Owen: Daddy, whatcha doing?
Me: Trying to pee before you guys break anything in here or contract some horrible disease.
James: Owen, let's make funny faces in the mirror.
Owen: Okay!
Me: That's a great idea!
12:05
Me: This is the exit to get back on the highway, right?
James: Hey Mommy!
J: Yes, James?
James: When do you think we'll have another snack?
Owen: Are we going to the North Pole now?
James: Did you pack some snacks?
J: Yes, we packed some pretzels and some fruit for you boys!
James: Great! Can I have a snack now?
Me: We are literally in our driveway.
J: And you finished your breakfast less than five minutes ago.
James: But I'm hungry for a snack!
8:07
J: Wait a sec...I don't think I have my cellphone.
Me: Anything?
J: Nope, turn around. I don't have it.
8:09
James: Now can I have a snack?
Me: James, we are still in our own driveway. We aren't going to have a snack for a while.
8:30
James: It seems like we've been driving for a pretty long time.
J: You can't have a snack yet.
James: Are we in Pennsylvania yet?
Me: Not yet. Another couple of hours.
James: Can I have a snack when we get to Pennsylvania?
J: You need to stop asking about snacks.
8:45
James: Hey, Owen.
Owen: What, James?
James: How do you feel?
Owen: Good!
James: Do you feel hungry?
J: Stop it, James
9:00
Owen: Are we in California yet?
Me: California?
Owen: Yeah, are we there yet?
Me: Do you mean Pennsylvania?
Owen: Right! To Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Me: No, we aren't there yet.
Owen: James, we aren't to California yet.
James: We aren't ever going to have a snack.
9:00-10:00
Lots of "are we there yet," "look how big the mountains are," variations on "I'm hungry," and Felix fussing
10:00
Snack time
10:05
James: Hey Mommy, when do you think we can have another snack?
10:10
Owen: How much farther away is California?
James: Ninety billion and six million and twenty billion and three one one thirty thousand and billion miles.
10:30
James: Mommy, now that we're in Pennsylvania can we have another snack?
J: No more snacks until after lunch.
James: Well, when is lunch going to be?
J: In about another hour when we get to Williamsport.
10:35
James: Are we in Williamsport yet?
et cetera
11:30
Me: Okay, guys do you see what's up ahead?
James: It's Wegman's!
Owen: <crying> No, no, we can't go to Wegman's! We have to go to Williamsport before we can go to California!
Me: This is Williamsport. This is the Williamsport Wegman's.
Owen: <instantly fine> Oh! Can we have sesame chicken?
11:35
Me: Okay, James, I need you to go potty and to hang your coat up on the hook in the stall, don't throw it on the floor, okay? And Owen, it looks like you're going to need a diaper change. Stay right there and don't touch anything.
Owen: James, is that you?
Me: <apologizing> Sorry, sorry. <to Owen> No, that isn't James, and you need to remember, like we talked about last time, you can't just stick your head under people's stalls.
Owen: James is going on the potty like a big boy.
Me: Why isn't your diaper wet?
Owen: I am holding mine pee-pee. But it's about to come out.
Me: Well, let's sit you on the potty, then. But how'd your pants get so wet?
Owen: I spilled mine water on mine self.
Me: Okay, here you go. Put your pee-pee in the potty.
Owen: <loudest announcer voice> Mine pee-pee is coming out!!!!
James: Daddy, I'm done.
Me: Yup, let's untuck your shirt. Okay, and can you wash your own hands?
James. I think so.
Owen: Daddy, I'm done.
Me: Okay, stand here and don't touch anything until I can wash your hands.
Owen: Lightning McQueen is faster than Jackson Storm.
Me: No, no...see you can't put your hands in the urinal.
James: Daddy, I want to go get food.
Me: Where's your coat?
James: Oh, it's still in the stall
Owen: Daddy, whatcha doing?
Me: Trying to pee before you guys break anything in here or contract some horrible disease.
James: Owen, let's make funny faces in the mirror.
Owen: Okay!
Me: That's a great idea!
12:05
Me: This is the exit to get back on the highway, right?
James: Hey Mommy!
J: Yes, James?
James: When do you think we'll have another snack?
Owen: Are we going to the North Pole now?
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