brood

more stories…

so, we’re about to go down to watch the fireworks, and we parents are a bit nervous about how levi may react – maybe he’ll be very scared, and that might force us to leave right away, and that would be fine, but… etc. – so we decide to brief him on what he might hear and see, and tell him that it will probably be loud, but it is “okay”.

as we are preparing, he is asking tons of questions, rather extending prompts, about firecrackers and fireworks, and these other exciting new words we used, and he really wants to know where the firecrackers are, and wants to see them. I tell him that he probably won’t see firecrackers, but will just hear them, and that later we’d see fireworks in the sky. As I’m telling him this, a loud set of firecrackers goes off from some neighbor’s yard, and I say “there it is, that’s the firecracker sound” and I ask him if he could hear it. he was a little startled, and intoned to me in a solemn voice “it will be okay.”

indeed, it would. later we saw the fireworks, and he was scared, but within about 30 seconds seemed to come around and was starting to comment on the colors – it turned out to be a very nice little outing.

Today I picked up some diapers at hole foods. (Yeah, I couldn’t defend myself against the tractor beam.) I kinda dislike rubbing shoulders with all the well-off people in there. Somehow the hole (sic) place just makes me feel squeemish; alas, it does carry a lot of stuff that our family buys. (Suffer me this self-indulgent linkage –> I’ve blogged about HF before over here too.) So, when I go in there I get this sort of smug feeling of goodness when I know that I am there to get diapers for my son. And, I may be socially sick enough to think that this is lifestyle high ground – as if having children were universally considered the most meaningful thing you can do in your life. I know there are people who say things along those lines. And, I know there are those who disagree – the founder of PETA, for example, thinks it is vain to bring another purebred human into this world. Then there is the more sort of utilitarian world-view for not having a child given the rate at which it is likely it will consume natural resources, etc. (especially in the american, including myself, rate of consumption.) Not that long ago, I think I sided a little more on the utilitarian side. But, here I am now unable to imagine any other possibility but the lovely family life fate has dealt us. And, here ladyjoanna and I are occasionally pondering the idea of “another”?

This does make me think a bit more about my view on this has evolved over time. It seems that probably at the zenith of my single life – about to travel to Australia, out of debt, gainfully employed, and while alone, generally living well – I recall my sister Lori asking me whether I was going to ever have kids. I remember that at that time I really couldn’t think of it. I’m not even sure I was interested in thinking how that could happen, although I think I showed a genuine love for kids (though probably not he problems that having one incurs), as I *think* my sister also saw, and what perhaps prompted the question… In any case, my answer to her was a sort of evasive one claiming that I had enough problems finding a girlfriend.

Actually, As far as the diaper buying feelings go, I think it is just pride in having such a prosaic task which will have tangible positive impact at home. Btw, we do cloth diapers during the day, but use these at night and while traveling, and before my errand we were plum out of them.

Of course, it would be ideal if we could get the boy potty trained. We’re loath to rush him, but I’m tired (and I’m sure I can speak for the lady of the house) of the frequency of adult to poop contact. Doesn’t help that the wee lad poops softly. He’s never really had a turd, per se. Our pediatrician in unconcerned, so no worries, but gosh a turd would result in an easier clean up job.

that’s it … that’s my vain life as a parent … pictures coming soon

“way ow we, mama?” says levi

“we’re at the gas station” replies ladyjoanna

The question of “where are we” inspires great wonder in me, especially now that Levi uses it more. How did he learn this useful phrase? Surely we have asked him “do you know where we are?” before…I can feel that question on my lips. Maybe when we go somewhere new, and especially on our trip to Maine. Levi was confronted with some heavy concepts, like statehood. Surely, statehood is confusing, mostly mythological, to just about everyone, but it is kind of a brand, too. Somehow New England gets many brands – Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, etc. You can travel for a full day through Texas and it is still Texas. What could any of this mean to a toddler. At times Maine meant “not home” and at times he really wanted to “go home” (with a hard “H” sound that is really cute.) But, he also wanted to know where we were a lot, and I think it is because he wanted a name for it, so he could refer to it later, just as we did. I’m glad he learned how to ask for this himself.