Braydon

It was a gorgeous day and we finally got to spend some time outside. I have a new video camera and couldn’t resist filming as the boys played simply in the sandbox.

Note: if the video looks cut off, double click on it to watch directly on youtube.

Heather is at a conference in Philly this weekend – doing an “Author Meets Critic” session at ESS for her book (I know, shameless plug by me); and though it’s stressful for her, can you say super proud husband?

That also means it’s boys’-night-out-and-day-out-and-night-out here at casa de la J-M. Except that we have 7 inches of ice and snow, so it’s more like Boys’-night-making-sure-we-don’t-go-nuts. Which we didn’t.

After I got the call from the daycare that it was closing in 10 minutes (we live 20 minutes away on a good day), and I rushed over (it took me 30 minutes) and got them, we came home, got into snow suits and made the most of the freezing rain while we had light.

Got out the sled and the boys got a ride up the hill and down the hill. Then we got out the fast sled and they went flying down the hill – and loved it. ‘again!’ ‘again!’. What a riot. They also did a great job of helping me shovel, even with Owen insisting on using Papi’s shovel (since his full size one clearly was not good enough).

We ate supper (an awesome shrimp in pesto cream sauce over penne – left overs from dinner Heather made last night – can you believe we get to eat like that, and that she can do that as well as everything else?!?! You might, but it really amazes me.) and watched videos.

Got ready for bed (which by yourself is no mean feat), read books and said prayers. During prayers, K&O sat on either side of me and tried to peek around me to get the other one to laugh. Then Kyle kissed Elmo good night while Owen played with Thomas as I said good night to Kyle.

In my book that’s a good boys’ night out-ish.

Now I’m going to watch a movie and hope we don’t lose power.

After Mor Mor & Mor Far left today we went to Panera for lunch and Lowe’s to get some birdseed. At Lowe’s, naturally, we had to sit on the riding lawn mowers (first things first of course), then we got the bird seed and then we looked at the washer and dryers.

While we were browsing the washing machines a nice black family came up and starting chatting with us and smiling at the boys. Both O & K pounded (when you hit your fist on the other person’s fist) with them as a way of saying hi.

Then as we were heading to the checkout line Owen exclaimed: “Look, it’s just like Joy-Lin!” and pointed to a cute young Asian girl with her mother. Joy-Lin is the Chinese adopted daughter of Chris and Lisa.

After passing them, Owen then points to a middle-age white woman and states: “Look, it’s just like Amy!” Amy is our great neighbor who is white.

This all took place in the span of 3 minutes or less. And they are not even 3 yet.

K & O are starting to recognize numbers – 1, 2, 3, 4…. And even the letters O, K and sometimes M and P.

And they evidently recognize R, even if they don’t yet recognize the letter.

This past New Year’s eve we went to Morristown NJ for first night and had a great time. There were street vendors galore and one of them was selling noisemakers in the form of 2 foot long plastic trumpet-horns. Of course we had to get two, but they proved too difficult to actually do – you had to really do it like a trumpet. Owen had a little luck, but not a lot.

The next week, Owen really got a handle on how to do it and has been trumpeting along as loud as possible. Kyle gave it a one shot, but dropped it and stuck to his other trumpet (the one where you just blow into it and press the keys).

But tonight – Kyle picked it up and nailed it. He was so thrilled and proud of him self – it was a beautiful thing to see. Maybe not hear, but see. And he loved to see him self playing and marching in the reflection in the window (since it’s dark out).

He does things a bit different that Owen. Either, he works at it and works at it and works at it and masters it – and then has to challenge himself by trying tricky things to make it more difficult. Or, he waits and waits and waits, and then just does it on the first try.

Now, knowing him, since he can “play” this trumpet, he’ll try to figure out how to make is play a tune (it only plays one note). Or he’ll do it while standing upside down, or jumping off the bed, or something.

Alex invited us to go to a stand-in she and some of her friends were hosting tonight at Lehigh to support the Vagina Monologues and stopping violence against women. There was going to be music and singing and dancing and food and fun. We of course decided to go – all of us. Which in itself would make it quite a rich experience.

When I picked up the boys at daycare, Jessica told me that her Step Team was going on earlier than planned – they were going on at 6:05. In my struggle to get the boys out the door and into the car, it didn’t register that we now only had about an hour before she was on. In fact, it didn’t register at all – when Heather called me to tell me she had finished her tenure portfolio (yahoo!!!), and I told her and she somewhat freaked out – then I realized.

So we raced home, got Heather and raced back to Lehigh. We arrived to Lamberton hall a few minutes before six and strolled in. There were balloons all over the great hall floor, and after saying hi to Alex and a number of other people who came up to us (you can’t take Heather anywhere at Lehigh without having many many people come up – and with K&O it’s even more dramatic) K&O got down to business playing with the balloons.

When the step team started we sat on the floor a listened – Kyle was mesmerized and Owen was totally into it – and they were really good (the step team and K&O were really good). Later Kyle would be heard ‘stomp stomp’ like he was doing it. And at home while getting ready for bed – and after a manner of speaking, he was doing it.

The performers took a little break, we got the boys “Until the Violence Stops” pins and vagina shaped chocolate lollipops (which they promptly ate). Owen played pin the clit on the Vagina blindfolded (no I am not making these things up).

Then Alex and the Lehigh Echos (female a Capella group) took the stage. K&O loved it and also loved kicking the balloons around during the performance. Several popped – that was a bit scary for Owen, but he went, picked up the rubber pieces and threw them in the trash like a good, tidyo boy.

After The Echos, Owen decided he wanted some water, so I got him a glass – which he proudly carried around for about 20 minutes like he was a little adult. Kyle on the other hand, found someone to swing him around in circles. Then we got to hear Alex sing her solo (with back up singers and guitar) – she was really great. Owen loved it and it was time to say bye and head home.

All in all, a really great and very rich experience.

This past fall we went to a Lehigh game with some friends – and the highlight far and away for K&O was the marching band. Since then the boys have spent many a day marching around the house as a “Marching Band”, banging on any number of things.

But we have apparently taken it to a new level. On Super Bowl Sunday we were over at our next door neighbor’s house with Mor Far watching the game, but K&O (and mostly K) were mostly interested in the marching band. Of course, there wasn’t a real marching band at the Super Bowl – just the crazy thing that Prince had backing him up. But they were into it none-the-less.

Heather and I talked a bit about it and I added “Drumline” to our NetFlix Queue. It arrived yesterday and we watched it for the first time. Well, more specifically we watched parts of it, since it’s actually rated PG-13. We actually only watched the Marching Band parts – which was all the boys really wanted to see anyway. Drumline is actually a pretty decent movie. And we like it since the main character is black and the focus is around black marching bands. Always a good thing for us.

Kyle was completely absorbed by it. He couldn’t even blink as he watched. Every once and a while his little body would jerk in response to the music, but he was basically 100% immersed. Owen was very interested and into it, but Kyle’s level of engagement bordered on odd. If Kyle were my biological child, people would just chalk it up to that. For that matter, people might do that anyway (just not my genes). It’s really quite something.

So we all went to bed. For most of the night. For some of the night. Actually we were all up throughout the night last night – Kyle for about 3 hours (with Heather – God bless her). In hindsight maybe the marching band was to blame, I am not sure.

When Kyle woke up this morning, the first thing out of his mouth was: “Marching Band Video”. Sure – why not. So we went down stairs and watched all the marching band parts of Drumline. Again, he was unbelievably into it. We noticed that he particularly liked the Conductor parts – and the parts with the WHOLE Marching Band (not the drum solos). Meaning his body moved from it’s coma-like Marching Band induced state to move to the music a bit.

Heather wonders if he is a bit self-conscious about his level of engagement – he is so into it – but embarrassed to let it show (like dance around like a crazy man – which he does to Dora the Explorer).

So, after Drumline, we had a late breakfast. And immediately after that (around 10 am), Kyle announced he needed to go to bed, he was sleepy, tired and sick (he’s not sick). Heather took him up and put him down, but he wouldn’t go to sleep. He just lay there for about an hour. Heather figures he was just so exhausted from his Highly Stimulating Marching Band Experience that he just had to crash. I totally agree.

Owen went upstairs and got him up – and Kyle was as chipper and happy as could be – it was something. We then went and did some errands (and went to lunch at the Macaroni Grill – a new family favorite.

When we got home around 4:30, after playing outside in the 27 degree weather for about 30 minutes, we went inside and Kyle announced he wanted to watch “Marching Band Video”. So we did. All the marching band parts of Drumline. And this time we broke out all our various band-like instruments – notably the drums. And we all played to the movie – and loud. This time Kyle was sooo into playing. He had the cymbals (little finger ones my sister gave them) and was going bananas hitting them to the music. Owen was going crazy hitting the drum that he had hanging around his shoulders. And Heather and wailed away on other drums. Quite a sight.

So now I am doing research on Marching Band videos to feed my child’s new obsession. I mean obsession in the best possible way – because of course I love it. Heather cringes when I say this, but I would be happy to have Kyle be a band geek.

For a couple Haiti-born fellows, K&O are really getting a handle on rural Americana – even if they are not quite sure what the right words are.

Each morning that I drive them to daycare I go “Papi’s way” (as opposed to bearing left and going “Mommy’s way”) which takes us up over a little mountain. It also passes corn fields and horse pastures (so does Mommy’s way…).

Almost always the boys point out the various land marks as we pass them: “Papi – look – pretty fields!” “Papi – look – corn!” (well, not at the moment, but this summer they did that). “Papi – look – donkey foot down there!”

What is “donkey foot” you ask? Well, no matter how often we say “look at those horses!” the boys insist they are “donkey foots”. Horses = donkey foot go figure.

Last week on the way back from daycare we stopped to watch a woman riding a donkey foot. Now that was a treat!

The next evolution in Owen’s linguistic development is beginning to emerge. Previously he regularly called out for “Mapi” (Mama+Papi) for something. It might go like this:

“Mapi, did you see that that?”

“Mapi, I want warm milk…”

“No, no, I want Mapi.”

Who steps up when he calls out “Mapi!” ? We both do of course.

Recently he’s added a new one: “Pami” [pronounced ‘pahmee’] = Papi+Mommy. Tonight at dinner we heard:

1. “I can’t have that hot dog Pami“

2. “Pami, I want pudding.”

3. “Did you see that, that Pami???

1 could have been for me or Heather – I sat next to Owen, but Heather makes dinner
2 could have been for me or Heather – same as reason one
3 could have been for me or Heather – just depends on the toddler antics of the moment

But ultimately, like Mapi – it makes me proud that our boy sees the care he gets from both of us as so equal that he mashes up the language into one call out.

That, or he’s just super super clever on how to get the maximum reaction for the minimum spoken word.

Recently Kyle discovered the joy of playing with water. More accurately, he re-discovered it, since both boys really have always loved it. But what he discovered is playing in the upstairs sink by himself with the soap (see blog post here). Today, he enlightened Owen to the joys of the sink and the soap.

Heather and I decided we could let them play for a couple minutes while we dressed (I am sure you can now see where this is going). All was well, we heard lots of chatter and splashing and delight.

I finished getting dressed and went to check on them. As I rounded the corner, I could see a stream of water rolling across the floor. When I looked in to see what they were doing, there was water everywhere.

They had filled the sink with water, and then filled it with washcloths and soap. In doing so, they covered the overflow hole on the sink. Water cascaded down the side of the counter and pooled all over the floor. Naturally, I exclaimed “Heather, I need your help now.” She ran in, we removed the perpetrators from the scene to their roars of laughter and “what happened mapi?”

We proceeded to clean up. Five or so towels later after the floor was dry and the carpet draining in the tub, we found that two of the cabinet drawers were filled with water and under the sink had an inch of water as well. Kyle and Owen were now having a fantastic time jumping off the bed, running over, looking over the gate and asking “what happened mama/papi?”

I went downstairs and noticed that the ceiling was leaking and dripping on the floor – in several places. In fact there was a nice pool in between the kitchen and playroom. The drywall tape was bubbling and dripping. I went to the basement and…. there was dripping and a pool there as well. The water had travelled into the walls and was making the house circuit. Other than put more towels down there was little we could do.

We went out to the grocery store and by the time we had returned the dripping in the basement and the kitchen had stopped. The carpet is still draining in the tub.

Really, we only left them playing for about 5 minutes in total. But 5 minutes x 3 gallons per minute x twin 2 year olds…. ’nuff said.