Joshua says, "Wren is a fierce player of soccer."
Its true. During Frost's soccer games he loves to run along kicking the ball up and down and if another child approaches he stops and picks it up protectively.
Josh and Frost are going to the Brazil vs Canada Soccer match this month.
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Animals were frisky at the Zoo
This morning Wren and I waited at the Zoo Gates at opening time. A group of elderly people in the Zoo Walkers program did exercises in a..
[aside: I am in some awful spot between English English and American English. I NEVER know when to use a Z vs an S and invariably make the wrong choice. You Americans... what is the principle? Why is it exercise surprise but organize or realize? I used to be a good speller but now I am just confuzed.]
... circle, waving their arms and raising their knees slowly in time with the zoo exercise trainer.
A group of kids and grandparents from out of town all wore matching red sweatshirts proclaiming something biblical. I could hear the siamungs hooting in the distance as we paid our $4 for parking. Wren was very excited at the display of stuffed flamingo in the shop window. The flamingo exhibit will open on the 24th of May and everyone is anticipating the birds.
I don't know whether it was the early hour, feeding time or destiny but we had the best zoo visit ever. I had meant to stop in for half an hour but so many animals were so exciting that we stayed for an hour and a half and Wren passed out asleep almost as soon as I strapped him in his carseat.
This is what we saw:
[aside: I am in some awful spot between English English and American English. I NEVER know when to use a Z vs an S and invariably make the wrong choice. You Americans... what is the principle? Why is it exercise surprise but organize or realize? I used to be a good speller but now I am just confuzed.]
... circle, waving their arms and raising their knees slowly in time with the zoo exercise trainer.
A group of kids and grandparents from out of town all wore matching red sweatshirts proclaiming something biblical. I could hear the siamungs hooting in the distance as we paid our $4 for parking. Wren was very excited at the display of stuffed flamingo in the shop window. The flamingo exhibit will open on the 24th of May and everyone is anticipating the birds.
I don't know whether it was the early hour, feeding time or destiny but we had the best zoo visit ever. I had meant to stop in for half an hour but so many animals were so exciting that we stayed for an hour and a half and Wren passed out asleep almost as soon as I strapped him in his carseat.
This is what we saw:
- The African Wild dogs were standing in a row at the glass viewing window with their ears wide. They were on alert. We stood right there by them before realizing they were looking past us at ..
- the new Lioness who moved into her enclosure 2 days earlier and was looking at the wild dogs through her window. The wild dogs were very anxious until she turned and..
- walked all around in her enclosure, hiding in the grass, going down to the water, peeking out behind logs. In short.. moving more than most lions move in the daytime,
- The sun bears were galloping around their enclosure with one chasing the other. They appeared to be fighting but it could have been mating behaviour. They have very fierce looking teeth and the dominant one snarled at the other, chasing it into the ditch, up a tree, down a log, over a cliff. They just went round and round, their claws slipping and scratching on the logs as they climbed and dropped after each other.
- The budgies at Willawong station sat on my arm and tried to land on Wren's shoulder
- The grizzly bear jumped into the salmon pond, splashed about, then lay there for a nap. Wren said "ish ish" about the salmon.
- The snowy owl (ookpik) was sitting right out on a log.
- All THREE tapirs were right by the glass eating. After finishing their food the single tapir (enclosed separately to the other pair) started walking around and came right within arms reach of me over the wooden rail fence. Then he startled at a crow/child screech and frisked off and then came back. The tapir is a startlingly lovely and big animal. I wish I had seen a wild and free tapir too.
- The Giraffe were waiting by the fence, hoping the gate would open to let them out into the savannah.
There was more, but those were the highlights.
I am keep to return to the zoo another morning and see whether the animals are often this active early in the opening day.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The Seattle Symphony or "Who is playing the Bassinette?"
On Saturday, Frost and I attended the Seattle Symphony Series for young people. The theme of the performance was Peter and the Wolf although there were a number of other pieces performed.
I was concerned about taking Frost to the Symphony and he started complaining as soon as I mentioned it that morning. He wanted to play video games. He wanted to stay at home. He WAS NOT GOING. He was fed up with me being "the boss of" him. "You are not the boss of me!" and I had apparently promised he would not have to leave the house on the weekend.
We arrived in time to join the convoy of minivans entering the Beneroya Hall parking garage. I felt svelte in the Subaru. Our seat was in the 8th row and Frost was interested to see the huge kettle drums and the String Family warming up.
Throughout the performance (between pieces) there was narration, encouring the kids to listen for certain moods, sounds, instruments and techniques. Frost was very attentive although he squirmed, slumped, slouched, fell to the floor and took his shoes off rather than sitting as I expected Good Kids To Do. I could not help but glance around at the other, often younger, girls sitting quiet and still in their flouncy dresses.
Despite his aerobic activity, Frost was very moved by the music. He kept asking whispered questions and thumped his body along to the tempo of the music. His head banging in time made the whole row of seats shudder so I had to ask him to stop it.
Afterwards he commented "didn't you think I behaved well?"
He was so sincere that I had to agree. He had been listening because since then he comments on violins, classical music and the different kinds of instruments in an orchestra. He is curious about who pays a musician to perform and whether they practice or just learn.
I want to play around on a violin but I don't want lessons
Frost and I had two arguments at the Symphony. The first, is a recurrent one which is that since Frost visited a music store with Josh, he has decided he wants a violin. We have said that is a possibility but that he would need to take lessons.
"No, I don't want lessons"
"Well, you need to have lessons if you are going to get a violin"
"No, I will just play it myself and learn like that"
[I am too weary of the discussion to go over it again. Perhaps I am wrong? Is it unreasonable to expect a child to take lessons if they have or rent an expensive instrument? Frost has this strong aversion to pedagogy and while I respect the self-taught thing in Joshua it is less appealing in my 6 year old. Neither do I want to get in the situation of dragging a reluctant child to lessons and bribing or threatening him to practice. Its just a setup for failure.]
We ended our argument with a "lets talk about it later".
When we came home Joshua dusted off the Cello from the basement and despite its missing g-string Frost took great pleasure in making noises on it. He kept saying "don't you think I'm doing a good job on the cello?"
He said he might even do lessons if he HAD TO DO LESSONS TO GET A VIOLIN. Or he might learn the cello.
We kept quiet.
The other argument was a short one. Frost said "Who is playing the bassinette?" I looked around the stage for a moment with my mind going tick tock. Finally, I figured it out.
"There isn't an instrument called a bassinette. There's a basoon and a clarinette"
"there IS a basinette!"
"No, there isn't"
"I heard them say BASINETTE!"
"Oh, there is a basinette that babies sleep in!"
"Oh, that's what it is. Well, who is playing the basoon?"
I was concerned about taking Frost to the Symphony and he started complaining as soon as I mentioned it that morning. He wanted to play video games. He wanted to stay at home. He WAS NOT GOING. He was fed up with me being "the boss of" him. "You are not the boss of me!" and I had apparently promised he would not have to leave the house on the weekend.
We arrived in time to join the convoy of minivans entering the Beneroya Hall parking garage. I felt svelte in the Subaru. Our seat was in the 8th row and Frost was interested to see the huge kettle drums and the String Family warming up.
Throughout the performance (between pieces) there was narration, encouring the kids to listen for certain moods, sounds, instruments and techniques. Frost was very attentive although he squirmed, slumped, slouched, fell to the floor and took his shoes off rather than sitting as I expected Good Kids To Do. I could not help but glance around at the other, often younger, girls sitting quiet and still in their flouncy dresses.
Despite his aerobic activity, Frost was very moved by the music. He kept asking whispered questions and thumped his body along to the tempo of the music. His head banging in time made the whole row of seats shudder so I had to ask him to stop it.
Afterwards he commented "didn't you think I behaved well?"
He was so sincere that I had to agree. He had been listening because since then he comments on violins, classical music and the different kinds of instruments in an orchestra. He is curious about who pays a musician to perform and whether they practice or just learn.
I want to play around on a violin but I don't want lessons
Frost and I had two arguments at the Symphony. The first, is a recurrent one which is that since Frost visited a music store with Josh, he has decided he wants a violin. We have said that is a possibility but that he would need to take lessons.
"No, I don't want lessons"
"Well, you need to have lessons if you are going to get a violin"
"No, I will just play it myself and learn like that"
[I am too weary of the discussion to go over it again. Perhaps I am wrong? Is it unreasonable to expect a child to take lessons if they have or rent an expensive instrument? Frost has this strong aversion to pedagogy and while I respect the self-taught thing in Joshua it is less appealing in my 6 year old. Neither do I want to get in the situation of dragging a reluctant child to lessons and bribing or threatening him to practice. Its just a setup for failure.]
We ended our argument with a "lets talk about it later".
When we came home Joshua dusted off the Cello from the basement and despite its missing g-string Frost took great pleasure in making noises on it. He kept saying "don't you think I'm doing a good job on the cello?"
He said he might even do lessons if he HAD TO DO LESSONS TO GET A VIOLIN. Or he might learn the cello.
We kept quiet.
The other argument was a short one. Frost said "Who is playing the bassinette?" I looked around the stage for a moment with my mind going tick tock. Finally, I figured it out.
"There isn't an instrument called a bassinette. There's a basoon and a clarinette"
"there IS a basinette!"
"No, there isn't"
"I heard them say BASINETTE!"
"Oh, there is a basinette that babies sleep in!"
"Oh, that's what it is. Well, who is playing the basoon?"
Friday, April 25, 2008
Little Readers
Recently, Wren has been very interested in board books about trucks. Its that whole construction obsession that strikes young (male) toddlers from time to time. As with Frost, we have started to haunt construction sites in hopes of seeing a digger at work.
Wren's favorite construction board book is this one, by Caterpillar. He reads the book by turning pages rapidly until he comes to the one of a skid-steer loading gravel. He sticks at that pages for 5 minutes saying and signing "up, up" presumably because it is lifting gravel up in the picture.
Next, he turns to the following page of a mass excavator with its shovel down. He says "up up" again for a long time. He cries if I turn the page. Again, he obsesses over this particular picture (does he remember the excavator we watched digging?) The only way to "read" this book with him is to stop on these two pages FOR AGES and talk about them.
I end up talking about excavators digging (Wren says "dig") and lifting rocks up ( he echos "up up.") I tell him about the excavator claw and make a claw with my hand (he copies the claw and makes digging with claw motions). Eventually I tire and hide the book which results in tears.
I have been explaining to Frost that he can't watch so much TV because it is bad for him and Wren and that he is a big role model for Wren. I told him that Wren would do new things if he showed him how. This worked very well when Frost was persuaded to read his chapter book on the couch. Wren brought his board book to read next to Frost. They were a very sweet picture and for once did not pose for my photograph.
Wren's favorite construction board book is this one, by Caterpillar. He reads the book by turning pages rapidly until he comes to the one of a skid-steer loading gravel. He sticks at that pages for 5 minutes saying and signing "up, up" presumably because it is lifting gravel up in the picture.
Next, he turns to the following page of a mass excavator with its shovel down. He says "up up" again for a long time. He cries if I turn the page. Again, he obsesses over this particular picture (does he remember the excavator we watched digging?) The only way to "read" this book with him is to stop on these two pages FOR AGES and talk about them.
I end up talking about excavators digging (Wren says "dig") and lifting rocks up ( he echos "up up.") I tell him about the excavator claw and make a claw with my hand (he copies the claw and makes digging with claw motions). Eventually I tire and hide the book which results in tears.
I have been explaining to Frost that he can't watch so much TV because it is bad for him and Wren and that he is a big role model for Wren. I told him that Wren would do new things if he showed him how. This worked very well when Frost was persuaded to read his chapter book on the couch. Wren brought his board book to read next to Frost. They were a very sweet picture and for once did not pose for my photograph.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Melancholy of Grinding Cinnamon
This morning Frost asked for cinnamon sugar toast but when I checked the cinnamon it was all gone.
In the pantry I have a huge glass jar of cinnamon bark which I helped prepare from the cinnamon (kayu manis - sweet wood) tree while living in Banda, Indonesia. I took down the jar and started to grind up a piece of the bark to refill the spice jar. While grinding, the aroma of cinnamon dust gave me a flashback to the patch of grass and blue tarp where we laid out the wood. To the heat and humidity of the island, of Mamamina whom I have neglected to write to (because my bahasa is so foul after a decade of misuse) and the coral sea so rich in fish and hot springs from the volcano.
From that glimpse of melancholy I drifted to missing Africa and the trees with extravagant flowers and seed pods that hang like whole chickens from the low branches. And I miss the sun and the family and rivers that flood with red topsoil into the green-greasy ocean.
My kitchen feels so isolated by comparison with other worlds where people are anchored by need in each others lives.
Wren is now unpacking the dishwasher and poking the clean knives and forks into the heating vents. I hope they are not going down.
In the pantry I have a huge glass jar of cinnamon bark which I helped prepare from the cinnamon (kayu manis - sweet wood) tree while living in Banda, Indonesia. I took down the jar and started to grind up a piece of the bark to refill the spice jar. While grinding, the aroma of cinnamon dust gave me a flashback to the patch of grass and blue tarp where we laid out the wood. To the heat and humidity of the island, of Mamamina whom I have neglected to write to (because my bahasa is so foul after a decade of misuse) and the coral sea so rich in fish and hot springs from the volcano.
From that glimpse of melancholy I drifted to missing Africa and the trees with extravagant flowers and seed pods that hang like whole chickens from the low branches. And I miss the sun and the family and rivers that flood with red topsoil into the green-greasy ocean.
My kitchen feels so isolated by comparison with other worlds where people are anchored by need in each others lives.
Wren is now unpacking the dishwasher and poking the clean knives and forks into the heating vents. I hope they are not going down.
CHD's in dogs?
Among the blogs I enjoy daily is one by a South African named Tertia. Her blog "So Close" is about her family life (with twins) after a long period of infertility. In today's post she writes about the sudden death of the family puppy. Here she reports on the autopsy findings:
A full examination is done and we have our answer. Thank goodness, thank you with all my heart, the dog didn’t suffer. She had heart failure due to a genetic disorder. She must have died instantly and peacefully. I can’t tell you how much that helps me. The thought of her suffering was killing me. She was such a sweet, loving dog.
The vet says it is fairly common. Their hearts become enlarged and simply give in. My heart feels like it has taken a severe beating this week. I’m exhausted. I feel so terribly sorry for my baby dog. I’m glad she had a good life, albeit a far too short life. And I am so glad she went peacefully.
Inherited Heart Disease
The breed's primary heart problem is Subarterial Aortic Stenosis (SAS) but goldens also face Mitral Valve Dysplasia and other valve problems.
SAS is a restriction of the aorta, usually by a ring of fibrous tissue, just after it leaves the heart. This restriction results in a distinct murmur (due to backflow and turbulence), heart enlargement, and restricted blood flow. As with CHD, affected dogs can be asymptomatic or severely crippled by this disease. SAS can also lead to sudden death, even in very young dogs. It is thought to be a genetic disease with a polygenic dominant mode of inheritance. Since many goldens have innocent (non-SAS) murmurs as puppies, breeding adults must be cleared by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist.
So, the puppy died of Wren's CHD (without treatment)! I am surprised to hear that there is even a veterinary cardiologist!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Spring, Summer, Snow
We have had really peculiar weather recently as these before and after shots show. In the first, Wren is enjoying a popsicle last week. It was 78 degrees in the afternoon and we wore sunblock, hats and t-shirts in the garden.
The second picture was taken this evening. Wren is surveying the "doh!" [snow] from the front porch. You can also see the poor little spring flowers I planted last week, their tags snowed over and one of Frost's little "guys" [another of Wren's new words] lying forgotten under the slush.
Josh has dusted off the firelogs in the basement and we are having a nice warm fire while the spring snow accumulates. According to our local paper this weather is atypical and we should have record low temperatures and fresh powder snow on the passes tomorrow.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Random Daddy Sightings
Now that Wren can speak a bit I am able to understand his squeals more easily. This morning, we were playing in The Minivan in the Swanson's Nursery parking lot when Wren starting pointing and squeaking out the window. He was saying "dada, dada, dada" with some urgency. I looked up from my novel [which I carry at all times because Wren insists on play-driving the minivan rather than getting directly into his seat] and saw that he was pointing at a bald-headed guy in a great long-sleeved t-shirt and gray jeans. Apparently, Wren thought he was Joshua because of the head.
Since the man kept walking Wren changed to "buh bye" and resumed playing with the control panel.
I tried to explain to Wren that this guy had way bigger shoulders than Joshua. I mean, he looked like a discus thrower in that department, but perhaps that is not something babies notice.
Uh oh. I hear thumping from the bedroom. Wren has woken and is throwing books.
Since the man kept walking Wren changed to "buh bye" and resumed playing with the control panel.
I tried to explain to Wren that this guy had way bigger shoulders than Joshua. I mean, he looked like a discus thrower in that department, but perhaps that is not something babies notice.
Uh oh. I hear thumping from the bedroom. Wren has woken and is throwing books.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Attack of the Preposition
This morning, Wren is walking around the house with a pair of spoons putting them up on things "Up, up" and then putting them on the floor and saying "down, down". Sometimes he climbs on a chair and says "up" and then gets "down down". I made a pile of folded sheets to put in the laundry cupboard and he climbed up on the pile "up" and then "down" about ten times.
He also does "ope" and "ut, ut" with drawers in which animals hide or spoons are secreted. Doors can also ope' and 'ut with the added drama of slamming and getting locked in.
I am following the prepositional olympics with my [second] mug of instant coffee and two slices of toast. These are the paths of least resistance after a long broken night of Wren with a fever and a board meeting than finished after 10pm
Still, I am loving the daylight starting earlier.
He also does "ope" and "ut, ut" with drawers in which animals hide or spoons are secreted. Doors can also ope' and 'ut with the added drama of slamming and getting locked in.
I am following the prepositional olympics with my [second] mug of instant coffee and two slices of toast. These are the paths of least resistance after a long broken night of Wren with a fever and a board meeting than finished after 10pm
Still, I am loving the daylight starting earlier.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Throwupitis #3
You probably missed Throwupitis #1 and #2 because I didn't write them. Something about too much soap and getting sore fingers from hand washing and laundering bedding. Last Friday Frost had a whole night of vomiting. He was very limp on Saturday and languid on Sunday but is now recovered. On Monday Joshua came down with the disease and spent the night avoiding throwing up and feverish.
Wren followed.
Last night Wren threw up and was feverish. He is having many short naps today and refusing solids. It is at times like this that I am glad I am still nursing. All he wants to do is nurse and is very happy doing so.
I am eating extra to make up for their calorific deficiencies. Today I had egg and turkey ham on toast for breakfast, then yoghurt with honey and walnuts, then I fed a squirrel some walnuts, then I had half an orange pecan pastry and then (lunch) salad with chocolate pudding for desert.
I think it is all the nursing Wren is doing . I am just starved. The other explanation is that I am about to have a growth spurt. Lets just stick with the first approach.
Wren followed.
Last night Wren threw up and was feverish. He is having many short naps today and refusing solids. It is at times like this that I am glad I am still nursing. All he wants to do is nurse and is very happy doing so.
I am eating extra to make up for their calorific deficiencies. Today I had egg and turkey ham on toast for breakfast, then yoghurt with honey and walnuts, then I fed a squirrel some walnuts, then I had half an orange pecan pastry and then (lunch) salad with chocolate pudding for desert.
I think it is all the nursing Wren is doing . I am just starved. The other explanation is that I am about to have a growth spurt. Lets just stick with the first approach.
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