Sunday, January 30, 2011

January 29, 2011 - Dear Mr. Picasso

Dear Mr. Picasso, Please tell me how to nurture this boys' interest and talent.

Not sure how or when he learned it. Certainly it wasn't from me.

But my Alex seems to be drawing at a level beyond his years. Of course much of his work is just lines and colors. But at two-years-old, his lines and curves and other shapes seem much sharper than his brother at an older age.


And this drawing of what Alex named himself "Beaver on a Branch" just blew me away.

January 28, 2011 - Dear Dr. Jazz

Dear Dr. Jazz,
My attempt to relive part of my childhood this week started off great, took a turn in the middle and then ended up okay.
I took the X Boys to see Chaplin shorts that were playing at a church with a live organist.

I have lots of fond memories going to see Chaplin films at the theater and then at Dr. Jazz, an old Chicago ice cream parlour.

Before going, I found a few shorts on youtube to introduce the boys to The Tramp. All went well until I put on The Kid before running upstairs.

Irma told me Max was the most shook up and sad that she's ever saw him. Someone stole a baby and Max couldn't relate to what he was seeing. He questioned. He cried. He got quiet. All while I was upstairs. I came down expecting to see a boy excited to see Chaplin films and instead found a boy that in a way lost his innocence.


Parenting Lesson # Whatever: Kids at this age can't distinguish between cartoon violence and real violence. Of course, that begs the question of why parents allow their kids to watch lots of different cartoons, but that's their deal. I'm done trying to save the world. Please just let me do right by my kids.


We ended up going to see the films, which due to technical difficulty started late. The first was about The Tramp getting drunk and acting silly. We explained that away as him drinking "Funny Water."
We didn't make it through all three films.

Parent Lesson # Whatever + 1: There is plenty of time to introduce your kids to what you loved as a kid.

January 7, 2011 - Dear Heroes

Dear Heroes,
I remember my mom saying that when I was young my father was my hero.


While seeing the movie The Fighter I realized that whether my boys' say it or not, I am their hero.


What a wonderful and scary thing to be.


I hope they're proud of me forever.

January 22, 2011 - Dear Mt. Everest,

Dear Mount Everest,
I'm predicting that in about 25 years there will be another boy making his attempt to climb you.

My Alex has become quite the climber. Seems like we can't leave him alone for a second without him finding something to climb. One day mama finds him on the kitchen counter. One day I find him sitting in the bathroom sink.


Again, when did he grow so much?



Saturday, January 8, 2011

November 10, 2010 - Dear Alex,

Dear Alex,
Some updates on you.

You shocked me when you counted to 20 this week. When did you learn that? And when did you get so big? And for that matter, when did you walk and talk and ...?

You're growing up so quickly.

You started a new school this week. Mama casually asked you if you wanted to go to school and you surprised us when you quickly said "yes." We went to look at the school that three of your cousins went to and you decided that this was no your school. We took you to buy a lunch box like your brothers'.

All of a sudden you displayed this sense of independence and this confidence that amazes us. It all just makes us more curious about the person hidden inside that small body.

Of course, just when we think you're such a big boy you do something like a little kid. You fell off the edge of the bench outside Las Paletas.

You were fine soon after you got over the pain (and got a new paleta). But you had a scar that lasted a week or so.