Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Obama
(2) commentsFriday, September 26, 2008
The Russian Rodney Dangerfield
Just watching the first presidential debate - I have to laugh. Even in a question about the relationship of the US to Russia, how often was Dmitri Medvedev mentioned? ZERO times. No respect, none at all.
On the plus side, presumably it lowers expectations!
(1) comments
On the plus side, presumably it lowers expectations!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Kid Update
No particular reason, just a good time to update.
M: Started pre-K two weeks ago. Today was her first day to be the "leader", which the kids apparently really want to do. Leader consists of ringing the bell at circle time, and perhaps holding a book, it's not clear. She obsesses about school; Saturday is a sad day because there is no school, and the mornings before it (she is in a semi-afternoon time slot) get very long because of this.
This is a federally funded program for which (I think) M is one of the "model" students, with equal number of "at risk" and "needy" ones, but really we just wanted her in the local school, with its diverse population and walking distance, so whatever. It does seem like they are doing things, like learning colors, which she mastered eons ago, but on the other hand it's SO good for her to finally be spending time with other kids on a regular basis. Also it is great for K because he gets some quality Mommy time during that time.
On the negative front, there are still fairly regular days where M just decides to let her underpants get wet instead of stopping whatever she's doing. Aargh. Also she has gotten very demanding and/or pesty, though some time-outs have curtailed that a little bit. She also, at the same time, is demonstrating some initial altruistic tendencies, so I suppose like all of us she is some of each, fair and foul.
K: Obsessed with certain words, namely "truck", "duck", and "ball". He knows what a ball is. Truck is a less clear concept, applied to any motorized vehicle with four or more wheels. He really, really likes trucks. Duck is an interesting metonymy (or is it synechdoche? Sorry, Ms. C., 8th grade English, I can't recall) because he generalizes it in TWO ways. Any bird, of any size, is a duck, and is lustily called so. However, anything which spends time in the water is ALSO a duck, such as a fish or hippopotamus. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time with one word covering hippo and crow, but not dog.
He also is too big and too strong. Nothing is safe around him. We used to laugh at the "Love you Forever" baby, who flushed his mother's watch down the toilet. M would never do that. K actually has placed many, many objects in the toilet; thankfully he does not know how to flush yet. He is a good boy too, though, very snuggly and loves to play with Dad and Mom . He just can't do all the big-kid things yet, or at least not safely (e.g. we have to watch him like a hawk on the sidewalk lest he decide the street is interesting), so there is time to wait.
I get to watch just K and another toddler in Sunday school time now, so combined with his special Mommy time while M is at school I feel like they are both starting to get that individual attention, as opposed to just him as an infant or just M as a late toddler. And they play pretty well together, and as soon as he is ready for toys that don't get crushed or for playing things like Candyland, I think they will really do well together. That makes a father pretty happy. Love you, kids!
So here's the update.
(1) comments
M: Started pre-K two weeks ago. Today was her first day to be the "leader", which the kids apparently really want to do. Leader consists of ringing the bell at circle time, and perhaps holding a book, it's not clear. She obsesses about school; Saturday is a sad day because there is no school, and the mornings before it (she is in a semi-afternoon time slot) get very long because of this.
This is a federally funded program for which (I think) M is one of the "model" students, with equal number of "at risk" and "needy" ones, but really we just wanted her in the local school, with its diverse population and walking distance, so whatever. It does seem like they are doing things, like learning colors, which she mastered eons ago, but on the other hand it's SO good for her to finally be spending time with other kids on a regular basis. Also it is great for K because he gets some quality Mommy time during that time.
On the negative front, there are still fairly regular days where M just decides to let her underpants get wet instead of stopping whatever she's doing. Aargh. Also she has gotten very demanding and/or pesty, though some time-outs have curtailed that a little bit. She also, at the same time, is demonstrating some initial altruistic tendencies, so I suppose like all of us she is some of each, fair and foul.
K: Obsessed with certain words, namely "truck", "duck", and "ball". He knows what a ball is. Truck is a less clear concept, applied to any motorized vehicle with four or more wheels. He really, really likes trucks. Duck is an interesting metonymy (or is it synechdoche? Sorry, Ms. C., 8th grade English, I can't recall) because he generalizes it in TWO ways. Any bird, of any size, is a duck, and is lustily called so. However, anything which spends time in the water is ALSO a duck, such as a fish or hippopotamus. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time with one word covering hippo and crow, but not dog.
He also is too big and too strong. Nothing is safe around him. We used to laugh at the "Love you Forever" baby, who flushed his mother's watch down the toilet. M would never do that. K actually has placed many, many objects in the toilet; thankfully he does not know how to flush yet. He is a good boy too, though, very snuggly and loves to play with Dad and Mom . He just can't do all the big-kid things yet, or at least not safely (e.g. we have to watch him like a hawk on the sidewalk lest he decide the street is interesting), so there is time to wait.
I get to watch just K and another toddler in Sunday school time now, so combined with his special Mommy time while M is at school I feel like they are both starting to get that individual attention, as opposed to just him as an infant or just M as a late toddler. And they play pretty well together, and as soon as he is ready for toys that don't get crushed or for playing things like Candyland, I think they will really do well together. That makes a father pretty happy. Love you, kids!
So here's the update.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
From the mouths of babes...
The setup: I am singing K's goodnight song, while V tries to deal with a pestering M.
M: Excuse me. Excuse me!
V: Daddy hears you, but you just have to wait.
M: But I don't know how to wait.
(Laughter)
M: Twelve-year olds know how to wait.
We can only hope.
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M: Excuse me. Excuse me!
V: Daddy hears you, but you just have to wait.
M: But I don't know how to wait.
(Laughter)
M: Twelve-year olds know how to wait.
We can only hope.
