Through the Eyes of an Urban Toddler

Winding Down

If summer for a school teacher had a shape, I think it'd have to be like one of those funnels for coins. (You know, the kind they always have at the doorway of a sciency museum, the ones you always end up emptying your pockets for because of how fun the kids think it is to watch the money go around and around into the abyss.) When you finally drop in, after an extra few days cleaning up -- or, heaven forbid, having to move -- your classroom, the days feel kind of wobbly, long and slow even if you're moving rather fast. But then by the time it's almost over, it's like the days themselves are speeding up and shrinking in size to the point where you feel like you can actually see them physically come to an end right before your eyes.

I really can't speak for anyone else, but I find the whole thing a little unsettling. And yet, believe it or not, I also find having 9-10 consecutive weeks off of work isn't always as easy as it sounds. However, I'm not about to spend my last few precious moments of it trying to explain why.

Instead, let me just focus on the positive and tell you how great it's been to be in our pajamas till 10a, and roaming the streets for as long or far as we like in the day, not worried in the slightest if bath time started at 9p or simply didn't happen.

And Django is such a different creature than he was back in early June -- no longer nursing, no longer fussing when I have to be away (whether that "away" is to the bathroom or to the dentist,) no longer asking for a hand over every threshold and up every curb or ladder. He now recognizes all letters and numerals with near

100% accuracy, counts from 0-20 with ease, sings songs from memory (see earlier video proof) and recites lines from story books throughout the day. He cooks imaginary food and spends imaginary money, and if your especially fluent in Djanguage you might even catch him telling a joke. I tried to teach him to change his own diapers, but...that didn't go so well. Kidding.


In another two weeks, we'll be back to the old routine (slightly modified) -- up at 6a, out of the house by 7:15a, at school till 1p, home with Max in tow from then till 6p, on to dinner, bath and bed, repeat...Hard to imagine from here.

Getting Lyrical

A few weeks ago during our family road trip, Django literally woke up and counted to 10+ and started listing the alphabet (see description in that earlier post, whenever I manage to get it written, that is!) This week he spontaneously began reciting the lyrics to songs.

The thing that has me most baffled about it is that I never heard the skills in-the-making. He didn't ever chime in while I was singing, or throw out a line or two, just to let me know he was working on memorizing them. Nope. All of a sudden, there they were in complete form -- or as complete as an almost-20 month old could be expected to get.

While I was videoing him car-chasing with his friend Zoe, he recognized the Itsy Bitsy Spider song was playing, so I took the opportunity to ask him to recite it, and then Twinkle, Twinkle. Under the pressure to perform he mixed them each up a little, but I still think you'll be amazed. I know I was.

A Surprise Every Time

I love these goldfish days of summer, the ones where the world-at-large is actually quite small, and even when swimming the same set of swishes over and over again, the little plastic castle -- or playground, in this case -- still comes as a happy little surprise, every time.

Django's no longer content to talk just about what happens to him or me over the course of a day. Now his replays are also full of the trials and triumphs of people we never met -- "Big boy lost blue car sad cry" / "Dada up carry girl shoulders ride." This week he's been intently focused on the right thing to say to get other kids to do what he wants -- "Please orange ball Django back." (He's been practicing different versions of that line for days now.) And he spent at least an hour one afternoon holding out a toy toward anyone within reach, saying "Want to play?" only to immediately retract his hand & toy if anyone actually became interested in the offer.

I've been really trying to do my part to help Django along this curve of social development, but he makes me laugh so much with the way he looks at me so seriously while I'm talking/modeling and then turns his head and looks away, as if to say, "No, that's not really where I'm going with this idea. I'll try to tell you again. See if you can keep up this time." If nothing else, I suppose I'm teaching him one great truth, which is that being human is funny!

Here's what I've been great at showing him these days: how to drink from water fountains, how to eat popsicles. how to run downhill, how to joyride on public transit, and how to take a long nap in the middle of the day.

Our summer travels were truly wonderful, but I must say just being home is pretty nice, too.

4th of July in Park City

Just decided I'm going to try a different method here. Since I've been avoiding/stewing on the difficult process of finding the right words for this amazing week, I'm going to stop trying to post it as a finished product. I am hereby beginning it as a work-in-progress.

I think most people simply give a whole number in response to the question: How many siblings do you have? I suppose I could, too. (I mean, most people also skip the details and say "great" or "all right" or "not so good" when asked: How are you -- right?) But my answer has always been more complicated than that. Lately, it starts with the words, "It depends..." And I have a feeling that's how Django will end up starting his answer, too.

Family Road Trip '09

Little Bit Manic

I remember back in college, my happiest days were always the ones spent planning the next quarter. Somehow, the reality of actually taking the courses wasn't near as much fun. And the strange let down immediately after final exams was jarring, to say the least. Almost twenty years later I'm pretty clear on the pattern. I love looking forward. I don't feel so well when I do too much looking back. Things coming to an end is always my Kryptonite. So now I compensate. Or over-compensate, as the case may be.

The first week of summer vacation Django & I circumnavigated the Bay Area, twice. We saw Andi's newly remodled dream home in Point Richmond, finally met 3-month old Baby Ian in Novato, rode the steam train with Brad in Tilden Park, went back to Novato to swim with Mama Rae & Baby Ian, rode the ferry with Mama Hina & Little Simran to Sausalito and back, hiked at Land's End with Billy, whooped it up at Dada Hunter & Mama Irene's house in Oakland for Annabelle's 2nd birthday--then, we hightailed it out of town.

You'll have to forgive me for not writing about it sooner. My mania got the better of me. I did, at least, have the presence of mind to snap a few photos. Here are my titles for them:

1) Parallel Parking This Thing's a Bitch

2) Next Stop: Chorus Line

3) Naked & Wet 3-yd Dash

4) I'll Check My Calendar

5) At Least One of Us Enjoyed the Ride