Weekend update

The weather was cool (60s) and overcast, like a visiting friend who has a headache but wants to try to make the most of his last day here.

And I was determined to make the most if it. So Sam and I went to Mendon Ponds in the afternoon for a few hours. First we hiked some trails. These trails have stations where, if you brought your own bird seed, you can stand with your hand outstretched and chickadees and nuthatches may land on your hand. Sam and I both tried this. I got two visitors, but they weren't too confident of Sam. So he put some seed on a bench and one of them sampled that.

Eagle-eye Sam spotted a bee hive while hiking, also shown here.

Enough for now--need to post photos from the past week...

Fictional bears, again

You may remember past entries in which Sam said confidently that bears are not real. Here's a new twist:

On the way to Montessori this morning, Sam had a lively discussion with Max. He loves to reassure Max that he shouldn't be afraid in the "jungle." Today he pointed out that there aren't any monsters in the world, and also no bears in the world. Nor dinosaurs, which are extinct (he chose the word, even, and defined it correctly when asked), nor mastadons, which we agreed was a shame, since, as he told Max, they look "cuddly."

Bears are also extinct. I didn't bother disabusing him of this notion. When asked about the polar bear at the zoo (which apparently isn't extinct) he said that bear liked to hide because he's afraid of monsters. I wonder how much of his motivation in asserting the extinction and fictionality of monsters and scary beasts is to reassure Max, who is habitually nervous about the jungle. For instance, when Max asked about alligators, he was told that they only live in lakes and wide rivers. He allowed as there might be snakes, but not the kind that hiss.

St. Amy

Really fun weekend with Aunt Amy. These visits are brief--less than 48 hrs--but eventful. We took a trip to the mall Saturday morning, culminating in a ride on the two-storey carousel, lunch from Arby's, and a stop for sweet corn at a roadside stand on the way home.

The afternoon was gorgeous: cool, but with the sort of blue sky which people from Colorado are bored by, and we can't get enough of.

Sam got his first nosebleed. He was bouncing two rubber balls at once off the pavement and looked down just as he was bouncing them and got the hard one in the nose. He was amply consoled by his first trip ever to the idyllic Elison Park, where we dropped things off a footbridge over a meandering stream, and then wandered up a ravine trail in the waning light. ("An adventure!", as Sam said.)

That evening Amy watched Sam while we went out for our anniversary dinner. Amy had this well thought-out ahead of time. She not only had the special popcorn-popping pot, but also had on hand a set of plastic picnic ware. They sat on a blanket on the kitchen floor and did all the things which polite society and Sam's parents never allow, using forks as drumsticks, balancing bowls on their heads, etc. After a cleansing pair of Charlie and Lola episodes Sam went down like a happily spent boy.

Sam awoke at the unfortunately early hour of 6:12 a.m. this morning, giving us an earlier start to the day than anticipated. Amy added more jewels to her crown by watching Sam while we took a brief nap. While we snoozed Amy and Sam drew on an old cardboard box and threw sticks into the river.

Sam's been well lately. No swine flu as yet. He's been enjoying Montessori, though he doesn't always like to admit it. He's even been staying for lunch and recess twice a week, and getting used to that. (Though we learned today that they were forcing him to eat lunch all alone, the only boy at the peanut-free table. We'll talk to them about that one.)

Aunt Amy is gone now, Sam asleep (8:40!) and we are about to show great wisdom in heading up to bed, to sleep the sleep of the blessed.

Water runs through pipes under the ground, which is hard

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted! And this will be quick. Sam's back into Montessori. He was a little resistant--after all, summer mornings lounging around home are sweet--but is settling in. And the nap is gone, which has pulled his bedtime to 8:45ish. Take back the night! We are thrilled. No nap is hard, but the easier (and earlier) bedtimes are well worth it.

It's a sign of how good things are that last night's perforated sleep was very unusual. Sam had a bad dream around 4 a.m. in which Susan and I left him. Susan reassured him this morning that we never leave a man behind. That's our policy.

The start of school has meant morning commutes for Sam, and covert interrogations by Max, our inside man. Sam has recently reflected nostalgically on his youth, using the phrase, "when I was just three, not three and three quarters." This morning I had Max ask him more about that. He said, "It felt like I was not supposed to do bad things but I did anyway." I can only hope that since this is his memory of days past that he conceives of himself as being more obedient now.

He didn't seem deeply troubled, though.

I pointed out to him that he is smart, and that he's good at figuring things out. (I tried to quote his Sunday-school memory verse but realized when he quoted it, correctly, that I'd gotten the wording wrong) Buoyed by the thought that he's good at figuring things out, Sam told Max about pipes under the ground which carry water and how you can't get to them because the dirt and roads are hard, as evidenced by cars and poles not sinking.

Only rarely do I point out that he's smart. And I know daily we are pushing him and frowning and nipping at his heels to get obedience, so I thought it would be nice for him to get a boost as well.

The photos are from the playground in the old neighborhood, which we've been visiting for family picnics maybe once a week. Also shown is a big bin of red balls which is hidden away in the Rochester Museum and Science Center. The bin has labels describing basic machines (screw, lever, pulley, etc.), but has none of these machines--just a bunch of red balls. Despite the lack of educational potential, I am sure it is the most fun for a three-year-old boy of any of the exhibits.