Tanner is a second grader in the after school program. Seems like a real good kid. Nice personality, good looking, athletic, generally respectful (or at least acknowledges when he isn't and changes his ways). I usually banter with him when I go to get Marin.
Over the last few weeks, Marin will casually work Tanner into the conversation on the car ride home. "Tanner was on my bus today. Tanner played football today. Tanner was up on kid zone hill today." etc. I didn't think too much of it because Marin always talks about other kids at school or after school.
Fast forward to this week. On her weekly library trip Marin borrowed a book about football and could not wait to show me when we got home. "Look Daddy. This book is about football."
Me: "Why did you choose a book about football?"
Marin: "Tanner plays football."
Me: "You borrowed this book because Tanner plays football?"
Marin: "Yes. Maybe his picture is in here with all these boys. Then I can see Tanner's picture all the time. I like Tanner."
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Gotta get the tooth, man
Last Friday, when flossing Marin's teeth, I noticed how loose her left upper front tooth was, and told her it would come out soon. Saturday............no tooth. Sunday.................no tooth.
Sunday night Marin was tossing and turning and working that tooth like there was no tomorrow. She would not go to sleep. Finally I asked her if she wanted me to pull the tooth. She said yes. I asked her why. She said she wants to show it to Mrs. Whynot (her kindergarten teacher). So I pulled it. Marin was thrilled and fell asleep in about 3 seconds.
Monday AM I take Marin to school. She rushes to Mrs. Whynot who makes a big to-do about the lost tooth. Then Mrs. Whynot says "Marin, this is the first lost tooth of the month, that means you win the big prize for May." Marin was beaming. I thought to myself "So this is what all that commotion was about last night."
Sunday night Marin was tossing and turning and working that tooth like there was no tomorrow. She would not go to sleep. Finally I asked her if she wanted me to pull the tooth. She said yes. I asked her why. She said she wants to show it to Mrs. Whynot (her kindergarten teacher). So I pulled it. Marin was thrilled and fell asleep in about 3 seconds.
Monday AM I take Marin to school. She rushes to Mrs. Whynot who makes a big to-do about the lost tooth. Then Mrs. Whynot says "Marin, this is the first lost tooth of the month, that means you win the big prize for May." Marin was beaming. I thought to myself "So this is what all that commotion was about last night."
Problem Solving Skills
We play this little game in which I hold three golf balls in my right hand and three golf balls in my left hand. Marin takes one hand and Emmy takes the other. Whoever can pry all three golf balls from my grip first wins. It's a great game because I can just lie on the floor on my back and get a rest while totally entertaining the kids. Talk about win/win.
The point of this story is how creative Emmy became after realizing there is no way she will win the game on strength. One night she turned my hand so it was palm up. Using both her hands, she peeled back my thumb and stood on it with one foot. Then, using both her hands again, she peeled back my pinkie and ring fingers and stood on them with her other foot. Then she used her hands to peel back and pin my remaining to fingers. Now all the balls were exposed, but she had no hands with which to pick them up. Emmy tried blowing on the balls to move them, then she tried rocking my hand without losing her grip. Finally, she turned to Marin and asked "Marin, will you please pick these balls up for me?" When Marin said "No", Emmy tried to get the cat to roll the balls off my hand. I gave her the win for ingenuity.
Next night, I changed my grip so Emmy's foot trick would not work. She took my hand, turning it and exploring it every which way like it was a Rubik's cube. Then she grabbed my wrist with both hands, looked at me sweetly, and bashed the back of my hand with all her strength against the edge of a table leg . Of course the golf balls went flying as I screamed in pain and surprise. Emmy, totally ignoring me, turned to Marin and said, matter of factly, "I beat you again."
The point of this story is how creative Emmy became after realizing there is no way she will win the game on strength. One night she turned my hand so it was palm up. Using both her hands, she peeled back my thumb and stood on it with one foot. Then, using both her hands again, she peeled back my pinkie and ring fingers and stood on them with her other foot. Then she used her hands to peel back and pin my remaining to fingers. Now all the balls were exposed, but she had no hands with which to pick them up. Emmy tried blowing on the balls to move them, then she tried rocking my hand without losing her grip. Finally, she turned to Marin and asked "Marin, will you please pick these balls up for me?" When Marin said "No", Emmy tried to get the cat to roll the balls off my hand. I gave her the win for ingenuity.
Next night, I changed my grip so Emmy's foot trick would not work. She took my hand, turning it and exploring it every which way like it was a Rubik's cube. Then she grabbed my wrist with both hands, looked at me sweetly, and bashed the back of my hand with all her strength against the edge of a table leg . Of course the golf balls went flying as I screamed in pain and surprise. Emmy, totally ignoring me, turned to Marin and said, matter of factly, "I beat you again."
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Do I hear witness?
Sunday we took Marin and Emmy to the AME Zion church so they could mingle with other African Americans. They were the belles of the ball. Everybody wanted to touch them and hold them and ask questions about them. The kids, being attention hounds, lapped it up.
The first half of the service involved a lot of music and gospel singing and our girls seemed to really enjoy that. They were smiling and rocking back and forth in time with the music. Then the sermon started. If you've ever been to an AME service, you know the sermon can be enthusiastic.
Afterward, I asked Marin how she enjoyed the church. She said "Why that man yell at me too loud? Why he angry. I was good girl. Why he yell at me too much?" It is always so interesting to see how Marin and Emmy interpret things.
The first half of the service involved a lot of music and gospel singing and our girls seemed to really enjoy that. They were smiling and rocking back and forth in time with the music. Then the sermon started. If you've ever been to an AME service, you know the sermon can be enthusiastic.
Afterward, I asked Marin how she enjoyed the church. She said "Why that man yell at me too loud? Why he angry. I was good girl. Why he yell at me too much?" It is always so interesting to see how Marin and Emmy interpret things.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Grand Theft
I took Marin to the library for story time this week. There are about 8 families of children and Moms crammed in a semi circle while a librarian reads childrens books.
I had a zip lock bag of cereal in my jacket pocket for Marin's snack on the ride home. So we're reading, listening, reading, listening. Suddenly I notice a strangeness about Marin's face. I asked her what she was doing. She got this guilty look and held up the empty zip lock bag.
I could not believe it. Marin was able to search my pockets (she did not know I had a snack in there), extract the ziplock bag, and eat the entire bag without me or anyone else in the room noticing.
It's stuff like this that makes me so curious what skills she had to develop to survive in Ethiopia.
I had a zip lock bag of cereal in my jacket pocket for Marin's snack on the ride home. So we're reading, listening, reading, listening. Suddenly I notice a strangeness about Marin's face. I asked her what she was doing. She got this guilty look and held up the empty zip lock bag.
I could not believe it. Marin was able to search my pockets (she did not know I had a snack in there), extract the ziplock bag, and eat the entire bag without me or anyone else in the room noticing.
It's stuff like this that makes me so curious what skills she had to develop to survive in Ethiopia.
Happy Birthday Grammy
My Father's room mate, who the kids call Grammy, had a birthday this week. We asked the kids to phone her and wish her happy birthday.
Marin: How old are you?
Grammy: I am 80.
Marin: What did you say?
Grammy: I am 80.
Marin: (jaw on floor and eyes like saucers) Wow. That's a big one. You are really old. Too old.
And Marin is going on and on about how old Grammy is so we took the phone from her and gave it to Emmy.
Emmy: Grammy, you old?
Grammy: No, I'm 80.
Emmy: You dying?
Grammy: What?
Emmy: You dead Grammy?
Now Colleen and I want to crawl into a hole.
There is some history here. Our kids are fascinated with death. No matter who we are talking about, they ask if the person is dead. Many times the answer is yes, and the kids want to know why. Our standard answer is "He was too old." because we don't want them to be afraid of being sick (sick people die in Ethiopia) and because their English comprehension does not permit a nuanced explanation of death.
So now, whenever Emmy hears that someone is old, she immediately wants to know if that person is dead or dying.
Marin: How old are you?
Grammy: I am 80.
Marin: What did you say?
Grammy: I am 80.
Marin: (jaw on floor and eyes like saucers) Wow. That's a big one. You are really old. Too old.
And Marin is going on and on about how old Grammy is so we took the phone from her and gave it to Emmy.
Emmy: Grammy, you old?
Grammy: No, I'm 80.
Emmy: You dying?
Grammy: What?
Emmy: You dead Grammy?
Now Colleen and I want to crawl into a hole.
There is some history here. Our kids are fascinated with death. No matter who we are talking about, they ask if the person is dead. Many times the answer is yes, and the kids want to know why. Our standard answer is "He was too old." because we don't want them to be afraid of being sick (sick people die in Ethiopia) and because their English comprehension does not permit a nuanced explanation of death.
So now, whenever Emmy hears that someone is old, she immediately wants to know if that person is dead or dying.
jet fuel
Our home has a center chimney and traffic flows through rooms and hallways surrounding it.
One evening I am in the sitting room reading the paper and the kids are just running circles through the house. I was too absorbed in the newspaper to notice at first, but eventually they started panting and sweating, which got my attention.
I asked them "What are you doing?" and they both said in unison "Running too much. Have to get sleepy. Ate too much sugar."
Apparently they had raided the cookie jar when out backs were turned.
One evening I am in the sitting room reading the paper and the kids are just running circles through the house. I was too absorbed in the newspaper to notice at first, but eventually they started panting and sweating, which got my attention.
I asked them "What are you doing?" and they both said in unison "Running too much. Have to get sleepy. Ate too much sugar."
Apparently they had raided the cookie jar when out backs were turned.
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