Queen City Greeting

Aunt Lucy sent us some hand me downs from her two kids and some of them are WAAAAAY hand me downs from her childhood. Included were a shirt that features a sketch Aunt Lucy drew when she was about 3 and which was used as a logo for a school our mother helped to found, and a shirt from Queen City Park Day, a festival in the community where our father raised us in Vermont. So, with Cassius modeling one of the shirts, I thought it was appropriate to have him thank Aunt Lucy for sending it to us. He was, however, entranced by the sight of himself on the screen of the phone. As well, when he fist bumped the phone the first time, he paused the recording, unbeknownst to me. So, I had him do it again, which he good-naturedly did.

Christmas Jingles

Maceo goes to a Mandarin school, so they don't seem to have been learning any Christmas carols. He already knows a bunch, but the holiday spirit hasn't grabbed him enough to start singing them around the house. Plus, he's enraptured by the soundtrack of the movie Frozen and that's all we've been listening to in the car lately. Cassius, on the other hand, goes to a Catholic school, so he's fully indoctrinated. And he's taken by the spirit of the Little Lord Jesus, too. He's always singing and quite enthusiastically, too. We know it's a big build-up to the Pageant on Friday where he'll be struck dumb by shyness, but it's been a lot of fun. Here you'll see a number of his greatest hits, at times joined by other members of the family. At the beginning of the video, he's reluctant to sing without finishing his vocal exercises ("Musky Misky, Mickey Mouse!" for example). Then he sings accompanying himself on guitar. Perhaps you'll recognize the song, but you'll certainly recognize his Flamenco influences! This traditional song is followed by the evermore temperamental artiste Cassius as he attempts his signature song "Away in a Manger." This is quickly followed by some Simon and Garfunkel-type feuding between the two singers, Maceo and Cassius. Both then offer their unique interpretations of "Jingle Bells" a more secular song that really doesn't fit either of their oeuvres. Finally, a song all will know---"A, B, Cs" with Cash again on his beloved guitar, with audience participation.

Dinner Discussions

Tonight, as I was standing in the dining room, Maceo walked over and tapped me in the crotch. "What's your penis's name, Daddy?" he asked. "What?" I asked. "Does your penis have a name?" "Uh-hunh," he responded. "Leo." "What should mine's be?" I asked. "Magnus," he said decisively. "What's your penis's name, Mama?" he asked, turning to Kate. "You choose," she said. "Annie," he said with the same air of certainty. "What's Cassius's penis's name?" we asked him. He thought it over and then announced, "Judith!"

The brute force of religion

Last weekend, I had an hour to spare with Maceo before Cassius came back from spending the morning with Grandpa.  So, I thought it would be good to explore the basilica in our neighborhood that we pass by many times each week but have never explored before.

Maceo and I entered through the ground level of the basilica and what this offered was a slow introduction to the numerous and smaller statues and mosaics of Jesus and Mary as we made our way up to the first and main floor of the cathedral.  Everything seemed to pique his interest.  We made wishes with pennies in a small fountain with a statue of Mary and when we came to the candles that one can light to offer a prayer, he seemed excited to go through the ritual.  (Author/parent's note:  I'm about 99% sure it was the prospect of lighting a match and not a deeper sense of piety that drove this request).  I explained to him, before we lit the candle, that he could say a prayer for someone or something that was on his mind.  We lit the candle, he very solemnly, and when I asked him what he prayed for he shared that he wanted to celebrate his great behavior he had all week according to his teacher.

After we lit the candle, we turned down the long hallway that leads to the pulpit.  Behind the pulpit is a 3-story tall mosaic Jesus that mesmerized Maceo.  And this is our conversation at that point:

Maceo:  Who is THAT?! Is that Jesus?
Kate:  Yes, it is.
Maceo:  Is he stronger than me?
Kate:  Yes, he is.  He is also older and has had more time to become strong.
(Pause from Maceo).
(Still pausing).
Maceo:  What would Jesus do if  I punched him in the face?

Fall foliage, Biking, and the Boys on the Northwest Branch Trail Trail

Winter's Coming

With the hurricaine coming through (mildly) this weekend, we abandoned outdoor plans and instead went to Climb Zone in Laurel. We met the Greenberg and the Monctons there. Both families have sons our sons' ages. Maceo and Ben and Wesley have know each other since they were 5 months old. Cash and Theo, Wesley's little brother, are a week apart. And Nate, Ben's little brother, is only a few month younger. All in all, it was pretty great. Climb Zone is an indoor climbing gym for kids.

There are about 50 different walls for kids to climb and each one has an automated belay system that enables kids to climb essentially independently and without fear. Not totally without fear, as Maceo would prove. We tried to convince him to try at least the practice wall at least once, just to find out he didn't like it. But he refused and we didn't think a screaming child being hoisted in a harness above our heads was a good option. It was an option, but we decided not to go with it in the end. He did have fun in the moon bounce and on the various inflated slides. His biggest activity was sitting in an arcade game and pretending to drive a boat. That blur there is Maceo flying down the slide.

Cash, on the other hand, was reluctant at first, but by the end, he was super enthusiastic. Not about climbing, but about flying! I'd recommend using the volume on that one just to hear all of our sounds of delight with him.

Oh, Deer

There's been quite a bit of talk lately at our house about deer. We see them across the road, we see them in the backyard, and the boys are quite interested in them.

Why, here's one in the back yard now!

Cassius regularly brings up with our neighbor, Houston, the time Cassius saw deer in the backyard with him a few weeks ago. And during the summer, when the boys and I went to St. Ann's for drop off, we often saw deer in the woods along the way. All this is to explain today's conversation in the car on the way to Home Depot. 

Cash stated, "I see deer out Cashy's window." "No," said Maceo. "There aren't deer around here." And he was right. Where we were, there weren't any deer. Cash is now a little bit of a liar. "Are deer at Home Depot?" asked Cash. "Yes," said Maceo, only hearig the word "home." "No", he immediately said, realizing that Cassius had included the word "depot." It was a bit of a hilarious doubletake from the back seat. Even better was later on when Cassius performed the famous Swooping Swallow tickle routine. On himself.

Back to School

The three boys are all back to school now. Cassius is still at St. Ann's, but he is no longer with Ms. Mekisa, which saddens us.  This morning, as Maceo and I were taking Cash in to the school, Maceo pointed out Ms. Mekisa walking up the drive. Cash stood up on the wall next to the stairs, waved, and yelled, "MeKEEEEsa!" He was very happy to greet her. However, now he is in a different room, with a different teacher. Ms. Tay, Cassius's new teacher, is from Ghana, and she was Maceo's teacher during the summer while he was back at St. Ann's. She is very nice, and Maceo liked her a lot. But now he is back at Yu Ying. His new teacher is named Yu Laoshi. (Laoshi is Mandarin for Teacher.) She seems very good and good with Maceo, so we are excited for that. And morning drop offs, after the first one, have been great. Last year, Maceo could be clingy or sad or reluctant, but the last 3 or 4 drop offs, he barely seems to notice that we've left! And I am back at WIS, teaching high school classes and coaching volleyball. These weeks back have been tiring and we miss summer a lot already. Our pool closed on Labor Day, it's dark in the morning when we wake up, and we are exhausted by the time the boys go down. 

Mamy & Maceo: A Story about Friends Who Only Share Two Cookies

This is an endearing snippet from an email that Pat/Mamy sent to me and Nick at the end of one of many days spent with Maceo earlier this year:

Maceo is often hungry when I pick him up, so I try to bring a snack — raisins, graham crackers, peanut butter sandwich. 

The other day I brought two cookies from a box a Philippine client gave me. I told him they were a present from a friend. He loved them of course, and asked if I had any more at home. I lied and said no. Macao was stunned. 

"Your friend only gave you two cookies??!!” he inquired unbelievingly.

I could read his thought bubble: “This is clearly NOT a friend if you only got two cookies, Mamy. Frenemy was coined for situations like this.”

Now of course I am unwilling to give him more cookies from the box because he’ll think I am a liar. The stresses of being a grandma.

We Are Here to Pump You Up!

Turkey Thicket!

We stopped by the other day and the kids, as usual, had a blast. It really is a great park and just a few blocks from our house!

Small Fry

We've been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. At the beginning, Maceo was a little trepidatious about the water, but now he's pretty comfortable and getting to be actually swimming. Cash is getting better about going underwater, too. So, I brought my GoPro camera and filmed them in the big pool.

The Olympian

Cassius helped me push Dad and Susan's lawn mower all the way over to their house and all the way into the garage. Whenever he realized I had my hand on the handle to help, he would immediately stop, push my hand away, and say, "No, Papa." He is way into bumps be they on foot or in the stroller or in the car. Here, on the way back, you can see his raw athleticism and grace.

Silent Movie

On a recent drive home from dinner at our friends' new home, the boys were in great moods, despite it being slightly later than normal for them. They are beginning to really interact with each other, and Cash is way into copying Maceo's behaviors (which is, most of the time, unfortunate. There's often back and forth good natured screaming). Here they are alternating animal noises while we travelled. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that recording while the phone was plugged in to the radio meant the microphone doesn't work. (We were listening to "Peter and the Wolf" narrated by David Bowie), so instead of just deleting the footage, I turned it into a 1920s-style silent movie.

Adorable Street Urchin Creates Own Amusement

One of Cassius's favorite pastimes is throwing balls over fences. It's highly annoying. But cute. Here he is at the nearby playground attempting to throw his ball over/onto a fence structure, accompanied by sad music...

Summer Vacation Has Begun!

Maceo broke his right thumb at Yu Ying the last week of school, so the pool hasn't been as much fun as it normally is. So we set up the sprinkler in our backyard. Cash was reluctant to join in, as you can see. But we were also invited to a little back yard party at our neighbors' house, which is where you see Cassius smacking his lips over his popsicle, smiling coyly at guests, and enjoying himself on the phone screen. The last video is Maceo trying to teach Cash how to play tag, racing away from him, and Cassius blithely running after him on the lawn outside their daycare where they both attend this summer.

MOON BOUNCE

After the strenuous match of one on none basketball, Cash and the rest of us went to his friend Dominic's birthday party. THERE WAS A MOON BOUNCE! I cannot stress that enough. Our children cycled between the moon bounce and the sandbox and became big grimy balls of sweat and sand. But they can now both somersault.

The Saddest Basketball Game of All TIme

Cassius woke up from his nap and Mace and Kate were trying to sleep. So we went for a walk to the nearby playground with Cassius' favorite orange ball to play basketball. It was actually cute and fun and Cash had a good time, but man, the video footage, along with melancholic music, makes Cash look quite pitiful.

Momo! Right here!

The McMurrers gave Maceo a book about a Border Collie named Momo who is posing somewhat obscured in each picture on each page. Maceo was not into the book when we first got it, but as you can tell from this video, Cash is a fan.

Liquor Delivery

Maceo, Cassius, and I walked over to Grandpa and Grandma Sue's house this afternoon to drop off some wine and margarita bottles that we had bought for them. There appeared to be no one home, so I hid the bottles on the front porch. Maceo hollered up,"Knock on the door!" and I just stared at him. He yelled, "Knock on the door, please!", so I did. No one was there, which I told him as I walked down the walk to the two boys waiting in the stroller. "I knew it," said Maceo. "How'd you know?" I asked. "Because I am magic," he said calmly. 

South America and Discipline

Maceo is so enamored of his South America doll that he's been taking it to bed with him. Of course, this means that we have leverage with him! When I put him to bed the other night, I told him, "Be quiet now and go to sleep. If Mama or I have to come up here, we're going to have to take South America away." I closed the door and went downstairs. I was in the kitchen doing something when I heard a slight shriek from Kate in the living room. This was followed by her scolding Maceo, who had silently crept down the stairs and startled her. She took South America and took Maceo up to his room. He sobbed and sobbed, and eventually I went up to calm him down. I asked him, "What were you doing? I told you if we had to come up here, we'd take South America away." Maceo sobbed, "But you didn't say any words about sneaking out!"

Peekaboo!

South America

Almost every day, there's a little note in Maceo's notebook from school about his behavior. Most days, we get a shit sandwich: something good surrounding something shitty Maceo did. Often times, it's hitting or chasing or pushing or throwing something at another kid. Because we don't see any other notebooks, we fear that Maceo is the only kid at school to do this bad behavior. Recently, we instituted a program to help motivate him to behave better. Each day he came home with a clean rap sheet, we would move a jelly bean from one glass jar with 10 beans in it to another. When he had moved all 10, he would get a prize. Well, guess who got a prize!

The answer is the pleased and proud boy in the picture, if you weren't sure. And if that's not cute enough, Maceo is convinced his action figure's name is South America. (Also, hulk's name is Croco man and he has "big green muscles and purple underwear." Now you know.)

IT'S CANDY!!!

Somehow we came into possession of a bag of candy. Perhaps it was at Easter. We keep it in a cabinet out of the kids' reach. Both boys really like candy, especially jelly beans, so we are able to use it as a carrot (a sweet candy carrot) for good behavior. The other morning, Kate left early to go teach aerobics, and so the boys and I were eating breakfast, playing, making a mess (the boys), and cleaning up (me). At some point, the boys ran through the kitchen and into the powder room just off the kitchen. They closed the door and it got very quiet. "Great," I thought. "I can get some dishes washed and put stuff away! It's so great that they are able to play by themselves!" Unbeknownst to me, Kate had moved the candy from the high cabinet to a low cabinet. Beknownst, now, to the boys. After too long a period of silence, I went to the powder room and opened the door. Two quiet boys looked up at me, mouths working on candy, the bag in Maceo's hand. Cash had a thin stream of chocolate drool running down his chin. He was quite mad when I took the bag and followed me yelling into the kitchen.

Shapes and Colors

New house

We are in the process of perhaps buying a house maybe. Yesterday, Kate, Nick, Jim, Susan, and Maceo went to look at the house all together. It was exciting, especially for Maceo. He ran around the house, telling us which room was for whom. He found a piece of wood. So exciting!

He's since been asking when we will be going there again. We try to explain the uncertainty of the process and the concept of time, but it doesn't really work. Nick finally told him he'd have to be patient, referring to a Cookie Monster book Maceo has. That seemed to work. About an hour later, out of the blue, Maceo told us, "I'm not going to talk about my new house anymore. I'm going to be patient and keep my question in my throat." He soon after was asking questions again, but it was super cute while it lasted. 

Cupcakes and cousins

Maceo was making scones with Kate and he began to tell me about the cupcakes he and Cassius would have at his birthday party in April. "I will have a yellow one with a train on it and Cassius will have a green one with a truck on it."

"Sounds good," I tell him. "God willing, we'll have it at our new house!" "Yes, God willing, we'll have it at our new house," said Maceo. He paused. "That's my cousin," he said. "Who?" I asked. "God willing," he said.