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.

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