Lately our guys have been enjoying “weirdo smeech” (plural of smooch), a little gross-out trick where we make our tongues into second “lips,” then give each other big wet kisses. During a recent session our little “ear, nose, & throat” men followed by giving me a crazy oral exam: check it out!
Camo-clad Henry “walks with the big dogs in the tall grass,” so to speak–only in our case we’re seeking neighborhood cats (“Gato licking! {slurp!}”).
Downside: Our sewer pipe went haywire, necessitating some expensive driveway surgery (“Double Double, Toilet Trouble!” as Finn declared).
Upside: The boys got a bay window seat to jackhammering plus a garbage truck PLUS a scooper truck! Great morning for tots, or the GREATEST morning?? 🙂
Ever since, the boys have been playing “busy workers” as Henry says. “I’m Adam!” the little guy proclaims, while Finn adds, “I’m Uncle Louie!” (I enjoy imagining my own Uncle Louie being their jackhammering hero.)
When I think back to a little over three years ago, there’s no way I would have ever guessed what my life would be like. Sure, I hoped I would have at least one kid, but there’s just no imagining what motherhood will ultimately be like. I feel so lucky to be the mother of Finny and Henry. They constantly surprise, amaze, and yes, sometimes frustrate me…all of which have expanded and deepened the definition of who I am, and what family means to me. I couldn’t ask for greater gifts than my two boys and my wonderful husband, their Dad-o. I knew soon after meeting him that I wanted him to be the dad to my kids. Viva Dad-o, and viva los Micronaxx!
A recent cosmological discussion at Chez Nack:
Me: “Did you have a good weekend, Finny?”
F: “Yeah!… Are the days hooked together?”
Me: “Yep. The days & nights hook together like train cars.”
F: “Yeah! And they’re pulled by a big engine–a Sky Engine!”
Not to be left out, Henry pointed at a very diffused sun & said, “Look like… big truck!” So now maybe we’ll have a great debate of prime movers, Sky Engines vs. Sky Trucks. 🙂
This weekend was action packed! All four of us drove up to the beautiful redwood forests of Northern California so I could compete in the half-marathon I’d trained for. All three of my guys came to cheer me on and cavort amongst the giant trees.
It was a fantastic weekend. Sunday was race day, and it couldn’t have been any better. The sun was shining, the air was cool, and the course, along the famous Avenue of the Giants, was beautiful. My training paid off, and I finished the race even faster than my target pace. I felt great almost the entire race, only starting to feel tired and a bit sore during the last couple of miles. The last mile went by quickly, with tons of folks from my Team in Training support team cheering me on, and then as I caught a glimpse of John, Finny, and Henry close to the finish line. Here’s a gallery of pics from race day. And for all of you who supported me, both morally and with donations to LLS, your name made it onto my jersey so you were right there with me the entire time!
My experience with Team In Training was fantastic–the training, coaching, support, and inspiration of our honorees made for a truly memorable experience. It just couldn’t have been any better, and I am proud to have participated on behalf of blood cancer patients and their families, whose lives and experiences are affected by the research, time, money, and support they receive from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“You call Mom-O ‘Peanut,'” noted Finn the other day, “and she calls you ‘Peanut,’ and sometimes she calls you ‘Beh Beh’!” (A few days earlier I’d read him a note to me that Margot left, signed, “Love you, Beh Beh” (as in “baby”).) Henry immediately chimed in with “Love you, Beh Beh!,” and now he inserts it as a total non-sequitur in other conversations. I caught one such episode in the tub the other night. Press the gray arrow to hear it:
[audio:http://www.jnack.com/micronaxx/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/LoveYouBehBeh.mp3|titles=LoveYouBehBeh]
Yesterday our guys experienced their first taste (literally & figuratively) of the ocean! Henry has been insistently talking about “seaside” (prominently featured in a Thomas story), so it was great to experience the real thing. We visited Natural Bridges State Beach with young pals Cyrus & Hazel, their parents Michael & Juliana, and their visiting friends Konrad, Lisa, and young Max. The boys had a ball wading (with assistance) into the onrushing surf, and though their jaws were chattering (“I’m a helicopter! AhBaBaBaBa…” shivered Finn), we had to drag them out for periodic drying/warming sessions.
Here’s our little gallery, kicking off with Henry’s “Young Man and the Sea” routine.
This is your captain speaking. Please, remain calm. Air sickness bags are conveniently located in the seat pocket in front of you. Now please, sit back and enjoy flying the Micronaxx Skies!
Captured yesterday at the Hiller Aviation Museum. (Click for a larger version.)
Finn was rocking some major hat hair this evening, and we compared his ‘do that of a horned owl. He wanted to inspect it one more time before it got washed away, and as we lacked a mirror, I fired up my phone’s video camera. Check out the results, including a rhythmic bead-popping duet (sort of the lowest-key Stomp performance ever):
Little Hen is, let’s say, not shy in expressing his wishes, especially now that he can toss some words around. Lately he conveys his desire to be held by saying, “Dad-O, hold you??*” We’re trying to teach him to have a little patience, but he’s wily: Seeking to draw me nearer his high chair, he’ll offer to pet us. Example:
H: “Pet… Dad-O??”
Me: “Uh… you want to pet me?”
H: “Nah” (meaning “Yah”).
Me: “Uh, okay,” cautiously extending an arm.
H: (seizing the moment & the arm) “Dad-O, hold you??”
He can be trying, this kid, especially as he tends to burst into tears (which he helpfully notes as “Cryin’?! Fussin’?!”) if gratification is delayed. Ah, but then he can be so nice: As we’ve sung in the dark at bedtime the last few nights, he’s combined elements of just-read Pat the Bunny, caressing my stubbly throat & chin and saying, “Pet, Dad-O… soft, face…” What a guy, what a guy; I think we’ll keep him. 🙂
*Nearly every phrase features little pauses, then rises with the tone of an urgent, somewhat pained question.
G-Man gets ecstatic for fro-yo. 🙂
We were delighted this week to see our friends Adolfo, Romina, & Bruno as they visited from Argentina (“Argentunafish”). As I was still in Germany on Thursday, Margot reported that after dinner the boys played in the basement & “spoke the universal language of Thomas.” (Bruno is a *big* Toby fan.)
Yesterday the guys came over again & we enjoyed some more basement time before having a “meat hut” picnic in the park, complete with some impromptu face-painting. We’ll have more photos & maybe a video to share soon; in the meantime, here’s a great shot Adolfo captured of me & the G-Man (click for a larger version).
On a flight last summer, I had the misfortune of scoring a middle seat next next to a tremendously drunk young guy. When he wasn’t passed out from the three cocktails Southwest had served him (for a 50-minute flight!), he began LOUDLY serenading me (and the rest of the cabin) with slurred info about his life. He couldn’t shut up about how his girlfriend was blonde (“BLAAAHNDE!!”) and hot (“HAAAAWT!!”), sharing way too much detail & repeating himself over and over.
Having “enjoyed” his performance art for two hours (thanks to bonus time stuck waiting for a gate), I finally escaped with my wits somewhat intact. At home I treated Margot & nearby Finn to a recap, making the little guy ask, “What is ‘Blaaande‘? What is ‘Haaaawt‘?” I tousled his hair and explained that *he’s* blonde–to which he added, “And hot!!”
This week as I prepared to head to Germany, Finn asked out of the blue, “Is the ‘Blonde, Hot’ guy gonna be on there?” I told him I sure hoped not! Even better, Henry–who’s clearly been on full record mode & is ready for some playback–started chiming in from the next room: “Blaaaand… hawwwt!!” What a proud dad I am. 🙂
Yesterday as Mom-O did a 10-mile walk (putting the “go go” in “Margot”), the guys and I fooled around with neighborhood trash cans, “rescuing” some discarded Swiffers & mops from the gutter. (Hey man, cheap thrills, and they were as happy as clams!) After hauling home our loot, we spent much of the day redistributing leaves around our driveway; here’s a photo.
Soon enough it was time for me to head off to my flight to Hamburg, where I’ve now landed. Finn, recalling our extensive pirate lore, said, “Dad-O, if you run into any pirates, maybe you could bring a broomstick and beat ’em with it!” After we discussed the general incompatibility between long wooden truncheons & airline carry-on policy, he agreed, “Yeah, maybe you could just get a broom handle while you’re over there.”
And to that I say, Avast! Time to Swiff some scallywags into the sea!
In a happy accident the other day, I must have inadvertently left my phone on & set to camera mode. After some escalator-riding with Henry, I flipped on the phone & discovered this photo, just as you see it here–no fooling!
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ (yo Nacklads!)…
On Saturday the guys and I took our lives (or at least our wrists & butts) in our hands and headed to a nearby roller rink. As Margot was busy with her half-marathon training, I wasn’t sure I could wrangle the guys on my own (on skates, no less!), but I’m glad we gave it a shot. Little pals Bettie, Quade, Cyrus, Hazel, Dillon, and Rachel, plus some little sibs & their parents, were in attendance, and we ended up having a ball.
Here’s a very tiny gallery of photos, plus a clip of Henry & Hazel’s air hockey table dance:
Henry, peeking at the park this morning. 🙂
And just for historical fun, I’ll re-share what is probably my single favorite kid video ever, taken when Finn was 18 months old:
